so, what is the status of its civilization? These all may be existences, realities on Mars, but we do not know of them, but there may be intelligent inhabitants on Mars who know all these things and a thousand more that are unknown to us, yet known to intelligences inhabiting Mars. And so as to the most distant planets and planet-systems conceivable. Everywhere that things exist, they may be paralleled by Intelligences that cognize them. Then, again, there are varying degrees of Intelligences. Where two Intelligences exist and one is more intelligent than another, it leads to the thought that there may be a third more intelligent than the first two; thence to a fourth or fifth more intelligent still; thence onward, rising one above another, in superiority of intelligence until you stand in the presence of an infinity of Intelligences, or reach One more intelligent than them all! One who, directly or indirectly, in all councils presides; who guides all movements; who directs all undertakings; who controls all worlds and world-systems; who loves all; who comprehends all things, even the sum of existences—the Truth! And so in the last analysis of the matter, wheresoever there are existences to be known, even though they stretch to infinity, there are also Intelligences that parallel such existences to cognize them, control them, dominate them, and through them work out Their will.

The phrase above—"the sum of existence:" we have more to do with that. The phrase is used by a most faithful and earnest Christian man, the late John Jacques. Instructed by the Prophet Joseph Smith, he sang in his hymn on Truth, the following:

    Then say, what is Truth? 'Tis the last and the first,
      For the limits of time it steps o'er;
    Though the heavens depart and the earth's fountains burst,
      Truth, the sum of existence, will weather the worst,
    Eternal, unchanged, evermore.

Surely that which is, that which has been, and that which is to come, must be the sum of existence, or absolute Truth; and all that is, or has been, or shall be, has been, is and shall be known by the everywhere existing Intelligences, who, with the rest of their knowledge, know themselves; who possess self-consciousness, as well as other-consciousness, that is, consciousness of other things than themselves. Truth, indeed, from this view point, is knowledge of that which is, including self-knowledge of the knower. It may be said that the absolute Truth, even as here set forth, is beyond the grasp of the finite mind. I shall concede the claim; but because finite mind cannot comprehend the sum of existence, or absolute Truth, it does not follow that the definition we are discussing is at fault, or that it can be displaced by one meaning more or less. Reflection upon the definition here presented will develop the fact that it contains a self-evident proposition of the same nature as the statement, "duration is eternal"—without beginning, without end. Or, "space is limitless"—it has no point beyond which it may not be conceived to extend, and beyond which it does not extend. It is vain to say that the finite mind cannot comprehend the realities presented by these statements. The thing is greater than any symbol we can fashion of it by word or otherwise; but we cannot conceive the opposite of these statements, i.e., that space has boundaries; that duration has limits; that absolute Truth is less than the sum of existence. In the definition herein set forth you have all that is; and if in any definition of Truth there is failure to include the sum of existences by so much would the definition be defective and fail of its aim to define Truth. As to relative Truth—every individual man's Truth—that is each individual man's knowledge of so much of the sum of existences as he can make his own, as already pointed out.

One other reflection on this definition. Note the words in it: "Knowledge of things * * * as they are to come." This presents a view of Truth seldom if ever met with. It gives the idea of movement. Truth is not a stagnant pool, but a living fountain; not a Dead Sea without tides or currents; on the contrary it is an ocean, immeasurably great, vast, co-extensive with the Universe—it is the Universe— bright-heaving, boundless, endless and sublime! Moving in majestic currents, uplifted by tides in ceaseless ebb and flow; variant but orderly; taking on new forms from ever-changing combinations; new adjustments; new relations—multiplying itself in ten thousand times ten thousand ways; ever reflecting the intelligence of the Infinite; and declaring alike in its whispers and in its thunders, the hived wisdom of the ages—of God!

AS TO THINGS—EXISTENCES: We are next to consider the universe in which men, angels, archangels and Gods—Intelligences all—live.

"There are many kingdoms * * * and there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in the which there is no space."

This was said by Joseph Smith in 1832. The context of the passage makes it clear that "kingdoms" here are not groups of men or nations over which a monarch reigns; but substance, matter, worlds and systems of worlds, under the dominion of law, and Intelligences. It is the doctrine of the eternal and everywhere existence of matter and space. It is a description of the universe as far as it is describable. But let us think of the passage a moment; for it requires thought to rightly apprehend it.

This "space"—what is meant by it? I ask you what is between the two walls of this hall, and you would rightly answer space, extension. But what is on the outside of each wall—space; neither wall is the end of space, then. Let us look higher. What is between us and the sun? Space—extension. How much of it? Our astronomers say 92,000,000 miles. What is on the other side of the sun in a direct line from us? Space. How much, 92,000,000 miles? Yes, and if 92,000,000 miles were multiplied by 92,000,000 the product would not indicate all the space in a direct line from us on the opposite side of the sun. Beyond the point so obtained space would still extend. But one wearies of these units of measure; take a ray of light. In the single batting of a bird's wing light will pass eight times round the earth, that is it will pass over a distance of 198,000 miles! There are fixed stars—suns—so distant from us, the astronomers say, that it requires hundreds of thousands and even millions of years for a ray of light to reach us from those distant suns! Take one of those distant suns and think upon it in respect of space, just as we did a moment ago in regard to what is between our earth and the sun and beyond the sun, in a direct line from us, and you get the same results. There is no means by which the limitless may be measured. Whatever the length of your measuring wand it is still inadequate. By no measurement, by no conception, may one reach the "outside curtains" beyond which space does not extend. And so as to time, duration. What was before today? Yesterday. And what will be after today? Tomorrow. Take a century, or, better yet, a millennium, a period of 1,000 years—why not take 1,000,000 years as a period with which to measure duration? It will answer just as well as our "day" of a moment ago. What preceded our present period of 1,000,000 years? A previous 1,000,000 of such years. And what will follow the present period of 1,000,000 years? Another such period. So you may continue, make your period of measurement what length of years or centuries or millenniums you please, the result will always be the same. It is again the attempt to measure the limitless, to encompass that which is infinite. The sum of all our thought on this head is well stated by Ernest Haeckel in one of his latest works, the very last but one, I believe, the publication of which falls within the present decade:

a. "The