Angels' Diary—Celestial Life

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying—Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and He will dwell with them and they shall be His people and God himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.

Revelations, Chapter 21, third and fourth verses

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How beautiful it is to be an inhabitant of such a wonderful land. This fact became more deeply impressed upon my mind as I grew and unfolded in my new life. I found a great deal to interest me in each sphere and it seemed that there was always something new to charm my sight and hearing. I was so happy and how I longed for the time when I could carry the heavenly message to the dear ones far away on the earth. The dear brother was a continual delight to me; he seemed during his years in the heavenly world to have absorbed a wealth of knowledge and then he was such an inspiring teacher. I was never weary of learning from him.

After a time, the new life became so natural to me that it seemed as though I had always known it; it was no longer a dream but a grand and beautiful reality. With my studies, my music and art, the companionship of new friends that I had found since I became an inhabitant of the heavenly world, the delightful musicales and instructive lectures, the time passed very pleasantly. Shortly after passing over, I was brought into the presence of that grand character who is known to the world as the Saviour. I was deeply impressed with his tenderness and gentle manner and his presence was such as to inspire one with the desire to be good and true. After coming in contact with this purely spiritual character, I felt stronger and better than I ever had before. It was an inspiration that remained within my soul.

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I was delighted with a visit made to the home of Michael Angelo in the Celestial Sphere. The works of art were most magnificent and this visit only added another delightful reminiscence to my store of beautiful experiences. It was so grand to think that one was not limited in his desires in this heavenly world. All homes, buildings, music halls, scientific laboratories and lecture halls were open to the public. There was always an instructive lecture to attend if one so desired and the musicales and concerts were so inspiring. Those who had been limited on earth and who had desired to hear Jennie Lind or Emma Abbott sing could listen to their music in the music halls of heaven. There were all the poets, Longfellow, Whittier, Tennyson, Holmes, Bryant, Emerson, Goldsmith and others—all possessing magnificent homes and entertaining in royal style. Such a life as the one that I had found was certainly greatly to be desired. To think that one might go on through all eternity, receiving instruction, developing and unfolding in an atmosphere of the most elevated thought was a privilege greatly valued by those who were inmates of this wonderful world.

I spent many delightful hours in the home of my ancestor described during the early part of my spiritual life. The Celestial Chamber was a continual delight to me. The collection of curious and beautiful creations furnished me with inspiring thoughts, such strange creations gathered from the Celestial Sphere. I sometimes wondered that I had the power to comprehend them. I realised if certain senses in my soul had not been awakened after I had laid aside my physical body that I would not have been able to see the objects at all; they would have been as far from my comprehension as heaven or an angel would be beyond the comprehension of a worm of the dust. I understood well that certain senses of the immortal soul remain in a dormant state while one is in the physical body unless by deep thought and concentration they are awakened and brought into life. The awakening of these soul-senses will serve to make the physical plane a more beautiful and pleasant place than it is and a great deal of sin, sorrow, pain and poverty could be done away, if the sixth, seventh and eighth senses were developed instead of only the first, second, third, fourth and fifth—the fifth (intellectual) being dormant in a great many individuals. What wonderful possibilities are folded away in the soul of an infant and how carefully and tenderly these possibilities should be brought out if one would improve the earthly conditions.

There were many experiences through which I passed and many objects that charmed my sight which would be utterly incomprehensible to the material mind if I should attempt to give a description of them. I must reserve them for some time in the future when the mind of man has unfolded some of its latent powers. The Affairs of Heaven, the Grand Review of Angels, the Flower Carnival, the Celebration of Archangels, the Apostolic Festival, the Family Reunion and many others too numerous to mention filled my soul with elevated thoughts. These things so far exceeded anything held upon the material plane that there was no comparison. There were lessons to be found in all things if one would only see them by divine light and understanding.

It was not long after my entrance to the heavenly world that I held a reception in my own home; the soft, inspiring music, the beautiful lights, the spiritual faces of the angels, the flowing white robes and the loosened hair of my angelic guests formed a picture never to be forgotten by those who witnessed it. I was happier than I had ever been; how I wished that my babies, my darling mother and husband might have mingled with the guests as they glided through the rooms of my home, passing the time in music and pleasant thought. My angel brother was quite a lion upon this occasion; to look at him was an inspiration and when he spoke my guests were charmed, so grand was his voice and so beautiful his spoken thoughts. Once again, I wished that his mother might see him. Such scenes were more beautiful than those witnessed upon the material plane, for the thoughts of all were pure and elevated and furnished food for the soul. I thought how different this is from the idea that people hold of the spiritual world being a place where the sanctified walk about a white throne singing hymns continually and how much more satisfying to the active life of the spiritual body.

I was very glad that the Creator had designed his works in a way so thoroughly pleasing to his children. During my early experiences in the spirit world I would try to comprehend the meaning of Eternity and finally it dawned upon my mind that I was living in eternity. Eternity is today and tomorrow is eternity and throughout all time there is opportunity to grow nearer toward Godly perfection—nearer toward the truth, nearer toward complete happiness. The very restlessness that causes the soul to soar upward either as an embodied or disembodied spirit is an indication of its higher growth. And so I thought what I learn now will prepare me for higher lessons that are to come later on and my soul was so eager to acquire its daily lessons. As I grew and developed, I found more satisfaction in life than ever before. The experiences of my life were varied and there was no condition that I found monotonous. Early in the morning while the world which I visited was in sleep, I would go to my loved ones for a while and bring to them the vibrations from a better land. Sometimes they were receptive to these vibrations and at other times they could not receive my help in the smallest degree. Sometimes after leaving my loved ones I would take a short trip somewhere upon the earth.

I found a great deal to interest me but there were no scenes so beautiful as those I could see in the heavenly world and so I was always happy to return to them. A few hours spent with my studies, then more time in the pleasant companionship of dear friends, then a lecture or concert or the privilege of witnessing some scientific experiment soon to be given to the world through the brain of some receptive individual and then after this, a pleasant walk over the beautiful grounds of my home with my beloved brother, my angelic guide or with my own soul. In the latter case, I would spend a pleasant hour in reflection and companionship with my own soul.

What a wonderful life it was; no time wasted but all spent in helping the soul to grow and unfold its mighty powers. Sometimes it would be a visit to the lower spheres to help and instruct some undeveloped spirit who desired to rise, then again there would be a call to the earth plane to a scene of accident where many lives were to go out—some lives needing assistance to help them to the spirit world. And so my life glided along, peacefully and pleasantly, through three years of spiritual life. I have gained much—my soul has grasped many lessons of truth and wisdom but it is only in the beginning of spiritual knowledge. I trust that it may have many new and wonderful truths to tell you as this journal is continued, at some future date.