The Book of Life

 

What is meant by the term used in our sacred writings the Book of Life?

It is just what I have spoken of as the Book of Memory. 

We look on that book, and therein, we find the name we are in search of, and once we find it, that moment, the whole vision of the individual's life passes before our eyes—from birth to death—

All his good and bad deeds are spread out before us.

Here they are inscribed with day and date, weeks and months and years, to the day of his death, his birth into the spirit world.

We have something akin to this in the practice of the ancient Egyptians, writing in hieroglyphics, the memoirs of distinguished persons, giving all the good deeds of the deceased, but in this case, we have both bad and good deeds recorded.

If you walk in the straight path, according to the light granted to you, acting honestly towards God and man, there are blessed angels ever ready to report at the great Temple, and every deed is put down against your name in the Book of Memory, and when it is found that the good overbalances the evil deeds (for no one ever lived a completely pure life) then from that time you are expected to reach that high and holy sphere in spirit life.

The recording angel cannot be deceived by the hypocrite's false appearances.

Men may be deceived, but not the watchful spirit.

The hypocrite's ostentatious parade of piety—

His long prayers in public, like the Pharisee's of old—holding his money aloft that he may be seen to drop it into the hand of the needy beggar, not for the love of giving, but for the praise of men—

All such is set down by the recording spirit as so much evil.

(Human nature in this dark feature does not, so far as I can observe through this medium, appear to have changed).

On the other hand, the human who helps his fellow human on—who, when he sees his poorer brethren in need, turns away his face from them, while he stealthily gives his alms, afraid to be seen, afraid lest his good deeds should be blazoned abroad as with trumpets of brass, there is good in that man, and the recording angel takes note of him.

—Hafed, Prince of Persia