Hidden values

Front matter

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Chapter I. Propositions Of Relative Values, Quantities, Ratios And Proportions

RELATIVE VALUES.

THE GIFTS, THE CHOICE, THE PLACE AND THE INHERIT- ANCE.

1. The gifts of God are the necessities of life and comprise the Supply from which the multitude may obtain their Standards of Value.

2. God foresees the wants of the individual, therefore the necessities of the multitude are prepared in His hand.

3. While the necessities of the multitude are in the hands of God, the individual may choose his standards or gifts.

4. The gifts of God are direct to the multitude, and God has prepared the ground that the choice may be obtained by the individual.

5. The choice of the individual may not be found in the quantity, but the choice of the multitude may be obtained from the supply.

6. The gifts of God are not identical with place, but the earth is an inheritance for the multitude.

7. As the earth is an inheritance for all, the individual may derive his choice of place from the multitude and his necessities from the Supply ; therefore the choice is the Standard of Value.

THE STANDARD OP VALUE IN OBTAINING THE SUPPLY. THE VALUE OF LABOR IN THE QUANTITY, THE GIFT AND

THE CHOICE.

8. From the moment man stretches forth his hand to obtain the gifts of God, labor begins. The gifts of God are free — labor is no return to Him; but labor is the means by which the individual may obtain his necessities from God.

9. As the strength to labor is also a gift from God, the individual becomes owner of his labor by virtue of the gift.

10. As the gifts of God are the fruits of labor, the owner of the fruits and the labor are identical.

11. As the gifts of God are obtained only by means of labor, labor becomes the standard of value established by God in obtaining the supply.

12. As labor is the only value that God will recognize by His gifts, the sum of labor in obtaining the supply is equal in value to the gifts in the quantities.

13. As the sum of the labor in obtaining the gifts equals in value the amounts in the quantities, the proportion of labor contained in the individual amount would be equal in value when contained in the quantity.

14. As the proportion of labor contained in the amount is equal in value to the gifts in the quantity, the proportion of labor contained in the gift would be equal in value when contained in the choice.

THE STANDARD OF EXCHANGE.

15. When the choice of the land is required by the individual, the value of choice may be named by the multitude.

16. As the wants of the multitude are contained in the supply, the choice of the individual may be had by exchange.

17. When labor is expended in shaping the gift, this is labor added to the cost; where labor is used in exchanging the quantity, this is labor added to the choice.

18. Where the choice of direction remains with the multitude, this choice will equalize the value of indirect labor to the value of direct labor in obtaining the quantities.

19. When individual exchange is waste of labor and systematic exchange is economy of labor, systematic exchange adds to labor a value equal to the waste.

20. When the sum of labor and the amounts in the quantities are apparent to the multitude, the value of labor in exchanging the supply can be obtained with the greatest economy.

21. When the proportions of labor remain in the amounts and the sum of labor remains in the supply, the multitude will find, when searching for choice, that Equal Labor Value is Equal Exchange Value and the Standard of God in exchanging the quantities.

The Speakers are a Tanner and Joseph, the writer, who had been speaking upon the subject of leather and reached that of labor. Joseph has offered to explain what labor values were.

QUANTITIES, RATIOS AND PROPORTIONS.

T. These propositions appear singular to me. I do not understand you. How can the sum of labor be found in the supply? What are quantities?

J. The gifts of God are sent in quantities. The quantities found may be unequal. Unequality in quantity can be defined by ratio, but ratio does not find the quantity value, as the standard of God is the proportion of labor.

A quantity is part or a collection of things, or a quantity may be single if it can be divided; but a quantity should not possess individual life, for individual life can not be divided in parts, because the individual is responsible to God and responsibility cannot be divided.

A quantity in the supply is the entire number of similar gifts, or parts of gifts in the supply. Wheat, corn, oats, etc., are quantities in the supply of necessities ; gold, silver, copper, iron, etc., are also quantities and each contains its labor value. The gifts of God are generally called products or commodities.

The value of labor in & supply varies according to the amounts of gifts that are found in the quantities.

The ratios of exchange between the quantities cannot be determined by the parts or number of gifts in the quantities, because the gifts are not alike, but each quantity has in itself a value that is similar — the proportion of labor contained in the quantity. Therefore the quantities vary in ratio according to their proportions of labor value.

When the supply of necessities is divided according to the individual proportions of labor, the sum of labor is found in the supply, while the amounts and proportions of individual labor value may be found in the quantities when exchanging the supply.

When the supply of necessities is divided according to, the gifts that are found in the place, the sum of labor remains in the supply. The proportions of labor leave the amounts and enter the quantities. The quantities found in the place become individual supplies, while the proportion of labor value found in the individual supplies becomes the exchange value of individual labor.

7. When gifts, containing a labor value, are taken from one average Individual Supply and added to that of another, the Individual Supply becomes increased by the amount of labor value that is added ; while the ratio of exchange between the gifts of the two Supplies decreases in exchange value according to the proportion of labor value in the amount that is added.

8. When a labor value with gifts is added to an average Individual Supply, the ratio of all average Supplies decreases in exchange value according to the proportion of labor value that was added with the amount ; but the proportions of labor value in the average Supplies remain unchanged.

9. When gifts are taken from an average Individual Supply, the labor value of the Individual Supply will decrease in value, according to the amount that is taken ; while the gifts will decrease in ratio of exchange value, according to the proportion of labor in the amount that was taken.

T. You appear to me to be giving an outline of some theory of socialism, based upon belief in God. I agree with you that there is a labor value in the gifts of God, but how many different theories may be found upon the labor problem!

J. The equal labor standard is not a theory. It is the true exchange value which God has placed upon His gifts. Socialists and others may get a glimpse of this value, but when the desire of the heart is not toward truth, the wonders that are hidden in the equal way cannot be discovered.

T. What do you mean by choosing necessities and receiving gifts directly from God? Does not the Bible teach us that God caused the earth to bring forth herbs yielding seed, and trees yielding fruit whose seed is in itself ? I believe in God as firmly as any man, but it is plain that God rules this world through the agency of His laws and He has left these laws to be our guide.

J. Where did God go when He left us to be guided by His laws? Do the promises of God, or do the prophets describe God as turned away from the world and busy in some other direction? Is He sitting with arms folded except on special occasions? Can the wisdom of this world select any single seed and say with knowledge, "This seed will bring forth fruit?" Does fruit come from the ground, from the air, from the sun, or from the water? The seed appears under conditions established by God; but from the beginning until now and forever, God places life separately in every seed, and brings forth every living thing and every living creature. Even when the enemy sows tares, the Lord permits life to enter the seed and thus make apparent to our eye the secret purpose of the enemy.

T. You try to make it appear that God is continually working miricles, when it is clear that He rules by the power in His laws. God rules the world by law, and at certain times, to suit His purpose, He works miracles.

J. God would certainly rule through His laws if man would become obedient, but man does not obey. God's laws are for man alone. If you can point out one law in existence, except those that have come forth from the mouth of God — laws that were spoken while men were witnesses to the fact — then I shall agree to keep silent and never again mention the name of the Holy One. God declares and repeats in every form of speech into which language can be shaped that "He created all things ;" that "He rules by His power forever ;" that He builds up and pulls down; and so continuous is His watchfulness that He feeds the sparrows and requires His children to seek from Him their daily bread. You appear to believe in some interfering God. There is no such person. There is the Almighty who "rules and upholds by His power." Man and the evil angels are continually interfering with the laws of God. The power to interfere is not a grant to man nor to the angels. It is a permission ; but the permission is not according to the will of God. The interference, therefore, is an assumption of power which no being can exercise without being made responsible. Besides the laws of God, there are ideas of time — in relation to eternity, of space — in relation to measurements, and of forms — in relation to shape. There are also relations between life and matter, and relations between the different kinds of matter ; but such relations are neither ideas nor laws. Whenever I examine these questions, I behold the Almighty and what is awful to behold — I can see that the Lord is hiding and is willing to play with His children ; but the children, while admitting their Father to be hiding and willing to reveal Himself, do not appear to be seeking Him.

T. Why do you assert so positively that your theory of exchanging the quantities is God's Standard of Labor value ?

J. If Eelative Values are untrue, then they may be called my theory ; but the propositions are not mine, because the truth is in them, and I, as a lover of the truth, recognize the value of the treasure which I found.

T. I am not opposed to labor ; but even if we admit the Equal Labor Standard to be true, who will accept of it, except those who are unsuccessful, and not then because it is a standard of God, but because of selfishness, for the unsuccessful also reject the laws of God ?

J. The individual may accept a truth and be unable to bring others to agree ; but we who believe are required by our responsibility to stand ready and demonstrate our knowledge. We may also increase our understanding of the Equal Labor Problem by examining the past.

T. Experience may teach us knowledge, but I cannot tell where to find any condition in the past that will throw light upon equality of labor values. There was some contention upon this subject in early times, I believe. But there is more said upon that subject at the present time than there has been said during any other period of history.

J. I believe that the Standard of Equal Labor existed among the children of God before this world was created, and it was by means of the Labor Standard that God tested and selected His angels and rejected Satan and his followers.

T. I never heard of such a belief. How did you come to form an opinion like that?

J. By examining the equal way of God. We may search for an unknown quantity when we first learn the terms, but when the quantity is known we may then seek from the Quantity to find the terms. God is the only Known Quantity because He is the truth.

T. You should not look too high. When a man forms a serious belief, he should be able to prove it by facts. It might be interesting to hear how you came by such an opinion. I shall listen if you have no objection to inform me; but it is not likely that I shall agree with you in the matter.

J. God is not only willing that we examine His equal way from all possible standpoints, but He invites us to do so. I am prepared to gather information, or to demonstrate a fact by propositions, but God alone can prove a fact. Man, if he desires, may seek and find the knowledge.

Elisha saw a vision and a fact. The servant, no doubt, honored Elisha as a prophet ; but if the prophet tried to demonstrate by argument, the reality of that which was so apparent to himself, and persisted in his effort ta prove the truth of what he saw; then, instead of honor, the servant might pity, as he softly said, "Poor Elisha, he has gone crazy." But Elisha prayed, and God proved to the servant that Elisha's eyes had beheld a reality in the vision. I shall give you the reasons why I hold the belief which I mentioned, We are equally free to form opinions.

CHAPTEE II.

EQUAL CONDITIONS.

AUTHORITY, EQUALITY AND OBEDIENCE.

Place a child with its father far from the multitude. Then the child, imitative by nature, will imitate its father. The actions of the father become the ambition of the child ; but danger, at times, needs that this imitation be checked. This brings rebellion even in very small children, for each child has a will, or a choice, that is forming. The reasons for obedience cannot be made clear to the child by authority alone. The father represents authority. The child would grasp equality, but the father cannot submit to equality with his child, for the child, in its ignorance, would then grasp authority. When the child grows to manhood in the company of its father, and equality be presented as the birthright of age, how then can equality be understood by the man who would grasp authority as a child, without learning obedience?

But, when little children first come together, they examine each other and wonder, and when playing, authority in one would exert itself, but here resistance proves an equality in strength. Then, the father with reason may explain to children the nature of obedience, and why equality should be the law; and how, by obedience to the law, equality can be made a source of happiness to all.

These propositions can be applied to define some of the relations which exist between God and ourselves. If God had revealed Himself to each one of 'His children separately, in our childish ignorance, we would play w^th Him, laugh and hug Him without fear of danger, just like, as children, we do with our earthly father. We would seek to imitate Him and strive for equality. We would show r resistance by kicking and struggling to obtain our desires. Is our earthly father more compassionate than our real Father in heaven ? He would not blame our want of understanding, but we would become to Him an eternal torment. He might become a child to each of His children in order to teach equality, but His children must also fear His authority, in order to learn obedience; because obedience is not learned from equality alone, therefore, He brings His children together, then they look, and wonder, and examine each other, and when one in play would grasp authority, the resistance which hindered would teach equality in strength. But, from our Heavenly Father alone can we learn of our real equality with each other and of the absolute necessity of obedience as a means of happiness.

EQUAL CONDITIONS.

When our Father introduced His angel children to one another, they were beautiful creatures. Sin had been unknown. They were perfect in their formation; but the wonderful fun to the children came from the fact that they were exactly alike in resemblance. This was because our Father had created them in His own image and likeness. They had, as yet, no character of their own, therefore, they were made to resemble their Father, though they had separate names and might in- k quire from each one who the other was. But, as character afterward showed itself, the features of the individual changed, and personality shaped itself by means of individual character. Each one admired the beauty of the other, because all resembled in person the beauty of their Father. This was part of their first information. They beheld how glorious their Father had made them. They learned their own helplessness, and thus all acquired the knowledge of Almighty power.

The Father showed the children many wonderful sights to teach them, and placed blessings unnumbered before them. Is there any father in the flesh who would be more kind to His children than our Father in heaven ? He taught them carefully, and who can apply a lesson that is needed as well as our Almighty Father? They were taught all things necessary for their happiness; the everlasting life, which all might have; the everlasting woe for disobedience, the wisdom of dependence upon His mercy, also the justice of the Father's equal way. All the children of God have free will. He has no child without a choice; for each one must choose or reject Him for a Father. God wishes all of His children to learn the value of this treasure which He has committed to their care, and He would that all His children learn an equal knowledge of the Father's equal way. If the children had learned knowledge equal in amount, there would have been no change in the resemblance which at first was between them, except that their resemblance to the Father would have been increased. The fullest measure of capacity in created beings is the possession of the greatest amount of knowledge of God's Equal Way. This wisdom can be obtained by children through the desire of obedience to His Holy laws, and the consequence of this knowledge to the children is the fullest blessing which the love of the Almighty God can bestow upon them.

While God is present before His children, His will is also apparent and made clear to all; should the Father's will suppress free choice, the child would hide this purpose from the Father. But what heart is there so deep and cunning that it can hide secrets from the All-Seeing Eye?

While in these conditions God made propositions to the thoughts of His children and suggested truth as an answer, although propositions of justice be offered to thought, and the truthful answer come from the Spirit of God, the individual may form an opinion while reasoning, as if the proposition and the answer arose from himself. When the individual accepts the truthful answer, God will credit the proposition and answer both. But where the individual rejects the truthful answer the Lord will prove that He suggested the beautiful proposition of justice, and that He is the rejected and truthful answer.

The Lord beheld wickedness growing among His children; and when He had secretly tested them, He announced His purpose — that He would leave them for a time. He told them that He was not pleased with them, and that there were many wicked ones among them whose presence He could not bear; yet He was ready to forgive every one of them and promised everlasting life, if they would turn from their own to their Father's Equal Way and become obedient children. But to those who refused to obey the voice of truth, the Lord gave careful warning as He uttered the awful sentence against the wicked ones — that the sinners who would not repent and forsake their evil ways should meet with an everlasting living, hopeless death, their sins to be their eternal associations. Then the Lord left His children to establish outwardly their hidden characters. Yet, although the Lord left His children, it was but in appearance; for He remained hidden among them. He would be close to His children. He would help when called upon. He would strengthen the weak one to battle with evil. Then He would watch the strangers born in His creation and limit the permit to wickedness. But the Lord would never surrender for a moment — no, not for all His living creatures — the glory of His just and Equal Way, because His way is the truth and never can vary in conditions. His children may vary from false impressions, while acquiring the truth in Unequal Conditions, or from degree of desire. He will not condemn where truth is not clear, but Unequal Conditions shall end and the Eternal Standards be made clear. Then the variation of individual judgments can be equalized by feeding upon truth.

As in childhood and in youth earthly parents delight to see their children play and would not then, if possible, have them labor, so, too, the Lord can claim that He also understands what love is for little ones, and He also delights to have them play — and learn their lessons. Yet here is a question — Do earthly parents delight to teach their children? Do they find teaching children play? Let them answer ! But who will question the delight of God, or His patience, in teaching and what wisdom not from Him can approach His methods ? So what tongue can tell the happy school days of His children — the songs, the recitations, the object lessons held before the little ones by Almighty power and a Father's love. But selfishness is child's condition; and when untaught, a selfish child would remain forever selfish, therefore justice must be revealed. Between these two, the young ones grow — their minds acquiring, their desires awakening, their purpose forming — and their character.

Now, the Lord had taught the children all things necessary for their happiness, and as the children had reached the age of responsibility before the Father left them, while the condition was to establish for eternity the character of each one, the Lord chose a beautiful problem for the children to work upon. It contained mutual relations, mutual usefulness and mutual dependence upon one another, while all together depended upon the Father; then to make these terms more simple, He also added occupation. These four are the principal terms of the Equal Labor Problem.

Shortly after the Lord had left His children great differences arose between them. Their countenances began to vary greatly in appearance. Although this change had begun while with the Father and the innumerable blessings which accompany it, their dependence on Him suppressed the forming of Character. In His presence the children were outwardly obedient in everything. With Him as a teacher to learn was a pleasure. But when left to themselves, Self was quickly asserted; their learning was forgotten; pleasure was sought for, and direction chosen by Self.

Equality is the corner-stone of Equal Conditions, because the equality of all created beings is based upon the Equal Way of God which is represented by the Commandments. Equality means that all created beings are equal before the judgments of the law; that all are equal in their relations to one another and all have equal respon- 6ibities before God. The sons of God can receive all things from God in equal measure where they seek for wisdom with equal degree of desire. When the sons of God do not seek wisdom with equal desire, unequality appears, and the standards of God make separating according to the different degrees of unequality. Then responsibility appears.

When God left His children in Equal Conditions, all had equal wills and equal learning because God had been both judge and teacher. But all did not have equal knowledge, because all did not seek wisdom with equal desire. When Desire will not leave Self to seek for wisdom, then Desire remains with Self to search within. Desire will first find Self Will an obstinate associate. Then these two overcome equality by resistance to agreements. When Self looks without, Selfishness will hand his glasses so that Self may see and examine relations. Then Self and Selfishness will sit together enjoying unequal portions of God's blessings; and thus these two overcome equality by bringing need in equal relations, and unequality in conditions.

As Self remains within, Selfishness goes abroad and gathers information, that Self may fill capacity. Self may fill capacity by application, but application is not the light. If capacity be filled with information while Self neglects to gain the hidden knowledge, then information may bring strange seed to Self, while selfishness becomes the standard of comparisons.

When Self, with Selfishness to aid, would compare capacities in relation, the seed brought with information springs quickly up and two strange plants appear, Pride and Insolent Vanity. These creatures differ from Self Will and Selfishness, though Pride and Vanity each contain these other two. Self Will resists Equality in judgment; Selfishness will enjoy Unequal Conditions, but Pride and Vanity would raise themselves above all creatures, destroy Equal Conditions by superiority of person, and pervert the Commandments by strange judgments. When Self would grow these strange plants, Self becomes an adversary of his master, because there is no degree of person between God and the Standard of Equality.

The strange quantities found within by Self, Self Will, Selfishness, Pride and Insolent Vanity, soon brought unequality of character and purpose in Equal Conditions. Self Will was obstinate and unruly in agreements, yet did not seek to master. Association was formed by Selfishness based upon like in agreements of pleasure. Empty Vanity sought happiness in adornment and comparison of person. But Pride dwelt alone in Capacity. There was no place in Equal Conditions where Pride could find rest, except in Self alone. The Equal Labor Standard held the multitude together while Self was bent upon seeking happiness by means of his own quantities.

Pride was the first one to reject Equal Conditions. He examined the multitude, and by means of Capacity, he snorted against Equality and demonstrated as a fact from character that Equality did not exist in the multitude or in the individual. The multitude laughed and hooted at Pride because each was careless. All had their equal portions of G-od's blessings and felt independent; yet Pride was right about the lack of equality in the multitude. But why did he find pleasure in this term of the problem of life without seeking further for wisdom ? The problem is open to examination in every condition. Equality does not arise from the individual or from the multitude. Equality is the inheritance in eternity of the children of the living God. All beings who have possessed the power of free will or choice may obtain this eternal inheritance, because free will or choice is the birthright of the children of the Almighty One. Free will or choice both here and in eternity is the means of identifying the sons of God. The Almighty calls beings into existence. He breathes into them the breath of life. Thus, men receive free will or choice. They become living souls, children of God. Yet the children need education or else they were gods before the Father made them. Education would reveal Self to Self and Self in association, while all would know the Almighty Father who taught them. But Self, being free to choose, must also choose a character and responsibility. Then examination begins between the Father and the children to make eternal agreement between them. Each child may accept, each child may reject the Father. The Holy Father would choose all to be His children, yet He, too, has a choice, and he rejects rejection.

While in Equal Conditions, Self Will, Selfishness and Vanity were continually bringing Self into contention. Confusion would have been among them from the very beginning of Equal Conditions, but the Equal Labor Problem was so simple that there was no need of interference from Him. Yet this part of the Problem was not yet worked out, because of the stranger who rejected Equal Conditions. Pride remained alone; he would not associate, not even with Vanity. His position was equal but not his enjoyment. He would not associate with inferiority. But the eye of the Lord was upon this stranger in creation, and He determined that the adversary should assume outward form. Then the Lord laid a snare for this strange plant by sending one equally strange into Equal Conditions. And while the children were occupied in applying the familiar problem, a new term appeared in the Labor Standard. This term was —