January 16th, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington D.C.
I am here, Hannah Somerville.
I am the spirit of one who lived on earth the life of a leader of a sect that believed in the resurrection of the body and the eternal punishment of those who refused to believe in the vicarious atonement of Jesus and his sacrificial death.
I have been in the spirit world a great many years, and have long ago learned the great errors of my beliefs and teachings, and now know that the earthly body does not rise again and Jesus did not make a vicarious atonement, nor did His death on the cross satisfy the justice and demands of an angry God.
I know that other spirits have written you this same denial of a false belief, but I wanted to do so also, for I realize to such a great extent how harmful such beliefs are. I was in the spirit world a long time before I was relieved of these beliefs, and I stood still in my progress for many years waiting to be called to heaven and meet my Lord face to face, and receive from Him the great commendation of, "Well done, good and faithful servant." But I received no such call, and I never got any nearer to God, apparently, than when I first entered the spirit world. And all this time I was in such a condition that I was not susceptible to the teachings of other spirits who know the truth and attempted to show me the errors of my belief.
This may seem strange to you, but I want to tell you that the conviction of a strong belief is one that is not easily removed or shaken, and I did not find any greater and convincing force in the assertions and arguments of spirits, than I would have found in the arguments of mortals, had I remained on earth.
I saw many spirits and talked with them, and they told me that Jesus was not God, but merely a spirit like myself, only the perfect one; but I would not believe, for my earth belief could not be shaken.
I even saw a spirit who said he was Jesus and that I must not believe in him as God, or in any vicarious atonement; but yet I would not be convinced of my errors.
This earth belief is a wonderful thing when it once possesses a man as it did me, and so many spirits have suffered from it, as I suffered.
At last the light came to me, and my soul was set free to progress to the higher spheres. But how much time I lost, and how much unhappiness I needlessly endured I cannot tell you. Now I am in a Celestial Sphere, where I know that Jesus made no vicarious atonement and is not God, but my loving elder brother.
I have never written before and I wanted very much to write, and your band was kind enough to let me do so. My name was Hannah Somerville, and I lived in England, and died in 1682.
I have forgotten the name, but it was a sect of dissenters. Yes, and I have given you my correct name. Yes, I can. I believe and know that Jesus was and is the son of God, and the most beloved son, too.
I will say good-night.
Hannah Somerville.