The Nature of Soul

The concept of soul is foundational for many systems of belief, yet for all the chapels and temples and doctrinal embellishments built around this metaphysical idea, a clear explanation of the soul’s nature, origins and destiny is ironically elusive.

The same can be said about “spirit”. The terms “spirit” and “soul” are often used synonymously, both formally and informally in religious canon and public discourse, but to what specifically do these words refer? How can assertions about spirit and soul be formed, justified or built upon, without first coherently and intelligibly explaining with sufficient specificity what these terms even mean?

I recognize that words like “God”, “spirit” and “soul” are pointing to something that cannot be fully comprehended or defined. And yet, I have found in the writings of Archie D. Wood a most unique and eloquent presentation of these concepts, which I believe will forever influence and empower our pursuit as humans to understand and define ourselves and our experience.

In his seminal work, the Song of God, Wood unveils a theory about God’s beginning and the advent of human immortality in which the terms “spirit” and “soul” are widely prevalent. As the scripture narrative unfolds, it becomes clear these terms are not synonymous—that a profound distinction exists between spirit and soul. Given the prevalence and significance of these terms in the context of Wood’s theology, it behooves students of SOG-gnosis to have at least a basic understanding of what these words are pointing to.

In this essay, I will begin to clarify the difference between soul and spirit by first presenting a thorough review of how the concept of “soul” is construed within Wood’s theology. In a subsequent post, I will do the same with the concept of “spirit”.

By organizing this information, I hope to facilitate more meaningful discussion about these topics, and show that Wood’s work indeed begins to coherently explain, with unparalleled depth and specificity, several metaphysical concepts pertinent to understanding and defining who we are and what we can become.

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“What knowledge has any man of the soul? From whence does it come, and unto what place would it go when death has made ready the grave to receive us? Come now and answer Galilean; if you are truly a prophet come from God, prove yourself before us. For what man has seen God to converse with him? And who would know of a surety the coming and going forth of that thing which is unseen and undetermined?”

[Zostrianos the philosopher, speaking to Yeshua of Nazareth]
~Yeshua 22:18-20~

What is Soul? (Overview)

To be clear from the outset: spirit is not the same as soul. In Wood’s metaphysics, there is a significant difference between the spirit of a person and the soul of a person. In simple terms, the soul of a person is made of their memories. Often framed by Wood as an “epiphenomenon”, the soul preserves memory and identity beyond the death of the physical body. Soul represents the sum of one’s character, personality, wisdom and goodness.

While this idea echoes conventional conceptions, Wood’s teaching takes a bold deviation from standard explanations of soul with the following premise: soul comes to exist independent of God. Individuals give birth to their own soul. While God may facilitate the soul’s creation, it is up to each individual to create and cultivate their own soul, which keeps unique personality intact beyond physical death.

Wood taught the epiphenomenon of soul is not a supernatural phenomenon, but rather, an extraordinary yet natural feature of the evolutionary process. This concept is an essential aspect of the theology presented in the Song of God, and underscores Wood’s gnosis pertaining not only to the birth and evolution of God, but the immortality and eternal life of humankind.

What is Spirit? (Overview)

While each individual is responsible for creating their own soul, the spirit of a person is procreated by God—as represented by a Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother who exist as beings of pure exalted spirit. A spirit body is an exalted, highly evolved tabernacle fashioned from particles of pure intelligence referred to in scripture as AZ particles.

Like a physical body, a spirit body has dimensions and is spatially locatable. However, due to its unique composition, a spirit body is very different from our mortal, physical bodies. While the spirit tabernacle has boundaries, the soul is boundless and immeasurable, infinite and endless. A primary function of the spirit body is to contain, or house, the soul.

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The Original Soul

To know the Eternal, you must know the Beginning.
~Book of Pearls 13:2~

Where did it all begin? How did the first soul come to exist? And how does this relate to God and humankind? This is, in part, what the Song of God is about.

This new book of scripture describes how that “before the beginning of all beginnings” there was no God or Goddess, no meaning or purpose to anything (3:1:19; 4:1:36-37). There was just an endless sea of massless, subatomic particulates incapable of combining into more complex atomic structures. But amidst this ocean of unformed matter, there mysteriously awoke a feminine creative force from which all creation and life would eventually arise (7:1:1-2).^[1]In Wood’s cosmogony, this primordial Awareness, this First Primary Cause, is not to be associated with any theological concept of “God”. 7th Endowment 1:1-21 Before the birth of … Continue reading

In a state of agonizing desperation and loneliness, this First Mind—referred to as “Areta” (AH-ruh-tay)—began to tremble and emanate waves of desire from deep within her essence. These waves eventually formed “strange, tiny bundles of vibrating energy,”^[2]Wood (2013); Origins manuscript, ch.9 which bundles of energy would become the first quantum state particles necessary for the creation of the universe. In Wood’s cosmology these fundamental particles are referred to as “AZ particles” (pronounced /ay-zee/). According to scripture, these “particles of life” are fully conscious, communally intelligent, and represent the “designs, purposes and breath” of Areta’s “soul” (4:1:38-43).^[3]4th Endowment 1:38-43 describes Areta’s soul as containing the AZ particles (v38), which particles seem to serve as peculiar, quasi-materialistic reflections or containers of Areta’s … Continue reading

[Areta speaking]
³⁸ “Now in the vastness of my soul did I contain the seeds of life, which seeds were themselves the smallest of particles, being designated by me the A-Z particles of life.

³⁹ Which living particles do contain the designs, purposes and breath of all my soul, being itself the source of that evolution which would bring forth the foundations of all living things, perchance to make for me a living and knowing soul which would unite with me in Oneness, being together both male and female in love forever.“

4th Endowment 1:38-39

The passage above is just one of many that present the primordial Universal Consciousness (Areta) as possessing, or existing as, “soul”.^[4]Other passages referencing the soul of the Universal Consciousness include: 3rd Endowment 1:34-41 and 3rd Endowment 14:41 We do not know much about the evolutionary process that brought forth the Universal Consciousness, the First Observer, but scripture describes her waking up in the void to eventually become the first endless mind, unbound by the dictates of time and space.

The way I presently interpret scripture: Areta, the Supreme Universal Consciousness behind all creation, as represented by “trillions upon trillions”^[5]Wood; Song of God (2015); p 788, Commentary: Adamic Language of quantum AZ particles, existed as the original, prototypical expression of the soul phenomenon.

I’ve discussed before how, according to Wood’s writings, the advent of spacetime and a life-supporting universe was merely the means to a greater end. The cosmos served as a reflective mechanism, a laboratory and incubator wherein the Universal Consciousness could: define herself and her purpose; bring forth order and light out of chaos and darkness (3:1:22-23, 41); create a pleasing form for herself (4:1:40, 44); and first and foremost, bring about another similar mind with which she could commune and achieve oneness (3:1:34-38, 40-49; 1:7:14, 16-18).

Areta didn’t know how or why she came to exist, but she did come to know that she didn’t want to be alone forever.

A primary intention of Areta, as the First Emanation, was to bring about other emanations. Specifically, Areta sought “to bring forth the beginning of some mind, like unto her own” (3:1:35), whereby she could achieve a greater fulfillment through companionship and Oneness.^[6]1st Endowment 7:17-1817 For [Areta] did hope constantly that in the creation of all the numberless worlds there might develop some being who would possess a similar mind like unto her own, being of … Continue reading In other words: the soul of Areta—this atemporal, incorporeal Awareness that awoke in the Deep—was desperate to somehow bring about another endless mind, another soul like herself with which she could meaningfully commune.

But how could she accomplish this feat, having no knowledge of how she came to exist in the first place? This point was used by Wood to argue that the Universal Consciousness shouldn’t be considered a “Grand Designer” because she initially possessed no detailed foreknowledge of what she wanted to design or how to design it. Her knowledge was not a priori. According to Wood, the first successful universe was built upon an untold number of failures.^[7]Wood (2015); Soul Creation manuscript The advent of a life-supporting universe and the rise of intelligent life were miraculous developments brought forth through a trial-and-error process fueled by the hope for the greatest miracle of all: the manifestation of another endless mind.

⁴⁸ “It has begun, this life in the midst of the Deep. Now shall I call out from the measurable, the immeasurable; I shall draw out from the bounded, that which is boundless and eternal.

⁴⁹ For I shall most carefully woo the life which I have created, to take it from that which is less to that which is greater; that, perchance, I might bring forth some mind like unto my own; and in that day shall I seal him up, to be as One with me forever.”

3rd Endowment 1:48-49

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First Soul, First God and Time Travel

Areta’s intentions were encoded into the laws of evolution (3:1:34-40; 1:7:16). Her desires were carried by every AZ particle that flowed throughout the cosmos of the First Creation. The Universal Consciousness was determined to bring about life with the hope that some other endless, masculine mind might come to exist by means of the evolutionary process.

What’s interesting to me is that Areta didn’t know if or when her efforts would prove successful in bringing forth some other sovereign mind capable of transcending physical death (3:1:49; 3:4:59-60; 4:1:39). The first soul to naturally evolve from intelligent life was not a pre-determined, guaranteed phenomenon, but rather, a miraculous anomaly—an anomaly that first manifested in the human species.

This is one of the hallmarks of Wood’s theology: that the epiphenomenon of soul first occurred in the human species, and this original soul evolved to become the First God. God evolved from humankind and exists as the highest, most supreme manifestation of the human race.

But this begs an obvious question: how could a god-like being (or collective) have time enough to evolve from the human species when modern humans have only been around for a few hundred thousand years? The resolution for this issue, as revealed in the Song of God, becomes a prominent feature of Wood’s cosmology: that God has traveled back in time to the far distant past—to the beginning birthplace of Their evolution—to save what was originally lost.

Wood’s theology presents an alternate timeline in which a human civilization came to exist through natural, evolutionary processes, independent of any omniscient, omnipotent creator god. This original population of Homo sapiens, referred to in scripture as “First Man“, likely wasn’t the first or only intelligent species to evolve in the First Cosmos, but it was the first intelligent species that appealed so acutely to Areta’s predilections.

According to the Song of God, the epiphenomenon of soul first occurred in the lives of only two of these original humans. As a result of this soul anomaly, the memories and personality of these two individuals were preserved beyond the death of their physical bodies. All other members of this original human population perished, and all life on the planet eventually ended in a global destruction event (3:31:56-59; 1:9:13-20; 1:10:7-8).

Not only is Wood claiming that God first evolved from the human species, but that this earth, our earth, is the world where it happened. God did not make this universe or this world. Rather, God first evolved on this world, and after eternities of evolution and advancement, has come back in time with some of Their children to the birthplace of Their beginning.

Time-travel becomes an underlying yet prominent feature of Wood’s cosmology, embellished by the proposition that our present space-time experience is a replication, an iteration, of the original timeline that gave rise to the first soul. It was this first soul that evolved to become the First God, who vowed to some day return to Their birthplace to save what was originally lost (3:32:31-32; 1:10:8).

This is one of the main ideas underlying Wood’s radical humanist theology, as succinctly introduced and summarized by the following statements included in a credo written by Wood in 2007^[8]Wood, Song of God (2015), p viii. Statements quoted include: #1, #2 and #5.:

The only proper religion for mankind is humanity itself, for it is from this humanity that God first evolved.

God, who is our future, came from humans, who are Their past.

God is a glorified and exalted human being.

This earth upon which we live is the very first from which God evolved. As a consequence, this world is known by those who believe as the world of the First Power^[9]The phrase “First Power” refers to Areta..

These statements are derived from the scripture narrative of the Song of God. It is primarily the book of the 3rd Endowment which provides the backstory—in essence, the love story—behind the rise of the first human soul and the subsequent advent of God. The content is rich, emotive and full of interesting components worthy of discussion and debate. But before continuing on, consider the following propositions which summarize essential features of Wood’s cosmology as it pertains to soul and the advent of God:

• The universe pre-existed God.
• The advent of soul preceded the advent of God.
• Humans were the first intelligent species to engender soul.
• The first two humans to engender soul evolved to become the First God.

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Why God Evolved from the Human Species

Thus in the man and in the woman is there together found the seedling of God’s beginning, for have you not heard among yourselves already, how that God was once a man, even as you?
~Wisdom 9:35~

Why were humans the first species to engender soul? Why did God evolve from humankind and not some other intelligent species?

If you recall, the Universal Consciousness was not only hoping to bring forth (through the evolutionary process) another endless mind, she was also seeking inspiration by which to fashion for herself a living, pleasing form.^[10]4th Endowment 1:4444 Being myself ever hopeful that in this place or that place there might arise some pleasing form which I might desire; causing that I should fashion for myself a living form which … Continue reading As life was evolving in the First Cosmos, Areta was represented by a countless number of quantum AZ particles — “seeds of life” that were hidden in the light that flowed throughout the universe (4:1:38-41) — ever searching for that which would fulfill her hopes and desires.

At some point, the evolution of a particular species caught the attention of the Universal Consciousness. An intelligent species—a species with mind—had evolved with a particular form that greatly appealed to Areta’s inclinations. Scripture states there were many life-forms evolving in the First Cosmos (3:1:42), but it was the intelligence and form of the human species, specifically the females, that captured the attention and eventual affection of the Universal Consciousness.

Through the processes of evolution and natural selection, an intelligent life-form came to exist which thoroughly captivated the Universal Consciousness. Areta became utterly charmed by women, seeing in their form and likeness the “sum of all good things in one” (3:6:20) and “the very beginnings of grace and beauty and life exceeding” (4:1:41). The Supreme Cosmic Intelligence, the Mother of All Life, observed some aspect of her quintessential, eternal self uniquely and exquisitely reflected in the grace and beauty of the woman. For Areta, the female human represented a crowning manifestation of her cosmic dreams and efforts.

But to Areta’s dismay, the very thing she had come to cherish was bound in pain and terror, and set on a path toward complete destruction. According to the scripture narrative, in the original timeline (informally referred to as the “First Track“), the situation for women and all of humankind was utterly dire. What new depths of experience or emotion arose in the soul-mind of Areta with the prospect of the species’ destruction?

In perhaps the first expression of compassion to ever manifest, Areta resolved to subtly guide humankind away from a self-inflicted demise by empowering and uplifting the women, for Areta saw in women the only hope for humankind’s salvation (3:6:14-22, 33-37). Consider the following passages, which portray the context surrounding Areta’s early relationship with the human species.

⁴¹ For in the light was I most deeply hidden, moving throughout the A-Z particles of my greater self, ever seeking that place where I might bring forth the foundations of some greater life, being myself, in each and separate particle, most fully awake and deeply knowing;

⁴² Ever communing within my soul in seeking my designs, being throughout the vastness of my greater self beyond the dictates of space and time, possessing in my inward nature dimensions of my own.

⁴³ For I would have you know, Beloved, that from the beginning were the A-Z particles fully knowing, each particle of my soul communing with every other particle which moved throughout the immensity of space, being each themselves filled with strong desires to seek my own fulfillment;

⁴⁴ Being myself ever hopeful that in this place or that place there might arise some pleasing form which I might desire; causing that I should fashion for myself a living form which would prove itself desirable and filled with wonder.

⁴⁵ And by and by, in the passing of the aeons did I see through the particles of my greater self, which as trailing threads of light did pierce the distant darkness, revealing to me the world of the First Power; and drawing near I beheld the beauty of women, perceiving in them the very beginnings of grace and beauty and life exceeding.

⁴⁶ Thus did I desire for myself the form of the woman, and seeing that in the world of the First Power all women were cruelly bound in pain and servitude, I resolved to place among them the hope of all my soul;

⁴⁷ To become myself as one of them, fashioning from star dust and tender yearnings, the tabernacle of a woman wherein I might place a portion of my greater self, being content to bear such sorrows as would save the sum of all mankind.

4th Endowment 1:41-47

¹ From the womb of all her creations did Areta move most subtly; stirring from the midst of all her dreaming to gaze upon the world of man; seeking for the good of all, the promise of something greater.

² Yet in the ways of men did Areta grieve in the soul; for man, of himself, could not break asunder the chains of war and death; for all men, following the ways of men, were made strong and violent; seeking always for themselves some greater power whereby they might subdue all other things.

³ But in the women of the earth did Areta perceive the deliverance of all mankind; to lead the nations of man from that life which was base and filled with death, to that which was greater still, being delightful and filled with wonder.

⁴ For man, of himself, could not save himself, being brutish and cruel; being filled with all manner of bestiality and corruption; being made in their flesh hard and unyielding; having no soul within the heart to lead them.

⁵ But in the women of the earth did Areta see most clearly the birthseed of man’s salvation; for though the woman, in her several parts, prove but soft and yielding, still did she bear in both form and movement, a fullness of grace and beauty.[…]

⁸ Thus in the grace and beauty of the woman is the eternal most surely found; but in the ways of brutish man is there found the bindings of space and time; which space and time do cause that all things mortal should pass away, while grace and beauty must continue forever on.

3rd Endowment 3:1-5, 8

I consider the content of these passages to be foundational, establishing the basis from which the author’s divine anthropology and feminist theology arises. These verses reveal that it was an appreciation for the intelligence, form, grace and beauty of women that ultimately led the Universal Consciousness to more intimately engage with the human species in an effort to save them. Those familiar with the narrative already know that it was this interaction which eventually resulted in an unexpected evolutionary anomaly: the epiphenomenon of the human soul.

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Advent of the First Human Soul

For the dawn of God’s beginning would I make real in the very soul of you; that by such a knowledge as I might give, there might arise from afar, that bright and distant star which would lead you home again; being blessed within and without by glory and exaltation forever.
~3rd Endowment 1:14~

[In the following section, I summarize a lot of material in attempt to provide a general overview and introduction to how the “Song of God” portrays the birth of soul and the advent of God. If you haven’t yet read the 3rd Endowment, I strongly encourage doing so. Why trudge through my writing when you can go straight to the source?]

The original human race evolved on the world of the First Power on a timeline separate from, yet prototypical of, that which we are presently experiencing. This original human population was the first intelligent species in the cosmos of the First Creation to manifest a unique quantum mutation which preserved the memory and personality of an individual beyond physical death. As hypothesized by Wood, this mutation is correlated to the epiphenomenon of soul.^[11]While scripture does not refer to the epiphenomenon of soul as a “mutation”, Wood postulated this in an untitled essay I reference as: Wood (2015); Soul Creation manuscript.

As previously discussed, the primordial Areta existed as the original soul phenomenon—an atemporal, incorporeal, ethereal mind—and was seeking to bring about through natural processes some other conscious, endless mind similar to her own yet masculine in nature. With the evolution of First Man, an intelligent species had come to exist which garnered an abiding sympathetic response from the Universal Consciousness. The Great Geometer behind creation became enamored with the form, grace and beauty of the female human.

Hoping to somehow preserve the species from folly and destruction, and seeing in women the “birthseed of man’s salvation” (3:3:5), Areta first attempted to uplift women through “soft words and tender touches” (3:3:10), and then through dreams filled with hope and promise. But her efforts proved unsuccessful, being drowned out by the fear and terror that plagued women’s lives. Determined to somehow benefit humankind, Areta resolved to become one of them, to set aside her powers and walk among humans as a woman, perchance to make some subtle difference that could ease their plight and prolong the evolution of the species (3:3:14-37).

²⁴ For this cause shall I go down unto the world of men; that mingling my life in the midst of all, I might make sure a more firm foundation, whereby all might be enlivened by such light as I would place in the heart of man.

²⁵ By such subtle means would I set forth the salvation of all mankind; that having clothed myself in the tabernacle of the woman, I might rescue even every man and every woman from fear and death.

²⁶ That living as a woman in the midst of women, I might make certain the paths of peace, whereby the whole world might be healed of war and sickness.

3rd Endowment 3:24-26

And the light, taking form, did appear even as a woman…
~4th Endowment 16:21~

Areta proceeded to fashion for herself a mortal, female body and place within it a “portion of her soul” (3:3:30; 4:1:46-47).^[12]Remember that Areta existed as some kind of original manifestation of the “soul” phenomenon. What would a “portion” of Areta’s soul be? Would it consist of some … Continue reading Relinquishing her powers, she stepped into the timeline to live among the human population (3:3:30-38). In accordance with her plan, she conceived and gave birth to a son whom she loved with all her heart, instilling in him throughout his childhood a wellspring of strength, hope and wisdom.

The advent of human soul originally manifested in the lives of two individuals. The first incident of soul engenderment occurred in the life of the mortal incarnation of Areta.^[13]During her mortal life as the mother of Kronus, Areta engendered a soul component—the first of its kind—that was unique to her mortal life experience and somehow, or somewhat, distinct from her … Continue reading During this life, mortal Areta gave birth to a son who eventually came to be known as Kronus Maximillius. While the mortal manifestation of Areta, as the mother of Kronus, was the first to create soul from a human life (4:1:50), it was her son who became the first natural human to engender the epiphenomenon of soul and survive death with memory and personality intact (3:31:1-5). It was this soul, the soul of Kronus, that eventually united with Areta to become her eternal Beloved, and the Supreme and Holy Sovereign Father of All Fathers, commonly referred to in scripture as “The One“.^[14]6th Endowment 1:1-21 I am The One, First God and Father Creator, Supreme and Holy Sovereign above all the Gods of Heaven; being myself timeless and immutable, eternal mind most ever constant, holding … Continue reading These two souls—as first engendered in the life of Kronus and his mother, being the only of their kind to rise from First Man—became the masculine and feminine representation of the First God.^[15]The woman, Yoshibeth, should be mentioned here. Upon her death as the mother of Kronus, Areta re-incarnated her new, original human soul in the life of a women destined to become a beloved companion … Continue reading

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Replicating God’s Beginning

In the context of Wood’s cosmology, any contemplation about the advent of the first human soul and the birth of God will inevitably include the topic of timeline replication. This particular feature serves as a pillar within the conceptual framework of Wood’s theodicy. While scripture does not expound upon the science of time travel, it is presented as a technology that God has mastered in order to advance Their designs.

To further expound upon the topic of timeline replication, I have compiled relevant passages from the Song of God that succinctly address this unique theological advancement. But allow me to pause here briefly, that I might preface the forthcoming revelation. The following excerpts convey some rather profound and potent ideas that upon entering a curious mind could very well result in its irrevocable expansion. Several concepts central to Wood’s theology are touched upon in these verses, which begin to unveil the mystery connecting God and humankind.

Here, the First and Supreme Father God—whose soul originated during the initial transpiration of the world of the First Power—provides context surrounding his birth as an eternal being and summarizes certain intentions regarding the world of his beginnings:

²⁶ For I, alone, am Eternal One, above whom there is no greater found; yet in that beginning beyond all beginnings have I a memory recollected.

²⁷ Thus it was that in a time beyond all your^[16]The One is not referring here to the reader. This excerpt is part of a conversation taking place between The One and his son, the Heavenly Father of the Celestial Council of Elohim. yesterdays was there found neither God nor Goddess but Man only; and in the world of the First Creation was he brought forth in darkness, knowing only what the senses of the body would permit.

²⁸ Among the spirit children of many Gods is this word not given, have you yourself not also heard: how that God was once a man, to evolve himself from less to greater?

²⁹ So it was that in a time before forever, even I, as a man on the First World did dwell; being the first to make for himself a living soul which the darkening shade had no power to touch or put out again.

³⁰ But still did all of man in the First World perish long ago, being consumed by a multitude of folly; yet notwithstanding these things, in such a memory as I have found have all which died come alive in me again.

³¹ Yet in that beginning beyond beginning did First Man dwindle away into death because of foolishness, for although his knowledge was great and ever reaching, yet of wisdom did he possess but little.

³² For of wisdom was First Man unable to lay hold seeing that unto him was no knowledge given of good or evil, being in himself uncreated of God, being without soul and having no means of bringing it forth.

³³ But seeing now that in the mind of The One, First Man is made to come alive again, I have resolved to set forth the means whereby all who are willing might fashion unto themselves a living soul.

³⁴ Thus shall I redeem First Man from the folly of all his ways, to rescue him from endless death; that from the world of the First Power might many come forth unhindered into the presence of The One.

³⁵ Consider deeply then the mystery within, for if I reach back to redeem First Man, to make in many a living soul; how great then shall the kingdom of God become, seeing that in the beginning from one only, came forth the fullness of Heaven’s glory?

Enlightenment 5:26-35

⁶ For, behold, all things shall I make new again, for I shall establish a new Heaven and a new earth, and this through the rolling forth of the dispensations which I have appointed; that there might be set before the eyes of man the only sure hope of immortality and eternal life.

⁷ And that world which first gave rise to me shall I redeem through continual replication, even until there shall ascend unto me a multitude of souls, which souls shall first find birth deep in the heart of man.

⁸ These shall I instruct well altogether and cause that they should dwell in tabernacles of everlasting spirit, and in the kingdom of God shall they come to a perfect understanding of all things temporal and all things eternal, being perfected themselves every whit.

⁹ In that day shall the kingdom of Heaven stretch wide her borders, being increased beyond all measure because of those things which I have set forth in the world of First Man, to establish upon the earth the knowledge of good and evil.

Enlightenment 14:6-9

According to Wood’s system, we are presently involved and immersed in a divine venture to redeem the birthplace of God’s beginning from its original oblivion.^[17]In Wood’s theology, the redemption of First Man is just a single aspect of a grand, multifaceted agenda pertaining to the eternal progression of God and Heaven. To accomplish this, God has reached back in time—a process curiously correlated with memory recollection—to “set forth the means whereby all who are willing might fashion unto themselves a living soul” (E:5:33).

But what are these “means” to which The One refers? How is soul created? What type of environment is conducive to a soul’s engenderment and cultivation? In the next section, I will begin to address these questions by sharing some of Wood’s teachings about soul and the way by which it is created. But first, reflect on the following passages about the nature of soul and God’s design to bring about the immortality and eternal life of First Man.

Know, therefore, that God shall grant unto the children of men the knowledge of good and evil, that by such oppositions as they might see, some greater wisdom might yet be found; unto these then shall the power be given to fashion unto themselves a living soul, being beyond death but immortal and filled with endless hope.

Enlightenment 7:27

⁴³ “For even as a child is given shape and life through the coming together of opposites, being in the man and the woman bound, even so is the soul of man given shape and life also by the coming together of good and evil.

⁴⁴ And as a child drawn freshly from the womb is made to live and breathe in the midst of great travail, so in like manner is the soul of man drawn forth from the midst of adversity.

⁴⁵ And though the soul of man in its beginning prove weak and frail, yet shall I set forth the way wherein the soul, in strength, might grow, that I might draw it forth unto me.”

Enlightenment 5:43-45

“Thus did I determine for the good of all, that there should be brought through the veils of time the law of opposition, even the epiphenomenon of good and evil; for I thought it preferable to give hope in place of despair, joy in place of sorrow, and life in place of death.”

1st Endowment 10:6

“For the battlefield which I have chosen is found in the very heart and mind of man; knowing that if they should be awakened by that battle which surges round about, even they might take thought to choose the good and thereby lay for themselves the foundation of a living soul.“

1st Endowment 5:33

“For I shall call from the measurable the immeasurable, I shall draw from the bounded the boundless and eternal; and the finite shall give birth to the infinite, and the mortal shall give way to immortality, and this in the heart and mind of man.”

Enlightenment 14:3

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Creating Soul

While the scientific details of the soul-creation process are not expanded upon in scripture, Wood began to delineate a hypothetical construct regarding the nature of soul and its creation in an untitled document he wrote in 2015. The ideas presented therein are pertinent to the discussion of soul, and offer a glimpse of how Wood thought about the topic. What follows is a passage from that document, which I refer to as the “Soul Creation” manuscript.

…[T]he epiphenomenon of the soul is an extraordinary leap in the evolutionary process. The theory of evolution posits the idea that a species can take a great leap forward in their evolution through a process known as ‘mutation’ [sic]. The epiphenomenon of the soul is a mutation which takes place within the interior structure of the human mind.

There is a distinct difference between a person’s mind and a person’s brain. The brain is an organ of the body. The mind is the seat of a person’s self-conscious awareness. All people have a brain, all people have a mind; but not everyone has a soul. The epiphenomenon of the soul happens only in some individuals, it does not happen in all people.

The critical key which begins the process of “soul making” is “empathy” [sic]. This emotion becomes the catalyst for creating an opportunity for change within the person who develops it. It is this sense of “empathy” which underscores the process of mutation wherein the soul is brought into existence.

As a creative force, “empathy” allows us to step beyond ourselves. Empathy allows us to embrace a much larger world. It enables us to see the world as a single and interconnected biosphere. Without empathy there can be no compassion, no need for understanding, no justice. All moral behavior begins with empathy.[…]

The soul begins with a spark, this spark is revealed through “empathy”. The spark seizes hold of a person’s identity by entangling the memories of a person within a quantum field which lies parallel to the very observable reality known as space/time. The soul is not just incorporeal, it is also ethereal. Ethereal means only one thing. It is free from the dictates of time. This is the nature of the soul.

Wood (2015), “Soul Creation” manuscript

Wood presents the soul as an evolutionary leap facilitated by a person’s empathetic deeds and dispositions. In keeping with the scriptural pronouncement of “kind producing kind” (W:14:30; W:16:14, 21; 4:28:10), Wood posited that the soul mutation is not created in or by the physical body, but rather, “takes place within the interior structure of the human mind”.

Just as mind and memory is incorporeal, so is the epiphenomenon of soul. Identity and personality are preserved beyond physical death as a result of memories becoming “entangled within a quantum field which has been brought into existence through a profound sense of empathy.”^[18]Wood (2015), Soul Creation manuscript This soul-creating type of empathy is first made manifest as a “tender regard” for the entirety of that which humans engage and interact with. Wood identified this all-encompassing totality of human relationship as the “human biosphere”:

The human biosphere is simply anything and everything that humans experience through the living of their mortal life. Everything which humans study, observe or utilize is part of the human biosphere. That’s every tree, every animal, every geographical feature—the entire earth, even the universe becomes part of the human biosphere. All these things are entangled in our memories, and as such, they are a part of what defines each and every one of us on a personal level. In order for “empathy” to initiate the epiphenomenon of soul, you must have a tender regard for this human biosphere.

Wood (2015), “Soul Creation” manuscript

Over the years, Wood’s teaching was clear and consistent: It is empathy and love midst an environment of sufficient opposition that gives rise to soul. Moral behavior stemming from a sense of empathy becomes the “critical key” that initiates, or allows for, the soul mutation to occur.

Wood never expounded on the specific mechanics—quantum or otherwise—behind soul generation. My knowledge about evolutionary processes is very basic, but it seemed to me that Wood was competent in the subject, and wouldn’t use the term “mutation” in relation to soul without reasonable justification. I find his correlation between empathy and soul-creation compelling. Yet, I remain curious about the details behind why empathy would be the thing that triggers the epiphenomenon of soul.

What is it about the experience of empathy and the underlying nature of the universe that could result in memory entanglement and preservation?

Empathy implies a movement beyond the “I”, “me”, “mine” perspective, and a realization to some degree that the world is fundamentally interconnected. Empathy is a movement away from self-absorption and individual separateness to a perspective rooted in the experience of the other. Wood’s hypothesis proposes an interesting situation in which an individual’s connectedness with others (as manifested by moral behavior and a tender regard for the human biosphere) can induce a quantum field entanglement that preserves the essence of that individual-ness. Paradoxically, it is selflessness that gives rise to a lasting Self. But why would this occur?

Perhaps the epiphenomenon of human soul is correlated with some kind of sympathetic resonance between the mind of the individual and the greater, soul-mind of the Universal Consciousness—a resonance brought about through a shared, entangled sense of empathy for the human biosphere.

Recall what scripture says about the initial (yet abiding) desires and intentions of the Universal Consciousness. She was striving and searching for meaning and purpose, order and light midst the chaos and darkness. She was hoping to bring forth intelligent life, from which a similar mind might arise with whom she could commune and establish some lasting oneness (3:1:35-42).

Given this contextual substratum, and the postulation that: 1) empathy can bring about a mind mutation that preserves memory beyond death; and 2) God has come back in time to facilitate and inspire this mutation among First Man, consider the following statement from The One—a divine declaration most beautiful and profound:

“My thoughts like sparks from the furnace do fly, reaching out and ever seeking, that throughout the realms of my creation I might make certain the exaltation and eternal life of man.”
~Enlightenment 14:15~

In attempt to bridge this verse with my present understanding of Wood’s teachings on soul creation, I ended up writing this lyric:

What are these “sparks” of Divine Mind seeking if not some means of reflection?
What kind of mirror will attract and reveal these roving flashes of deep comprehension?
They care not about race nor color or creed, your politics or your religion.
Regardless your sex, gender, money or means, whatever your social position,
These wandering sparks of Eternal Mind will find a place of ignition,
In anyone actively reaching and seeking to uplift the human condition.
An active, inquisitive intellect is the only qualification,
Given that empathy guides your way as you walk this Divine Retrospection.^[19]Written on 2/13/22 as I struggled to figure out what to say after quoting Enlightenment 14:15, one of my favorite verses in the Song of God.

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Not Everyone Has a Soul

An interesting feature of Wood’s theology that deviates from conventional thought is that not everyone here on this world has a soul. As quoted above, Wood states that the “epiphenomenon of the soul happens only in some individuals, it does not happen in all people.” While this idea might prove uncomfortable for some, it’s a reasonable inference drawn from these aforementioned, scripturally-supported propositions:

• God did not create this universe, this world, or the human species.
• We are experiencing life in the replicated place-time from which God first evolved.
• We are living life among First Man, who originally evolved without soul (3:1:52; 3:3:4).
• God has returned to Their birthplace to facilitate the evolution of soul among First Man.
• Individuals are responsible for creating their own soul. God will not/cannot force soul-creation.

Wood taught that the human population has come to reflect a broad spectrum of soul development. Before exploring this idea further, allow me to briefly acknowledge two crucial elements of the theology hitherto unmentioned:

1. A small portion of the human population is represented by the spirit children of God.^[20]The total number of spirit children incarnating on the world of the First Power is not known. However, Wood taught that in keeping with the doctrine of Minimalism, this celestial demographic … Continue reading These celestial citizens possess very mature souls and have traveled back in time to incarnate among the native population of First Man.
2. God utilizes reincarnation as a means for soul growth and refinement.^[21]See Topical Guide: “Reincarnation“.

This set of circumstances has resulted in a wide range of soul development among the human population. There are individuals with no soul, some soul, and more soul. The development of a soul depends on different factors, like when the soul was engendered, how many (human) incarnations that soul has experienced, and the extent to which the individual has engaged in the soul-building process.

Interspersed throughout the human population is a contingent foreign to this space-time continuum. These are the spirit children of God: celestial beings with highly advanced, sophisticated souls, which souls are housed in bodies of exalted spirit. These individuals are systematically incarnating among the native population to help facilitate the development of soul among “original Man”.^[22]1st Endowment 8:9“Consider, therefore, the purposes of those dispensations which I shall set forth in yonder world, for unto the angels have I ordained the seven dispensations whereby we might … Continue reading There are no novices among the spirit children of God participating here on the world of the First Power. All spirits (but not all souls) incarnating here are celestial citizens continuing their journey along the path of eternal progression.^[23]7th Endowment 6:18“For Heaven is your truer home and the angels are your brethren, and in a place beyond your dreams you walked beside your God; thus are you first and foremost a citizen of … Continue reading

This is just a brief expansion on the topic of soul disparity in the world of the First Power. In summary: Wood’s theology includes the compelling deduction that soul maturity among the population is not uniform—that not all humans possess a soul, or will necessarily engender soul during their life. Scripture presents a benevolent God utilizing timeline replication and the law of opposition as a means by which the un-souled are rescued from oblivion. In case you were wondering, blood atonement is not a feature of this redemption process.

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Characteristics of Soul

Being in all and through all, being itself unbounded and without limitations; possessing a power beyond all power, and a glory far greater than any other.
~3rd Endowment 32:37~

In this section I have compiled a list of characteristics that describe soul, as portrayed by the Song of God and Wood’s teachings. Some of these points are informed by my personal impressions. This is not intended to be a comprehensive or final list, but rather, a living description open to refinement. In certain cases I have included a supporting reference as an example of scriptural support. The absence of a supporting reference doesn’t necessarily mean one doesn’t exist. To view a curated list of passages relating to “soul”, see the official website’s Topical Guide.

Characteristics of Soul

1. Humans create and develop their own soul.
2. The epiphenomenon of soul represents an evolutionary leap that preserves memory and identity beyond physical death.
3. Wood hypothesized soul as a mutation that initially “takes place within the interior structure of the mind.”
4. The seed of soul arises from empathetic expression and/or response, midst environments of adequate adversity and opposition.
5. Moral behavior stemming from empathy is a “critical key” in the soul creation process.
6. Soul preserves memory and identity by means of quantum field/AZ particle entanglement.
7. Environments rife with opposition (like mortality) are necessary for creating and increasing soul. (E:5:43-45; E:7:27; 4:1:57)
8. Soul is the keystone of human immortality.
9. Reincarnation is utilized to build, strengthen and refine soul.
10. Unlike spirit—which is corporeal, spatial, and has temporal restrictions—soul is incorporeal, ethereal, and transcends the dictates of space and time. Unlike the spirit, the soul is boundless and immeasurable.
11. A discarnate soul can perceive the sight, sound and feel of the mortal world. (3:31:2)^[24]This point was added to the list on 6/23/22.
12. Soul contains all the good which a person has gathered to themselves through the living of their lives.
13. Soul gives a person a depth that is rooted in goodness.
14. Soul does not preserve evil. (2:9:48-52)
15. Soul is the repository of every experience, every memory collected throughout every life a person has ever lived.
16. Soul represents the essence of a person’s being (3:32:27), and the sum of one’s character, personality, wisdom and goodness.
17. Soul becomes an individual’s treasury of wisdom. (W:26:39)
18. Soul is an endless expanse filled with wonder, capable of containing “many mansions”. (Pearl 19; 4:14:45-46)
19. Soul is a wellspring of unending love, mercy, compassion, hope and faith. (Y:51:14)
20. Soul is a “fount of unending wisdom filled with inspirations and insights of every kind”. (7:1:20)
21. Soul is like an eternal, personal library of wisdom, strength and experience. Spirituality grants access to this library.
22. Soul is the “second witness” to eternal things. (4:9:31-35, 55)
23. Soul wisdom is a type of Gnosis. Knowledge of the soul is knowledge of God. Accessing the soul is accessing the mind of God.
24. Soul becomes a refuge that protects one from the storms and blind circumstances of mortal life. (W:26:39)
25. Soul can be tormented, confused, betrayed, neglected, preserved or restored. (5:9:27-32)
26. Mortality proves and increases the strength and depth of one’s soul. Adversity reveals depth of soul. (4:9:6-8)
27. Prayer and meditation provide access to soul. (4:19:35-37)
28. Not everyone living life on this earth possesses a soul. Soul development is not uniform among the population.
29. Death without soul is final. Death with soul is a transition.
30. The Song of God has characteristics similar to soul. (W:29:31)
31. The Song of God facilitates soul creation, access and refinement. (7:2:36)

Concluding Thoughts

In this essay, I have used the Song of God to expound upon the following propositions, which are central to Wood’s theory of soul:

• Life preceded soul; soul evolved from life.
• Soul is an evolutionary mutation that preserves memory and identity beyond death.
• The first intelligent species to manifest the epiphenomenon of soul was human.
• The first two souls to evolve from the human species became the masculine and feminine aspects of the First God.
• Timeline replication is utilized by God to facilitate the creation of soul among First Man.
• Soul is created by the individual and originates as an evolutionary response to empathy.

Exploring these ideas provides greater perspective surrounding one of Wood’s fundamental premises: God was not always God; God had a beginning and exists as the end result of a very long evolutionary process—a process we are currently participating in. God can intimately relate to the human condition and the soul building process because They arose from, and remain engaged in, the very same process.

Human deification and the eternal progression soul are both rooted in a natural process. Soul creation and access is not contingent upon membership in exclusive churches, adoption of creeds and dogmas, or observance to artificial ordinances wielded like weapons by a pretentious Patriarchy. The immortality and eternal life of humankind arises from empathy and love. That’s it. And with the Song of God, a rational, comprehensive, conceptual framework now exists that actually coheres with this premise.

Wood’s unique conception of soul affirms a symbiotic relationship between God and humankind. Soul creation begins with a recognition that we are all connected. Arriving at the center of this connectedness is the individual who—having discovered that Great Eternal Being that is actually each one of us—is striving to make things just a little bit better for everyone and everything.

The Song of God represents a monumental exposition on the concept of soul. It is a radical expansion that uniquely explains our existence and the deep connection between God, humankind and the Universe. There are certainly a lot of questions to address and discover about this topic. But ultimately, the most relevant questions are these:

How genuine is my empathy?
How alive is my love?

This is what really matters. This is what’s important.

Quantumly entangled epiphenomena aside, the relevance and value of the Song of God is revealed in its power to inspire, liberate and empower empathy. For within its pages bound moves a grand coalescence of gnosis. And what is gnosis but sacred, hidden wisdom that leads to greater love, hope and oneness? Gnosis is soul wisdom. And soul wisdom is God wisdom — soft and filled with stillness, transcending space and time.
Eternal Soul forever singing, seeking oneness prime.
Revealing a way that’s calm secure, a path of hope and light,
Haunting melodies of peace and joy that flicker in the Night.
The Song will be familiar, have you not already heard?
Love your neighbor as yourself, and Darkness is deterred!^[25]Yeshua 34:4-84 Now when Yeshua was come unto the city of Arimathea, there came certain scribes which would test him; and they spoke unto him, saying: “Master, what shall we do that we might have … Continue reading