My Spiritual Journey.
Proof?
And how, O my judges, I desire to prove to you that the real philosopher has reason to be of good cheer when he is about to die, and that after death he may hope to obtain the greatest good in the other world. Socrates. 399 B.C.
These works are the most challenging of our journey, and many would want to consider the issue of proof. Absolute proof is not possible. Even if you were physically present, as was Dr Leslie Stone, you would still have to judge the events and make up your own mind. What I can suggest here is:
Do you believe that it is possible to communicate with spirits? If you do not, after reading the works of Allan Kardec, or Rev Swainston Moses then you have only three options: ignore what you have read here, try this last site which I think has absolute proof or pray for guidance.
If you accept that spirit communications are possible, it remains to consider a few issues. Is is conceivable that Jesus of Nazareth would or could communicate? In the Kardec works the information is given that the elevated spirits are called very rarely, and do not come for trivial pursuits. So if it is Jesus, the messages must be profound. The preparation that Padgett was required to undergo seems also to support this issue of communications with elevated spirits. Prior to this time, and subsequent to this time, Mary the mother of Jesus has appeared to many many of her devoted followers. However typically her messages are simple in nature, and often delivered to the innocent, but are none the less important. So if Mary can be so prolific, why not Jesus?
One might wonder why Padgett? This is answered, but as interesting is the revelation he was not the first, nor indeed is he the last.
One also questions whether Padgett might have been subject of impostering spirits. This was uppermost in his and Dr Stones’s mind, and Jesus himself tells them that no spirit dare come in His name, and his wife confirms that she knows who Jesus is. This is in accord with the Kardec teachings, where it is recommended that manifestations be required to state that they come in the name of Jesus to prove that they are believers and thus of some understanding. It would appear that only very low spirits try to deliberately deceive, as one might expect. And they are easily found out because they have very little knowledge. Note also that Padgett actually threw away the first writing in the name of Jesus, and in fact it was his companions who first believed that it might be true. As a lawyer he was not given to accepting anything as fact without due proof.
Many spirits came in support of the messages. Of course if you are incredulous, the names of many of these do not help much. If you believe, it is not surprising at all. However some of these correlate with earlier works, such as Swedenborg and Stainton Moses. Padgett had already made contact with both his recently departed wife and his grandmother before these events. Both testified as to the messages being from Jesus.
The messages themselves stand as testimony. Why would any other seek to reduce His life to one of simplicity, devoid of all the devices attributed to Him in order to substantiate his deity? Why too would he seek to declare himself a son of God, but not God? There are many many details that have an absolute ring of truth. One would have to be more than a master story teller to come up with these.
Finally look at the content of the messages. Are these the work of deceiving spirits? Where is the evil? Indeed they are not. As beautiful, profound and consistent a set of messages are not to be found anywhere else.