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Did the spirits of the dead continue to walk among the human beings, or did God gradually succeed in calling them all back?

Somewhat more than eight decades before the eldest of the Youngest was born to the Earth as Jesus of Nazareth, God called for the first time to the Earth-bound spirits, and from thenceforth, at the last moment of each passing century, He let His voice sound to them in hope that this might awaken repentance in their hearts. But fewer and fewer returned to their homes in the spheres, for but few were able to repent of their misdeeds; for the Darkness lay heavily over the Earth.

And, as the centuries passed, the Darkness compelled ever more human spirits after death to wander the Earth among the living.

And the times came when the spirits of the dead were a mighty host—legions upon legions. They wandered about everywhere, bringing much discord wherever they went; for they incited the living to many sinful desires, many impure thoughts.

Some people could see the spirits as shadow-like forms, some heard their speech as faint whisperings, and this strengthened them in the belief that evil spirits and specters surrounded them.

And human beings feared the dead.

Some of the Youngest, when not bound to mortal bodies, ventured often to the Earth where with gently loving words they summoned these miserable beings back to life in the Light. But the Youngest were able only for a short time to stay among the spirits of the dead, for the dense Darkness and the evil vapors weakened and dispirited them.

When they had rested a time in their dwellings, they again, unseen by human eyes, ventured to the Earth to render help to the children of Darkness. And God, their Father, strengthened them, and He sustained them in their trying task.

But the eldest of the Youngest, Christ, wearied never. Despite Darkness, despite evil vapors, he pressed onward. Gently, lovingly, he attempted to awaken repentance in the hearts of the Earth-bound spirits, and he carried many of the fallen back to their empty dwellings.

And upon his journeys he would find now a brother,¹⁹ now a sister,¹⁹ who had stumbled over the stones cast in their path by the Elder as they strove to lead mankind forward. And Christ led them back to the outermost habitat around the Earth, and helped them to cleanse themselves of the defiling Darkness.

Wherever Christ ventured, God's paternal eye followed. And God saw his grieving over human misery, saw with what patience he tried to aid the fallen—the living, and the dead.

And God gave him yet greater strength.

Then Christ ventured into the ruined kingdom, there to seek out his elder brothers and sisters.

And he spoke to them gently, bidding them return to their Father, to their Home. Many scorned and mocked him; but some were drawn by the pure light that radiated about him, drawn by his loving words; and remorse awoke in their hearts. And he led them to a distant place, where they could find rest and peace until remembrance of all that once was awoke again in their memory.

And Christ walked among the living human beings; unseen and unknown he came to the sinner and the lawbreaker; by his tender love, by his unending patience he drew them back often from the abyss that threatened to swallow them; by his warning calls he forestalled many an impure thought so that it never turned to deed. Many evil actions were thus averted by his purity, averted by his calls and his admonitions.

And Christ wearied no more, nor faltered, but bore with patience instead the heavy burdens the human beings continued to lay upon his shoulders; for God gave him even greater strength and even greater patience.

And when the times came that the Light again slowly made its way across the Earth, a faint joy, a faint hope awoke in Christ's heart. And as he saw that the Light spread still more, he understood that the hour drew near when the power of the Darkness should be broken; and gladness filled him.

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