Spiritist
Opinion

(In the house of Mr. C...; medium: Ms. Aline C...)
June 12th, 1856 [1] [2]

Question (from Allan Kardec to the Spirit of Truth) - Good Spirit, I would like to know what you think about the mission assigned to me by some spirits: Please tell me, if this is a test for my self-esteem. I have, as you know, the sincere desire to contribute to the spread of the truth, but from a mere worker to a missionary-in-chief, the distance is huge, and I don't understand what could justify in me such a favor in preference to many others who have talents and qualities that I don't have. [3]

Answer — I confirm what was told you, but I advice you to be discreet if you want to succeed. You will know, later, things that will explain what now surprises you. Remember that you can succeed, as you can fail and, in the latter case, another one would replace you, because God's plans don’t depend on the mind of a single man. So, never talk about "your mission", because it would be a way to make it fail. It can only be justified by the work done, and you haven't done anything yet. If you accomplish it, the men will recognize it, sooner or later, because, the quality of the tree is recognized by the fruits.

Question — No desire I certainly have to claim of a mission to which I myself difficultly believe. If my destiny is to serve as an instrument of the Providence, so it has me, but in this case, I ask your assistance and from the good spirits to help me and support me in my task.

Answer — Our assistance will not falter, but it will be inutile if, from your side, you don’t do what is necessary. You have your free will, and you can use it as you find better; nobody is constrained to do anything.

Question — What are the causes that might make me fail? Could it be the insufficiency of my capacities?

Answer — No, but the mission of reformers is full of pitfalls and perils; yours is rude, I warn you, because is about shaking and transforming the whole world. Don’t think it will be sufficient to publish a book, two books or ten books, and stay quietly in your home; no, you will have to expose yourself: you will attract against you terrible hatreds, bitter enemies will conspirate to your loss; you will be faced with malevolence, slander and betrayal, even from those who will seem the most devoted to you; your best instructions will be ignored and distorted; more than once you will succumb under the weight of fatigue; in a word, it will be an almost constant struggle that you will have to support, with the sacrifice of your rest, your tranquility, your health and even your life because, without this, you would live longer [4]. Well! Not few people back down when, instead of a flowery road, find under their feet brambles, sharp stones and snakes. For such missions, intelligence is not enough. In order to please God is necessary, firstly, humility, modesty and non self-interest, because He slaughters the proud, the presumptuous and the ambitious. To combat against men, it’s indispensable, courage, perseverance and an unwavering firmness; but also prudence and tact to lead things in a convenient way, and not compromise the success by intemperate actions or words; finally, it’s needed devotion, abnegation and be prepared for all sacrifices.

You see that your mission is subjected to conditions that depend on you.

Spirit of Truth

I, Spirit of Truth, thank you for your wise counsel. I accept all without any restrictions and without ulterior motive.

Lord! If you deigned to cast your eyes on me to carry out your plans, be done your will! My life is in your hands, have your servant. In the presence of such a large task, I admit my weakness; my goodwill will not falter, but maybe my strengths betray me. Supply my insufficiency; give me the physical and moral forces that will be necessary. Support me in the difficult times, and with your help and that of your heavenly messengers, I will try to respond to your views.

NOTE — I am writing this note in January 1st 1867, a decade and a half after this communication that have been given me, and I can verify that it has carried out in all respects, because I felt all the vicissitudes that were announced. I have been subjected to the hate of bitter enemies, insult, slander, envy and jealousy; infamous libels were published against me; my best instructions were misled; I was betrayed by those in whom I had put my trust, I was paid with ingratitude by those to whom I served. The Society of Paris became a hotbed of continual intrigues warped by those same people who were saying to be in my favor, and which, while being good face in front of me, on my back they stabbed me. They said that I bribed those who took my party with the money I earned form Spiritism. I no longer knew what was to rest; more than once I have succumbed under the excesses of work, my health was harmed, and my life compromised.

However, thanks to the protection and assistance of the good spirits, who have constantly given clear evidence of their concern, I am happy to admit that I have not experienced a single moment of weakness or discouragement, and I continued my task constantly with the same zeal, without worrying about the malevolence that I was subjected. According to the communication from the Spirit of Truth, I had to expect all of this, and everything was checked.

But also, in addition to these vicissitudes, what satisfactions I experimented by seeing the work growing so prodigiously! How many sweet compensations were paid for my tribulations! What blessings, as testimony of real sympathy, I have received from many afflicts that the doctrine has consoled! This result was not announced by the Spirit of Truth, certainly by purpose, that only showed me the difficulties of the road.

What would be my ingratitude if I complained! If I said that there was a compensation between good and evil, I would not be in true, because the good, I mean moral satisfaction, wins a lot over the evil. When I had a disappointment or any contrariety, I used to elevate my thoughts to above humanity and I used to imagine me, by anticipation, in the region of the Spirits, and from this culminant point, where I discovered my point of arrival, the miseries of life slid on me without hurting me. I made such a habit this way of proceeding, that the screams of the wicked never troubled me.

Allan Kardec.


Bibliography:

OEUVRES POSTHUMES – Previsions concernant le Spiritisme - Ma première initiation au Spiritisme - Ma Mission - Allan Kardec, Paris – 1890. Electronic version in French can be downloaded from:
www.opiniaoespirita.org/downloads/oeuvres_posthumes.pdf (839kB). Look for the page 220.
Not available in English until the time of this publication.

Notes from the Editor of this website (Spiritist Opinion):
(Click on the numbers to find the location in the article that generated the note)

[1] - This is a non-professional translation made by Rafael Gasparini Moreira, with the help of Google Language Tools (French to English). We tried to do our best and we think this translation is faithful to the original, although some people could think it could be in a better English. English speakers are welcome to send suggestions to improve this translation. Contact us by the e-mail: opiniao@opiniaoespirita.org.

[2] - This conversation happened 10 months and 6 days before the publication of The Spirits' Book, which was the first work of Allan Kardec. This book marked, on Earth, the appearance of the Spiritist Doctrine. This conversation represents the moment of acceptance, by the part of Kardec, of the mission to codify and propagate Spiritism.

[3] - The question is justified, not by the fact of Allan Kardec to judge he weren’t capable to perform the work, or in a demonstration of false modesty, but by the fact of having, at that time, many other people studying and researching the spiritist phenomena since years before, and that could be in a more advanced stage of knowledge and experience. In the introduction of The Spirits' Book (see item IV), Kardec relates experimentations that were made since 1849, while he got in contact, for the first time, with the phenomena, only in may of 1855. And when he launched his Spiritist Magazine (Revue Spirite), in January 1^th 1858, without a single subscriber, already existed 17 spiritualist periodicals established in the United States, in English (see Apresentação da FEB in Revista Espírita year 1858, Ed. FEB, translated from French by Evandro Noleto Bezerra, in Portuguese language). These were the reasons for him to judge that other men would be more capable than him to perform the work.

[4] - Note the reader the difference between the messages from real superior Spirits to pretentiously superior Spirits. The real superior Spirits indicate the mission and show the difficulties of the path; never constrain. On the other side, the pretentiously superior Spirits (also known as mystifiers) promise a flowery path and glories to those they want to fool. It’s common they also threat the unadvised people saying they’ll acquire “karmas”, or personal problems (like obsessions, for example), bad things to the family, job, etc…if they refuse to do what they propose. No one has to fear this kind of Spirit. It’s enough to say “No”.

1. THE SPIRITS' BOOK – Allan Kardec, Paris – 1857 (translation based on the French 3^rd edition). Electronic version in English can be downloaded from:
   www.opiniaoespirita.org/downloads/spirits_book.pdf (1.16MB).
   
2. Revista Espírita ano I - 1858, Ed. FEB - 3^rd Edition - 2004.
   Not available in English until the time of this publication.