God's universe is governed by laws as immutable as they are perfect in their workings, and the great thing to be accomplished by the plan which He provided for the redemption of men, is to have every man come into harmony with these laws, because just as soon as that harmony exists, there will be no more discord and sin will not be known to humanity. And so, only that which will bring man into this harmony can possibly save him from his sins and bring about the at-onement that Jesus and his disciples taught. 

God is a God of Love, and no man can come to Him unless he receives the Love of the Father in his soul. As men are inclined to sin and error and the violation of God's Laws, they can be redeemed from sin by obtaining this Love; and that can be obtained only through prayer, and faith in the willingness of God to bestow this Love upon whosoever may ask for It. I do not mean that there must be "formal" prayers, or compliance with any church creeds or dogmas.

The prayer that is efficacious is that which emanates from the soul and earnest aspirations of a man. So let men know that unless they have the real soul longings for this Love, it will not be given to them. No mere intellectual desires will suffice. The intellect is not that faculty in man that unites him to God, only the soul is made in the likeness of the Father, and unless this likeness is perfected by a filling of the soul with the Divine Love of the Father, the likeness is never complete. 
The Divine Love of the Father and the New Birth of the Soul

Love is the fulfilling of the law, but no man can thoroughly understand this until he knows what love is. I do not mean that in order to fulfill every law, man must have the Divine Love of the Father, because there are laws that govern the Divine existence, and laws that govern the human and merely spiritual existence; and the Love of the Divine is the fulfillment of the former laws, and the natural love is the fulfillment of the latter laws. Only as men have the Love of the Divine can they fulfill the laws of the Divine existence; and so, as they have the natural love only, can they fulfill the natural laws. 
Jesus, On the Love of Man

This is what I came principally to teach mankind. When I said, as you sow, so shall you reap, I meant this to be the law of God as applied to the natural man as well as to everything else in nature; but that law is subject to be set aside so far as its operations on the souls of men are concerned, by the soul of man receiving in sufficient abundance, the Divine Love. And when the Great Love of the Father is sought and received by the soul of man in sufficient abundance, the law of compensation is made non-effective and the law of Love becomes supreme, and man is relieved from the penalties of his sins.
In My Father’s House There Are Many Mansions
 

This awakening must come from other causes that influence the mind as well as the soul, and cause them to realize that the life man lives is not the correct life, or one in accord with the demands of the Laws of God, or with the real longings of their own hearts and souls.

Until this awakening comes, the soul is really dead so far as its having a consciousness of the existence of the Truths of its redemption is concerned. And such death means a continuance in such thoughts of sin and evil, and in the life which may lead only to condemnation and death for long, long years to come. 
How the Redeemed Soul Is Saved from the Penalties That Sin and Error Have Brought Upon It
 

When you get this Great Love in your heart in sufficient abundance, your sins will be blotted out. This is the law of regeneration; otherwise, the man who continues without this Love, and the man who receives it, would be in the same condition, and the New Birth would mean nothing. So do not think that this Great Love is not sufficient to cleanse the soul of the results of the sins of earth life; and, best of all, it cleanses while you are a mortal. 
Law of Compensation
 

Forgiveness is that operation of the Divine Mind which relieves man of the penalties of his sins that he has committed, and permits him to turn from his evil thoughts and deeds, and seek the Love of the Father; and if he earnestly seeks, find the happiness which is waiting for him to obtain. It does not violate any law that God has established to prevent man from avoiding the penalties of his violations of the law of God controlling his conduct. 
Divine Forgiveness
 

I will now tell you what this divine love means to everyone who has received it. He is in a condition of perfect peace and his happiness is beyond all comparison, and he is not willing that anything or power shall lead him to those things that are not in accord with, the Divine Love and God's laws of harmony. He is not only happy, but is away beyond the lower spirits in intellectual development and knowledge of the spiritual things of the Father.
The Power of Divine Love to Redeem Men It Is Felt Over the Whole Earth
 

The material, love of man - that is the love of the Father that God bestowed upon men at the creation of our first parents - is a love that is pure and in harmony with God's laws and the workings of the universe, and which must be restored to its pristine purity, in order for man to come into harmony with God, as to the laws controlling it; and men must, in order to get in this harmony, become free from all violations of God's laws in their conduct towards Him and towards one another; and many of my teachings were directed to bring about this harmony.
The True Meaning of the Atonement

I know that men expect that sometime in the far distant future, by means of education and conventions and preachments of moral truth, this dream of an ideal brotherhood will be established on earth and all the souls of hatred and war, and the oppression of the weak by the strong will disappear, but I tell you that if men depend upon this mere natural love and all the great feelings and impulses that may arise from it to bring about this condition so much desired, they will find disappointments and lose faith in the goodness of men, and at times a retrogression, not only in that love but in the conduct of men towards one another, and in the treatment of nations by one another. 
How a soul must receive the Divine Love of the Father in order to become an inhabitant of the Celestial Kingdom and the Truth concerning the brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood of God
 

God has decreed that His universe, both of men and things, shall be harmonious, and only the creature, man, has become out of that harmony; and as the universe shall continue, the only destiny for man is, that he shall return to that harmony from which he fell by reason of his own misdirected will.
All who refuse to seek the Way to the Celestial Heavens, will eventually find their way to the kingdom where the perfect natural man exists

God's Laws are fixed and unchangeable and always in harmony with one another and with His Will, and knowing this, every thinking man will know and should know that whenever a proposition or opinion is put forth by preacher, or layman or philosopher or scientist that shows, that in order for a certain condition or truth to exist, God's Laws will have to work in conflict with or in opposition to one another, then that proposition or opinion is false and has no foundation in fact.
All who refuse to seek the Way to the Celestial Heavens, will eventually find their way to the kingdom where the perfect natural man exists

A man may be created, physically, almost perfect. And as long as he lives in that way which does not violate some physical law, operating to keep him in that physical perfection, he will suffer no pain or inharmony in his being. But just as soon as he does violate this law, the penalty therefore asserts itself, and he suffers. Now, this arises not because there existed any pain or suffering in the abstract, and had not man violated this law, he would never have known that there was such a thing as pain or suffering. Rather, when he did violate the law, there came into operation the penalty which, as I have said, is always the result of violating the Laws of Harmony.
Sin Has No Existence Except as It Is Created by Mankind, and Man Must Pay the Penalties

Man was pure and good until he by the exercise of his will, following the suggestions of the animal desires, permitted himself to degenerate from the high and perfect condition of his creation. Sins and desires do not belong to his original nature, for his true nature was pure and in harmony with the laws of God. And although he has lost it by the excessive and wrongful exercise of his will, obeying the desires of his animal nature, yet he can recover his condition of original purity and harmony if he will get rid of these sins and errors, so that his nature may again become free from everything that defiles it, or places it out of harmony with the laws that created it. 
The correct way in which a man should live the life on earth

Let a man who has violated this harmony again get into that harmony, and, as to him, there would be no sin or error. Let every man do this, and there would be no sin or error in all God's universe. So I repeat, there is no sin or error in the abstract in all the universe. They appear only when man himself, in the exercise of his will, interferes with the harmony of God's laws.
Sin Has No Existence Except as It Is Created by Mankind, and Man Must Pay the Penalties
 

Out of untruth, it is impossible for truth to emanate, and from the imperfect, the perfect can never be constructed; and so it is impossible to develop a perfect love and mind out of an imperfect belief. The law that declares the effect of its operations to bring this result is invariable, and only by the observation of its requirements can the imperfect ever become the perfect.
No-one can possibly reach the condition of perfection, unless their mental beliefs become in accord with the truth
 

Duty performed and good works will lessen the distress and sufferings of the mortal life, and cause the man who performs the duty, and does the good works to become more in harmony with God's laws of mercy and truth, but will never suffice to bring a soul into harmony with the will of the Father, as regards the higher destiny of man.
The Truth Concerning the Individuality of the Soul
 

When God created man, He gave him a free will - the most wonderful of the natural gifts to man - and He will not arbitrarily control the direction of that will by the exercise of His Power. Where the human will is concerned, God leaves man supreme. Of course, while this is so, yet if man contravenes the laws of God in such exercise, man must suffer the consequences; for God never changes or sets aside His laws. Man may exercise his free will as he desires, and as his thoughts and appetites may influence him to do, but this freedom of exercise does not prevent the imposition of the penalties that the laws prescribe when the laws are violated. Thus you see, that there is freedom without limitation, but every inharmonious exercise of that freedom, necessarily invites the infliction of that which necessarily follows the violation of harmony.
The Kingdom of the Perfect Natural Man - the Spiritual Heavens

Error does not exist in the world because God created it or permits it to exist, but solely because there belongs to man an unrestricted will, which controls and influences his thoughts and acts, and which in turn is influenced by the desires and appetites of the mortal. It is said that if God did not permit evil and carnal thoughts and desires to exist in the world, there would be no reason or possibility for man to exercise his will in a way that would bring him to all these feelings of hatred, etc. But this is merely saying that if a man had not the power of free will, he would commit no sin and indulge in no error. In his creation, he was given not only the privilege and the power to become a being entirely free from sin, but also the privilege and power to violate these laws. As he will, so shall he be.

Mortals may not fully realize that every law carries with it a penalty for its violation, and this applies to the smallest law in the material universe, as well as to the greatest law in the Spiritual Kingdom. And this penalty is just as sure in its operation as is the law itself.
Sin Has No Existence Except as It Is Created by Mankind, and Man Must Pay the Penalties

Man has a free will and that determines very largely the action of men, and such actions are never arbitrarily controlled by any Divine power. If the prayers of men as to material things can be responded to by the workings of the angels and spirits, they are; but if such response depends upon the will of men, then they are not received by mortals, except as the spirits may be able to influence that will and cause men to act in compliance with that influence, which is always used for the purpose of bringing about the response to the prayers that are, in their nature, proper and worthy to be answered. 
How prayers are answered for material things. The miracle of the loaves and fishes never happened

If men will think for a moment that God is a God of Love, and that all people are His children, and the equal recipients of His love and care, they will realize that His love would not permit Him to sacrifice the happiness or well being, of one class of His children to satisfy the desires of revenge or hatred, or outraged justice, as they conceive it, of another class of His children. In all the beliefs of this kind, men have misconceived God and His nature. With men, like other creatures, His powers are governed by His immutable laws, and those laws are no respecters of persons. Man was given a free will, which he could exercise righteously or sinfully, and God does not forcibly control such exercise. But the same, exercised rightly or wrongly, is subject to law, which imposes penalties or rewards as the law is being violated or obeyed.
What Men Can Do to Eradicate War and Evil from Men's Souls. Jesus Never Came to Bring a "Sword," but to Bring Peace Through His Teachings

The greatest of all the qualities bestowed upon him was that of the will power, which was wholly unrestricted in its operations. Although, when exercised in a manner which brought this will in conflict with the laws controlling this harmony, man had to suffer and pay the penalties of such violations. But notwithstanding that these perversions of the exercise of the will brought the sins and errors which now exist on earth, God did not place any limitations on this exercise.

Man, in his creation, had bestowed upon him appetites and desire pertaining to his physical nature, as well as desires of his higher or spiritual nature, and they were all intended to work in harmony and not in antagonism; and in such workings, man was kept pure and free from sin - which is merely the violation of God's laws of harmony. But after the first disobedience, which is the greatest demonstration of the power of man to exercise that will, even when God had forbade him to do so, and after man lost this great potentiality that I speak of, succeeding disobediences became easier; and as these disobediences occurred, man lost to a great extent the desires for the spiritual things, and the animal or physical part of his nature asserted itself, and then, instead of exercising these appetites which belonged to the physical nature in such a wise way that no inharmony would ensue - and that even after the fall it was possible and even expected that man would exercise these appetites in the way mentioned, he indulged them beyond their proper functions, and increased such indulgence, until he commenced to find, as he thought, more pleasure, in such indulgence, than in the thoughts and exercise of his higher nature, and the aspirations which belonged to it. 
The True Relationship of Man to the Creation of the World, and the Origin of Life
 

Man is his own bookkeeper. And in his memory are recorded all the thoughts and deeds of his earth life that are not in accord with the harmony of God's Will, which is expressed or manifested by His Laws. The judgment is not the thing of a day or a time, but is never ceasing so long as there exists that upon which it can operate and it diminishes, in proportion as the cause of inharmony disappears.

The judgment day is every day, both in the earth life of man and in life as a spirit, where the law of compensation is still working. In the spirit world, time is not known, and every breathing is a part of eternity; and with every breathing, so long as the law requires, comes the judgment, continued and unsatisfied, until man, as a spirit, reaches that condition of harmony whereby the law no longer demands a judgment of him.
After Death, the Judgment: What It Is and What It Is Not
 

There is another law, which enables spirits to become, by the mere operation of their natural affections and loves, pure and free from the consequences and evils of their mortal lives, and again become perfect, like the first parents before the fall.

This does not mean that the law of compensation does not operate to the fullest, and that it does not demand the last farthing, because such is the exactness in the operation of this law, that no spirit is released from its penalties, until he has satisfied the law.
Laws of the Spirit World
 

Man continues to live in the spirit world without his earthly body. This great law, while to you and to many others is well known and is an established fact, yet, to me, was not known, as I had never had any experience in spiritualism, and had never given any study to the subject.  When I arrived in the spirit world, I learned that this law is one of God's truths, and that it is fixed and will never change, for all will survive the change of so-called death. 
Laws of the Spirit World
 

Another law is that not all who know that life in the spirit world is continuous, are certain that continuous life means immortality. The mere fact of living as a spirit does not of itself prove that such spirit is immortal. This is a subject that spirits discuss as much as do mortals, and it is just as much a question of uncertainty, as is the immortality of the soul as taught among mortals, now and for all ages past.

While men know that the death of the body does not mean the death of the spirit, and that such spirit, which is the real man, continues to live with all its qualities of a spiritual nature, yet there has never been any proof presented to man that that spirit will live for all eternity, or in other words, that it is immortal. 
Laws of the Spirit World
 

No man can of his own power make his condition or position in the spirit world just what and where he would have it be. This is another fixed truth, and one, which many spirits even, do not fully comprehend; for they think, or so express themselves, that all they have to do is to exercise a little will power and they can move from certain conditions. But this is not true, for the law controlling this matter never has any exceptions in its operations.

Man or spirit can, in a way, determine what his destiny may be, but when once fixed by this great power of will, which God has conferred on man, he cannot by the exercise of that will change that fixed condition until the laws of compensation have been satisfied; and even, then the change is not brought about by the exercise of his will, but by the operation of the laws releasing him from memories and recollections, which hold him to the conditions that his life has placed him in.
So when men think that they, by the exercise of their own will, can release themselves from a condition which they have made for themselves, they are mistaken.
Laws of the Spirit World
 

Another law of the spirit world is that when a spirit once commences to progress, that progress increases in geometrical progression. Just as soon as the light breaks into a man's soul or mind, and he commences to see that there is a way for him to reach higher things and make greater expansion of either his mind or soul, he will find that his desire to progress will increase as that progression continues, and with that desire will come help in such abundance that it will be limited only by the desire of the spirit. His will, then, becomes a great force in his success in progressing and working in conjunction with the help that calls it into operation. It becomes a wonderful thing of power and irresistible force. 
Laws of the Spirit World
 

Change is the law eternal, both on earth and in the spirit world, and nothing exists the same for any length of time; and in the succession of these changes, how can it be said that in the future, far or near, changes may not come by which the existence of the spirit - the ego of man - may be ended, and that ego take some other form or enter into some other condition, so that it will not be the same ego, and not the same spirit which is now living as a demonstration of the continuity of life? 
Laws of the Spirit World
 

There are certain laws by which we who are acquainted with and use them and may cause a dematerialization of physical substances, and also may to a limited degree cause a materialization of spiritual substances.
How prayers are answered for material things. The miracle of the loaves and fishes never happened

The flesh and blood which encloses the spirit form of man is continually changing in obedience to the ordinary laws of nature as understood by man. And when Jesus, who understood and had power to call into operation other laws of nature, caused such other laws to operate, that the dissemination of the elements of flesh and blood took place, and he was left only with the spirit form.
Luke explains the dematerialization of Jesus' earthly body
 

No matter how much knowledge of material things, and of purely physical laws, a man may have acquired on earth, his knowledge is not sufficient to fit him for the higher things of the spirit life.

Many men think that because they have this great knowledge of the material universe, they need not attempt to learn the laws which control the operations of spirit life, or the laws which determine the position and development of that part of man commonly known as the soul.
Laws of the Spirit World, Continued
 

Another law of the spirit world is that, every human being of one sex has, on earth or in the spirit world, one of the opposite sex, who is his soulmate. The importance of this provision, of the Father, for the happiness of humans and spirits, has never been fully understood by those who have not with certainty met and recognized their soulmates.

The mere fact that a certain man and a certain woman are husband and wife on earth does not mean that they will live together as husband and wife through all eternity. If they are soulmates, they may, but if they are not, they will certainly separate after they enter the spirit world. That true relationship cannot be hidden here, and no mere form of relationship of husband and wife will suffice to keep the persons together. 
Laws of the Spirit World, Continued
 

The soul was created by the Father long before its appearance in the flesh. It awaited such incarnation for the purpose only of giving it an individuality, which it did not have in its preexistence, and in which it has a duplex personality, male and female, that needs to be separated and made individual. We who have had this preexistence and incarnation in the flesh, and have obtained this individuality, know the truth of what I have here stated.
Jesus Explains the Incarnation of the Soul

The soul once individualized always remains the individual, even though the elements that enter into and make up the form, will always find itself being rebuilt and continued by the operations of the law that preserves, the individuality of that soul.

The object of incarnation of the soul is to give it an individualization - and this in two appearances: first, in that of the physical form which men by their perception of their natural organs of sense can perceive and, secondly, a form that is more sublimated and generally invisible to these organs - a spiritual form.

There is a Law of God controlling these things, that renders these preexisting souls capable of knowing the desirability of incarnation. And they are always anxious and ready for the opportunity to be born in the flesh, and to assume the separate individuality that they are privileged to assume.
The Truth Concerning the Individuality of the Soul
 

As is said in the laws of physical philosophy, two things cannot occupy the same place at the same time, so we may say as regards spiritual philosophy, two things cannot occupy the same soul or mind at the same time, especially when they be antagonistic, or opposed to each other in their qualities or fundamentals. Until the one vacates its occupancy, the other cannot come in, and this is invariably true of the creatures of God and the creatures of man, for they are always and under all circumstances opposed to each other. 
Who and What is God? part 2.
 

When the silver cord is once severed, no power, that is known to the spirit world, or among spirits of the highest sphere, can again resuscitate that body and cause the manifestation of life and, hence, in the miracles mentioned in the Bible, where it is said that the dead were brought to life, it must be understood that this tie between the spirit and the body was never broken.

When this tie has been once severed, there are certain chemical laws affecting the physical body and certain spiritual laws affecting the spirit, which absolutely render it impossible for the spirit to again enter the body; and as you have been informed, we all, mortals and spirits and angels as well, are governed by laws which have no exceptions, and never vary in their workings.

When once the spirit and body separate, it is for all eternity, and the spirit then becomes of itself, a thing apart, controlled entirely and exclusively by laws governing the spirit body.
What does the spirit of man do when it leaves the physical body for eternity?

All things in the spirit world, as well as on earth, are controlled by immutable laws, and all spirits as well as mortals are subject to those laws. The law of rapport and communication must be complied with by spirits no matter how much elevated, and also by humans. And no spirit, by reason of the possession of any supposed power, can set aside this law. But while spirits have not this power, yet, they may have such knowledge of conditions, that they can discern what qualities in the condition of the human are susceptible to the influence and molding by the spirits so, that as a result thereof, the law may be brought into operation. 
The truth concerning prayer and why Jesus chose James Padgett

A brain cannot be used by the mind of a human to make known a problem in geometry, when the brain has never been used by that mind to acquire an acquaintance with, or knowledge of, the principles of geometry. This is an incomplete analogy, but it may serve to illustrate what I mean. And this fact - and law also - will explain to you why the same spirit may communicate through several mediums, and yet the communications are of a dissimilar character
The Laws of Rapport and Communication Between Spirits and Mortals

The Truth of the Bible as to the things that are contained in the Old Testament
 

The longing may be as rapid as unformed thought, and as effective for the Father to catch, as I may say. The longing is quicker than the thought, and the answer to the same will come with as much certainty and love as if you were to put the longing into the most exact form.

Prayers of this kind ascend to the Father and are heard and answered, and by a law of your relationship to the Father, affect the qualities of the brain in the way of preparing it for the union with the spiritual thoughts of the spirits who desire to write, as I have stated. Your thoughts of spiritual things or of the truths of the spirit world, as they have already been revealed to you - especially those which pertain to the love and mercy of the Father and to His will - in their passing and operating also affect the qualities of the brain so as to produce the condition which is so necessary for our rapport."
The Truth Concerning Prayer and why Jesus chose James E. Padgett

So attractive is this accumulation of money, and the gaining of fame or position to man that, when once engaged in, and especially when accompanied by what he calls success, he naturally devotes his whole waking time and thoughts to these efforts. And as a consequence, very little of this short time on earth is given to thoughts of, and strivings for, things of the higher kind. If mortals, and especially those who are so arduously and constantly engaged in the effort to win the success that I have just mentioned, could only see and know the condition of those with like aspirations, who were engaged in similar pursuits when on earth and who are now in the spirit world, they would realize the utter futility of such efforts, and the great soul-killing harm that the so-called "success" on earth has brought to these spirits.

And while we may assume that many of these spirits did not do affirmative wrong or injury in their work, and did not enter into the condition to which I refer because of any such wrong or injury, yet they are in a stagnated and shriveled condition of soul and spiritual qualities, and all because they neglected the development of their souls, or the cultivation of their spiritual qualities, while earnestly pursuing these material things.

Their sin was that of omission. It is a sure one in its results, and the more common one among men who think too much of material things, or think not at all, or are indifferent to everything, and who are satisfied to live in an atmosphere or state of vegetating contentment. The law operates the same upon the man who neglects his spiritual nature because of his absorption in material things, as upon the man who is guilty of such neglect because of indifference, or contentment with the pleasures that these material things give him. In both cases, the results are the same: The soul remains stagnant and the spiritual qualities lie dormant. And the man of such neglect will find his place in the spirit world to be one of darkness and suffering.
The Necessity for Men Turning Their Thoughts to Spiritual Things

Law of Transparency

No, love knows no sadness, and as the soul speaks its condition by the appearance of the spirit body's countenance, the soul being so full of gladness and joy, the countenance can express only those emotions of the soul. This is the result of the law which declares nothing can be hidden, and every spirit must show forth the truth of its condition. There are no walled cities or streets of gold or pearly gates or other of the material things which the book ascribes to me sets forth, so that man can get some conception of what heaven is. These things in heaven would not be gold or pearls or diamonds or jasper, for when they are compared to the real beauties of the things which it contains, they are as the faint light of the candle compared to the light of your noon day sun.
Description of the Third Sphere

The Law of a Truth recognized and acted upon

"I was with you today as you listened to the preacher expound the reasons why he is a believer in the faith of the church to which he belongs and, in which he is a leader and teacher. He is undoubtedly honest and earnest in his beliefs and, so far as they go, will afford him the happiness that he spoke of provided he puts such beliefs into actual, practical living and makes them the dominating, dynamic influence that shall guide and control him in his intercourse with humanity.

He said truly that there is a Law that operates in wonderful power in shaping men's lives and which - when obeyed - will determine the career, not only of men, but of nations. And that Law is that when once a truth is ascertained, or comes to the knowledge of men, it must be recognized and acted upon, or it will lose its beneficent effect upon the lives of men.

If he applies this Law to his own life, he will experience a wonderful help in meeting the difficulties and cares of life, and in overcoming the things that beset him as a thinking man.

This is a wonderful truth, and so far as it pervades the life of a man, will result in making that life one of consistent goodness and cause harmony between that man and God who overrules the secret things of the universe, and that man will enjoy a great happiness, even while in the flesh."
The Truth Concerning the Individuality of the Soul

 The Law of Truth

Jesus had been with Mr. Padgett at a church and was writing about the preacher's wrong beliefs.

"He is possessed of these beliefs, of course, because of his study and interpretation of some of the declarations of the Bible. Therefore he is not teaching what he does not believe, or what is false to his own conscience. Nevertheless, it is false, and he will have to suffer the consequences of such false belief and teachings.

While his ignorance will not invoke the penalties of the law that applies to the willful deceiver or teacher of false doctrines, yet neither will it excuse him or relieve him from the penalties of that law, which demands the truth and only the truth to be believed and taught. He will have to get rid of these false beliefs, even though he may have some of the Divine Love in his soul; for whenever there exists untruth in belief in the heart and soul of man to that extent, it interferes with the inflowing of the Love and the progress of that soul towards perfect unity with the Father."

God Loves All of His Children. His Love and Care Are Over All, Even Though Some Are Strangers to His Love and Mercy