That’s actually what I like best about digging through the old lessons. With few exceptions the doctrines are the same — but in earlier years we emphasized different parts of the doctrines, or used different scriptural stories to illustrate a moral, or, as in this case, used a different idiom to express the same thought. “Good deeds” and “clean living” just ring with the tone of the early 20th century, in contrast to “good works” and “obeying the commandments [WoW, LoC]” which would be more usual to say today.

Ardis, thanks for posting these comments. They help me with my youth Gospel Doctrine class.

Even if the idea of eternal progression being in large part the outcome of obedience to commandment, I agree that the formulation is peculiar to the culture!

One odd thing that I intend to pursue is the identity of “Aunt Mary” — I actually think she was a real person, and I think I know who she was, but I need to doublecheck her date of death and whether a couple of the incidents attributed to her are part of her known biography.

Don’t know that there is any possibility of identifying “Cappy,” though, or his conveying all that data through his sleepy gaze.

As for the doctrine, I wasn’t really excited about this statement: “Eternal Progression is given to the ones who excel in good deeds and clean living.” I think this statement must be more a reflection of the culture of the time than based on scripture? It sounds so foreign.