In her Association Address of 1923, Martha Wilcox shares her insights about the synonyms for God. In her introduction, she states, “As I understand it, each one of these synonyms is intended to unfold a fundamental Truth, or fact about God, and thereby uncover and destroy a basic error of mortal belief.” Here are some highlights from her section on Soul:
“Mrs. Eddy clearly shows us in her writings that without a correct understanding of the word Soul, it would be impossible to overcome sin, disease, and death. . . . A false sense of Soul is most prevalent throughout the world. . . . This false sense claims:
First: Nearly everybody believes that the bodies of mortals are mortal.
Second: Nearly everybody believes that Soul is a reality in mortal body.
Third: Nearly everybody believes that these bodies contain immortal souls, which continue forever, and that these bodies must die in order that these souls may escape. It is the theory that death must occur to set free the human soul from its environment. . . . This false sense of Soul in the body is the basis of all false religions, Roman Catholicism, false theology, spiritualism, etc. . . . All experiences of separation, loss, and poverty, are the result of the greatest of superstitions – this false sense of Soul confined in a mortal body. . . .
The first fundamental fact that there is one Soul offsets the basic error that there are many souls.
The second fundamental fact that Soul is unconfined offsets the basic error that there is a soul in each mortal body.
The third fundamental fact that Soul is reflected by man offsets the basic error that ‘the greater is in the lesser’” (Martha Wilcox, “The Synonyms,” – Association Address of 1923 – available from The Bookmark).