Joel S Goldsmith

Joel S. Goldsmith, born in 1892, became a prominent American spiritual teacher, author, and healer. His early life included experiences with spiritual healing, notably his father's recovery and his own subsequent healing by Christian Science practitioners. These events, coupled with strangers seeking his prayer and healing in 1928, led him to explore spiritual studies extensively.

Goldsmith dedicated years to studying original scriptures and eventually developed his own spiritual teachings, known as The Message of The Infinite Way. He authored numerous books, including his seminal work "The Infinite Way" published in 1948, and delivered over 1,300 hours of recorded class instruction. His approach emphasized contemplative meditation and spiritual healing through conscious contact with God, forming a worldwide spiritual practice and community that eschews formal organization, dogma, and ritual.

Born in New York City in 1892, Joel S. Goldsmith's parents were non-practicing Jews. His early adulthood was marked by significant spiritual experiences. After his father was reportedly healed by a Christian Science practitioner in London, Goldsmith himself experienced healing through a practitioner while suffering from pneumonia on a ship returning from Europe. These incidents, alongside strangers seeking his spiritual assistance and experiencing healing from 1928 onwards, prompted Goldsmith to delve deeply into spiritual studies. He spent years reading original scriptures in Aramaic, Greek, and Sanskrit, and later worked within the Christian Science Church for 16 years before establishing his own healing practice in California prior to World War II.

Goldsmith's spiritual message, which became known as The Infinite Way, originated from his profound personal spiritual experiences and extensive scriptural study. His first book, "The Infinite Way," published in 1948, laid the foundation for his work. Following this, many of his transcribed lectures, recorded on early wire recorders, were published, including "The Master Speaks" and "God the Substance of All Form." His teachings emphasize a personal spiritual journey, focusing on contemplative meditation and direct conscious contact with God for spiritual healing. Goldsmith deliberately avoided establishing any formal organization, dogma, or ritual, ensuring that the practice remained an individual path of unfolding understanding.

The Infinite Way emphasizes a practice centered on "contemplative meditation," involving frequent, short periods of meditation throughout the day. Goldsmith taught that this practice helps individuals access an inner silence to hear intuitive guidance, often referred to as the "still small voice." The core of his teaching is spiritual healing achieved through conscious connection with the Divine. Despite the expectation of retiring after completing his initial writings, the demand for his guidance led to an extended career as a teacher and author. His extensive body of work, comprising dozens of books and over 1,300 hours of recorded classes, formed the basis of a global spiritual path and community.

“Find the man Jesus, and you will have the secret of life.”

“When I was nineteen, whether it was the Voice or an impression, Something within me said, 'Find the man Jesus, and you will have the secret of life.'”

“Thus the search began: Where is God? What is God? How do we bring God into our experience?”

“In one moment I was like every other human being, in the next moment my body was well, and many undesirable human habits were gone. I found that a healing power was present and that I was on the threshold of a whole new life. The old life was dead; a new one had begun.”

“He talked to me about the Bible; he talked to me of truth. Long before the two hours were up, I was healed of that cold, and when I went out on the street I found I couldn’t smoke any more. When eating my dinner I found I couldn’t drink any more. The following week I found I couldn’t play cards any more, and I also found that I couldn’t go to the horse races any more. And the businessman had died.”