The Creation.


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Good point, Tom. He was speaking to the element that existed before the creation... otherwise there would have been nothing to speak to, as Joseph Smith said. Maybe it was intelligence and light. It's interesting that He created light first in Genesis, and we know it was not from nothing. We even know that light is a dual nature thing made up of element and rays.

I don't believe it has a choice whether or not to obey, possibly in the same sense that we will not have a choice to obey when in the Celestial Kingdom. Or, it could be that element exists as a lesser intelligence and must obey when God speaks.

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Guest tomk

Good point, Tom. He was speaking to the element that existed before the creation... otherwise there would have been nothing to speak to, as Joseph Smith said. Maybe it was intelligence and light. It's interesting that He created light first in Genesis, and we know it was not from nothing. We even know that light is a dual nature thing made up of element and rays.

I don't believe it has a choice whether or not to obey, possibly in the same sense that we will not have a choice to obey when in the Celestial Kingdom. Or, it could be that element exists as a lesser intelligence and must obey when God speaks.

I don't want to split hairs too much on this. There are weightier matters.

But look at the phrasing of these verses:

THE BOOK OF ABRAHAM

TRANSLATED FROM THE PAPYRUS, BY JOSEPH SMITH

CHAPTER 4

The Gods plan the creation of the earth and all life thereon—Their plans for the six days of creation are set forth.

12 And the Gods organized the earth to bring forth grass from its own seed, and the herb to bring forth herb from its own seed, yielding seed after his kind; and the earth to bring forth the tree from its own seed, yielding fruit, whose seed could only bring forth the same in itself, after his kind; and the Gods saw that they were obeyed.

...

...

18 And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed.

21 And the Gods prepared the waters that they might bring forth great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters were to bring forth abundantly after their kind; and every winged fowl after their kind. And the Gods saw that they would be obeyed, and that their plan was good.

Didn't they already "know" their plan was good? It almost seems like the intelliences are "mulling it over" and deciding if they want to go along with it.

25 And the Gods organized the earth to bring forth the beasts after their kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after its kind; and the Gods saw they would obey.

27 So the Gods went down to organize man in their own image, in the image of the Gods to form they him, male and female to form they them.

28 And the Gods said: We will bless them. And the Gods said: We will cause them to be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and to have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29 And the Gods said: Behold, we will give them every herb bearing seed that shall come upon the face of all the earth, and every tree which shall have fruit upon it; yea, the fruit of the tree yielding seed to them we will give it; it shall be for their meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, behold, we will give them life, and also we will give to them every green herb for meat, and all these things shall be thus organized.

31 And the Gods said: We will do everything that we have said, and organize them; and behold, they shall be very obedient. And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning they called night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that they called day; and they numbered the sixth time.

Now please don't "overthink" this -- just FEEL what is taking place here. :)

What is being suggested here?

Does this not suggest that whatever was being ordered had choice?

NOW -- look at the truths revealed here:

27 And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments.

28 He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.

29 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.

30 All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence.

31 Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light.

32 And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation.

I pray that the Holy Ghost will show you the plainness of what is being said here:

30 All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence.

That which obeyed the "gods" during creation HAD CHOICE. The creation, or organization of this earth, took place VOLUNTARILY.

Why did the elements obey the Gods if they did not "HAVE TO OBEY"????

The answer is revealed here:

D&C 29: 36

36 And it came to pass that Adam, being tempted of the devil—for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency;

Give me thine honor, which is my power;

Satan said, "Father, give me YOUR [[WHAT]] " ?????

Honor.

God's HONOR (among those intelligences) is what gives Him power.

As Cleon Skousen said -- what gives a Bishop his power?

His "honor" among those He presides over!!! Home teachers doing their home teaching. Teachers teaching their Sunday school classes. People loving and serving each other.

LOL -- And what do people say? "MY, WHAT A GREAT BISHOP"

Why?

Because He is honored by those over whom he presides.

God is no different.

We obey because of honor and love -- we are not compelled to obey. We cannot be compelled:

D&C 121: 46

46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means [THINK CREATION ACCOUNT - THEY WAITED TO SEE IF THEY WOULD BE OBEYED] it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.

From Alma 32:

43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

Do you guys see it???? :)

It is all voluntary. It has to be this way. :)

Tom

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The Creation story has always been interesting to me. It is the first example, in my opinion, of God's compliance with Laws. He likely did have the power to just say "Let there be Earth!" and poof, the Earth with all it's continents and oceans and plants and animal could have been created, but that's not how it happened. It happened in layers, and seemed to follow rather closely with laws of nature for sutaining life: first you need land for life to be on, then you need light, then water. After you have those three things you can sustain plant life. After you have plant life you can sustain animals. Then once you have plants and animals, you can sustain man, in mortal form. Line upon line.

ETA: It also seems to follow Science's current understanding of the order in which things "evolved" on our planet. Cosmic dust combined to create the Earth and the Sun, then very slowly water was formed, then single-cell "plant" life could form, creating oxygen, then more evolved forms of life could develop, etc. etc.

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Guest tomk

The Creation story has always been interesting to me. It is the first example, in my opinion, of God's compliance with Laws. He likely did have the power to just say "Let there be Earth!" and poof, the Earth with all it's continents and oceans and plants and animal could have been created, but that's not how it happened. It happened in layers, and seemed to follow rather closely with laws of nature for sutaining life: first you need land for life to be on, then you need light, then water. After you have those three things you can sustain plant life. After you have plant life you can sustain animals. Then once you have plants and animals, you can sustain man, in mortal form. Line upon line.

Yes!!!!! Correct!!!!!

(Sorry, I am not tring to patronize you -- just excited that you brought this up)

God works with us VOLUNTARILY and FOUNDATIONALLY!!!

That is why we don't see bright neon letters 1000 feet tall in the sky saying "I AM GOD. JOIN THE LDS FAITH, PLEASE"

He cannot coerce US or force US to obey. But that does remind me of somebody else's "bright idea" -- LOL

WE are the same way in our development! Just like the "creation of the earth" the "creation" or "organization" of a NEW CREATURE happens line upon line, bit by bit, here a little and there a little....it cannot be rushed....not even by our own impatience. We must wait until God knows we are ready for the "NEXT STEP" and then it happens.

Tom

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36 And it came to pass that Adam, being tempted of the devil—for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency;

Remember this is Satan speaking, who was the same from the beginning. Meaning he was an egotistical, arrogant berk which gave him his power. To him, honor was power. To God honor is not power.

Anyways what I am getting at is your explanation for honor. Honor is just respect. What gives the Bishop the power is not honor in the sense that we love and care about him. There are people that serve, not because they care one lick about the Bishop, but because they want to serve God. So even though the Bishop says something he is obeyed not because of who he is, but because of God.

For man, honor or respect is gained through obedience. If we rebel against God, then we do not gain honor. That is what Satan did.

Power is individual based according to the degree of light and truth of which we hold.

Power is the ability to act in one regard.

Power is given to those who can control it.

Power is progressed line upon line, precept upon precept, so we are not destroyed by it.

Power is Priesthood.

Power is eternal in nature.

I am sorry for my disagreement, I don't think this nullifies your argument though. I agree with the overall point of your conclusion. Just not that part of the explanation.

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I might also add, I agree that all things had a choice. Think of the principle of lucifer and his followers. Those were intelligences with choice. What did they do? They disobeyed God's Law. They were then cast out.

I also think though, for younger intelligences, there may not be a conscientious choice because they are like infants. Like a 1 year old who doesn't know anything beyond eating and sleeping:). They have not reached "accountability." (However, this is just my opinion) This is what I was trying to say earlier.

But I say once you get beyond that point they had choices and if they obeyed, they continued in progression.

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I'm going to post the next 3 verses because I have no comment on how this happened. To my knowledge, we are not given specifics, just clues.

Genesis 1:

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

What we can learn from these verses is that God spoke, it happened, then He named His creation. This is consistent with the rest of the text. This is evidence He did not create anything in verses 1 and 2. This is very critical when you try to understand where the water came from.

I'll post the next bit tomorrow after work.

What was this light? Then we have an orbital plane to determine time.

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In light of what I just wrote. I would say that he was speaking to the intelligences and light. And since He has all might and all power and all dominion, He has the capacity to make intelligences(infants in light and truth) advance until they can adequately make choices for themselves.

Just my thoughts on the matter. Or my speculation on the matter.

Remember GOD cannot make or fashioned intelligence, HE does not posse that power at this time. The universal power is given to HIM by these Intelligences which they honor HIM.

What previous state that Intelligence passes through to reach this state for HIM to use will come to those who will inherit the Celestial Glory.

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Most of what is left in Genesis is the physical creation. Remember in the spiritual creation man was created first, and in the physical creation man was created last.

I for one do know that Moses saw the beginning as Abraham witnessed. However, like Nephi, he is not allowed to write it since it was not his to do so. Abraham had that responsibility and promise.

What these Seers seen is not always written in full since they must obey that Spirit which reveals that truth.

Abraham had other writings on how earths are created. He was taken there and witnessed the events. I am sure that Moses saw this also.

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Guest tomk

36 And it came to pass that Adam, being tempted of the devil—for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency;

Remember this is Satan speaking, who was the same from the beginning. Meaning he was an egotistical, arrogant berk which gave him his power. To him, honor was power. To God honor is not power.

Anyways what I am getting at is your explanation for honor. Honor is just respect. What gives the Bishop the power is not honor in the sense that we love and care about him. There are people that serve, not because they care one lick about the Bishop, but because they want to serve God. So even though the Bishop says something he is obeyed not because of who he is, but because of God.

For man, honor or respect is gained through obedience. If we rebel against God, then we do not gain honor. That is what Satan did.

Power is individual based according to the degree of light and truth of which we hold.

Power is the ability to act in one regard.

Power is given to those who can control it.

Power is progressed line upon line, precept upon precept, so we are not destroyed by it.

Power is Priesthood.

Power is eternal in nature.

I am sorry for my disagreement, I don't think this nullifies your argument though. I agree with the overall point of your conclusion. Just not that part of the explanation.

Are you positive you are reading this right?

SATAN says GIVE ME YOUR HONOR

GOD explains that His honor is is power.

You don't see that?

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Remember GOD cannot make or fashioned intelligence, HE does not posse that power at this time. The universal power is given to HIM by these Intelligences which they honor HIM.

What previous state that Intelligence passes through to reach this state for HIM to use will come to those who will inherit the Celestial Glory.

You're right, he doesn't make intelligences. However he forms, organizes, or establishes them into an advanced form. That is what happens when our body was created. At some point the intelligences became spirits. How? Through His Laws, through His instrumentality. It essentially comes from the King Follett.

Intelligence exists on a self-existent principle, ... God, finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby they might advance and progress to become like Him. -King Follett Discourse

Part of this progression comes by organization of spirit. The spirit is organized and made more fine and more pure. I already touched upon it. It moves from intelligence to a spirit to a body. Don't the substances get harder or more firm than the prior state? Are they not more organized in each case?

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The Creation story has always been interesting to me. It is the first example, in my opinion, of God's compliance with Laws. He likely did have the power to just say "Let there be Earth!" and poof, the Earth with all it's continents and oceans and plants and animal could have been created, but that's not how it happened. It happened in layers, and seemed to follow rather closely with laws of nature for sutaining life: first you need land for life to be on, then you need light, then water. After you have those three things you can sustain plant life. After you have plant life you can sustain animals. Then once you have plants and animals, you can sustain man, in mortal form. Line upon line.

ETA: It also seems to follow Science's current understanding of the order in which things "evolved" on our planet. Cosmic dust combined to create the Earth and the Sun, then very slowly water was formed, then single-cell "plant" life could form, creating oxygen, then more evolved forms of life could develop, etc. etc.

.

For this earth, it nothing more than a reused world that failed previously and alot older than the current Sun. We have no clue at this point on the exact age of this planet [made of many worlds] or the Sun. There are places in this universe where there is no organized systems but mere chaos, without form or order. Inert matter waiting to be used.

I do agree, lower life is formed and fashioned to support the higher life forms. That is marvelous to think about itself. Same as to build the house, with a marking out the land spot, build the foundation, put up the walls, work on the interior and exterior, and beautify the home and fill it with people.

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You're right, he doesn't make intelligences. However he forms, organizes, or establishes them into an advanced form. That is what happens when our body was created. At some point the intelligences became spirits. How? Through His Laws, through His instrumentality. It essentially comes from the King Follett.

Intelligence exists on a self-existent principle, ... God, finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby they might advance and progress to become like Him. -King Follett Discourse

Part of this progression comes by organization of spirit. The spirit is organized and made more fine and more pure. I already touched upon it. It moves from intelligence to a spirit to a body. Don't the substances get harder or more firm than the prior state? Are they not more organized in each case?

I highly doubt HE found them. They are attracted to the GOD.

Do you believe that GOD HIMSELF was one of those Intelligences prior to HIS position? How do these intelligence reached this level?

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Remember GOD cannot make or fashioned intelligence, HE does not posse that power at this time. The universal power is given to HIM by these Intelligences which they honor HIM.

What previous state that Intelligence passes through to reach this state for HIM to use will come to those who will inherit the Celestial Glory.

Cleon Skowsen's teachings shouldn't be the basis of your beliefs, especially when it refutes the teaching that god is omnipotent. If its not in the standard works, but refutes other doctrines contained therein, there is a problem. God is all power. God is the law-giver. God is not held accountable to intelligence.

I assume you also subscribe to his other definitions of intelligences. Read "doctrinal exposition of the father and son" concerning "intelligences." It defines them specifically as "spirit children," not pre-sprit essences with agency and choice.

There is much we do not know about intelligence and intelligences, but to overassert in theories is not wise, especially when it refutes clear and absolute declarations concerning the status of God.

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.

For this earth, it nothing more than a reused world that failed previously and alot older than the current Sun. We have no clue at this point on the exact age of this planet [made of many worlds] or the Sun. There are places in this universe where there is no organized systems but mere chaos, without form or order. Inert matter waiting to be used.

I do agree, lower life is formed and fashioned to support the higher life forms. That is marvelous to think about itself. Same as to build the house, with a marking out the land spot, build the foundation, put up the walls, work on the interior and exterior, and beautify the home and fill it with people.

So hemidakota, do you not believe that this earth is living? That it was born, baptized, will die, and be resurrected and celestialized (read D&C88)? Assuming that you do, then chunks of our earth sure isn't going to be spewed out across the universe and recycled into other worlds. It is going to be resurrected and serve as an eternal dwelling place for the righteous.

Given that, I don't really see how you can doctrinally make a case that our earth is made up of big chunks of former planets, since everything we know pertains only to our planet, and our planet will be resurrected, just like all forms of life. as I understand it, Christ saves all his creations. If christ does save all his creations, then all the worlds created by Him are saved from death as well. I guess I'm just curious what scriptural case is for believing these things. (as all our teachings and opinions should measure up against the standard--being the standard works).

I agree with you that there is matter waiting to be used, but I'm just wondering about the whole recycled planets thing.

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Are you positive you are reading this right?

SATAN says GIVE ME YOUR HONOR

GOD explains that His honor is is power.

You don't see that?

I think the way I read it is a continuation of Satan's first words.

At least according to the punctuation that is how I read it. Which would make sense to me, and my understanding.

Satan says Give me your honor which is my power, or how I work and operate my dominion over others.

Those that give respect and honor to Satan are his followers. That explains his followers and their rebellion. Because they honored and loved him they were FORCED, according to God's Law which is no man can serve two masters, to follow him because they honored ungodliness, chaos and rebellion. They did not honor the one true living God.

So it was be subject to a being that wants more power than everyone. Or be subject to a being that makes you equal with Him. The first is tyranny. The second is democracy. Yet the only way to get that democracy is to be in perfect alignment with God, so it is really one ruling anyways. He rules with love. The great commandment.

I understand God to have ALL power now, there is no more progression in that regard. It is not predicated on the honor or respect to his name. It is not predicated on anything other than the nature and kind of being God is.

One more point. You have kids. When they were tiny children I am sure there were times when you forced them do things because you knew something would be dangerous for them. Think of him getting a hold of a bottle of poison. You saw it and then you ran and took the bottle away. You would not give him the choice. For a few reasons. One of which he didn't know any better. So it would be with infant intelligences. Or ones that hadn't progressed that much. So God did things to advance them to a point where they could appropriately make decisions in accountability.

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Cleon Skowsen's teachings shouldn't be the basis of your beliefs, especially when it refutes the teaching that god is omnipotent. If its not in the standard works, but refutes other doctrines contained therein, there is a problem. God is all power. God is the law-giver. God is not held accountable to intelligence.

I assume you also subscribe to his other definitions of intelligences. Read "doctrinal exposition of the father and son" concerning "intelligences." It defines them specifically as "spirit children," not pre-sprit essences with agency and choice.

There is much we do not know about intelligence and intelligences, but to overassert in theories is not wise, especially when it refutes clear and absolute declarations concerning the status of God.

My beliefs did not come from him friend. It just added the 'concrete mix' to that which I already knew. Try asking prior to posting. :)

Read Ether 4:7 next time prior in giving a generalization statement that does not fit all. It is not we, it is you. For me, it is different. As it is for others. I do know the corporeal of the Godhead and there is no doctrine in question here but your assumption of such.

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So hemidakota, do you not believe that this earth is living? That it was born, baptized, will die, and be resurrected and celestialized (read D&C88)? Assuming that you do, then chunks of our earth sure isn't going to be spewed out across the universe and recycled into other worlds. It is going to be resurrected and serve as an eternal dwelling place for the righteous.

Given that, I don't really see how you can doctrinally make a case that our earth is made up of big chunks of former planets, since everything we know pertains only to our planet, and our planet will be resurrected, just like all forms of life. as I understand it, Christ saves all his creations. If christ does save all his creations, then all the worlds created by Him are saved from death as well. I guess I'm just curious what scriptural case is for believing these things. (as all our teachings and opinions should measure up against the standard--being the standard works).

I agree with you that there is matter waiting to be used, but I'm just wondering about the whole recycled planets thing.

What will happen to the Sun? Isn't the Sun a celestial world? Looking from a Astro Science, what does this field of study say about stars when they exhausted there fuel? Only thing that is eternal is GOD's progeny?

I don't recall Him saving the previous animal and plant life prior to this earth creation. Do you? I still see fossil in the earth. There are stuff [tools] found in the Americas dated prior to the Dino's when they were digging deeper with coal extraction.

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I highly doubt HE found them. They are attracted to the GOD.

Do you believe that GOD HIMSELF was one of those Intelligences prior to HIS position? How do these intelligence reached this level?

I think the Prophet Joseph Smith was referencing the fact that he was merely there among intelligences, spirits, and glory, and so on.

As to God's character and progression. We know there is no progression about Him, except for His exalted state, and the works of Exaltation. In other words, the expansion of the Eternal Family.

God is more intelligent because He has ALL knowledge. I do not know anything than his current position so I respect the power and authority of that position and do not demean his godliness by supposing that he was not God. How do intelligences reach that level? Learning and progression. Can't learn new truths unless we use the ones we have and prove our faithfulness to them.

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Yes! That is what I do believe. GOD is HIS sphere cannot progress. So now what does await HIM?

I understand and it doesn't demean HIS greatness when I was referring HIS previous state. More of a curiosity for HIM. I have a great love for our Heavenly Parents and wait for that day I can embraced them both.

Thanks...

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Wow. I had to read a LOT and concentrate a LOT to read this thread. It took me quite a while to catch up.

What I mean by "having to obey" is that in the Celestial Kingdom one has to obey those laws or they will cease living there. Just as if God did not follow those laws He would cease to be God.

Alma 42:

13 Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state, yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.

22 But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.

25 What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God.

So, God must obey the law also. I believe it is what we are striving to do, reach a point where it is no longer a choice for us to do right, it becomes our nature and disposition.

It is in this regard that I say the elements must obey, like those who are in the Celestial Kingdom, or else they will cease to have whatever glory they have that keeps them in the sphere they reside.

I appreciate all the comments. We only made it to verse 5. The meat of what I wanted to point out is in the next few verses. My wife told me that no one would listen. She didn't listen for many years. She read the account of the creation hundreds of times in her life and thought the same thing about it that most did. Then one day, about a year ago, as we were reading the creation as part of a Family Home Evening, she started crying. Later she told me that she finally saw what I had been trying to show her for the past 16 years of marriage.

Brothers and Sisters, this is how the Lord works. We can read scripture and reason through it until we can satisfy our understanding with the words we read. But, I promise you that there is a greater meaning to many stories in scripture and we are not allowed to see it until we are ready. I don't know how we get ready. I wish I knew.

Maybe this was my mistake for trying to share something I learned by the spirit. But, I now sense that I am not supposed to share this here at this time. I wanted to, badly, in hopes it would help someone. I thought I was being told to, but now I see it was just my pride in wanting to share something I learned. There's a surprise, I made another mistake. :/

There are great hidden treasures of knowledge in the first 10 verses of Genesis, that much I can promise you. When the spirit revealed it to me it was as if a movie played in my mind and I saw it happening. The words leapt off the page and I understood them for the first time. I had read the creation account hundreds of times in my life, but until that moment the spirit showed me I totally missed what was trying to be taught.

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I do not see any offense in it, personally.

I agree to the quote, and have felt that is a puzzling matter. Because I want people to know what I know.

I want others to have the blessings that I have. I also feel like it is my duty, inherent of the Priesthood, to teach what I know. (Jacob 1:19) Otherwise I am condemned for not magnifying my calling. I then forfeit my Exaltation. That is when it gets really hard for me to distinguish when to stop teaching. I want to be sure I m fulfilling my duty and serving God appropriately.

17 Wherefore I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as I taught them in the temple, having first obtained mine errand from the Lord.

18 For I, Jacob, and my brother Joseph had been consecrated priests and teachers of this people, by the hand of Nephi.

19 And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day.

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Moses is responsible for the account of the creation in Genesis. We can only assume that it once was very much like, if not exactly like, the one we have in the book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price. This is a prime example of how things have been lost and/or changed in the Bible over the thousands of years it has existed in written form.

So, to look for answers to your question we need to read the account of creation in Moses. Moses outlines 2 creations, the spiritual and the physical...

I don't think so.

The answer is because Genesis had multiple authors and the various accounts were woven together by a redactor.

Documentary hypothesis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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I have always read contrary by Church Apostles, professors, and authorites.

Contributions of the Book of Moses

Going from Genesis to the book of Moses, we find explanations replacing enigmas. At the conclusion of Genesis 1 and the beginning of Genesis 2, the record of the six creative periods—including the creation of man in God’s image—seems to be complete. (See Gen. 2:1–2.) But then we discover that “there was not a man to till the ground.” Consequently, the Lord “formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Gen. 2:5–9.) How could this be, when Genesis 1:26–27 has already declared that “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him?” [Gen. 1:26–27]

Many scholars assume that two different writers were at work recording two different versions of Moses’ account of creation and that the second half of Genesis is the beginning of the second version. They attribute the redundancy to a rather unskillful scriptural editor.

Complicating the issue, however, is the doctrine clarified in the Book of Moses that all forms of life were created in heaven “spiritually before they were naturally upon the face of the earth.” (See Moses 3:7–9.)

(This teaching that spirits were created in heaven before they gained bodies on earth should instruct Christians, who usually assume that the spirits or souls of men are created at the time of birth.)

Complicating the issue further for some Latter-day Saints is the idea that Genesis 1 may not be an account of Creation by another author but may, in fact, be an account of another creation, Genesis 1 being, in their minds, the account of the spiritual creation and Genesis 2 of the physical creation. But a close reading of the scriptures indicates otherwise. [Gen. 1; Gen. 2]

If Genesis 1 is an account of the spiritual creation, then Genesis 1:26–27 would be the account of the creation of the first man in the spirit—“the first-born of every creature,” the premortal Jesus. [Gen. 1:26–27] (See Col. 1:15; D&C 93:21.) The Moses account, however, shows that this cannot be so:

“And I, God, said unto mine Only Begotten, which was with me from the beginning: Let us make man in our image. …

“And I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him.” (Moses 2:26–27.)

Since Jehovah was there when the man referred to in Genesis 1:26–27 was formed, the spiritual creation obviously had already occurred. [Gen. 1:26–27] The object of their creative intent could only have been Adam, the first earthly man. Thus, the creation being described in Genesis 1 is the physical and not the spiritual creation.

The conclusion is that the Bible offers no account of the sequential process by which all things were spiritually created, although it does offer a reference to the spiritual creation in Genesis 2:5. [Gen. 2:5]

Joseph Fielding Smith said: “The account of the creation of the earth as given in Genesis, and the Book of Moses, and as given in the temple, is the Creation of the physical earth, and of physical animals and plants. … There is no account of the Creation of man or other forms of life when they were created as spirits.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., comp. Bruce R. McConkie, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56, 1:75.)

from the Ensign » 1986 » January "Four Accounts of the Creation" By Keith Meservy

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