Did Jesus create the destructive elements of the earth, too?

[carlimac]

I was reading "The Living Christ" this morning and this line, actually from John 1:3 struck me in light of ebola, MERS, flu, cancer, etc.  It's this: "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made."

 

 

Obviously there are many destructive things in the earth that are man-made. But what about the harmful elements, viruses, bacteria, etc that are natural. Were they created by Jesus  to be part of our trial on earth?  Or are they mutations of everything good that was created by Him?

 

Anyone want to venture a guess? I don't have a feeling either way. 

[Guest]

There is nothing on earth that does not come from the Creator.  May it be something that got created initially, or something that evolved from original creation, it does not come to life without the Creator's hand in it directing its purposes.

 

Because of the fall, men must die.  Because men must die, things on earth that causes death and creates a cycle of life is present.  The error in man's thinking is that because God created something that can cause death that God is ultimately cruel.  It only seems so from the perspective of the mortal eye.  What is pain and suffering in mortal existence to an eternal plan of salvation?  Simply a lesson to be learned - may it be from the person who dies or the person touched in any way by that event.  (Hah, touched give a different meaning when we're talking ebola... lol).

 

We see this lesson perfectly demonstrated by the Flood.  If you talk about all the people who must have died in the great flood, one can conclude God to be a cruel God.  But looking at it from the perspective of the plan of salvation, it takes on a completely different take on the nature of God.

Edited October 16, 2014 by anatess

[Blackmarch]

I was reading "The Living Christ" this morning and this line, actually from John 1:3 struck me in light of ebola, MERS, flu, cancer, etc.  It's this: "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made."

 

 

Obviously there are many destructive things in the earth that are man-made. But what about the harmful elements, viruses, bacteria, etc that are natural. Were they created by Jesus  to be part of our trial on earth?  Or are they mutations of everything good that was created by Him?

 

Anyone want to venture a guess? I don't have a feeling either way. 

yes. viruses modify genetic code, without them evolution would slow down extremely or completely stop. without volcanoes and plate tectonics life would cease to exist on this planet. We are also told to acknowledge God's hand in all things. One also remember that something that is harmful to one thing may also be necessary for something else to live (tho we may begrudge it greatly for doing so).

Everything is allowed its to go its own course within the bounds that are given it (not just humans). within that freedom there is bound to be something that occurs that will be more negative than positive;.

[MarginOfError]

God created Evolution.  

[The Folk Prophet]

Is there some sort of strange perception that God would not create anything destructive or harmful?

 

If so, why not?

[Dravin]

Is there some sort of strange perception that God would not create anything destructive or harmful?

 

If so, why not?

 

I suspect it stems from the the perception of God as being omnibenevolent in terms such as one sees in discussions of "the problem of evil." Note, I'm not arguing that said perception is correct, simply pointing to said perception as the basis of the assumption that he'd not create anything destructive or harmful.

[The Folk Prophet]

anatess already mentioned the Flood, but also anyone who feels that God doesn't create anything harmful should take a closer look at the likes of 3 Nephi chapter 9.

 

God creates destructive things and uses them!

 

Fear God, indeed.

[EarlJibbs]

Death, since it is necessary for the plan of salvation is not harmful. Rather the opposite in the grand scheme. The more difficult trial could be if there was no fear of death, nothing to hurt us but sin and age itself. 

 

If we all worried as much about the spiritual food we eat, the harmful smut we allow into our homes and lives as much as we do physical harm... how much better off would the world be. What if we had the same outrage and concern from the United States concerning pornography (plug in any issue there) as much as we have seen from the two people who have contracted Ebola? 

[The Folk Prophet]

Death, since it is necessary for the plan of salvation is not harmful. Rather the opposite in the grand scheme. The more difficult trial could be if there was no fear of death, nothing to hurt us but sin and age itself. 

 

If we all worried as much about the spiritual food we eat, the harmful smut we allow into our homes and lives as much as we do physical harm... how much better off would the world be. What if we had the same outrage and concern from the United States concerning pornography (gay marriage) as much as we have seen from the two people who have contracted Ebola? 

 

:)

Edited October 16, 2014 by The Folk Prophet

[Blackmarch]

Is there some sort of strange perception that God would not create anything destructive or harmful?

 

If so, why not?

its more of a wordplay or play on concepts than anything else.

 

[Urstadt]

yes. viruses modify genetic code, without them evolution would slow down extremely or completely stop. without volcanoes and plate tectonics life would cease to exist on this planet. We are also told to acknowledge God's hand in all things. One also remember that something that is harmful to one thing may also be necessary for something else to live (tho we may begrudge it greatly for doing so).

Everything is allowed its to go its own course within the bounds that are given it (not just humans). within that freedom there is bound to be something that occurs that will be more negative than positive;.

I just wanted to say that this is an excellent response. Well done. :)

[Seminarysnoozer]

I was reading "The Living Christ" this morning and this line, actually from John 1:3 struck me in light of ebola, MERS, flu, cancer, etc.  It's this: "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made."

 

 

Obviously there are many destructive things in the earth that are man-made. But what about the harmful elements, viruses, bacteria, etc that are natural. Were they created by Jesus  to be part of our trial on earth?  Or are they mutations of everything good that was created by Him?

 

Anyone want to venture a guess? I don't have a feeling either way. 

Elder Mcconkie, June 1982; "Mortality and procreation and death all had their beginnings with the Fall. The tests and trials of a mortal probation began when our first parents were cast out of their Edenic home. “Because that Adam fell, we are,” Enoch said, “and by his fall came death; and we are made partakers of misery and woe.” (Moses 6:48.) ...

 

And be it also remembered that the Fall was made possible because an infinite Creator, in the primeval day, made the earth and man and all forms of life in such a state that they could fall. This fall involved a change of status. All things were so created that they could fall or change, and thus was introduced the type and kind of existence needed to put into operation all of the terms and conditions of the Father’s eternal plan of salvation.

This first temporal creation of all things, as we shall see, was paradisiacal in nature. In the primeval and Edenic day all forms of life lived in a higher and different state than now prevails. The coming fall would take them downward and forward and onward. Death and procreation had yet to enter the world. That death would be Adam’s gift to man, and, then, the gift of God would be eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

 

Viruses and "evolution" and change and decay and corruption, mutation etc, all came from the Fall but the Fall is not possible without first the Creation - a state where paradisiacal creations could fall.  The creation came first making possible things like viruses (the ones that cause misery and woe at least) after the Fall.

Edited October 26, 2014 by Seminarysnoozer

[pkstpaul]

Life on Earth wasn't meant to be life in Heaven. The intent of our Earthly life is to deal with all things good and bad. I liked the comment earlier that all things are made by the creator - I would say, there is  nothing "man-made". It cannot be created physically without first being created spirtually.

[Guest intra]

The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

(Proverbs 16:4) 
 

And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”

(Genesis 3:17-19) 

this is a cursed earth we pitch our tents on, you know. it too yearns for Him to return - 

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
(Romans 8:19-22) 




 

[Misshalfway]

I think God obeys eternal law.  And I think that opposition in all things is part of the structure of all things.  I think God knows that.  I think he works inside the "truths" or the facts of the universe.  And I think that God knows what creation looks like on the Telestial level and the limits to the kinds of refinement that are possible in this realm.

 

It seems to me that in this telestial sphere that there are births and deaths. And that there has to be something that generates the births and that leads to the deaths.  Whether its the birth or death of a star or an earth or a life.  

But it also seems that there are higher levels of creation or development for all matter.  So maybe in the higher refined sphere's there aren't such agents of death.