OLD TESTAMENT PREFACE PART 1
Was Genesis really the beginning?
When I was a small boy, my mental imaging of God creating the world was very simplistic and elementary. I visualized God sitting on some sort of Throne in his Clouds of Glory commanding the elements to form and the world to materialize. Looking like an architect over-seeing a miniaturized model displayed before him, he pointed with his finger as lightning hissed from it to the object to complete the assigned task. When it was completed, he held it in his hands and pronounced it “ Good”. Then he placed it in space between the planets and stars and withdrew behind his glory clouds again where, like Santa Claus, he remains where no one could see him, watching us.
Fortunately, most of that image changed long before my reading of Abraham 3 : 24,when I began to understand there were others such as Christ and Michael, involved in the creation. Despite all of this, the image of several Gods now in the clouds instead of one and the vision of the World in space with the lightning finger, still lingers in imaginations of my mind tucked away with other of my childhood impressions.
Over the many years of reading and studying, pondering and reflecting, my view has crystallized and dramatically shifted. The childhood ideas and imaginations and other such like understanding have been replaced and hopefully has become more accurate. One experience that helped me understand the workings of God, was witnessing the unfolding of an event in Montreal that was called Expo 67.
As I watched this Herculean task come to fruition, it amazed me to see how many people were involved, how critical accurate communications were, how much physical effort was applied and how much cooperation and strict compliance to the laws of order and rules was required. All these factors were absolutely essential from top to bottom in all the organizations including between various companies, Governments of other Countries and all their contractors throughout the entire world. To have this degree of perfect communication occur implies a level of competence I never realized mere mortals could attain. This was just some of the planning that was required before the Expo was opened.
As far back as 1958, the idea of hosting the 1967 expo was raised at a meeting of Canadian, Provincial, Government representatives. There were many other countries doing the same bidding for that same opportunity. All bids had to be be submitted to Brussels in 1960 where the committee, who was authorized and assigned the responsibility, resided. They alone had the authority to choose the country who could best meet the requirements and standards as had already been establish and considered mandatory by this committee.
Montreal was finally awarded permission to proceed in 1962. The Political party leader behind all this promotion in Canada, was John Diefenbaker, leader of the Conservative Party. When Lester Pearson of the Liberal Party replaced him in in 1963, he determined to carry on with the plan as constituted. Montreal’s Mayor, Jean Drapeau was authorized to appoint a local site planning committee to handle details like, what property would be used, who would physically create and build the site and who would put in the necessary utilities. Even the matter of how the costs could be shared among the various levels of government would have to be agreed upon before anything could start.
This was just the beginning. Yet to be done was the awarding the contract to the winning bidder, construction of the routes and modes of transportation to get the army of workers to get to their respective sites.
The longest orthotropic bridge in the world had to be constructed to accommodate the thousands of trucks that would carry 15 million tons of rock and earth to built two islands on which to establish the site. The list of other detailed and critical matters needed, seemed to continually grow.
For the next two years the site resembled an active open pit mine. Meanwhile life had to carry on for the ordinary citizens living in and adjacent to the future site. They still had to navigate along their daily routes across, around and between the construction traffic. None the less, on April 28, 1967, 90 nations with about 120 booths and buildings, all speaking different languages, miraculously were ready on time for the official Grand opening of “Expo 67. Man and His Habitat”.
If this is what is required for a successful, relatively small occurrence in the scheme of mankind’s history, I reasoned then, what must have been required to put together a new world that would orbit in harmony with all other neighbouring planets, plus a moon and a sun, all the while providing and supplying the necessary requirements for sustaining billions of God’s children for as long as they would residents on the Earth ?
I cannot possibly attempt to imagine such a gigantic, cosmic sized, mind-bending achievement nor what that would have involved.
Of course man is primitive, while God is immeasurably smarter and has access to knowledge, experience and systems we have no concept of. Still, there are similarities between the two projects so far as the required organizational knowledge, then implementation is concerned.
To begin with, God did not and does not work alone. The creation of a world, we read, was a joint effort of the Gods. Elohim is a Hebrew plural word (like the word “People”)meaning ” The Gods” inferring more than one. We know Christ worked under our God’s supervision, as had Michael (later called Adam), as an assistant. There is no indication that they were the only ones involved! And what about this statement from Christ to Moses?
“There are many worlds that have passed away.. and there are many that now stand and innumerable are they unto man, but all things are numbered unto me for they are mine.”
Moses 1:35
Building an Earth planet, was not a new concept. There was a pattern set both in precedence and in design. Surely in a world of order, there would be a procedure regarding how it is to be done and exactly who is permitted to do so.
Brigham Young stated (Oct 1862):
“There never was a time where there did not exist an earth like this, peopled with men and women as this is. There never was a beginning to the order of Creation in which we find ourselves.”
There must have been many councils in heaven beside the First Grand Council, in order to plan, direct and then report back. This system, which we know and practice here, must most certainly have originated there, especially when so many worlds were being built, all at the same time.
This process is continually going on! What a insanely busy place it would seem to us. Yet, it is called “Organized” because that is the nature of the world of Gods.
Perhaps, like the supreme organization in Brussels but on a vastly greater scale, permission had to be obtained from the council of Gods for our world to be built. We are no doubt too far away in intelligence, space and time to hope to understand any of this or the individuals involved or their capabilities and accomplishments. Still, there are echoes in ancient writings that reflect a belief similar to this that indeed, another council took place. The Egyptians, for instance, under the Pharaoh Shabaka, from the 25 Dynasty, record:
“All the Gods assembled in the presence of the supreme God PTAH – he who was the mind and the mouth of the council of the Gods.”
The Babylonian creation story in their writings called the ENUMA ELISH relates that, “The Creator, he of vast intelligence who attended a great assembly among his brethren the Gods, before the world was made.“
It was Joseph Smith who told us in Feb 1843, that he was permitted to see the FIRST GRAND COUNCIL.
“It was convened in Kolob where “ The Gods came together and concocted the plan of making the world and inhabitants The Grand Council sat in yonder Heavens and contemplated the creation of the worlds that were created at the time. Then the heads of Gods appointed one God for us.”
Here again, from another experience, I can relate to this necessity of planned organization by remembering how New Church Stakes are organized .
The First Presidency in Salt Lake City, after reviewing a submission of the facts, give their consent when permission is requested to organize a new Stake. Upon receiving this permission, the local Area Officer,, holding the proper priesthood authority to do so, calls and ordains a singular High Priest to serve as the Stake President. This man is exclusively assigned as the Stake President for a Specific Stake and no other, even though there are many Stakes and many Stake Presidents of the Church in existence world wide. No other President will be called as long as he holds that calling.
Following the candidate’s acceptance as Presiding Officer over a predetermined group of members, those members effected and none others ,are asked if they are willing to allow and sustain him to this right to Preside, effectively subjecting their will to his in the affairs of their ecclesiastic matters in this geographic area of the world . If all such have agreed to this proposal, then he becomes the one and only Stake President officially recognize with this power.
I was there in the geographical area of Medicine Hat, Alberta, and prior to that in Surrey, B.C. Canada, when a new Stake was formed and a new President called. I was there to sustain him and covenanted to support and report only to him as our Priesthood authority. I was there to serve and accept callings and responsibilities from him. My role was very minor in the event, but I rejoiced and sang for joy at its happening.
If this system of Priesthood order and Government in our world is a mirror image of the vast organized system of Priesthood order in God’s organized universe, then what we are seeing appears to be not a Government of one arbitrary God, as most contemporary religions would lead us to believe, but a whole community of Gods working together, under the direction of the First Presidency of Gods as suggested by this analogy.
God referred to such a situation when he questioned Job in Job 38: 4- 7.
“Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare if thou has understanding? Who hath laid the measure thereof if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched the line upon it? Where upon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who hast laid the corner stone thereof? When the Morning Stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy…”
When this world’s cornerstone was laid indicating commencement, were we no doubt there, singing and shouting for joy along with them? In April 1844, Joseph Smith further revealed:
“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man and sits enthroned in yonder Heavens. This is the great secret. If you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form- like yourselves in all the person, image and very form of a man, for Adam was created in that very fashion, image and likeness of God”.
What does that mean for us as Adam’s children!
Surely we must have been among them, because here we are now, numbered and living along with those who have been permitted to come here to this SECOND ESTATE! No wonder we shouted for joy.
Why do we have trouble accepting God as once being a man as we, ourselves are now? We have no problem accepting that the Stake President is like us in every respect and was once a young boy who consented and planned for baptism like us. Later he was ordained a Deacon and progressed through the Aaronic Priesthood until eventually he became an Elder and was given the Melchizedek Priesthood. He grew and progressed just as we are doing. He is no different than us except for his ecclesiastical position to which he was called, chosen and qualified because of worthiness and willingness to serve. If a man can achieve this in our limited lifespan here, what can he achieve given millions of years of life and achievement in the presence of God?
I am convinced that the title God is a Priesthood calling! Not attainable while on this earth of course, but apparently among those who are much further ahead than we are in the process of “becoming perfect like our Father in Heaven who is perfect”. Matt 5: 48
There must be layers of hierarchy, just as there is here, established by the more and the less experienced in knowledge and capabilities among the Family of Gods. There are those who make decisions and commands, there are those that carry them out. There were probably innumerable Gods and assistant Gods in training. Some had great responsibilities while others with less experience were supervised and assisted while they gained the required knowledge and understanding.
From the teachings of both Book of Mormon prophets and the latter day prophets we learn:
God hath created all things, both things to act and things to be acted upon.
(2 Nephi 2: 14)
Intelligences can neither be created nor destroyed but have always existed.
(D&C 93: 29)
This Earth was not created from nothing or “Ex Nehilo” as the early Christian Fathers concluded. Science has revealed what is now common understanding. The law of conservation of energy says: “Matter cannot be either created nor destroyed”. Therefore, existing matter or material had to be used to form the earth. These existing materials were organized and shaped much like the materials used to build roads, houses and islands to create Expo 67.
What is emerging is a very different picture regarding the creation than I imagined it to be. As I now look at the “wheels within wheels” representation that Ezekiel the prophet saw in his vision (Ezekiel 1: 16), I realize these could be the wheels within wheels of the Universes existing around and overlapping each other. There is so much we know very little about.
There are at least four such “Wheels within wheels” when we examine the information we already have about the world we live in. Let’s first take the two categories of entities that inhabit them.
The Two Categories
1. THE INVISIBLE.
There is a veil drawn between us and God that prevents us from sensing or seeing God or any of God’s creations and organizations that do not pertain to our world.
A/ Spirit Matter
The specially refined matter that makes up our spiritual bodies, the spirit earth and other spiritual organizations.
B/ Resurrected Matter
After resurrection, physical bodies and spiritual bodies, including matter are permanently fused and associated with one of the Three Degrees of Glory. Like the appearances of God or Christ to men, there have been times when resurrected beings have appeared to righteous men for special occasions, but the general rule is they are and remain invisible to the rest of us
2. THE VISIBLE.
A/ Mortal Matter
That which we feel, hear and see today and all that can be perceived by our senses both on the earth and in the surrounding universes or galaxies of physical formations, no matter what the distance from Earth.
B/ Translated Matter
Mortal matter in which the natural process of aging and decay are temporarily suspended.
OTHER WHEELS BOTH EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR TO THIS UNIVERSE
There are at least 4 other “Wheels within Wheels” of space, kingdoms or worlds through which we progress that exist around us.
The four Kingdom or Estates
1/ THE VAST UNORGANIZED UNIVERSE OF SPACE.
This is the vast unlimited space where all intelligences and materials originated and remain until choosing to be swept up into the organized Universe of Gods. Here the Spirit of God or the Holy Ghost has no effect or influence.
Orson Hyde, Brigham Young and Joseph Smith were once engaged in a conversation regarding the spirit of God or the Holy Ghost. Brother Hyde expressed the opinion that the spirit of God existed everywhere, even in the unorganized universe. As Brigham Young recalled:
“Brother Hyde was upon the same theory once, and in conversation with Joseph Smith advanced the idea that eternity or boundless space was filled with the Spirit of God or the Holy Ghost.
After portraying his views upon the theory very carefully and minutely, he asked Brother Joseph what he thought of it? He replied that it appeared very beautiful, and that he did not know of but one serious objection to it . Says Brother Hyde, “What is that?” Joseph replied, “ It is not true”
The first of the two places which we are examining then differ in that regard. This one is chaotic and unproductive, immeasurably large, having no means to form or organize itself in any meaningful way. It only consists of matter or materials and intelligences. Virtually nothing has been given in the scriptures which we currently have, about the conditions, nor the capabilities of those in this sphere.
Brigham Young said, June 1873
“When we try to contemplate and meditate upon the fact that there never was a beginning you are lost at once. The present and the future we can comprehend some little about, but the past is all a blank, and it is right and reasonable that it should be so. But if we are faithful in the things of God, they will open up, open up, open up; and our minds will expand, reach forth and receive more and more, and by and by we can begin to see the Gods have been forever and ever.”
Like wise it is impossible to imagine a reservoir of materials and intelligences, even in space, being so big, so numberless and boundless that it can never be depleted or emptied. Nor can we visualize that something can exist forever that has never had a beginning. Yet this is what is meant and we can only accept it on its own merit because there is no other way to either frame it or comprehend it. This is truly “Outer Darkness”. Our understanding is just too limited.
Working then on faith, we can perhaps see it as a place where unorganized entities called intelligence (because they have such), were proselyted by a force similar to our current missionary program, and invited to become part of the organized world of the family of Gods. To do so would mean they could advance, progress, line by line, concept upon concept and evolve from being acted upon to being capable of acting on their own. Eventually, they could become like those who were guiding them. Reason tells us that it would have to be voluntary as “God can force no man to Heaven”. In other words, the everlasting principle of free agency or free choice, was in force and respected.
Organized intelligences went to the unorganized intelligences and preached to them about the Good News as they gathered into the family of God. Does this sound like a familiar pattern?
2/ THE ORGANIZED WORLD OF INTELLIGENCES
This is where all intelligences who have chosen to follow God and obey his word have been gathered. There would no doubt be many trials, lessons and opportunities in this sphere as these intelligences learned what “Organized” really means.
Obedience no doubt was one of the prime conditions and there would have been those who found the resulting power and potential of being organized refreshing, even exciting, as compared to their previous situation of knowing and being capable of very little. Now, they also would become accountable for their acts. This would be a quantum leap in progression as they learned the rules regarding how and with what power they could act.
Perhaps others would find the power and ability to influence the behavior of other things and other intelligences exhilarating and perhaps even dangerously intoxicating!
The powers of good verses evil must have been outlined and explained as the consequences of choice. One cannot help but be curious as to how and when these forces of good and evil were first introduced and if they are similar to how we are exposed to them in our life experiences even today. Whatever they were and however configured, there were means whereby the intelligences either qualified or were rejected before being allowed to progress to the next sphere in the long stringent process of progression. Those who managed to exercise control over the limited powers, met the conditions required and were qualified to be born into the world of spiritual matter.
3/ THE SPIRITUAL WORLD
This is a sphere of specially refined matter into which we, as intelligences were born. It is too refined to be perceptible by our current physical senses. None-the-less, our Intelligences were fused into spiritual matter bodies that allowed us to express ourselves and communicate in a new, different and intensified manner. We were able to progress in intelligence, wisdom, obedience, faithfulness and understanding as we wanted.
Some did remarkably well such as Jesus Christ . Others failed miserably, such as Lucifer, Son of the Morning . As the differences between these two individuals increased, we made important decisions regarding to which of the two we would align ourselves, associate with and follow. This had a great influence upon our second estate. Things such as: where, when, how we would be born, how we would be tested, into which families we would be born. Our convictions and behavior even determined if we would be born into physical bodies or not.
There, we were free to choose, but like little children we had no capacity to sin or refrain from sin. We knew only through our intellect about pain, remorse, shame or regret. We had to wait until we were away from the presence of God and had physical bodies to be able to experiment with such things as sin, disobedience and the consequences of such behavior.
All this would have been explained to us in detail, but it was all only hypothetical. All these negatives about the opportunity to try these things and many more, to gain experience, knowledge and understanding as part of our training to become as God would render ourselves disqualified, unworthy to be able to return to the pristine Holy presence of our Father in Heaven. This seems so incongruous, that the means provided for us to gain experience and knowledge would at the same time prove to be the very thing that would disqualify us from achieving that goal.
This was no error or flaw in the plan. It was an integral and essential part of the needed experience required for our qualification. We could not escape this conundrum without help.
It was also in the Plan of the Gods that our Heavenly Father would appoint a Savior, one who would volunteer to take upon themselves the difficult responsibility of living a perfect life so as to qualify to redeem mankind from their fallen state. It would require that he give his own life
It was conditional upon our accepting the terms of atonement, such as faith in the Redeemer, repentance, baptism, taking his name on ourselves and following his commandments.
Two candidates presented themselves. They however, had very different proposals regarding how they would be prepared to accept this calling.
The first proposed he would make certain that no one sinned or made mistakes and thereby all would return to God safely. His proposal was simple. By negating the principle of free choice, and replacing it with a system of force, all would be compelled to be righteous. However, he also demanded a portion of God’s Glory for his reward for saving all mankind.
Moses 4: 1
Behold here am I, send me I will be thy Son and I will redeem all mankind that one soul shalt not be lost. And surely I will do it , wherefore give me thine Honour.
The Second proposed that he would go. By serving as an example, he would honour the principle of Free choice allowing all to choose for themselves. Further, he sought no Glory for so doing. Rather, the Glory would remain with the Father where it belonged.
Moses 4: 2
But behold, my Beloved Son, which was my beloved from the beginning said unto me “Father thy will be done and the glory be thine forever.”
The Second was chosen because he did not make is accepting conditional. He simply volunteered to become The Son of the Father to accomplish the Father’s will. He did not demand any glory or recognition. He simply said “ The Glory be thine.”
We have been told that the original first Parents God, the Father, and his consort, God the Mother, to whom we were born as spirits in this realm, were resurrected beings whose composition of body, role and Priesthood calling were very different from ours. It is important to understand that our Father in Heaven held the position of God having been appointed to God of this world in a previous council of Gods. Our Mother, his Eternal companion, a Goddess in her own status, had qualified through her own righteousness even as her husband had. She enjoyed an equal participating full role as parent, teacher, counselor and confidant to the Father.
As Father and Mother, they had the right to determine which of their spirit children would best fulfill the role as Savior for all their other children. In their role and with their Priesthood authority, they performed this duty and chose the second candidate.
As Lucifer, the first candidate received the news of his rejection he became angry and rebelled. Convincing one third of the spirits, (our brothers and sisters) to support him. As a result he and all who followed him, were cast out and down from their former status because of this rebellion.
Moses 4: 3
Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which O the Lord God had given him and also that I should give unto him mine own power, by the power of mine only begotten, I caused that he should be cast down.
They became sworn enemies to God, his works and all his obedient children and their works.
All this involved communication and discussion that included emotions like hate, anger and jealousy. These were contrasted by loyalty, love and tolerance. (We see the same in ourselves here.) In the end it affected every one of us as we choose sides in this war. That same war followed us from the spirit world and is still going on in the physical world.
Moses 4; 4
And he became Satan, yea even the devil, the Father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not harken unto my voice.
This then, was the “first estate” mentioned in scriptures by both Abraham and Jude.
The stage was set for the second estate. The opposition was in place, a Savior was provided to save us from our future fallen state, if we so chose to follow him. Also an opposite plan had been made by Lucifer who was bound and determine to bring as many as he could find to follow him into his world of chaos, destruction and deceit. All that now had to be done was for the spirit world to become a physical world and each of us to be born into it according, to our time, to undergo our last grand test.
Two individuals, one male the other female, where chosen and accepted to be the first to enter this “New World”. They needed to be valiant spirits, chosen for their obedience and support for Christ’s Role in God’s plan. Like all first souls and first parents in all new worlds, they were called Adam and Eve – which meant “Many”.
From the Old Testament, Student’s manual OF 1980 , GENESIS TO SAMUEL, pages 38-43, we learn the status of Adam and Eve while in the Garden of Eden, our First Estate before their Fall.
1/ They were immortal or not subject to death 2/ They were in the presence of God the Father 3/ They had no posterity 4/ They were without any knowledge of good or evil
They had knowledge of course. They could communicate with God and each other through speech. They were teachable but given the limited conditions they were under, were unable to visualize or understand the power and consequences of Good and Evil. They had never experienced pain or sorrow or the thousands of other emotions and feelings that have come to us in this mortal life. As long as they remained immortal in the Garden of Eden, this knowledge would not, could not be theirs to experience. (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation. 1: 107-8) (Genesis: 3-4)
Other sources of these facts are, 1/ K.J. Bible Luke 3: 38 “ ….which was the Son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the Son of Adam, which was the son of God” (I.E. Genealogy of Lamech to God) 2/. Pearl of Great Price . Abraham 4. 27. ” So the Gods went down to organize man in their own image , in the image of Gods to form they him, male and female to form they them” 3/ Pearl of Great Price Moses 4: 8-9 ” …. and this was the book of the Generations of Adam( Begat, procreated ) saying: in the day that God created man in the likeness of God made he him: In the image of his own body, male and female , created he them….” 4/ Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R McConkie, ADAM. ” As to the manner in which Adam was placed on Earth, The First Presidency of the church has given us this plain statement: ” He took upon him an appropriate body the body of man, and so became a “living soul” All who have inhabited the earth since Adam have taken bodies and become souls in a like manner. Man began life as a human being, in the likeness of our Heavenly Father. True it is that the body of man enters upon its career as a tiny germ or embryo, which becomes as infant, quickened at a certain stag by the spirit whose tabernacle it is, and the child, after being born, develops into a man. There is nothing in this , however, to indicate that the original man, the first of our race, began life as anything else than a man, or less that the human sperm or embryo that becomes a man” 5/ The First Presidency of the Church Joseph Fielding Smith. Improvement Era, 1897-1970, vol XIII ” The Origins of Man”, His origin and destiny
All Men and Women are in the similitude of the Universal Father and Mother and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity. God created man in his own image. This is just as true of the spirit as it is the body, which is only the clothing of the spirit, its complement, the two together constituting the soul.
Adam our great Progenitor ” The First Man”, was like Christ, a pre- existent spirit, and like Christ he took upon him an appropriate body, the body of a man, and so became a living soul. The doctrines of pre-existence, revealed so plainly particularly in latter days, pours a wonderful flood of light upon the otherwise mysterious problem of man’s origin. It shows that man, as a spirit , was begotten and born of Heavenly Parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the Earth in a temporal body to undergo an experience in mortality. It teaches that all men existed in the spirit before any man existed in the flesh, and that all who have inhabited the Earth since Adam have taken bodies and become souls in a like manner.
…..Man by searching, cannot find out God. Never, unaided, will he discover the truth about the beginning of human life. The Lord must reveal himself, or remain unrevealed, and the same is true of the facts relating to the origin of Adam’s race . God alone can reveal them. Some of these facts, however, are already known and what has been made known it is our duty to receive and retain,
The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, basing its belief on divine revelation, ancient and modern, proclaims man to be the direct and lineal offspring of Deity. God himself is an exalted man, perfected enthroned and supreme. By his almighty power, he organized the Earth and all it contains, from spirit to element, which exist co-eternally with himself. He formed every plant that grows and every animal that breaths, each after its own kind, spiritually and temporally. ” That which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal, and that which temporal being in the likeness of that which is spiritual”. He made the tad pole and the ape, the lion and the elephant. but he did not make them in his own image, nor endow them with Godlike reason and intelligence. Never the less, the whole animal creation will be protected and perpetuated in the hereafter, each class in its ” distinct order or sphere” and will enjoy ” Eternal felicity” That fact has been made plain in this dispensation ( D0ctrine and Covenants 77:3)
6/ Joseph Smith, King Follet Sermon 7 Apr, 1844
“God Himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder Heavens! That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and the Great God who holds the world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by his power , was to make himself visible, I say if you were to see him today , you would see him like a man in form, for Adam was created in the very fashion image and likeness of God and received instructions from, and walked and talked , and conversed with him, as one man talks and communes with another..
“If Jesus Christ was the son of God, and John discovered that God, the Father of Jesus Christ, had a Father, you may suppose that he had a Father also. Where was there ever a son without a father? And where was there ever a father without first being a son? Whenever did a tree or anything spring into existence without a progenitor? And everything comes this way. Paul says that which is earthly is in the likeness of that which is Heavenly. Hence, if Jesus had a Father, can we not believe he had a Father also? I despise the idea of being scared to death at such a Doctrine, for the Bible is full of it. ( The Life and teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles. Instructor’s guide Religion 211-12, 2000 )
7/ Joseph Smith, Sermon 16 Jun 1844
A/ If Jesus had been born of two divine parents,…,
1/ he would not have died as he was immortal. There fore he could not offer his life for us as a sacrifice for our sins.
2/ He would have been unable to experience physical pain or suffering. He would not have been able to experience the adversity and agonies experienced by mortals.
3/ He would not have been subjected to the the temptation of sin therefore he could not have understood the true nature of sin. Likewise his ability to judge us, fairly, would have been compromised
B/ If Jesus had been born of two mortal parents,…
1/ He could not have had the power to over come death. 2/ He could not have endured the infinite pain and suffering for our sins which he suffered in Gethsemane. 3/ He would have sinned and thus, like other men, would be under the condemnation and demands of the law of Justice. As such he could not qualify for the role as Savior of Mankind.
C/ Jesus had to be born of a divine parent and a mortal parent because,…
1/ He had to have the capability to die and the power to rise again. The other sons and daughters of Mary, but fathered by Joseph, did not have that power. 2/ He had to have the capability to suffer pain but at the same time, have the power to endure the full pain and sufferings of the Atonement which would have killed mortal men. The other sons and daughters of Mary but fathered by Joseph, did not have that power.
4/ THE PHYSICAL WORLD OR THE WORLD IN WHICH WE NOW LIVE.
The composition of the physical matter which makes up the world in which we now live and from which our bodies are made, is very different from that of the spirit world. Therefore in these bodies, we cannot see the refined material of spirit. The power and capabilities we have in this world are far greater than anything we have experienced up to this point. Here we could create things for our comfort or pleasure. Here we could control the elements. Here we could participate in the creation process of bringing forth offspring – bodies for the spirits of those spirits waiting to come here. It is a great new testing ground of experimenting and understanding. We also may see the consequences of our choices. Some results are instant, while others are delayed. Some experiences are unbelievably beautiful, while others are devastatingly tragic.
The Saviour, Jesus Christ, our Elder Spiritual Brother and God in his own right, would consent to put his status aside, and subject himself to be born here as well. Taking upon himself a mortal body, he would live a righteous life and ultimately be executed, though innocent, in a brutal and cruel manner. In a process we understand little of, he would take upon himself the suffering of our sins as an offering of atonement for them.
This option, known as the plan of redemption, has the conditions mentioned before: we must accept Him and live in obedience in order for his atonement to apply to us individually.
The great principle, freedom to choose, is ours. How we use, of course, would be the great test.
Alma 34: 32
For behold this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God, Yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.
This is the second estate mentioned in both Abraham and Jude: “Those that keep this estate are promised to be added upon receiving Glory and Eternal lives.”
5/ THE POST MORTAL SPIRIT WORLD
The question about what happens after death is best answered by Alma.
Alma 40: 11- 14
Now concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection _ Behold it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of men as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them Life.
And it shall come to pass that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a State of happiness which is called paradise, a State of rest, a state of peace where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care and sorrow.
Then it shall come to pass that the spirits of the wicked, yea those that are evil- for behold they have no part or portion of the spirit of the Lord; for behold they chose evil works rather than good, therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them and take possession of their house – and these shall be cast out into outer darkness, there shall be weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity being led captive by the will of the devil.
Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state as well as the righteous in Paradise until the time of their resurrection.
Those who would have proven themselves capable of selfcontrol, having followed in strict obedience would have “proven themselves in all things”.
Those who did not, would be given less blessings and future capabilities than those that had. Others, having become rebellious and rejecting the gospel and Holy Ghost, they would be granted even less. We do not know their future, but it said, it would be better had they never been born.
This world of the spirit of the dead consists of two separate divisions. The first is known as “ Paradise” where the righteous dwell” and the second as “Spirit Prison” for all others.
It was to Paradise that the spirit of Christ went during the three days that his body lay in the tomb. It is reported that he commenced missionary work, sending forth the righteous spirits to preach to those in the Prison. (See: 1 St Peter 3: 18 – 20, also President Joseph F Smith Oct 3, 1918)
This world is all around us but because of the nature of spirit element, it is not visible to us. These spirits will remain in this sphere until their resurrection.
The Three Degrees of Glory
Following the last judgment and the resurrection, our resurrected souls will be assigned to one of three kingdoms according to how we “ KEPT OUR SECOND ESTATE”. Our knowledge and understanding of these spheres or glories has only recently been restored to us by Joseph Smith. (See D and C 76)
1/ THE CELESTIAL
These are they who have received the title of “First Born”. We are told that they shall dwell in the presence of God the Father, who is Father of our Spirits. We are his children and literal offspring as he was the physical father of Adam and Eve.
Adam and Eve lost their immortal status, when they disobediently partook of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. Two things resulted from this action.
-1/ The introduction of mortality or physical death to the bodies of Adam and Eve and all their decedents thereafter.
These are the type of bodies that we have presently. Nonetheless we are still direct descendants of God the Father and his wife, our Mother as their off-spring through Adam and Eve.
– 2/ They were cast out of the presence of God.
This is called the spiritual death. We live on an earth that is spiritually dead or out of the presence and influence of God.
In order for one to qualify to re-enter or return to the highest Degree of Glory and live in the presence of God, three things must must occur.
-1/ Physical death must be overcome or reversed.
This has been achieved by the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He has risen from the dead, has broken the bond of death for all of us. All men will be resurrected.
-2/ The spiritual death must be overcome.
This has been achieved by Christ when he voluntarily atoned for our sins in the garden of Gethsemane. There he shed great drops of blood like sweat in his suffering. However, this atonement is conditional. We must be willing to repent of our sins, be baptized, be obedient to Christ’s commandments and take his name upon us .
3/ We must overcome all things by faith, be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise and endure to the end.
We are told that some of those who were righteous and have died, such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, have already been able to achieve their Glory and have entered into the highest of these Kingdoms, the Celestial. (See: D and C 132: 37)
2/ THE TERRESTRIAL
Those that are assigned to dwell in this kingdom, are they who died without the law.
D and C 76 :72 – 79
…who received not the the testimony of Christ in the world but afterwards received it. Are the honourable men of the world, but who have been blinded by the craftiness of men.
3/ THE TELESTIAL.
In this Kingdom are those who received not the gospel of Jesus Christ or a Testimony of Him. They will be the last of the spirits to be reunited with their bodies.
No information have been given to us regarding these Kingdoms or what conditions are like. This is as far into the future as we can currently see.
The Lord says: “This is my work and my Glory – to bring to pass the immortality and eternal Life of men.” (Moses 1:39)
John states: “And this is life Eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3)
AS WE SAID, “ WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS.
It has been necessary to review as far back as we could go so that we realize and appreciate the long, laborious preparation, progress and sacrifice that we have all made and committed to getting to our SECOND ESTATE. We have made it this far. Now the question remains: How are we doing in the finals? Hopefully we are now able to more clearly see who and what we are up against, and what the rewards are for those who succeed. God has committed all that he has for our success. The rest is up to us. May you feel encouraged and uplifted as you conceptualize the grace and love of God – and the importance of all that you are doing.