Interesting thoughts on the Creation of the Earth ...
I was asked to substitute for the regular teacher in Relief Society this past Sunday. The lesson was on the Creation of the Earth and brought up some interesting points that I had not considered before, so I am posting the summary I wrote for the weekly bulletin here for future reference. Any scriptures mentioned can be found at scriptures.lds.org:
Sunday's Lesson was chapter 5, p. 23, on The Creation.
When we lived with our heavenly parents as spirit children we were told about God's plan for us to become more like him. We needed to leave the presence of our Heavenly Father and receive mortal bodies in order to continue progressing towards Eternal Life. The place Heavenly Father designed for us to go to was called Earth. We were all excited about this plan and shouted for joy.
The scriptural accounts of the creation vary in how they talk about the being/beings involved in the creation of the Earth. Genesis simply says "God". Abraham says "the Gods". Moses clarifies in chapter 2:1 when he says, "By mine only Begotten I created these things." This is verified in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 76:24)
The earth and all things on it were created spiritually before they were created physically. Genesis has only one account of the creation and Abraham chapter 4 relates an account similar to what we see in Genesis. Chapter 5:2, however, says, "And the Gods said among themselves: On the seventh time we will end our work, which we have counseled; and we will rest on the seventh time from all our work which we have counseled." (emphasis added) The word counseled speaks of the account we recognize as THE Creation as being an outline, merely a planning phase. Then, in verses 4-6, there is mention of the animals and herbs actually being created. In Abraham 5:7 the Gods form man from the dust of the ground and the Garden of Eden is planted in verse 8, well after the seventh day.
There is some interesting wording in Abraham 4:18, "And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed." This word, "obeyed" is mentioned in the accounts of every day of creation, from verses 18-31. Each thing that is created is first created (spiritually) and then taught to OBEY. In verse 31 it states, "and behold they shall be very obedient." (emphasis added) This idea, of the elements being obedient, gives an interesting understanding of many occurrences in the Bible. Take, for instance, the fig tree that Jesus curses for not producing fruit. Without the understanding that all things had pledged obedience to Him, one tends to look at this with incredulity. But with this understanding of the creation, a new understanding comes, of the tree being cursed because it had promised to produce fruit and was not fulfilling its promise, it was not obeying.
A man on my mission spoke of a blessing he once received when he was very ill. He said that in that blessing, he was not promised that he would get well. His cells were commanded to heal themselves.
Every miracle that we see today, every truth about nature, science, about the world in general, happens because the elements, the animals, the plants, every living thing has pledged to obey Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. A healing from a Priesthood blessing happens because the cells of the body and the illness-causing pathogens are bound to obey the commands of God, whose power the Priesthood is.
The accounts of the creation are wonderful and miraculous things. But in and of itself it is small in comparison with the enormous truths that are buried in those accounts.
I know that God loves us, that the truths spoken here are indeed truths, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sunday's Lesson was chapter 5, p. 23, on The Creation.
When we lived with our heavenly parents as spirit children we were told about God's plan for us to become more like him. We needed to leave the presence of our Heavenly Father and receive mortal bodies in order to continue progressing towards Eternal Life. The place Heavenly Father designed for us to go to was called Earth. We were all excited about this plan and shouted for joy.
The scriptural accounts of the creation vary in how they talk about the being/beings involved in the creation of the Earth. Genesis simply says "God". Abraham says "the Gods". Moses clarifies in chapter 2:1 when he says, "By mine only Begotten I created these things." This is verified in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 76:24)
The earth and all things on it were created spiritually before they were created physically. Genesis has only one account of the creation and Abraham chapter 4 relates an account similar to what we see in Genesis. Chapter 5:2, however, says, "And the Gods said among themselves: On the seventh time we will end our work, which we have counseled; and we will rest on the seventh time from all our work which we have counseled." (emphasis added) The word counseled speaks of the account we recognize as THE Creation as being an outline, merely a planning phase. Then, in verses 4-6, there is mention of the animals and herbs actually being created. In Abraham 5:7 the Gods form man from the dust of the ground and the Garden of Eden is planted in verse 8, well after the seventh day.
There is some interesting wording in Abraham 4:18, "And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed." This word, "obeyed" is mentioned in the accounts of every day of creation, from verses 18-31. Each thing that is created is first created (spiritually) and then taught to OBEY. In verse 31 it states, "and behold they shall be very obedient." (emphasis added) This idea, of the elements being obedient, gives an interesting understanding of many occurrences in the Bible. Take, for instance, the fig tree that Jesus curses for not producing fruit. Without the understanding that all things had pledged obedience to Him, one tends to look at this with incredulity. But with this understanding of the creation, a new understanding comes, of the tree being cursed because it had promised to produce fruit and was not fulfilling its promise, it was not obeying.
A man on my mission spoke of a blessing he once received when he was very ill. He said that in that blessing, he was not promised that he would get well. His cells were commanded to heal themselves.
Every miracle that we see today, every truth about nature, science, about the world in general, happens because the elements, the animals, the plants, every living thing has pledged to obey Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. A healing from a Priesthood blessing happens because the cells of the body and the illness-causing pathogens are bound to obey the commands of God, whose power the Priesthood is.
The accounts of the creation are wonderful and miraculous things. But in and of itself it is small in comparison with the enormous truths that are buried in those accounts.
I know that God loves us, that the truths spoken here are indeed truths, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.