THE BOOK OF ABRAHAM
TRANSLATED FROM THE PAPYRUS, BY JOSEPH SMITH
CHAPTER 3
Abraham learns about the sun, moon, and stars by means of the Urim and Thummim—The Lord reveals to him the eternal nature of spirits—He learns of pre-earth life, foreordination, the creation, the choosing of a Redeemer, [ I think that this might be wrong as there is no mention of redeemer in this entire chapter. That discussion would be had in Moses 4 but here Jehovah is selecting who will be the first man. One clue that we are talking about two different stories is the order in which they volunteer in Moses and here. Here the first person that volunteers is accepted over the second volunteer; however in Moses 4 it is the opposite. The first to volunteer in the Moses account is Satan. So we have two different stories in these two accounts which we often fail to see.] and the second estate of man.
[ 1-10 Single continuous revelation using Urim and Thummim - revelation regarding order of the physical worlds.
v11-28 2 Revelations given in face to face conversations with God.
v11-14 Introduction of the Abrahamic Covenant
v15 Why these things are revealed
v16-28 Revelation that draws a parallel between order in physical creation and the order in spiritual creation.
v22-26 further instruction on previous revelations and foreordination. ]
1 AND I, Abraham, had the Urim and Thummim, [ From
the Hebrew words meaning "lights" and "perfections". Is there more that
one set of interpreters in ancient scripture? There are at least two
and possibly three or more. The brother of Jared was the first to
receive a set (Ether 3:22-28). Joseph Smith, of course, possessed the
interpreters, and we are told that his were the same given to the
brother of Jared (D&C 17:1). King Mosiah in the Book of Mormon had
a set (see Mosiah 8:13). Where did king Mosiah get his? There is no
mention of Lehi and his party's bringing these stones with them. some
have suggested that Mosiah obtained his from his father and
grandfather, Benjamin and Mosiah. This idea originates with the account
of the older Mosiah's translating the Mulekite's large stone "by the
gift and power of God" (Omni 1:20-21). Were King Mosiah's interpreters
the same as those given to the brother of Jared? It is possible, but it
seems unlikely they were, unless the early Mulekites found them among
the artifacts previously belonging to the Jaredites and handed them
down to eventually be delivered by the people of Zarahemla to Mosiah.
In this verse-verse 1 of Abraham 3-we learn that Abraham received a
set. Either Abraham's set was passed along or Moses received another
(Exodus 28:30). The fate of this set or these sets is unknown. There
are several other mentions of this type of device in the Old Testament
(Leviticus 8:8; Numbers 27:21; Deuteronomy 33:8; 1 Samuel 28:6; Ezra
2:63; Nehemiah 7:65).
Other devices for receiving revelation include the Liahona (see the
commentary for 1 Nephi 16:10) and Joseph Smith's "seerstone" which,
according to Martin Harris, Joseph sometimes used in translating
(Roberts, Brigham H., Comprehensive History of the Church, 1:128-9),
and which President Wilford Woodruff later "consecrated upon the altar"
during the private dedicatory services of the Manti Temple (Ibid.,
6:230).
The planet on which God dwells is also described as being "a great Urim
and Thummim" (D&C 130:8), and the earth itself in its "sanctified
and immortal state" will also be a Urim and Thummim (D&C 130:9).
Finally, a white stone will be given to each inhabitant of celestial
glory which is a Urim and Thummim "whereby things pertaining to a
higher order of kingdoms will be made known" (D&C 130:10).
] which the Lord my God had given unto me, in Ur [ So it was given to him pretty early on in his life. Why and what purpose would the Urim and Thummim be needed by Abraham? While in Ur Abraham is given "the records of the fathers"(Abr. 1:31) and here he is given the Urim and Thummim in order to read them. According to his own account in the Book of Abraham, consulted the Urim and Thummim, apparently trying to see if they should continue on into Egypt.( The Book of Abraham doesn't mention why Abraham was consulting the Urim and Thummim, but does place the incident immediately after he asked Sarah to say she was his sister.) What he saw instead was a close-up view of the stars, even as he heard the voice of the Creator begin to explain His creations and their organization in relation to "the throne of God" (Abr. 3:9-10). ] of the Chaldees;
2 And I saw the stars, [ Jewish legend echoes this event in reporting that Abraham possessed a stone through which he gazed at the heavens, (Schwartz, Tree of Souls, 332, Baba Bathra 16b, and in Epstein, Babylonian Talmud: "Abraham possessed a power of reading the stars for which he was much sought after... Abraham had a precious stone hung around his neck...") a kind of super-telescope about which he is reported to have said: "I have looked through my crystal to see the stars." ] that they were very great, and that one of them [ Kolob vs 3. ] was nearest unto the throne of God; [ Note that Kolob is near were the throne of God resides - it is NOT were God lives. ] and which were near unto it; there were many great ones
[ Abraham utilizes the technique of "likening" and that his major purpose in this chapter is not to teach astronomy, but rather to teach of Christ and his purposes. It seems clear that Kolob is utilized as a symbol or type of Jesus Christ. Let us summarize the characteristics of Kolob that will be taught in this chapter. The reader should take note of the fact that these are also characteristics of the Savior:
1. "It [Kolob] is near unto [God]" (verse 3).
2. Kolob is "after the manner" or in the likeness of the Lord (verse 4). The apostle Paul taught that Christ is in the "brightness" of God's "glory, and the express image of his person" (Hebrews 1:3).
3. Kolob is the "first creation" (Facsimile 2:1). "I was in the beginning with the Father," Christ said, "and am the Firstborn" (D&C 93:21).
4. Kolob is the "nearest unto the throne of God" (verse 2; Facsimile 2:1). Christ is described as being "in the bosom of the Father" (D&C 76:25).
5. Kolob is "first in government" (Facsimile 2:1) and is "to govern all those which belong to the same order" (verse 3). Christ has promised, "I will be your ruler when I come" (D&C 41:4). Prophesying of his coming, Isaiah said, "the government shall be upon his shoulder" (Isaiah 9:6). He is "Lord of lords, and Kings of kings" (Revelation 17:14).
6. Kolob holds "the key of power" (Facsimile 2:2). It is Christ who holds the keys of all power. All who hold keys in the kingdom of God here on earth received them under his direction (D&C 132:45), and an accounting of how all keys and authority have been utilized will yet be made to him (see Daniel 7:9-14).
7. There are "many great ones" near Kolob; these are the governing ones (verses 2-3). Joseph and Hyrum Smith, along with Brigham Young, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff, are specifically mentioned as being "among the noble and great ones who were chosen in the beginning to be rulers in the Church of God" (D&C 138:55).
8. Kolob is the source of light for others (Facsimile 2:5). Christ is the source of "light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed" (D&C 88:13).
9. "Kolob is the greatest of all the Kokaubeam [stars] . . . because it is nearest unto [God]" (verse 16). Christ was the greatest of all the pre-earth spirits. He is described as being "like unto God" (Abraham 3:24).
10. There a limit to the order of the physical universe. Kolob is the largest or highest in this order, there simply isn’t anything larger or higher.
The other part of the symbolism or likening in this chapter is concerned with the parallels between the planets and stars and the "noble and great ones [spirits]." We can summarize these likenesses as follows:
1. "The stars . . . were very great" (verse 2). There were "many great ones . . . near unto" Kolob (Christ) (verse 2). Abraham was shown that among the great hosts of premortal spirits many had-through "exceeding faith and good works" (Alma 13:3)-merited the designation "noble and great" (verse 22).
2. These stars were the "governing ones" (verse 3). Of these "noble and great" spirits the Lord said, "These I will make my rulers" (verse 23).
3. All stars are to sustain or be governed by "the great one" (verse 3). Each ruling star has a "set time" for its revolutions. Those spirits who rebelled at the choice of Christ as their Redeemer were cast out (verses 27-28).
4. The star with the longer "set time" rules above the star with the lesser "set time" (verses 4-7). All prophets of God were subject to the discipline of the house of God. None knew this principle better than Abraham.
5. Anytime there is a star with a set time that has another star above it, then there will be another "planet whose reckoning of time shall be longer still" (verse 8). That is, for every star there is a greater star until we come to Kolob (Christ), for Kolob (Christ) "is set nigh unto the throne of God, to govern all those planets which belong to the same order" (verse 9). Abraham was also told that whenever there were two spirits, one more intelligent than the other, "then there shall be another more intelligent than they" (verse 19).
6. To Abraham the Lord said: "It is given unto thee to know the set time of all the stars that are set to give light, until thou come near unto the throne of God" (verse 10). Though it is not recorded for us, Abraham undoubtedly had revealed to him some knowledge of the destiny and mission of his fellow prophets. Such experiences were common to the ancient seers. ]
3 And the Lord said unto me: These [ The many great stars vs 2. ] are the governing ones; and the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near unto me, [ Kolob is not where God lives. It is only near unto Him. Kolob is a governing planet like the one Abraham lives on; it is one that sustains life and is populated with those who have the potential to become like God (the same order). Remember there are worlds without number; Adams there are many, and Eves there are many. A day on Kolob is like a thousand years to us, or a long, long, long time! ] for I am the Lord thy God: I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order [ In other words the temporal order (known as earth life) on which Abraham is now standing in that order as a mortal. Comparing this information with D&C 77:3 and D&C 130:3 indicates there are two orders: one being the temporal order or the earth upon which we reside in it s fallen state, and then there is the other one an eternal order - while it contains the spiritual creations, which include God and the angels. We are taken out of the spiritual order by physical birth and reintroduced to it at resurrection. As the comparisons in these verses are for those things which are after the temporal physical order, we may not be able to apply them to things of the spiritual order. Nothing is directly stated in these verses about the spiritual order with regard to this subject. To order something is to transform it from its awful profane or chaos state into a sanctified, holy state. ]
4 And the Lord said unto me, by the Urim and Thummim, [ Abraham is receiving instruction from the Lord through the Urim and Thummim. These words signify lights and perfections, or, as the Septuagint render them, revelation and truth. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus likewise recorded that Abraham taught the Egyptians astronomy: “He communicated to them arithmetic, and delivered to them the science of astronomy; for, before Abram came into Egypt, they were unacquainted with those parts of learning.” {Bradley J. Cook, “The Book of Abraham and the Islamic Qisas al-Anbiya (Tales of the Prophets) Extant Literature,” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 33, no. 4 (Winter 2000): 127–146.} ] that Kolob was after the manner of the Lord, according to its times and seasons [ So time on Kolob is on the same time system - same time zone as the place where God resides. This phrase suggests that Kolob is being utilized by Abraham as a likeness of Christ-"Kolob [is] after the manner [or likeness] of the Lord. This phrase also suggests that God does exist, and does so in an environment where time also exists. Judeo-Christian concepts of God generally see him as independent or outside of time, but God makes it clear to Abraham that he also exists in time. He has a past, a present, and a future. Indeed, the concept of eternal progression requires such a concept of time-progression means improving over time. ] in the revolutions thereof; that one revolution was a day unto the Lord, [ Suggesting that there was a day and a night, a cycle of time. ] after his manner of reckoning, it being one thousand years according to the time appointed unto that [ The earth. ] whereon thou standest. [ Since Abraham would have been standing on the earth we are informed that one day to the Lord is a thousand years here on earth. See also 2 Peter 3:8. ] This is the reckoning of the Lord’s time, according to the reckoning of Kolob.
5 And the Lord said unto me: The planet which is the lesser light, [ Or the moon. ] lesser than that which is to rule the day, [ Or the sun. ] even the night, [ The moon or the planet that rules the night. ] is above or greater than that upon which thou standest in point of reckoning, for it moveth in order [ It's orbit is. ] more slow; this is in order because it standeth above the earth upon which thou standest, therefore the reckoning of its time is not so many as to its number of days, and of months, and of years. [ When compared to the earth where the sun rises and sets on the horizon each day on the moon it only happens about once every 29 days in earths time. ]
6 And the Lord said unto me: Now, Abraham, these two facts exist, [ What are those two facts of which he referrences here? (1) the "times of reckoning" and (2) the "set times" for the earth, the sun, and the moon. Or the sun rules the day and the moon rules the night. So what? The point is that when there are two things one is higher than the other. As one pursues the "Order" of things you realized that you are always moving higher and higher until you eventually come to God - who is the force behind the organization and the one who give order to all things. So if apply a little logic we can see that if we too apply the principles learned at one level we wil progress and understand more and more, and the more and more we learn the greater things we will see until we become like God D&C 88:49. So just as there is order in all things that God has created there is or would be also order in the gospel and the ordinances thereof. ] behold thine eyes see it; it is given unto thee to know the times of reckoning, and the set time, yea, the set time of the earth upon which thou standest, and the set time of the greater light [ The sun. ] which is set to rule the day, and the set time of the lesser light [ The moon. ] which is set to rule the night. [ Though it is of interest to learn that each planet has its "set time," it is of infinitely greater importance for us to recognize that order is the first law of heaven. Here, again is evidence of the likening which Abraham and the Lord intended to be found in Abraham 3. It is absolutely essential that the Lord's house be a house of order (D&C 132:8) and, similarly, that this principle be brightly reflected in our own households. The heavens are the pattern for the Church. The Church is the pattern for the home. The home is the pattern for the individual. The principle of unity and order is equally important in each sphere. Further, Abraham's vision illustrates that without gradation of assignment and responsibility, there can be no order. Two people cannot occupy the same position at the same time any more than can planets. All are to function according to their divine ordination. In the Church, all are to serve as they have been called. All are to stand in their own office and labor in their own calling. In the family, women are not to act as men, and men are not to act as women. Each is to assume his or her own divinely given sphere of responsibility. All serve in capacities in which there are those who are greater and lesser in authority. If we have been called to preside over someone, then someone else has been called to preside over us, and so on until we come to the very throne of heaven itself. As the stars are governed, so the heavens are governed. As the heavens are governed, so the kingdom of heaven is governed. so, all who would be its citizens must learn to govern themselves. ]
7 Now the set time of the lesser light [ The moon with it's longer day cycle - which is equal to 29 days on earth. ] is a longer time as to its reckoning than the reckoning of the time of the earth upon which thou standest.
8 And where these two facts exist, [ See verse 6. The sun rules the day and the moon rules the night therefore a day on the moon is longer than a day on earth. ] there shall be another fact above them, that is, there shall be another planet whose reckoning of time shall be longer still; [ Some planets will have days that are longer than the earth or the moon. This is setting us up to begin to see where God is. God is not only declaring to Abraham that he is real and that He lives, but also that he is locatable. He is somewhere – not everywhere! ]
9 And thus there shall be the reckoning of the time of one planet above another, [ This progression continues with planets having longer and longer days until you reach Kolob. Jah-oh-eh (the earth. where we finally receive that light) Enish-go-on-dosh ( Our sun. As well as 15 other planets acting as suns) Kae-e-vanrash(Which receives it power through the planet Kli-flos-is-es and this planet controls our sun(Enish-go-on-dosh) ) Kli-flos-is-es( We get our life and light on earth through this planet ) Kolob(One day on Kolob is as a thousand years on earth and is the last measurement of time, not where God is) with Oliblish(another governing planet that has the same reckoning of time as with Oliblish) and then Floeese (which is the moon which reflects that light ) Facsimile #2.] until thou come nigh unto Kolob, which Kolob is after the reckoning of the Lord’s time; [ Which is on the same time zone as the throne of God. ] which Kolob is set nigh [ Near. ] unto the throne of God, to govern all those planets which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest. [ What Abraham is learning in this conversation is that God not only exists, He is also locatable! Why is all this important? Because Abraham is going to use this information to teach the Egyptians when he gets there(vs 15). Abraham is given to understand that Kolob is the governing planet that controls all other planets, and it is of the same order as that of the earth (upon which Abraham is standing), meaning it is inhabited with those who also have the potential to become like God. Among all the stars that we can see are all the other visible galaxies that have their own governing systems. These verses conclude the line of thought by saying time is relative to the size of the star and planet, cp. D&C 130:4.
However, this relativity stops with the upper limit of Kolob, being the greatest in this order of creation. Imposing this kind of limit stops the seemingly infinite expansion that one could conclude from the "if there are two things, there will be one greater" line of reasoning. By doing so, God indicates there is a limit to the "one greater" rule, and the philosophical and mathematical concepts of an infinite numbers of planets is shown to not be a reality. But, if there is a finite limit to things physical, then how can they also be "endless" or "eternal"? Answer: Moses 1:4, 38. ]
10 And it is given unto thee to know the set time of all the stars that are set to give light, [ As if to say if you understand that all of the planets have their order and place; then you will understand that all things have their order and place; including the commandments and ordinances which eventually make their way back to God as well. ] until thou come near unto the throne of God. [ Implying that everything leads back to him. ]
11 Thus I, Abraham, talked with the Lord, [ NOTE that he began this vision looking through the Urim and Thummim in vs 1. Is this really God the Father that he is talking to or is Jesus Really talking for the Father as if he is him? - because in verses 24-28 that he is giving the narrative of what happened with Satan and Jesus Christ in the pre-mortal world. ANSWER - it is the premortal Jesus Christ - or Jehovah The God os the Old Testament. President Joseph Fielding Smith said "All revelation since the fall has come through Jesus Christ...The Father has never spoke to man directly and personally since the fall, and he has never appeared except to introduce and bear record of the son. Doc of Salvation Vol 1:27". ] face to face, as one man talketh with another; and he told me of the works which his hands had made; [ Notice that when he shows his workmanship to both Moses and Abraham he uses the phrase mine hands. the use of the word hands denotes that there was great detail taken in the creation. It implies creativity, comprehension, touch, dexterity and detail. See Moses 1:4. ]
12 And he [ The premortal Jesus Christ. So it will be Jesus Christ himself who will teach Abraham about the creation from the creator himself. John Taylor suggested that Abraham knew more about the cosmos "than all the combined wisdom of the world today" (Journal of Discourses 21:245) ] said unto me: My son, my son [ Said twice which imply's that he is addressing him with more than a casual my son, implying closeness. ] (and his hand was stretched out), behold I will show you all these. And he put his hand upon mine eyes, and I saw those things which his hands had made, which were many; [ More than he could really comprehend. ] and they multiplied before mine eyes, and I could not see the end thereof. [ These verses conclude the line of thought by saying time is relative to the size of the star and planet, cp. D&C 130:4. However, this relativity stops with the upper limit of Kolob, being the greatest in this order of creation. Imposing this kind of limit stops the seemingly infinite expansion that one could conclude from the "if there are two things, there will be one greater" line of reasoning. By doing so, God indicates there is a limit to the "one greater" rule, and the philosophical and mathematical concepts of an infinite numbers of planets is shown to not be a reality. But, if there is a finite limit to things physical, then how can they also be "endless" or "eternal"? Answer: Moses 1:4, 38. ]
13 And he said unto me: This is Shinehah, [ Shinehah related Hebrew words include (sanah), Akkadian (santu), and Arabic (sana), all meaning "year." One of the astronomical terms defined in the Book of Abraham is Shinehah, which is said to be the sun (Abraham 3:13). Earlier in the Book of Abraham the “god of Shagreel” is identified as the sun as well (Abraham 1:9). The context of these passages suggests that Shagreel is a Chaldean (Northwest Semitic) name or word while Shinehah is an Egyptian name or word, although this is not explicit from the text. We do not know how Joseph Smith intended this word to be pronounced; whether, for instance, shine-hah or shi-ney-hah or some other way. However it is pronounced, contrary to the claim made by some of Joseph Smith’s skeptics, there is evidence that Shinehah is an authentic ancient Egyptian word. As this Insight goes on to highlight, previous Latter-day Saint researchers such as the great scholarly pioneer Hugh Nibley have suggested a plausible reconstructed etymology for the name Shinehah in the Book of Abraham. The Insight from Pearl of Great Price Central contributes to the scholarly conversation on the Book of Abraham by providing ground-breaking analysis of previously overlooked evidence and offers a new proposal that the name Shinehah is an actual attested ancient Egyptian word, as opposed to a reconstructed hypothetical one." a Book of Abraham Insight https://www.pearlofgreatpricecentral.org/shinehah-the-sun/ Beginning around 2350 BC, “the walls of the inner chambers and corridors of ancient Egyptian pyramids were inscribed with a series of ritual and magical spells” known today as the Pyramid Texts. “These inscriptions constitute the oldest body of Egyptian religious writings,” and were later copied “on tombs, sarcophagi, coffins, canopic chests, papyri, stelae, and other funerary monuments of nonroyal Egyptians.”4 Discovered in 1880 and translated into English for the first time in 1952, the purpose of the Pyramid Texts was to outline the “deceased’s relationship to two gods, Osiris and the Sun,” and guide them through the afterlife as a glorified spirit.
Among other things, the Pyramid Texts provided astronomical or cosmological information meant to help guide the deceased on this afterlife journey. “Since it was predicated on the Sun’s daily cycle of death and rebirth, the deceased’s own afterlife was envisioned as a journey in company with the Sun.” The path of the sun through the sky from east to west, known as the ecliptic, was envisioned in the Pyramid Texts as a celestial canal or waterway that bisected the sky into northern and southern hemispheres.8 Indeed, this canal or waterway was probably seen as “the celestial counterpart of the Nile.”9 Inscriptions from the Pyramid Texts overtly speak of the sun (or the solar barque) traveling along this celestial waterway.
There are two names given for this celestial canal or waterway (the sun’s ecliptic) in the Pyramid Texts. The more common spelling is mr-n-ḫꜣ and is translated by Egyptologist James Allen as “Winding Canal.” A less common but still attested second name for this same “Winding Canal” in the Pyramid Texts is spelled in a way that by Abraham’s time would have probably been pronounced similar to shi-ne-hah (š[ỉ]-n-ḫꜣ). Although they alternate in the Pyramid Texts, the different spellings of the name would have likely been seen as being synonymous, and so Egyptologists today typically standardize the spelling to read all attestations of the name the more common way (mr-n-ḫꜣ ). Despite this, the name survived into Abraham’s day in texts known today as the Coffin Texts (which were, in part, something of a “direct descendant” of the Pyramid Texts) predominantly as š(ỉ)-n-ḫꜣ.
One of the attested hieroglyphic spellings for the sun’s ecliptic (š[ỉ]-n-ḫꜣ) in the ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts. From this evidence it is clear that both š(ỉ)-n-ḫꜣ and mr-n-ḫꜣ are attested as names for the sun’s ecliptic. The latter is more common in the Old Kingdom (circa 2686–2181 BC) but the former is more common in the Middle Kingdom (circa 2040-1782 BC) and thus Abraham’s day. The spelling of the name as attested in the Coffin Texts from Abraham’s day matches the spelling of Shinehah in the Book of Abraham fairly closely. What’s more, the context in the Book of Abraham is significant since Shinehah (the sun) is oriented in a tiered cosmos of graded celestial bodies (the moon, stars, etc.) rotating around the earth at faster or slower revolutions depending on their relative distance to the earth (Abraham 3:4–9, 16–17). In other words, the Book of Abraham appears to conceive of the position of the sun in the cosmos in a way similar to how it is conceived in ancient Egyptian texts: as a heavenly body traversing the sky from the relative vantage point of the earth below.
so while the Egyptian word for the sun itself is not the same as in the Book of Abraham,17 one of the Egyptian words for the sun’s ecliptic (the path of the sun through the sky) as attested in Abraham’s day is. This in addition to the cosmic orientation of Shinehah or the sun in the Book of Abraham that parallels ancient Egyptian views reinforces belief that the text is authentically ancient." ] which is the sun. And he said unto me: Kokob, which is star. And he said unto me: Olea, which is the moon. And he said unto me: Kokaubeam, which signifies stars, or all the great lights, [ Verse 13 starts out with the familiar triplet of sun, moon, and star. It then continues into the stars being representative of all Abraham's lineage in v. 14. The initial reference to the sun, moon and star is probably referring to the typical celestial, terrestrial, telestial symbolism applied in 1 Cor. 15:41 and Phil. 2:10. That the Jews interpreted this triplet as such before Paul (i.e., Paul was repeating something known, and not presenting something novel) is plainly manifest by this finding among the Qumran texts, which is commenting upon Gen. 1:16.: Surely [all] His [pr]ecepts are truth! May He establish you as holy among His people, as the "greater [light" (Gen. 1:16) to illumine] the world with knowledge, and to shine upon the faces of many [with wisdom leading to life. May He establish you] as consecrated to the Holy of Holies! [You shall] indeed [be san]ctified to Him, glorifying His name and His Holy Ones! [excerpt from a "A blessing for the priests, the sons of Zadock" appearing on page 149, _The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation_, Wise, Abegg & Cook, Harper Collins. ] This differing of glories interpretation is additionally supported by the context of the chapter, as v. 15-21 is a long discussion on differing degrees of intelligence. After the opening of v. 13, the rest of the text is referring to the Abrahamic covenant, cf. 2:9, Gen. 13:16. ] which were in the firmament of heaven. [ The night sky. ]
14 And it was in the night time when the Lord [ Jesus Christ. ] spake these words unto me: I will multiply thee, and thy seed after thee, like unto these; and if thou canst count the number of sands, so shall be the number of thy seeds. [ The Lord has shown him a vision of worlds without end, then says if you can count the sands of the seashores for all of these creations then you will have an idea of what I have promised to you for your posterity in the covenant that I have made with you. Here is another mention of one of the provisions of the Abrahamic covenant-the Lord's promise of posterity (cf. Genesis 13:16; Genesis 15:5; Genesis 17:2; Genesis 22:17; this promise was reiterated to Isaac in Genesis 24:60; Genesis 26:4; Genesis 26:24, and to Jacob in Genesis 28:3; Genesis 28:24; Genesis 35:11; Genesis 48:4). See also Abraham 2:9. Astronomers estimate that there are between two and 25 times as many planets in the known universe as there are stars. And if we low-balled it, and we estimated that there were only two planets per star, there would still be more than four trillion planets in the observable universe. With that many planets out there the possibility that one could be inhabitable is almost 100%. ]
15 And the Lord said unto me: Abraham, I show these things unto thee before ye go into Egypt, [ Remember that God did not tell Abraham to go to Egypt, he left that decision up to Abraham. However; Abraham now gets a confirmation, after he is at the border that God wants him there and has a mission for him there. ] that ye may declare all these words. [ That you might teach these things to the Egyptians, Jesus is preparing him to become a teacher and a prophet to the Egyptians. He was able to restore some ancient truths that had been lost since the time of the first Pharaoh, who was a righteous man. The Shabbakah Stone which was discovered around 1805 – is considered the oldest written text in the world. This was found in the Temple of Menes – the first Pharaoh or the eldest son of Egyptus. The text is a Temple Drama explaining the creation of the heavens and the stars. It's about the Father God who creates the world by the word of his mouth and which of his sons will be put in charge of this world. It tells of “His most beloved son” who battling with Seth (Set) and who is trying to take control of all of God's creation. This document is from 3500 BC. It is a temple drama, written with stage directions, concerning the Council in Heaven and who will be ruling this earth. Do you suppose that if Abraham was learned enough to teach the Egyptians these things that they might be more inclined to receive the things of God as well? Abraham was the head of a dispensation, the man through whom all peoples of the earth in that day were to receive the saving principles of the gospel. When the Lord says to Abraham in this verse, "I show these things unto thee before ye go into Egypt, that ye may declare all these words," did the Lord have in mind that Abraham would be a visiting professor of astronomy, or a witness of Christ? Surely it is of lesser importance what the Egyptians knew about the revolutions of planets if they had no idea of how they are to receive a remission of sins or become citizens in the kingdom of God. Yet, as is often the case, the great difficulty in missionary work is simply getting people to listen to the message. And what better way to captivate the attention of the Egyptians than to first teach them of Kolob and the stars, and then having done so to say, "Now, behind all that I have taught you about the heavenly bodies there stands an even greater truth, a truth through which you become the inheritors of endless blessings-this is the truth about God and his eternal plan for the salvation of all his children." ] [ Knowing that he should proceed on his journey, Abraham entered the "the land of the sons of Ham" (1QapGen 19.13, in Martinez and Tigchelaar, Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, 1:39)-Egypt, long fabled for its wisdom and learning, (See Silverman, Ancient Egypt, 90-103) having been originally founded by a righteous king who was blessed by Noah "with the blessings of the earth, and... of wisdom, but cursed. as pertaining to the Priesthood." That original pharaoh even sought "earnestly to imitate" the ancient "order established by the fathers," the order of Zion, but later pharaohs would falsely claim the patriarchal right of rulership that Abraham possessed (Abr. 1:26-27). Abraham was entering the kingdom of the imitators of Zion. The order of the creation process in the Book of Abraham is similar to that provided in Coffin Text 80, a text that appears in copies dating from about two hundred years before Abraham down to Abraham’s time, and is the only lengthy creation text we know of from that time. The text begins with everything “in waters, in chaos, in darkness.”(Coffin Text 80, in Adriaan de Buck, The Egyptian Coffin Texts (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1935–63), 2:28) The creator was “one who lit up the sky after the darkness.”(Coffin Text 80, in de Buck, Egyptian Coffin Texts, 2:30) The creator discusses the time when “I could not find a place to stand or to sit, before Heliopolis was founded so that I could be in it, before reeds were tied on which I could sit, before I made heaven so that it could be over my head . . . before the divine council existed.”(Coffin Text 80, in de Buck, Egyptian Coffin Texts, 2:33–34) Then the creator “begat the eldest of his spirits . . . when he separated earth from heaven,”(Coffin Text 80, in de Buck, Egyptian Coffin Texts, 2:39.) and then he “made grain.”(Coffin Text 80, in de Buck, Egyptian Coffin Texts, 2:40) Various animals are given life: falcons, jackals, pigs, hippopotami, men, crocodiles, and fish “according to the command of” the creator “so that I may lead them to live with my mouth, which is life in their nostrils. I guided my breath into their throats.”(Coffin Text 80, in de Buck, Egyptian Coffin Texts, 2:42–43.) The account has a number of other details, but it discusses similar topics in a similar order to the Book of Abraham. The potential reference to the preexistence is also interesting. The Egyptian account also differs because it uses alternate names for the creator that might not refer to the same deity. The accounts are close enough for ancient Egyptians to find something in the Book of Abraham that would provide familiar echoes to their own accounts. This follows the idea articulated in the Doctrine and Covenants that God communicates to mortals “in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:24).
There are also parallels between the Book of Abraham and contemporary Mesopotamian creation accounts. Some of the parallels are cursory. The myth of Enki and Ninmah refers to the “day when heaven [was separated] from earth,” and it follows with a discussion of the creation of humans by mixing the blood of a God with the clay from which humans were made.(Enki and Ninmah 1–37, in W. G. Lambert, Babylonian Creation Myths (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2013), 334–337) The parallels with the Book of Abraham are more general. They deal with the separation of heaven and earth before the making of mortals but have little else in common.
Another contemporary Mesopotamian text also talks about how “when heaven was separated from earth, its steadfast companion” that “the plans of heaven and earth were established.”(KAR 4 1, 4, in Lambert, Babylonian Creation Myths, 352) In order to relieve the gods of their work, it was proposed, “Let us slaughter the Alla-gods and let us build humans from their blood. Let the gods’ work be their work.”(KAR 4 25–27, in Lambert, Babylonian Creation Myths, 354. Unfortunately, none of these lines is preserved in the Old Babylonian copy so we are following the much later Neo-Assyrian version presuming that the gist of the two was more or less the same.) Like the Book of Abraham, the separation of heaven and earth occurs early in the creation and humans are created afterward. Though the explicit purpose of life between the two accounts is similar, for the Babylonians, the purpose of life was to do heavy labor for the benefit of the gods so that the gods would no longer have to work. In the Book of Abraham, life is a test to “prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them” (Abraham 3:25). Such a test may include serving God or their fellowman and might involve hard work, but it may also involve many other things—and it involves more than simply being a slave to take over menial tasks. The Book of Abraham promises rewards for obedience which are missing from the Babylonian text.
The Babylonian Atrahasis epic begins after the creation of earth and discusses only the creation of humans. “In their assembly they slaughtered Weila who had the plan. From his flesh and blood [the birth goddess] mixed the clay” and from it produced man.(Atrahasis I 223-30, in W. G. Lambert and A. R. Millard, Atra-ḫasīs (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1969), 58.) The treading of the clay became the beating of the heart. The purpose of creating humans was so that they could take over the heavy labor from the gods.
So Mesopotamian creation texts from the time of Abraham all mention the separation of heaven and earth. In the Book of Abraham this is done in two stages. First, “the Gods ordered the expanse, so that it divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so, even as they ordered. And the Gods called the expanse, Heaven” (Abraham 4:7–8). Second, “the Gods ordered . . . the waters under the heaven [to] be gathered together unto one place, and let the earth come up dry; and it was so as they ordered; And the Gods pronounced the dry land, Earth” (Abraham 4:9–10).
Another similarity with the Mesopotamian creation texts is that the creation of man is connected with the sacrifice of a god. In the Book of Abraham this is mentioned obliquely: “The Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first” (Abraham 3:27). Latter-day Saints connect this with other accounts of the preexistence to equate the one “like unto the Son of Man” with the premortal Jesus and the other with Lucifer (see Moses 4:1–4), and that the creation of man was dependent on the Son of God being willing to offer himself as an atonement for humans. The parallel, however, is with Latter-day Saint interpretation of the Book of Abraham and not the text of the Book of Abraham as we currently have it. That might be different if we had the full Book of Abraham.
One significant difference between the Mesopotamian creation texts and the Book of Abraham is that in the Mesopotamian accounts, humans begin living when the treading of the clay becomes the beating of the heart. In the Book of Abraham “the Gods formed man from the dust of the ground, and took his spirit (that is, the man’s spirit), and put it into him; and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Abraham 5:7). The Egyptian accounts also emphasize that the sign of human life is the breath of life in their nostrils. ]
16 If two things exist, and there be one above the other, there shall be greater things above them; therefore Kolob is the greatest of all the Kokaubeam [ Stars. ] that thou hast seen, because it is nearest unto me. [ Stars get their greatness by being closer to God Kolob is the greatest because of that - So it is with us that we get our greatness & glory by being closer to God. So here we have the Lord teaching Abraham about relationships and patterns and compares stars to spirits, and spirits to leaders. ]
17 Now, if there be two things, one above the other, [ The chapter started out comparing this to the physical world. Now he will use the same comparison for spirits. ] and the moon be above the earth, then it may be that a planet or a star may exist above it; and there is nothing that the Lord thy God shall take in his heart to do but what he will do it. [ "With God all things are possible" Matt 19:26. So no matter what you think there is much more to understand. ]
[ The transition begins here from talking about stars to taking about people. Just as there are different magnitudes between the stars and planets so to are there with intelligences. When simplified, the logic goes something like this (using the examples from this chapter): if there are two things, then there will be a third thing greater. And then if you include the greater thing in with one of the previous two, then you have two things, and there will be one greater still. And this goes on and on for infinity because there will always be one thing greater. Thus, infinite expansion. Infinite regression is just the opposite. Reverse it and say if one thing exists, then what pre-existed it to give it rise? If it is the parents, then who gave the parents their rise? And so on with perpetual regressing because there will always have to be one more set of parents. However, these philosophical nightmares are handily disposed of by saying Kolob is the greatest star and there is none greater. God is the greatest intelligence, there is none greater. There is no infinite expansion. While Philosophers can think of things that result in a conundrum, the reality is these things they think of have no practical application. Now, the matter of infinite regression is not so easily disposed of given some of the comments in the text. The text suggests spirits have no beginning or end (cf. v. 18), so they are eternal and the issue of infinite regression is therefore irrelevant. The problem is we know plainly that spirits are created and have not always been around. This is seemingly contradictory. However, let us consider resurrected bodies. We currently do not have a resurrected body. But at some point in the future we will have a resurrected body. These resurrected bodies will be eternal bodies, not temporal ones. In other words, they will not be subject to birth, death, or change in the temporal sense. Thus, we have an eternal body that is created. This eternal resurrected body has no "beginning/birth" or "end/death" in the temporal sense, but it is created. The conclusion would then be that when v. 18 is referring to "no beginning...no end" it is referring to the temporal time frame. Thus, the issue of infinite regression is disposed of by saying spirits are not subject to temporality so this temporal notion of beginning and end simply doesn’t apply. ]
18 Howbeit that he made the greater star; [ If translated literally into contemporary English it would read "How else would it be that he made the greater star?" and would be appended to the end of the preceding verse 17 rather than in its current location. This reading has some appeal as it would then be a rhetorical question following on the heels of the final statement concerning God's doing His will. Another less literal reading would be "Nevertheless, He made the greater star [i.e., Kolob]." Which would mean that despite the "one greater" rule God imposed an upper bound manifested by Kolob. This latter reading is the better of the two given the broader context and complimentary nature of the textual structure. ] as, also, [ Or for example. Telling Abraham that this is a pattern, a comparison. ] if there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other, [ Intelligence in this context is the spirit's ability to seek for, receive, and be obedient to light and truth. Those who had a greater propensity to do that became “the noble and great ones,” the patriarchs. ] yet these two spirits, notwithstanding [ Even though. ] one is more intelligent [ "We know that we were all innocent in the beginning; but the right of free agency which was given to them enabled some to outstrip others, and thus, through the eons of immortal existence, to become more intelligent, more faithful, for they were free to act for themselves, to think for themselves, to receive the truth or rebel against it." Joseph Fielding Smith Doctrines of Salvation 1:59. ] than the other, have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, [ Or "We have no beginning; We existed before, We shall have no end, We shall exist after, for We are eternal". These two hypothetical intelligences being referenced in this verse have no beginning and no end (see D&C 93:29). There never was a time in the past when they did not exist; they have always existed. Also, they will never cease to exist. Abraham's narrative now shifts from information about the stars to information that sheds light on the eternal nature of our spirits. The Lord is saying that just as one star or planet differs from another, so also can one spirit differ from another! Just as the light of the stars differ in magnitude, so can spirits differ from one another in intelligence and light. Knowing that Abraham has learned the differences between the stars and the planets, the Lord begins to teach Abraham about the different levels of spirits, and his seed and generations yet to come, all from a pre-existent point of view. This is inline with what Joseph received by revelation in 1833 and is found in D&C 93:23-30. However Joseph did not receive the records of Abraham until 1835. In April 1844, the Prophet taught: “I have another subject to dwell upon, which is calculated to exalt man. … It is associated with the subject of the resurrection of the dead,—namely, the soul—the mind of man—the immortal spirit. Where did it [Immortal spirit.] come from? All learned men and doctors of divinity say that God created it in the beginning; but it is not so: the very idea lessens man in my estimation. I do not believe the doctrine; I know better. Hear it, all ye ends of the world; for God has told me so; and if you don’t believe me, it will not make the truth without effect. …
“I am dwelling on the immortality of the spirit of man. Is it logical to say that the intelligence of spirits is immortal, and yet that it has a beginning? The intelligence of spirits had no beginning, neither will it [The intelligence of spirits] have an end. That is good logic. That which has a beginning may have an end. There never was a time when there were not spirits. …
“… I take my ring from my finger and liken it unto the mind of man—the immortal part, because it had no beginning. Suppose you cut it in two; then it has a beginning and an end; but join it again, and it continues one eternal round. So with the spirit of man. As the Lord liveth, if it[the spirit of man] had a beginning, it will have an end. All the fools and learned and wise men from the beginning of creation, who say that the spirit of man had a beginning, prove that it must have an end; and if that doctrine is true, then the doctrine of annihilation would be true. But if I am right, I might with boldness proclaim from the house-tops that God never had the power to create the spirit of man at all. God himself could not create himself.
“Intelligence is eternal and exists upon a self-existent principle. It is a spirit from age to age and there is no creation about it. All the minds and spirits that God ever sent into the world are susceptible of enlargement.
“The first principles of man are self-existent with God. God himself, finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself. The relationship we have with God places us in a situation to advance in knowledge. He has power to institute laws to instruct the weaker intelligences, that they may be exalted with himself, so that they might have one glory upon another, and all that knowledge, power, glory, and intelligence, which is requisite in order to save them in the world of spirits.”(History of the Church, 6:310–12; capitalization modernized; from a discourse given by Joseph Smith on Apr. 7, 1844, in Nauvoo, Illinois; reported by Wilford Woodruff, Willard Richards, Thomas Bullock, and William Clayton; see also appendix, page 562, item 3.)
“We consider that God has created man with a mind capable of instruction, and a faculty which may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the light communicated from heaven to the intellect; and that the nearer man approaches perfection, the clearer are his views, and the greater his enjoyments, till he has overcome the evils of his life and lost every desire for sin; and like the ancients, arrives at that point of faith where he is wrapped in the power and glory of his Maker, and is caught up to dwell with Him. But we consider that this is a station to which no man ever arrived in a moment.”(History of the Church, 2:8; from “The Elders of the Church in Kirtland, to Their Brethren Abroad,” Jan. 22, 1834, published in Evening and Morning Star, Feb. 1834, p. 135.) ] for they are gnolaum, [ Menas eternal. ] or eternal. [ The spirit of man is not a created being; it existed from eternity, and will exist to eternity. Anything created cannot be eternal. ]
19 And the Lord said unto me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all. [ I (Christ) am more intelligent than them all. Our Savior speaks of children and says, Their angels always stand before my Father. The Father called all spirits before Him at the creation of man, and organized them. He (Adam) is the head ... (TPJS p 158) [The Father organized the spirits into families, nations, tongues and people so that they could come to Him to see the body of the man he had formed from the dust of this earth, as we shall see. The spirit of man has no beginning.] Using the definition of Intelligence, we see that the Lord, being “more intelligent than they all,” not only received a fullness of light and truth, He becomes a source of light and truth! Now if this is what it takes to become God, and we are spirits, we have to come to a point where we seek for, receive, and are obedient to a fullness of light and truth so that we can become exalted and glorified in all things! (This is the whole concept of exaltation, the whole concept of the fullness of light and truth in Sec 93.) If that is what a spirit has to do in order to become God, what would Christ's spirit have to do to become God before He came to earth? The very same thing! He sought for, received, and was obedient to a fullness of light and truth before He ever came here; thus, He became the Firstborn unto God. Was He the only one? He was the first of all the spirits to seek for, receive, and be obedient to that fullness of light and truth, thus qualifying to become a God even before he came to earth. He was the only one worthy to become a God even before He came to this earth. We had to come to earth in order to learn this stuff! We have to learn how to seek for further light and truth. some spirits had a greater propensity to seek for light and truth than others, yet God is more “intelligent” than they all. This is how Christ qualified as a God before He even received a physical body – He sought for, received, and was obedient to a fulness of light and truth before He got a body. Christ was in the beginning, as also the spirit of man (D&C 93:29) and He (Christ) was the first of all the spirits to become a son of God by obedience to light and truth, making Him the “Firstborn” unto God - the first worthy for Exaltation, even before birth. And because of the Father’s foreknowledge, He knew that Christ would not sin in mortality, thus making him worthy in every way to be the Savior of all spirits. Because of the Atonement, all spirits can become “begotten” sons and daughters unto God (D&C 76:24; 93:22).
So this is giving us an insight: there are some spirits that have a greater propensity to seek for light and truth than others. There are those with a greater propensity than them, and Christ says, “I am more intelligent than they all.” The Lord is laying a foundation so Abraham can understand who will become the Prophets, Patriarchs, and Leaders on the newly created earth. We have moved from Stars to Spirits, and now we are going to move from Spirits to Leaders of Spirits. Why was Abraham one of these, or Moses, or Joseph Smith? This will be the basis of this next section. These things are so much beyond what a farm boy with only a 4th grade education could ever conceive. I hope you can see that!
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why you were born in America or why you were born into the Church or why you found the Church? Given what we have just discussed, how might you now answer these questions? That is correct! You had a greater propensity to seek further light and truth and you were worthy to be placed in a sphere of existence where you could receive the same opportunity to continue seeking for greater light and truth (D&C 93:30). This is why God called all of the spirits before Him at the beginning and organized them (TPJS p 158). These are the “things more noble” that Joseph talked about. If the soul of man had a beginning it would surely have an end. The first step in the salvation of man is the laws of eternal and self-existent principles. Spirits are eternal. At the first organization in heaven we were all present, and saw the Savior chosen and appointed and the plan of salvation made, and we sanctioned it. (TPJS p 181) I have another subject to dwell upon, which is calculated to exalt man; but it is impossible for me to say much on this subject. I shall therefore just touch upon it, for time will not permit me to say all. It is associated with the subject of the resurrection of the dead, — namely, the soul—the mind of man—the immortal spirit. Where did it come from? All learned men and doctors of divinity say that God created it in the beginning; but it is not so: the very idea lessens man in my estimation. I do not believe the doctrine; I know better. Hear it, all ye ends of the world; for God has told me so; and if you don’t believe me, it will not make the truth without effect. I will make a man appear a fool before I get through; if he does not believe it. I am going to tell of things more noble. (TPJS p 352) We say that God himself is a self-existent being. Who told you so? It is correct enough; but how did it get into your heads? Who told you that man did not exist in like manner upon the same principles? Man does exist upon the same principles. God made a tabernacle and put a spirit into it, and it became a living soul. (Refers to the old Bible.) How does it read in the Hebrew? It does not say in the Hebrew that God created the spirit of man. It says “God made man out of the earth and put into him Adam’s spirit, and so became a living body.” (See Abr 5:7; 1 Cor 15:45) The mind or the intelligence which man possesses is co-equal with God himself. I know that my testimony is true (TPJS p 352, 353); [Our spirit has existed as long as God's spirit has existed.] Keep in mind most of these quotes are from The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. They also can be found in the Priesthood & Relief society Manual, The Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith; Chapter 17, p 209-211.
I am dwelling on the immortality of the spirit of man. Is it logical to say that the intelligence of spirits is immortal, and yet that it had a beginning? The intelligence of spirits had no beginning, neither will it have an end. That is good logic. That which has a beginning may have an end. There never was a time when there were not spirits; for they are co-equal [co-eternal] with our Father in heaven. (TPJS p 353)
I want to reason more on the spirit of man; for I am dwelling on the body and spirit of man—on the subject of the dead. I take my ring from my finger and liken it unto the mind of man—the immortal part, because it has no beginning. Suppose you cut it in two; then it has a beginning and an end; but join it again, and it continues one eternal round. So with the spirit of man. As the Lord liveth, if it had a beginning, it will have an end. All the fools and learned and wise men from the beginning of creation, who say that the spirit of man had a beginning, prove that it must have an end; and if that doctrine is true, then the doctrine of annihilation would be true. But if I am right, I might with boldness proclaim from the house-tops that God never had the power to create the spirit of man at all. God himself could not create himself. (See Abr 3:18)
Intelligence is eternal and exists upon a self-existent principle. It is a spirit from age to age, and there is no creation about it. All the minds and spirits that God ever sent into the world are susceptible of enlargement. (TPJS p 354)
Joseph is teaching us that every spirit has the ability to be enlarged. There is an intelligence of spirit. The definition of intelligence is the spirit's ability to seek for, receive, and be obedient to light and truth. That is what constitutes the intelligence of spirit.
We consider that God has created man with a mind capable of instruction, and a faculty which may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the light communicated from heaven to the intellect; and that the nearer man approaches perfection, the clearer are his views, and the greater his enjoyments, till he has overcome the evils of his life and lost every desire for sin; and like the ancients, arrives at that point of faith where he is wrapped in the power and glory of his Maker and is caught up to dwell with Him. But we consider that this is a station to which no man ever arrived in a moment: he must have been instructed in the government and laws of that kingdom by proper degrees, until his mind is capable in some measure of comprehending the propriety, justice, equality, and consistency of the same. (TPJS p 51)
This further reinforces the definition of the intelligence of Spirit. The exciting thing is that Joseph is teaching us what it takes to become like God! He is also teaching us how we can develop the character of God.
Our exaltation is dependent on the light and truth we receive AND OBEY, until we receive a fullness of light and truth (D&C 93:36).
Abraham learned that there are varying degrees of intelligence among Heavenly Father’s spirit children. (Abraham called the spirit children of our Heavenly Father “spirits” in Abraham 3:18–19, “intelligences” in verse 22, and “souls” in verse 23.) He learned that God dwelled in the midst of all the spirits or intelligences and that God “is more intelligent than they all.” (v. 19) The Prophet Joseph Smith stated: “God himself, finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself. The relationship we have with God places us in a situation to advance in knowledge. He has power to institute laws to instruct the weaker intelligences, that they may be exalted with Himself, so that they might have one glory upon another, and all that knowledge, power, glory, and intelligence, which is requisite in order to save them in the world of spirits” (History of the Church, 6:312). ]
20 The Lord thy God sent his angel to deliver thee [ Abraham just so you are clear it is me; I am the one who protected your life when the priest of the Pharaoh was going to sacrifice you an the altar. It would seem that this verse serves to identify, for Abraham, the God to whom he is speaking as the very same individual who intervened to save Abraham when the priest of Elkenah sought to sacrifice him on the altar. That God is the Lord Jehovah (see Abraham 1:15-16).] from the hands of the priest of Elkenah.
21 I dwell in the midst of them [ The spirit's vs 19. ] all; I now, therefore, have come down unto thee to declare [ To teach , expound, explain, show. To give him his endowment. ] unto thee the works which my hands have made, wherein my wisdom excelleth them all, for I rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences [ Or what we were before we were born to our heavenly parents as spirits in the premortal world. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “I am dwelling on the immortality of the spirit of man. Is it logical to say that the intelligence of spirits is immortal, and yet that it has a beginning? The intelligence of spirits had no beginning, neither will it have an end. That is good logic” (History of the Church, 6:311). Our intelligences were not created or made it has always existed. ] thine eyes have seen from the beginning; I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences thou hast seen. [ The Lord is explaining to Abraham that he has power over all things His hands have made: stars, planets, intelligences (spirits), etc. Joseph Smith referred to minds, spirits, and intelligences as all being the same thing. He also reminds us that each has the capacity for enlargement as they seek for light and truth. Our Spirit is what was born to us by our heavenly parents; we were born as spirit sons and daughters, so in other words our intelligence was clothed in a spirit body and we became spiritual beings. The spirit matter (D&C 131:7-8) from which our spirits bodies were created is eternal. This verse shows God as a condescending God; one who visits His Creation because He rules over them. He is not aloof and distant, but rather dwells amidst the spirits. Verse 21 uses the principle of intelligence to draw the connection between God and His creations. While He is greater than them all and is above it all, He is connected to it because He created it. ]
22 Now the Lord [ It is Jehovah here that is tell the story to Abraham. ] had shown unto me, Abraham, [ Abraham appears to be commenting on what God is telling him. Compare with Alma 13. ] the intelligences that were organized [ This organization of intelligences does not mean creation; rather, this is an organization of leaders. Look at the context of the passage. It is about choosing the priesthood leaders that will have the power and authority to administer the Gospel of Salvation to mankind. ] before the world was; [ Or that period called "in the beginning"; before any creation has taken place. ] and among all these [ Intelligences. Our spirits have existed as long as God's has. Remember, God did not create spirits. These spirits are ready to move forward in their search for light and truth. In that grand council, the one in which we were all present, we saw and heard that Abraham was among those who were already great and noble. They had distinguished themselves by their valiancy in seeking for greater light and truth. All of us had reached the point where we were ready to move forward and could go down to an earth to receive a body. We needed this physical world with this physical body to provide a means for our spirits to gain strength in our search for further light and truth. If we are obedient to the light and truth we receive, we can receive more until eventually we can receive a fulness of light and truth. The concept to keep in mind is that everything is a progression. He has given us power to understand light and truth if we choose to seek for it, which then gives us power to advance in knowledge. ] there were many of the noble and great ones; [ What made them “noble and great”? They had been seeking for more light and truth. They wanted more; they desired to be obedient, and they wanted more light and truth. Though we walked by knowledge in that estate, still faith was required to be obedient and thereby to qualify for the blessings of the Father. There was a gradation of faithfulness among the spirits. There were many who were "noble and great"(Abraham 3:22), implying that there were those spirits who were less great and less noble, perhaps some even ignoble. D&C 138 could be read as limiting the noble and great ones to a select few, note here it says there were "many" noble and great ones. President Spencer W. Kimball clarified who was among the "noble and great ones" (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.29) These include Michael or Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Peter, James, John, Joseph Smith and many others played a part in the great creative enterprise (Doctrines Of Salvation Vol 1 pg 74-75) One of the reasons why the church will naver go into apostasy again is because those left for the final days are among the best. Elder Marvin J Ashton Ensign Nov 1989 pg 36-37. ]
23 And God saw these souls that they were good, [ By scriptural definition (see D&C 88:15) the soul is defined as the body and the spirit. Therefore, since we only had "spirit bodies" in the pre-earth life, God must have seen us during mortality and also as resurrected beings (body and spirit reunited eternally). Then He whose name is "the Truth" (see John 14:6) and cannot lie (see Enos 1:6) said that we were "good." He also stands among us as spirits and saw that we were "good" even then. Doesn't it seem a wise course to admit that God is right and then spend our energies proving to ourselves (not to God—He already knows the end from the beginning) that we are good? ] and he stood in the midst [ In the middle - just like the trees are in the garden eastward in Eden. “The precise term for the living presence of God “in the midst” or betok of his people in the sanctuary, such that the Tabernacle of Moses, and the Temple of Solomon, the Ark was placed in the exact center on the Holy of Holies(Exod 25:8; Lev 26:12). Symbolizing that God is the center of all things. ] of them, [ The noble and great ones who existed as spirits. Eternity goes in both directions. ] and he said: These [ The noble and great ones. Abraham is telling us that God stood among those spirits who were noble and great. What set them apart as “noble and great” was this: they sought for, received, and were obedient to further light and truth. That's the scriptural definition of intelligence (it does not mean I.Q.). These intelligences excelled in their acquisition of, and obedience to, light and truth; thus they were prepared to be God's rulers on this earth—the grand Patriarchs and prophets whose words and example would be remembered and recorded for our benefit. “I am dwelling on the immortality of the spirit of man. Is it logical to say that the intelligence of spirits is immortal, and yet that it had a beginning? The intelligence of spirits had no beginning, neither will it have an end. That is good logic. That which has a beginning may have an end. There never was a time when there were not spirits;” (TPJS p 353)
“Intelligence is eternal and exists upon a self-existent principle. It is a spirit from age to age, and there is no creation about it. All the minds and spirits that God ever sent into the world are susceptible of enlargement.” (TPJS p 354). ] I will make my rulers; [ Those who had a greater propensity than others. ] for he stood among those that were spirits, [ So at this point in the discussion Abraham is saying that were are still spirits or intelligences clothed in spiritual bodied prepared by our heavenly parents. ] and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; [ Abraham was told he would be one of the rulers on this newly created earth. Why was Abraham chosen before he was born? He was chosen because he was one of those spirits who sought more light and truth than others. He was one of the “noble and great ones” that the Lord chose to be one of his rulers.
Interesting to note that in the Hebrew Bible, the Sôd of God was a council of celestial beings who consulted with God, learned His sôd/secret plan, and then fulfilled that plan. This note argues that the LDS endowment is, in part, a ritual reenactment of the sôd, where the participants observe the sôd/council of God, learn the sôd/secret plan of God, and covenant to fulfill that plan. In its broader sense the Hebrew term sôd (סוד) means a confidential discussion, a secret or plan, a circle of confidants, or council.1 Nearly all scholars now agree that sôd, when used in relationship to God, refers to the heavenly council/sôd of God, which humans may sometimes visit to learn divine mysteries or obtain a prophetic message to deliver to humankind. 2 The celestial members of this council are variously called the “host of heaven” (1 Kings 22:19), “gods” or “sons of God” (Ps. 82:1, 6), or “Holy Ones.” Sôd can refer to either the divine council itself or to the deliberative secret results of that council—that is the secret plans of the council—which a prophet is sometimes permitted to learn or to reveal to humankind. Only those who are part of the divine sôd/council know the sôd/secret plan, and only those who are given explicit permission may reveal that sôd to humankind. 3 This concept is illustrated in a number of biblical passages: In 1 Kings 22:19–23, the prophet Michaiah describes his vision of the sôd as follows: 19 I saw Yhwh sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; 20 and Yhwh said, “Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?” And one said one thing, and another said another. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before Yhwh, saying, “I will entice him.” 22 And Yhwh said to him, “By what means?” And he said, “I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” And he said, “You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.” 23 Now therefore behold, Yhwh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; Yhwh has declared disaster for you.4
Notice here that Michaiah participated in the sôd of Yhwh and therefore knows Yhwh‘s secret plan and therefore can accurately prophesy, whereas the other court prophets, with no knowledge of Yhwh‘s sôd, are deceived. Note, too, the important motif that God is sitting on his throne surrounded by his sôd. (22:19). Biblical divine enthronement scenes and throne theophanies often imply a meeting of the sôd.5 In Isaiah 6, Isaiah enters the presence of Yhwh seated on his throne in the temple (6:1). There he meets with the divine council (6:2–3) and is invested with a mission to reveal the deliberations of the council to humankind (6:8–9). Note that in Isaiah the sôd of Yhwh meets in the celestial temple, where Yhwh sits enthroned just as in Michaiah’s vision.
Jeremiah 23:16–18 describes Jeremiah’s response to prophets who prophesy victory for Judah over Babylon. Jeremiah writes: 16 Thus says Yhwh of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the [false] prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of Yhwh. 17 They say continually to those who despise the word of Yhwh, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’ 18 But who among them has stood in the sôd of Yhwh to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened?
Jeremiah 23:21–22 continues this theme, when Yhwh himself speaks:
21 “I did not send the [false] prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in my sôd, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.” The obvious implications of these two passages is that Jeremiah has “stood in the sôd of Yhwh,” just like Michaiah and Isaiah before him, and therefore knows Yhwh‘s sôd/secret plan, which he can reveal to humankind through his prophecies. The distinction between a true prophet and a false one is that the true prophet has “stood in the sôd of Yhwh,” while the false prophet hasn’t. This precisely parallels the description of Micaiah’s vision of the sôd, while the false prophets don’t know God’s sôd/secret plan.
Psalm 82 offers a fascinating description of the “council of God”: 1 God (אלהים ělōhîm) has taken his place in the council (עדת ʿǎdat) of God (אל ʾel); in the midst of the gods (אלהים ělōhîm) he holds judgment. . . . 6 I [God] said, “You [of the divine council/ʿǎdat] are gods (אלהים ělōhîm), sons of the Most High (בני עליון benê ʿelyôn), all of you.”
In this meeting of the “council of God,” God calls the members of his sôd “gods” and “sons of the Highest.”
Amos 3:7—a passage often quoted by LDS—describes Yhwh‘s sôd as follows: “For the Lord Yhwh doesn’t do anything (דבר dābār) 6 without revealing his sôd to his servants the prophets.” Amos provides here a summary principle paralleling the explicit examples of Michaiah, Isaiah and Jeremiah given above. God reveals the sôd (secret plan) of his sôd (divine council) to his prophets.
Psalm 25:14 adds an interesting covenantal aspect to the sôd. “The sôd of Yhwh is for those who honor him; he reveals his covenant (berît) to them.” In this verse knowledge of the sôd of Yhwh is directly linked with the revelation of his covenant. Finally, Job provides a description of God’s sôd, composed of the “sons of God,” meeting in council (Job 1:6, Job 2:1). In Job 15:8, Eliphaz insists that Job has not sat in the sôd and therefore cannot understand God’s will regarding Job.
All of this is, of course, familiar to many Latter-day Saints, since these texts have been compared to several passages in LDS scripture which also describe the sôd of Yhwh (e.g., 1 Nephi 1:8–18; Abraham 3:22–23).7 I would like, however, to move one step further and suggest that we should understand the LDS Endowment as a ritual and dramatic participation in the sôd/divine council of God, through which God reveals to the covenanter his sôd/secret plan of salvation—the hidden meaning and purpose of creation and the cosmos. When we consider the Endowment drama in this way—remembering that in Isaiah the meeting place of the sôd of Yhwh is in the temple (Isa. 6:1)—the Endowment fits broadly in the biblical tradition of ritually observing or participating in “the council/sôd of Yhwh” described in these biblical texts. source http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/the-sod-of-yhwh-and-the-endowment/ ]thou wast chosen before thou wast born. [ To receive the right of the firstborn. In the organization before the foundation of the world. Abraham was foredordained to be a prophet while he was a spirit in the premortal world. Many of this generation are foreordained as well. ]
24 And there stood one among them [ The noble and great ones. ] that was like unto God, [ Interesting to note that the phrase in Hebrew, “like unto God,” is mi-cha-el mi(like)-cha(unto)-el(God) which in a way is a title. He is “like unto God” because he is created in the image of God (Moses 6:9). Like unto the son of man would also imply that he is not the son of man or it would gave said so. ] and he [ God. ] said unto those who were with him: We [ More than one of those who were noble and great. ] will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, [ What does this imply? that the Creation did not spring up from nothing but was an organization of the elements, and getting them to respond to order, governance. ] and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; [ This is the plan of God, this was the only plan. ]
25 And we will prove them [ The Gods in the council said that "we" will let them prove themselves. We are proven through the exercise of our agency. Abraham now begins to understand the purpose for the creation of the earth.(see also verse 26) Abraham who has been obedient to everything that God has commanded him to do now sees the primary purpose of mortality was to test the obedience of God's children. Abraham's record here contains not only a Creation account but also Facsimile 2, an astronomical document of deep significance. (Nibley, Abraham in Egypt, 652) Abraham had now been taught firsthand what he had only read about in the writings of Enoch, namely "a knowledge of the beginning of the creation, and also of the planets, and of the stars (Abr 1:31). Who is proving and who is being proven? We are not here to test or "Prove" God , but rather to be tested and proved ourselves. We are on trial not God. Although earth life was intended to be a proving ground for us all in all areas, for the noble and great ones we were only here to make our "calling and election" earned through countless ages in pre-earth life, "sure" while those who were "not-so noble and not-so great" had to make a calling and election and then make it sure. Could they do it? Yes, but it would be difficult and not very likely. However for the noble and great ones, since the vast majority of the test of Godhood was already over and successfully passed, the essential part of mortality was to get a body so we could progress and eventually become like God (who has a resurrected, glorified, exalted body). How do we know that the vast majority of the test was over for the noble and great ones? Consider the death of little children who never take any of the tests of mortality. They are guaranteed eternal life which is exaltation in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom (see Mosiah 15:25 and D&C 137:10). That seems to be that it would be grossly unfair to exalt over half the population of the earth (the portion of children who die before the age of accountability) if everything depended on how well we do here on earth.] herewith, [ Herewith means "by means of this"-here referring to the physical earth, having a physical body and us overcoming the desires of that physical body. ] to see if they will do all things [ “It is undeniably essential to the eternal progression of God's children that they be subjected to the influences of both good and evil, that they be tried and tested and proved withal, "to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.” Excerpt From: James E. Talmage. “Jesus the Christ / A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy / Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern.”. ] whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them; [ To see if they will make the effort to change their character by seeking for and become obedient to greater light and truth, or whether or not they will become eligible to dwell in the celestial kingdom. This is the purpose of life: 1) to gain a body 2) to be tested. We should not complain about our tests and trails but understand there place. We will quailfy by obedience. See Heb 5:8 Notice that it is the Savior who has suggested that he will be obedient and fulfill the plan of the Father; namely mortality with it's agency and rewards. As Elder David A. Bednar has powerfully explained, “I have been frankly puzzled as I have listened to members of the Church say: ‘I have my agency. I don’t have to live the law of tithing or the Word of Wisdom. I don’t have to be chaste.’ I would suggest such individuals do not understand the doctrine of agency. You and I exercise agency in the making of a covenant. When we enter into a covenant with God, we voluntarily surrender a portion of our agency. And the consequences that come from violating the covenant are not within our control. It is not simply a matter of freedom to choose; rather, it is a matter of becoming covenant breakers. Think of the song Choose the Right. It does not say, ‘Choose what you want when you will.’ Agency is linked to a course of choosing the right. That is why we have agency. What did the Father say in the premortal council? ‘And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them’ (Abraham 3:25). Agency is to be used in choosing the right” (Bednar, Rick’s College devotional, Sept 9, 1997). ]
26 And they who keep their first estate [ Pre-earth life. The premortal life spirits who have been found worthy. So we can see already that there will be some dividing event making it that some will keep their first estate - or they will do as God has intended them to do, and some will not. (The War in Heaven). ] shall be added upon; [ They will be able to continue their progression and recieve a physical body, learn and gain knowledge, know emotion, be tried and tested. ] and they who keep not their first estate [ Those who are not valiant in the first estate. Those who chose to follow Satan and rebelled against God will not get a body. ] shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; [ Why because they will have no opportunity to attain telestial, terrestial or celestial glory because they will be cast into outer darkness as they are without a body D&C 76:31-48; 88:114. This scripture makes it plain that Satan never has been, or ever will be, a brother to Christ—or your brother either! Lucifer did not keep his first estate; thus, he can never become a son of God, which means he can never become a joint-heir with Christ. ] and they who keep their second estate [ Our earth life our mortal probation; including those who were on the earth that did not get a chance to live the gospel because it was not available to them. So if they accept it in the spirit world. ] shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever. [ A type of progression is taking place, but it hinges on being valiant enough in the pre-earth life to come to this earth life. Will recieve exaltation. Now that the earth is created, and the spirits have been organized into groups (those who have been more valiant, and those who have been less valiant), the earthly leaders need to be chosen, and the Lord then asks - verse 27. This is why the earth was created, to provide a sphere of existence to prove, test, strengthen, and train our spirits to become celestial spirits that are worthy of a celestial body.] (See D&C 88:28; 76:62- 69). At this point we are talking about the nobel and great one's, those who will be the leaders on the earth, we need to keep that in mind as we read the next verse. Christ is not one of the nobles and great one's as he is a God vs 19, his intelligence was greater than them all. ]
27 And the Lord [ Jehovah. Note it is Jehovah who is asking the question here. Remember that Jesus is the one who was responsible to organize this world where is looking to send the first man too. This is not the same scene as we find in Moses 4 where a similar pattern is used to select the Redeemer; rather here we are going to select the first man on the earth. No where in the chapter do we find redeemer. ] said: Whom shall I send? [ Now that the earth is created, and the spirits have been organized into groups (those who have been more valiant, and those who have been less valiant), the earthly leaders need to be chosen, and the Lord then asks: So what are we talking about here? Is God asking who will be the first man on the earth or is he asking who will work out the atonement? It would appear to me to be so as in the previous verses we are talking about proving man to see if they will keep their first estate. so; I think that he may be talking about who will be the first man on the earth, who shall I send to the earth to be the first man ( or the first one to go down to be proved. ) - this would then be Adam. So we are at the Grand council in heaven, while the preparations for this earth life are being prepared. see also Moses 4:1-4 (which I think is a different event or time within the same event but I do not think that two are speaking about the same thing as if you notice the sequence is different. In Moses Satan came to Heavenly Father first with Satan's plan in rebellion to Heavenly Father's plan.) vs 24. This was a call for our commitment and common consent rather than a request for résumés.” Satan’s self-centeredness is fittingly reflected in the wording of his proposal. With passionate rapid-fire delivery, he narcissistically repeats the terms “I” and “me” six times in the short span of half a verse. ] And one answered like unto the son of Man: [ Okay first thing is that Abraham did not know the name of Jesus Christ at this point so he would have referred to him as the "Son Of Man", but he did know that the person who was answering was like unto him. One way to look at this is that it could be Mi-cha-el(Adam) because he is like unto the son of Man which is Jesus Christ, and given the fact that Jehovah is the one asking the question here, it becomes more clear to me that he is talking about Michael here. If it was the Savior that answered here would it not have just been The son Of Man, not like unto? Depending on how you read this. See verse 24. This also kind of fits with the idea that Michael(Adam) will deliver up the keys to Christ right before the millenenium. (Dan 7; D&C 72:3-5 All who have stewardships will have to render their accountability D&C 104:11-13) However; if we look at it another way(I think the correct way) we can say that Abraham had read the words of Enoch(Abr. 1:3) and in doing so he learned that the angel taught him(Enoch) the title of the Messianic individual who would accomplish the will of the Father and he was titled by the angel "the Son Of Man". Which was the first reference to "the Son Of Man" and so here Abraham is saying that this individual whom he is identifying is like unto "the Son Of Man" who is Christ - so he is like Christ. Abraham just did not know his name, but he did his title. ] Here am I, send me. And another [ Lucifer. Notice that this one is not like unto the son of Man. He will not submit to become as man; to bear the burdens of man that he might save mankind. Thus he was not sent because his mission; he revised his role in the plan. When Lucifer said, “Send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it,” he is telling God that he wanted to hold all the keys of authority on the earth. God replied, “No, I will send one like unto God (Michael / Adam) for he is more righteous than you.” In all those ancient texts, we see that Lucifer rebels against God’s choice. He refuses to participate in God’s plan – if Michael is chosen instead of him, he does not want to have any part of it! ] answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first. [ Michael/Adam who was the first to respond. Again different from the Moses account where God has a plan and says I will send my chosen one, Lucifer comes and says no send me, then the Savior said "here am I send me" he was just saying in other words I am willing to do as you have asked me to do, he was second to respond because he was the plan and there was no need for those words until after Lucifer had suggested that he go in the Saviors place. ]
28 And the second was angry, [ The previous verse says that Satan was the second to respond. Satan is always getting angry; nothing goes his way; the sooner we learn that the better off we will be; no one wants to be on the losing team. Now, back in Moses 4:1-2, who comes with the plan first, according to that narrative? It was Lucifer, who became Satan. Why is the order reversed here in Abraham? A: It is not the same event! Here the question being asked by the council is who is going to be the first man? One like unto God says, “Here am I, send me. And another answered and said, Here am I, send me. And the Lord said, I will send the first.” This verse in Abr 3 is talking about who will be the first leader on this earth, not who is going to be the redeemer of mankind. Who was that first man? Adam – who was Michael, or in the Hebrew, Mi-cha-el, which means “like unto God,” as stated in verse 24. Several of the ancient texts that discussed the conflict between Adam and Satan. In The Gospel of Bartholomew, Satan said he knew he could not take the place of Christ, for Christ had already been chosen from the very beginning. What Satan wanted to do was do away with the necessity of Christ, and the best way for him to do that is to become the first man – at least that is what he thinks. We see that in Moses 4:1 when he declares that he will be God's son and not one soul shall be lost. ] and kept not his first estate; [ The not keeping his first estate event has already happened to him (Lucifer). Suggesting that these verses are talking about Michael and Lucifer, Lucifer being the one who kept not his first estate. Therefore; Moses 4:1 is a different event altogether. Was not worthy to recieve a physical body and come to earth to gain additional knowledge and understanding. He turned away from the Plan of Salvation. Christ said, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.” It was God's plan, and Christ said He was willing to carry out God’s plan. Satan proposed another plan. It's not wrong to have another plan, but when the priesthood leader says, “OK, this is what we're going to do,” it is wrong to then say, “I'm not going to do that!” That is considered rebellion. Satan was not cast out for having a different plan; he was cast out for rebellion. He is cast out for not accepting the decision. Now remember, Satan was cast out for rebellion! Having a different opinion is not wrong. Being in a council and having different ideas or holding a different opinion is not wrong, but when the priesthood leader (or God) then says, “This is the way it is going to be,” and you say, “Well, I am not going to abide by that counsel,” you have shown yourself to be a rebellious sort and to exhibit wickedness, and no unclean thing can remain in the presence of God. Such was the case with Lucifer. He didn’t necessarily have a knowledge of good and evil, but he certainly had pride, and his own will took over. What he was cast out for was rebellion. ] and, at that day, many followed after him. [ One-third of the hosts of heaven See Rev 12:4; D&C 29:36; Moses 4:1-4. Satan was not upset at Christ's position of authority, but he was upset that Adam was chosen to become the first man for this earth. The conflict or war in heaven had to do with Satan wanting to do away with the necessity of Christ and His atonement. He knew that he could not take the place of Christ (as Christ was the FIRSTBORN - He (Christ) was the first of all the spirits to become a son of God by obedience to light and truth, making Him the “Firstborn” unto God), but he wanted to do away with the necessity of Christ. It was not a battle between Christ and Satan; rather it was a battle between having agency and not having agency; atonement or no atonement; and Glory, whether it be God’s or whether it be Satan’s. Satan was also resentful that he was not chosen to be the first man to begin the whole thing. Joseph taught: The contention in heaven was—Jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved; and the devil said he could save them all, and laid his plans before the grand council, who gave their vote in favor of Jesus Christ. So the devil rose up in rebellion against God, and was cast down, with all who put up their heads for him. (TPJS p 357). This all happens before the earth is created which happens in Abraham 4. ]