The Old Testament "I believe the words of God are there; I believe the words of the devil are there; I believe that the words of men are there."--B. Young, Discourses, p. 125

As we start to really get into the Old Testament what are some things that we need to do to really understand the old Testament?

Here is my list...

1. Constant, diligent, and prayerful study

2. commitment to live the commandments (D&C 89:18-21)

3. latter-day scriptures

4. Knowledge that the gospel was known by the O.T. prophets

5. understanding of the nature of God (i.e., perfect love brought the flood)

6. the nature and purposes of God's plan and covenants

7. understanding the historical context

The Council in Heaven

Last week you discussed -- Our Heavenly Father told us His plan of salvation. Satan did not sustain the authority given to Jesus Christ. We will discuss Satan's fall along with free agency next time.

Jesus Christ accepted His role in our Heavenly Father's plan of salvation. Jesus is the savior of all His Father's creations (D&C 76:24).

We know a little about the pre-existence, and a very little about the pre-pre-existence. We know that we are eternal. We know that God is our spiritual father. We know that He also had a father.

As Joseph Smith said, "Intelligences exist one above another, so that there is no end to them.... Where was there ever a father without first being a son?" (Teachings, 373). And J.S., commenting on John 5:19 said, "Jesus, what are you going to do? To lay down my life as my Father did, and take it up again. Do we believe it? If you do not believe it, you do not believe the Bible" (King Follet Discourse).

- God is only revealing the beginning of our earth--the good spirits helped make the earth. That is you and I... "Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was."--J.S., Teachings 365

Genesis =means "the beginning"

Note that Abraham chapters 3-4 are an account of the gods planning what they were going to do before they actually did it. It's the "blueprint." "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

If you had the chance to ask our Father in Heaven any question regarding the creation of the world - what question would you ask?

Before we get into the creation let's pick up where we left of two weeks ago. Moses has been being taught about the Purpose of life and then Moses take the opportunity to ask the ultimate philosophic and scientific questions of God.

READ

 

What are the questions that he asks? Why and How

so let's go get the answers.

1) Why?-- 2 Ne. 2:25 (give us joy), Moses 1:39 (save us--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.[This is what Gods do, build worlds and populated them]), Abr. 4:25 (prove us), D&C 49:15-17 (provide a place for the spiritual and physical sealing together of families--note D&C 2). Abr 3:24-25(Place to prove ourselves), 1 Nephi 17:36 (place for heavenly fathers children to possess), 2 Nephi 2:13-16 (place for us to learn to decide good from bad).

2) How?-- Heb. 11:3 (by faith), D&C 101:33 (we don't know all the details yet but we will) Moses 1:32 (32 And by the word of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten son, who is full of grace and truth.)

READ Moses 1:40-42
40 And now, Moses, my son, I will speak unto thee concerning this earth upon which thou standest; and thou shalt write the things which I shall speak.
41 And in a day when the children of men shall esteem my words as naught and take many of them from the book which thou shalt write, behold, I will raise up another like unto thee; and they shall be had again among the children of men--among as many as shall believe. What exactly is the Lord saying here in these verses?

[This is signifigant because again God planned for the misguided scribes that translated he bible...discuss figurative vs literal...the more satan could get the creation portion of the bible to be figurative the better his chance of making the whole bible, and everything in it figurative.

42 (These words were spoken unto Moses in the mount, the name of which shall not be known among the children of men. And now they are spoken unto you. Show them not unto any except them that believe. Even so. Amen.)

ASK someone to describe simply how a process works like (What principal makes plans fly) (Photosynthesis) (Nucular Fussion)

We would need a rocket scientist ...explain how the process works.

Now ask if someone would like to create a nucular reactor an test it out? Why Not ?

[It is simular to how the explaination that the Lord has given us of the creation...we are preschool level so if he told us every detail it would just go over our heads until we have gained enought other knowledge.]

Interesting to note how close science and gospel are. The Gospel says we don't have all the answers some we just have to take on faith. Science Says: we have all the answers, and you will just have to trust us (have faith in them) that it happened that way until we prove it. Med School students are often taught "Half of what we teach you will be proved wrong. The problem is, we don't know which half."

What is the difference between the three accounts of the creation?

Moses originally wrote both Genesis and Moses, Genesis has been modified by scribes, Moses and Abraham both saw in vision the orgainzation of the world, each is slightly different in perspective

Read MOSES 2:1

1 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I reveal unto you concerning this heaven, and this earth; write the words which I speak. I am the Beginning and the End, the Almighty God; by mine Only Begotten I created these things;

[Organized-- Framed

Lectures On Faith 1

12 And as faith is the moving cause of all action in temporal concerns, so it is in spiritual; for the Savior has said, and that truly, that "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16).
13 As we receive by faith all temporal blessings that we do receive, so we in like manner, receive by faith all spiritual blessings that we do receive. But faith is not only the principle of action, but of power also, in all intelligent beings, whether in heaven or on earth. Thus says the author of the epistle to the Hebrews (11:3),
14 "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed [ 1) To build by putting together the structural parts of; construct: frame a house. 2) To conceive or design: 3) draw up the plans or basic details. ] by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."
15 By this we understand that the principle of power, which existed in the bosom of God, by which the worlds were framed, was faith; and that it is by reason of this principle of power existing in the Deity, that all created things exist - So that all things in heaven, on earth, or under the earth, exist by reason of faith, as it existed in Him.
16 Had it not been for the principle of faith, the worlds would never have been framed, neither would man have been formed of the dust. It is the principle by which Jehovah works, and through which he exercises power over all temporal, as well as eternal things. Take this principle or attribute (for it is an attribute) from the Deity, and he would cease to exist.
17 Who cannot see that if God framed the worlds by faith, that it is by faith that he exercises power over them, and that faith is the principle of power? And that if the principle of power, it must be so in man as well as in the Deity? This is the testimony of all the sacred writers, and the lesson which they have been endeavoring to teach to man.
1st as spirits,

2nd physically as bodies that were not subject to sin or death no blood,no reproduction - Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
3rd as mortals]

yea, in the beginning I created the heaven, and the earth upon which thou standest.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and I caused darkness to come up upon the face of the deep; and my Spirit moved upon the face of the water; for I am God.

READ Abr 4:1-2 1 And then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning [What is the difference between Genesis 1:1 and this verse? Genesis 1:1 "in the beginning" Genesis would have you believe that this is the starting point but if we are part of an eternal process then then there really is no beginning or end...it is really about the beginning of this earth on which we dwell as described here in Abraham], and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth. 2 And the earth, after it was formed, was empty and desolate, because they had not formed anything but the earth; and darkness reigned upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of the Gods was brooding [What does the word brooding mean? brooding=for what a hen does while incubating and protecting her eggs in her nest.] upon the face of the waters.

Was the earth created out of nothing?

No created mans shaped, fashioned, created...God organized the world from the chaotic elements and gave each it�s own set of laws upon which they were commanded to remain

Read MOSES 2:3-5
3 And I, God, said: Let there be light; and there was light.
4 And I, God, saw the light; and that light was good. And I, God, divided the light from the darkness.
5 And I, God, called the light Day; and the darkness, I called Night; and this I did by the word of my power, and it was done as I spake; and the evening and the morning were the first day.

READ Abr 4:3-5
3 And they (the Gods) said: Let there be light; and there was light.
4 And they (the Gods) comprehended the light, for it was bright; and they divided the light, or caused it to be divided, from the darkness.
5 And the Gods called the light Day, and the darkness they called Night. And it came to pass that from the evening until morning they called night; and from the morning until the evening they called day; and this was the first, or the beginning, of that which they called day and night.

What is the relationship of one of the Lords days to ours are they the same?

1 day =1000years 2 Pet. 3:8, D&C 77:12 The days were not necessarily of the same length - compare to the use of period verse days Joseph F Smith.

Now at the end of the First Day what has been done?

organized and formed the atmosphere, heavens and physical earth. The earth was without form and void; it was empty and desolate. Darkness reigned. Here the earth placed on an axis and given rotation.The �Spirit of God� acts upon the elements to shape and prepare them to sustain life

Read MOSES 2:6-8
6 And again, I, God, said: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water, and it was so, even as I spake; and I said: Let it divide the waters from the waters; and it was done;
7 And I, God, made the firmament and divided the waters, yea, the great waters under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament, and it was so even as I spake.
8 And I, God, called the firmament Heaven; and the evening and the morning were the second day.

Read Abr 4:6-8
6 And the Gods also said: Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and it shall divide the waters from the waters.
7 And 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.
8 And the Gods called the expanse, Heaven. And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning that they called night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that they called day; and this was the second time that they called night and day.

Now at the end of the second Day what has been done?

Firmament="to stretch or spread out" Organization of the firmament or heavens so as to divide the waters on the earth from those in the heavens.dividing the sky (clouds on up to where God dwells) from the oceans

Read MOSES 2:9-13
9 And I, God, said: Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and it was so; and I, God, said: Let there be dry land; and it was so.
10 And I, God, called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, called I the Sea; and I, God, saw that all things which I had made were good.
11 And I, God, said: Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, the fruit tree yielding fruit, after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed should be in itself upon the earth, and it was so even as I spake.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, every herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed should be in itself, after his kind, and I, God, saw that all things which I had made were good;
13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Read Abr 4:9-13
9 And the Gods ordered, saying: Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the earth come up dry; and it was so as they ordered;
10 And the Gods pronounced the dry land, Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, pronounced they, Great Waters; and the Gods saw that they were obeyed.[God's did not just do it and walk away they watched, line upon line, here a little there a little, they shaped the elements gave them the law that they would adhear too and the made sure that they obeied that law]
11 And the Gods said: Let us prepare the earth to bring forth grass; the herb yielding seed; the fruit tree yielding fruit, after his kind, whose seed in itself yieldeth its own likeness upon the earth; and it was so, even as they ordered.
12 And the Gods organized the earth to bring forth grass from its own seed, and the herb to bring forth herb from its own seed, yielding seed after his kind [What do you suppose the Lord meant when he said "yeilding seed after his kind? laws and bounds were given to all creations]; and the earth to bring forth the tree from its own seed, yielding fruit, whose seed could only bring forth the same in itself, after his kind; and the Gods saw that they were obeyed.
13 And it came to pass that they numbered the days; from the evening until the morning they called night; and it came to pass, from the morning until the evening they called day; and it was the third time.

Now at the end of the third Day what has been done?

Waters on the earth were gathered together into one place called sea, and dry land appeared. The earth was prepared to bring forth grass, herbs, trees and foliage. Seeds were planted, and all forms of plant life grew. Each variety then brought forth its own seed and reporoduce its own kind.

Read MOSES 2:14-19
14 And I, God, said: Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years;
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth; and it was so.
16 And I, God, made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, and the greater light was the sun, and the lesser light was the moon; and the stars also were made even according to my word.
17 And I, God, set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 And the sun to rule over the day, and the moon to rule over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness; and I, God, saw that all things which I had made were good; 19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Read Abr 4:14-19
14 And the Gods organized the lights in the expanse of the heaven, and caused them to divide the day from the night; and organized them to be for signs and for seasons, and for days and for years;
15 And organized them to be for lights in the expanse of the heaven to give light upon the earth; and it was so.
16 And the Gods organized the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; with the lesser light they set the stars also;
17 And the Gods set them in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to cause to divide the light from the darkness.
18 And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed. [Note the fact that Abraham says the gods watched until everything was behaving the way that it was supposed to and Moses says that the gods felt that the process was good...in otherwords it was working the way they had planned]
19 And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning that it was night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that it was day; and it was the fourth time.

Now at the end of the fourth Day what has been done?

: Earth was given its relationship to the sun, moon and stars. These lights in the firmament were organized as to be fo signs for seasons, for days and for years.

Read MOSES 2:20-23
20 And I, God, said: Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl which may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21 And I, God, created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind; and I, God, saw that all things which I had created were good.
22 And I, God, blessed them, saying: Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the sea; and let fowl multiply in the earth;
23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Read Abr 4:20-23
20 And the Gods said: Let us prepare the waters to bring forth abundantly the moving creatures that have life; and the fowl, that they may fly above the earth in the open expanse of heaven.
21 And the Gods prepared the waters that they might bring forth great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters were to bring forth abundantly after their kind; and every winged fowl after their kind. And the Gods saw that they would be obeyed, and that their plan was good.
22 And the Gods said: We will bless them, and cause them to be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas or great waters; and cause the fowl to multiply in the earth.
23 And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning that they called night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that they called day; and it was the fifth time.

Now at the end of the fifth Day what has been done?

whales=long stretched ones Fishes and great whales or large animals of the water as is the interpuptataion from hebrew.

Winged fowls in all their varieties. All of these were commanded to multiply and fill the waters and the air each after there own kind.

Read MOSES 2:24-31
24 And I, God, said: Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind, and it was so;
25 And I, God, made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything which creepeth upon the earth after his kind; and I, God, saw that all these things were good.
26 And I, God, said unto mine Only Begotten, which was with me from the beginning: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and it was so. And I, God, said: Let them have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 And I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them.
28 And I, God, blessed them, and said unto them: Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion [What was the basis of Adam�s dominion over the earth? What then is each of our responsibilities for the earth?] over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
29 And I, God, said unto man: Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in the which shall be the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein I grant life, there shall be given every clean herb for meat; and it was so, even as I spake.
31 And I, God, saw everything that I had made, and, behold, all things which I had made were very good; and the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Read Abr 4:24-31
24 And the Gods prepared the earth to bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind; and it was so, as they had said.
25 And the Gods organized the earth to bring forth the beasts after their kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after its kind; and the Gods saw they would obey.
26 And the Gods took counsel among themselves and said: Let us go down and form man in our image, after our likeness; and we will give them dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So the Gods went down to organize man in their own image ["All men and women...are literally the sons and daughters of Deity." "All men and women are in the similitude of the Universal Father and Mother" Ether 3:6 (Bro. of Jared sees god's finger like unto flesh); D&C 130:22 (God's body of flesh and bones) What does it mean to us to know that we are created in the image of GOD?], in the image of the Gods to form they him, male and female to form they them.
28 And the Gods said: We will bless them. And the Gods said: We will cause them to be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and to have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
29 And the Gods said: Behold, we will give them every herb bearing seed that shall come upon the face of all the earth, and every tree which shall have fruit upon it; yea, the fruit of the tree yielding seed to them we will give it; it shall be for their meat.
30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, behold, we will give them life, and also we will give to them every green herb for meat, and all these things shall be thus organized.
31 And the Gods said: We will do everything that we have said, and organize them; and behold, they shall be very obedient. And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning they called night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that they called day; and they numbered the sixth time.

Now at the end of the sixth Day what has been done?

All animal life cattle,beasts, living creatures of the land/earth. Then the eternal father created man in his own image both male and female. And they were given dominion over all other created things and were commanded to multiply and fill the earth.

What is the signifigance of the Lord calling what he has done good 8 times?

In summary

How do the creations bear record of God?

How can we show gratitude for the gift of the creation?

What can we learn about God's love for us as a result of knowing about the creation?