What do you want to say you have done at the end of 2010?
What do you want to have become during 2010?
What differences would you want others to notice in you at the end of 2010?
1. Introduction
a) Clarify Importance of Doctrine
i) Two weeks ago, a question was asked about whether there were many Christs or only one Christ
ii) I danced around the answer a bit because there is no clear doctrine on the subject.
iii) Fundamental Principles
(1) Brother Robison and I have a solemn duty to teach only true doctrine in this class.
(2) True doctrine is salvational.
(3) Anything that we teach that is not true doctrine is of no lasting benefit to members of the class and may detract from their understanding of the correct doctrine that we teach.
iv) Tests to apply to statements that you have heard or read that are not included in the fundamental doctrines you hear constantly in the Church.
(1) Was it spoken or written by a prophet or apostle?
(a) If a third party reports a statement, is that third party a reliable recorder?
(2) Has more than one prophet or apostle taught this doctrine?
(3) Have recent living prophets or apostles confirmed this doctrine?
(4) If we visualize the doctrines of the Church as a giant tree, is this doctrine close to the trunk or is it out on the tips of the branches?
v) ASK – Has the Lord revealed everything there is to know about heaven or all the earths that Heavenly Father has made?
(1) Joseph Smith Statement – "Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 324.)
(2) ASK - In our present condition, could we understand all that we saw?
vi) To conclude, although I have personal opinions, they are not doctrine. I am not aware of any doctrine regarding the one Christ or many Christs issue.
(1) We do know that Christ, acting under the direction of Heavenly Father, has created so many world that they are innumerable unto man – Moses 1:35.
b) OPTIONAL – Story of President Bateman teaching in the temple
2. The Creation
a) Will be studying the Creation today.
b) ASK – How many accounts of the Creation do we have?
i) Genesis 1-2
(1) Written by Moses
(2) Not necessarily translated correctly.
ii) Moses 1:27-42, 2-3
(1) Vision given to Joseph Smith in which Moses' vision is recorded.
iii) Abraham 4-5
(1) Vision given to Abraham recorded on papyri that came into possession of Joseph
iv) Creation account given as part of the temple ordinances
(1) Direct revelation given to Joseph Smith
(2) Not to be discussed outside of the temple
c) Vision Given to Moses
i) Reading 1 – Moses 1:27-29
27 And it came to pass, as the voice was still speaking, Moses cast his eyes and beheld the earth, yea, even all of it; and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the spirit of God.
28 And he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea shore.
29 And he beheld many lands; and each land was called earth, and there were inhabitants on the face thereof.
(1) Verse 27 - Moses cast his eyes and beheld the earth, yea, even all of it; and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the spirit of God
(a) Orson Pratt said that the Lord showed Moses "every particle of the earth, inside and outside." (JD, 16:337)
(b) Suggests a very intimate knowledge that comes from creating the earth.
(2) Verse 28 - And he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God
(a) Suggests intimate knowledge of each individual person on the earth
d) ASK – Who created the earth?
i) Two part creation – spiritual first, then physical
(1) Moses 3:5 - For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth.
ii) Reading 2 – Moses 1:31-32, Moses 2:1
31 And behold, the glory of the Lord was upon Moses, so that Moses stood in the presence of God, and talked with him face to face. And the Lord God said unto Moses: For mine own purpose have I made these things. Here is wisdom and it remaineth in me.
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.
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; yea, in the beginning I created the heaven, and the earth upon which thou standest.
iii) Reading 3 – John 1:1-3
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
(1) Remember Moses 1:32, where God identifies Jehovah as " by the word of my power, have I created them "
iv) Reading 4 - Elder James E. Talmage wrote: "The Father operated in the work of creation through the Son, who thus became the executive through whom the will, commandment, or word of the Father was put into effect. It is with incisive appropriateness therefore, that the Son, Jesus Christ, is designated by the apostle John as the Word; or as declared by the Father 'the word of my power.' The part taken by Jesus Christ in the creation, a part so prominent as to justify our calling Him the Creator, is set forth in many scriptures. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews refers in this wise distinctively to the Father and the Son as separate though associated Beings: 'God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.' Paul is even more explicit in his letter to the Colossians, wherein, speaking of Jesus the Son, he says: 'For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.' And here let be repeated the testimony of John, that by the Word, who was with God, and who was God even in the beginning, all things were made; 'and without him was not anything made that was made'." (Jesus the Christ, pp33-34)
v) READ - Elder Bruce R. McConkie has said: "Truly Christ is the Creator of the future abode of the spirit children of the Father. But he does not work alone. The Creation is an organized venture; each of the other noble and great spirits plays his part. And the earth is created from matter that already exists. Truly the elements are eternal, and to create is to organize." (quoted in Studies In Scripture, 2:81)
e) ASK – What is the purpose of this creation?
i) Reading 5 – Moses 1:39, Abraham 3:24-25
39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
1. Moses 1:39 – The purpose of God's works are to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
2. The way that God does his work is
a. we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
b. we will prove them herewith
c. to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them
3. Earth is a testing ground, a proving ground for us.
ii) God is pleased with the results of His creative work:
(1) Moses 3:2 And on the seventh day I, God, ended my work, and all things which I had made; and I rested on the seventh day from all my work, and all things which I had made were finished, and I, God, saw that they were good;
f) Details of Creation
i) Do we know all the details about the Creation?
(1) No
ii) Creative periods
(1) Genesis' use of the term, "day" regarding the periods of creation has caused lots of consternation for Christian and non-Christian for many years.
(a) Called a "day" in Genesis and Moses
(b) Called a "time" in Abraham's creation account
(2) In the Hebrew bible, the word in Genesis that is translated to "day" is the Hebrew word yom. Yom can be translated as “day,” “time,” or “period.”
(a) The word translated "day" in Genesis 1:5 is the same word that was translated "season" in Genesis 40:4 and "process of time" in Judges 11:4.
(3) Reading 6 - Elder Bruce R. McConkie has said: "As the work goes forward we see the fulfillment of that which God spake to Moses in the Ten Commandments: 'In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day' (Ex. 20:11). It is of the creative events that took place on each of these 'days' that we shall now speak.
"But first, what is a day? It is a specified time period; it is an age, an eon, a division of eternity; it is the time between two identifiable events. And each day, of whatever length, has the duration needed for its purposes. One measuring rod is the time required for a celestial body to turn once on its axis. For instance, Abraham says that according to 'the Lord's time' a day is 'one thousand years' long. This is 'one revolution . . . of Kolob,' he says, and it is after the Lord's 'manner of reckoning' (Abr. 3:4).
"There is no revealed recitation specifying that each of the 'six days' involved in the Creation was of the same duration." (quoted in Studies In Scripture, 2:81-82)
3. Men and Women Are Created in God's Image
a) Reading 7 – Moses 2:26-31
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 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.
i) Verse 26 - Let us make man in our image, after our likeness
ii) Verse 27 - I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him
iii) Verse 27 - male and female created I them
iv) Verse 28 - I, God, blessed them, and said unto them: Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and 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
v) Verse 29 - 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
(1) Some people teach that this earth is an end, not a means to an end, and that somehow, the earth's welfare must predominate over man's welfare
(2) This earth has been created as a means to an end – immortality and eternal life for man.
(3) However, this earth, every particle of it, is a creation of God and should always be respected as such.
vi) Verse 31 - And I, God, saw everything that I had made, and, behold, all things which I had made were very good
b) Reading 8 – Moses 3:7
7 And I, the Lord God, formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul, the first flesh upon the earth, the first man also; nevertheless, all things were before created; but spiritually were they created and made according to my word.
1. all things were before created; but spiritually were they created and made according to my word.
c) Reading 9 - Elder M. Russell Ballard has written: "Families on earth are an extension of the family of God. According to the LDS concept of the family, every person is a child of heavenly parents as well as mortal parents. Each individual was created spiritually and physically in the image of God and Christ (Moses 2:27; 3:5). The First Presidency has declared, 'All men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity' (Messages of the First Presidency, 4:203). Everyone, before coming to this earth, lived with Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, and each was loved and taught by them as a member of their eternal family." (Our Search for Happiness, p70)
4. Conclusion
a) READ - The prophet Enoch, after seeing his great vision, said, "And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations; and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever; " (Moses 7:30)
b) READ – President Uchtdorf has said: Let me first pose a question: What do you suppose is the greatest kind of happiness possible? For me, the answer to this question is, God’s happiness.
This leads to another question: What is our Heavenly Father’s happiness?
This may be impossible to answer because His ways are not our ways. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are [God’s] ways higher than [our] ways, and [His] thoughts [higher] than [our] thoughts.”1
Though we cannot understand “the meaning of all things,” we do “know that [God] loveth his children”2 because He has said, “Behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”3
Heavenly Father is able to accomplish these two great goals—the immortality and eternal life of man—because He is a God of creation and compassion. Creating and being compassionate are two objectives that contribute to our Heavenly Father’s perfect happiness. Creating and being compassionate are two activities that we as His spirit children can and should emulate.
The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.
Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.
Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Happiness, Your Heritage,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 117–20)
5.
a) Contrary to apostate doctrine, Heavenly Father is a being with body, parts and passions
b) What is He passionate about? Creation
c) Above all things, Heavenly Father is a creator
d) When he finishes His Sabbath, the thing that He is the most excited about doing next is creating
e) Master creator
i) Master sculptor
ii) Master geographer
iii) Master chemist
iv) Master biologist
f) No accident that, while His Only Begotten Son was on the earth, he was a carpenter, taking rough pieces of wood, then shaping and assembling them just so in order to create a work of beauty and utility.
g) Of all of the infinite numbers of His creations, there is one that stands above all others in His estimate – His children
i) He puts far more effort into the creation of His children than anything else He does
ii) He does not merely father Spirits, he raises them and teaches them, creates them as righteous and mature spirit beings
iii) When those Spirits come to earth, if they are willing, Heavenly Father's great work of creation continues in their lives
(1) Strengthening them
(2) Increasing their faith
(3) Enlarging their ability to love and cherish both their Father and their brothers and sisters.
iv) Unlike all of His other creations, Heavenly Father will not force his children to become what He desires
(1) He may shatter mountains, roll uncountable earths around in the heavens, displace trillions of tons of water to create a dry path across the Red Sea for the Children of Israel, but He will not force them to obey Him.
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