The Creation

Many years ago I developed the habit of purchasing the recordings of General Conference and listening to them over and over again in my car. It reached the point that I no longer listened to anything other than conference (or Mo Tab) while driving. Most of the time, since I am thick skulled, it isn’t until the 5th or 6th time that I hear a talk that I begin to hear what the speaker is saying. An example of this was a talk by Elder Richard G. Scott in April of 2009. In this talk Elder Scott mentioned that he had attended the temple every week for 14 years. He mentioned that if he ever misses, he makes it up on another date. After listening to this talk many times, sometime in July of that year the Spirit whispered to me “Scott, you need to attend the temple every week.” I obeyed.

Attending the temple every week has been an amazing experience. I attend the Salt Lake Temple 6:00 am session every Wednesday. This act of obedience has changed my life forever. My experience has taught me that revelation occurs while in the temple. Everything that happens in the temple has multiple meanings, however, most importantly I have learned that the endowment has little to do with Adam and Eve, and is a story about us individually. This week I had an amazing experience regarding the creation as depicted in the endowment. I would like to share a part of what I learned.

An important piece of what I am about to share comes from a wonderful book titled “The Hidden Christ” by James Ferrell, (the author of the very powerful book “The Peacegiver”). I highly recommend that everyone read it. It is available at Deseret and Seagull Books.

While in the temple this week, and after reading the first chapter in Ferrell’s book, I concentrated on the Creation as being not only about the creation of the earth, but about me individually. The Spirit moved upon me in a most wonderful manner. I began to understand something that I have believed for quite some time, that the pre-existence that we learn about in Sunday School is the kindergarten version of what really happened. Our pre-existence was a series of steps… call them probations, that tested our obedience. The earth had 6 creative periods… perhaps we did as well! Each test allowed time for the elements to obey. When they obeyed, another commandment was given. It wasn’t until the 6th creative period that God finally came down himself and created me in His image.

What does it mean to be created in His image? Is it really what we have always been taught? In the world of popular entertainment, stars are created all the time. Let’s use The Back Street Boys as an example. Somewhere along the line, some producer created a concept (image) in his mind that there was room in the industry for a “boy band.” This producer put together a series of tests or auditions to find individuals who were capable of reaching the producer’s vision. Ultimately the right boys were found. The producer didn’t create the boys from nothing- meaning he brought together matter and organized it into boys- he put together a method for boys that already existed to be created in his image. I am beginning to believe this is what is meant by us being created in God’s image.

In the Book of Abraham there is the very familiar story of Abraham seeing the Council in Heaven where he saw many of the “noble and great ones.” However, just prior to this story, Abraham sees another vision we pay little attention to. It is a vision of the heavenly bodies, including Kolob which is a star nearest to God. Ferrell draws an amazing parallel between the vision of the heavenly bodies and the vision of the spirits. He shows how they unfold in nearly identical fashion. I now quote Ferrell.

“Let’s begin by considering the content and structure of Abraham’s vision of the heavenly bodies:

1.If two heavenly bodies exist, one whose reckoning of time is longer than another’s, there shall be another heavenly body whose reckoning is longer still.
2.There are many great ones- stars- that are near the throne of God.
3.These are the “governing ones.”
4.One among them- the “greatest”- is: “nearest unto the throne of God,” or as God says: “nearest onto me.” This great one is called “Kolob” because it is nearest unto God, and its reckoning is after the reckoning of the Lord’s time.
5.Kolob is “set… to govern” the earth and other plants of the same order.

Compare this to the vision of the spirits that follows it:

1.If two spirits exist, one being more intelligent than the other, there shall be another more intelligent than they.
2.There were many noble and great ones who dwelt in the midst of God.
3.These will be made “rulers.”
4.“And there stood one among them that was like unto God.”
5.This one was sent to make an earth to “prove them herewith,” and he rules “in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences (Abraham’s) eyes have seen from the beginning.”

The parallelism is quite stunning. The stars and the spirits each increase in greatness as they approach God. Given the striking parallel structures of these visions, the vision of the stars gives us a way to visualize the relationship of the spirits with God- that is, our relationship with God. Like Jesus, the star nearest to God is the “first creation” and closest to God. We are told in the explanation of Facsimile No. 2 in the book of Abraham that there is another- a third- standing next to Kolob that holds the “key of power” or right to govern over the other heavenly bodies. So we have three entities at the center that govern all things, perhaps in the similitude of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.”

Ferrell continues: “These visions suggest that spirits relate to God in precisely the same way and according to the same laws as heavenly bodies relate to God. What immediately follows the parallelism is an account of the creation of a heavenly body being made fit for the presence of God. This implies that the story of a heavenly body being prepared for God is also the story of man being prepared for God. The first step in such a process is to “take up orbit” around those who have been called to govern on the Lord’s behalf. By obeying in this way, we signal our willingness to obey the Lord.

“We will go down,” the Lord said, “and we will make an earth whereon these (spirits) may dwell.” Why? “In order to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.” “They who (do) shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever” – “glory in the same kingdom” with God himself.

“Let’s consider the creation in broad strokes to see how completely the earth was transformed by the creative process, and how that change mirrors the conversion that is offered to man.

In the beginning, before it had taken up orbit around the source of light, the earth was empty, desolate, and dark. This seems a pretty good description of man’s state so long as he insists living for himself, on his own terms, refusing to hearken to the light of Christ. But the spirit moved upon the darkness and the earth moved into proximity with the light. Under the influence of the light, a “firmament” or atmosphere of life sustaining air was formed above and around the earth. In this application to ourselves, we might consider this to be as representation of the nourishing influence of the Spirit in our lives. Under the influence of this light and within the protective canopy of this air or spirit, the earth began to come to life. Isn’t this what happens to us when we are nourished by the Spirit and bathed by the light? We, too, come to life as it were, and begin to bring forth good fruit.
Interestingly, it is a t this point in the process, after the Lord has sown his seeds and nourished his creation by his own light and spirit, that he then guides that creation into the orbit of those that he has set up to govern- the “lights in the firmament of heaven” the “greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.”

I have a firm testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. I believe with all my heart that it is God’s work on the earth. I believe that it’s leaders are inspired. I know President Monson personally and know him to be a man of God. I know he is the prophet called to lead the church at this time. I also believe that there are others called to provide light in our lives. We have all been touched by others that have great light, but no particular standing in the church. The light is the light of Christ.

“Isn’t this how we grow as well, As we stay in orbit, as it were, of the light of Christ, and the Spirit, and as we follow that light, do we no bring forth more abundantly? Do we not sustain and nourish all that is around us? Do we not ultimately receive the image of God in our countenances?”

“The parallelism implies that the being who was able to create an earth that was able to come into the presence of God is the same being who can bring us into the presence of God. That being is of course the Savior. The Saviors various names testify of his creative role. On the first day, the “light of the world” introduced light. On the second day. “he that breath unto the people” introduced air. On the third day, the “living water, and the “true vine” introduced water, soil, and vegetation. On the fourth day, the light which is in all things” caused the sun, moon, and stars to shine on the earth. On the fifth day, the “fisher of men” brought forth fishes and fowls. On the sixth day, “the Good Shepherd” and “the Lamb of God” prepared an earth to bring forth the animals and all creeping things. And the Son of Man formed man and woman “in the image of God.”

Just as it was the Savior who transformed the earth, so, too, it is the Savior who transforms man.