1. The Creation Chapter 7
Introduction spirits. There is just the simple statement that
they were so created before the physical creation.
“The Lord expects us to believe and understand The statements in Moses 3:5 and Genesis 2:5 are
the true doctrine of the Creation—the creation interpolations thrown into the account of the
of this earth, of man, and of all forms of life” physical creation, explaining that all things were
(Bruce R. McConkie, “Christ and the Creation,” first created in the spirit existence in heaven
Ensign, June 1982, 9). before they were placed upon this earth” (Joseph
Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:75–76).
Doctrinal Outline ■ “This earth was created first spiritually. It was
a spirit earth. Nothing then lived on its face, nor
A. All things were created spiritually before they was it designed that anything should. Then came
were created physically. the physical creation, the paradisiacal creation, the
See Moses 3:5–7; Genesis 2:4–5. creation of the earth in the Edenic day and before
B. The physical creation took place according to the the fall of man. . . .
plan of God. “Man and all forms of life existed as spirit
1. God the Father initiated the plan of creation (see beings and entities before the foundations of this
D&C 121:29–32; Moses 2:1). earth were laid. There were spirit men and spirit
2. God the Father created all things through beasts, spirit fowls and spirit fishes, spirit plants
Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 3:9; Hebrews 1:2; and spirit trees. Every creeping thing, every herb
Moses 1:31–33; D&C 38:1–3; Colossians 1:16–17; and shrub, every amoeba and tadpole, every
Mosiah 3:8). elephant and dinosaur—all things—existed as
3. The heavens, the earth, and all things upon the spirits, as spirit beings, before they were placed
earth were created in six creative periods (see naturally upon the earth” (Bruce R. McConkie,
Genesis 1; Moses 2; Abraham 4).
The Millennial Messiah, 642–43).
4. God ordained that all living things would bring
B. The physical creation took place according to
forth after their kind (see Genesis 1:11–12, 24;
Moses 2:11–12, 24–25; Abraham 4:11–12, 24–25). the plan of God.
5. God rested from His labors on the seventh day ■ “In the beginning, the head of the Gods called
and sanctified it (see Moses 3:1–3; Genesis 2:1–3; a council of the Gods; and they came together and
Abraham 5:1–3). concocted a plan to create the world and people
C. We were given a unique role among God’s it” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph
creations. Smith, 349).
■ “Now, the word create came from the word
1. Of all that was created, only mankind was
created in the image of God (see Genesis 1:26–27; baurau which does not mean to create out of
Abraham 4:26–27; Moses 2:26–27; Alma 18:34; nothing; it means to organize; the same as a
Acts 17:29). man would organize materials and build a
2. Woman was given to man as a companion and ship. Hence, we infer that God had materials to
helpmeet (see Genesis 2:18, 21–23; Moses 3:18, organize the world out of chaos—chaotic matter,
20–23; Abraham 5:14–17). which is element, and in which dwells all the
3. We were commanded to multiply and be fruitful glory. Element had an existence from the time he
(see Genesis 1:28; Moses 2:28). had. The pure principles of element are principles
4. We were given dominion over the earth and all which can never be destroyed; they may be
things upon it and were commanded to subdue it organized and re-organized, but not destroyed.
(see Psalm 8:4–8; Genesis 1:28; Moses 2:28; They had no beginning, and can have no end”
Abraham 4:28).
(Smith, Teachings, 350–52).
5. All things upon the earth were created for our ■ “It was Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, who,
benefit (see D&C 59:16–20; Genesis 1:29; Moses
2:29; Abraham 4:29). under the direction of his Father, came down
and organized matter and made this planet. . . .
Supporting Statements “. . . It is true that Adam helped to form this
earth. He labored with our Savior Jesus Christ.
A. All things were created spiritually before they I have a strong view or conviction that there were
were created physically. others also who assisted them. Perhaps Noah and
■ “There is no account of the creation of man or Enoch; and why not Joseph Smith, and those who
other forms of life when they were created as
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2. Chapter 7
were appointed to be rulers before the earth was
formed? . . .
“. . . The account of creation in Genesis was not
a spirit creation, but it was in a particular sense, a
spiritual creation. . . .
“. . . The account in Genesis one and two, is the
account of the physical creation of the earth and
all upon it, but the creation was not subject to
mortal law until after the fall. It was, therefore, a
spiritual creation and so remained until the fall
when it became temporal, or mortal” (Smith,
Doctrines of Salvation, 1:74–77).
■ “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. . . . [See Abraham 3:4.]
“There is no revealed recitation specifying that
each of the ‘six days’ involved in the Creation was
of the same duration. . . . the beginning of human life. The Lord must reveal
“. . . Abraham gives a blueprint as it were of Himself, or remain unrevealed; and the same is true
the Creation. He tells the plans of the holy beings of the facts relating to the origin of Adam’s race—
who wrought the creative work. After reciting the God alone can reveal them. Some of these facts,
events of the ‘six days’ he says: ‘And thus were however, are already known, and what has been
their decisions at the time that they counseled made known it is our duty to receive and retain.
among themselves to form the heavens and the “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
earth.’ (Abr. 5:3.) basing its belief on divine revelation, ancient and
“Then he says they performed as they had modern, proclaims man to be the direct and lineal
planned, which means we can, by merely changing offspring of Deity. God Himself is an exalted man,
the verb tenses and without doing violence to the perfected, enthroned, and supreme. By His
sense and meaning, also consider the Abrahamic almighty power He organized the earth, and all that
account as one of the actual creation” (McConkie, it contains, from spirit and element, which exist
“Christ and the Creation,” 11). co-eternally with Himself. He formed every plant
C. We were given a unique role among God’s that grows, and every animal that breathes, each
creations. after its own kind, spiritually and temporally—‘that
■ “It is held by some that Adam was not the first which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which
man upon this earth, and that the original human is temporal, and that which is temporal in the
being was a development from lower orders of the likeness of that which is spiritual.’ He made the
animal creation. These, however, are the theories of tadpole and the ape, the lion and the elephant but
men. The word of the Lord declares that Adam was He did not make them in His own image, nor
‘the first man of all men’ (Moses 1:34), and we are endow them with Godlike reason and intelligence.
therefore in duty bound to regard him as the primal Nevertheless, the whole animal creation will be
parent of our race. It was shown to the brother of perfected and perpetuated in the Hereafter, each
Jared that all men were created in the beginning after class in its ‘distinct order or sphere,’ and will enjoy
the image of God; and whether we take this to ‘eternal felicity.’ That fact has been made plain in
mean the spirit or the body, or both, it commits us this dispensation (Doctrine and Covenants, 77:3).
to the same conclusion: Man began life as a human “Man is the child of God, formed in the divine
being, in the likeness of our heavenly Father. image and endowed with divine attributes, and
“True it is that the body of man enters upon its even as the infant son of an earthly father and
career as a tiny germ embryo, which becomes an mother is capable in due time of becoming a man,
infant, quickened at a certain stage by the spirit so the undeveloped offspring of celestial parentage
whose tabernacle it is, and the child, after being is capable, by experience through ages and aeons,
born, develops into a man. There is nothing in of evolving into a God” (The First Presidency
this, however, to indicate that the original man, [Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthon H.
the first of our race, began life as anything less Lund], in James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the
than a man, or less than the human germ or First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of
embryo that becomes a man. Latter-day Saints, 4:205–6).
■ “There is not a man born into the world, but has
“Man, by searching, cannot find out God.
Never, unaided, will he discover the truth about a portion of the Spirit of God, and it is that Spirit
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of God which gives to his spirit understanding. ■ “It is written:
Without this, he would be but an animal like the “‘And I, God, created man in mine own image,
rest of the brute creation, without understanding, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him;
without judgment, without skill, without ability, male and female created I them. [The story of the
except to eat and to drink like the brute beast. But rib, of course, is figurative.]
inasmuch as the Spirit of God giveth all men “‘And I, God, blessed them [Man here is always
understanding, he is enlightened above the brute in the plural. It was plural from the beginning.]
beast. He is made in the image of God himself, so and said unto them: Be fruitful, and multiply, and
that he can reason, reflect, pray, exercise faith; he replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have
can use his energies for the accomplishment of dominion over [it].’ (Moses 2:27–28.)
the desires of his heart, and inasmuch as he puts “And the scripture says,
forth his efforts in the proper direction, then he is “‘And I, God, said unto mine Only Begotten,
entitled to an increased portion of the Spirit of the which was with me from the beginning: Let us
Almighty to inspire him to increased intelligence, make man [not a separate man, but a complete
to increased prosperity and happiness in the world; man, which is husband and wife] in our image,
but in proportion as he prostitutes his energies for after our likeness; and it was so.’ (Moses 2:26.)
evil, the inspiration of the Almighty is withdrawn What a beautiful partnership! Adam and Eve
from him, until he becomes so dark and so were married for eternity by the Lord. . . .
benighted, that so far as his knowledge of God “‘Male and female created he them; and blessed
is concerned, he is quite as ignorant as a dumb them, and called their name Adam [Mr. and Mrs.
brute” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 63). Adam, I suppose, or Brother and Sister Adam], in
■ “The whole object of the creation of this world the day when they were created.’ (Gen. 5:1–2.)
is to exalt the intelligences that are placed upon “This is a partnership. Then when they had
it, that they may live, endure, and increase for created them in the image of God, to them was
ever and ever” (Brigham Young, Discourses of given the eternal command, ‘Be fruitful, and
Brigham Young, 57). multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it’
■ “We know that Jehovah-Christ, assisted by (Gen. 1:28), and as they completed this magnificent
‘many of the noble and great ones’ (Abr. 3:22), of creation, they looked it over and pronounced it
whom Michael is but the illustration, did in fact ‘good, very good’—something that isn’t to be
create the earth and all forms of plant and animal improved upon by our modern intellectuals; the
life on the face thereof. But when it came to placing male to till the ground, support the family, to give
man on earth, there was a change in Creators. That proper leadership; the woman to cooperate, to bear
is, the Father himself became personally involved. the children, and to rear and teach them. It was
All things were created by the Son, using the power ‘good, very good.’
delegated by the Father, except man. In the spirit “And that’s the way the Lord organized it.
and again in the flesh, man was created by the This wasn’t an experiment. He knew what he was
Father. There was no delegation of authority where doing” (Spencer W. Kimball, “The Blessings and
the crowning creature of creation was concerned” Responsibilities of Womanhood,” Ensign, Mar.
(Bruce R. McConkie, The Promised Messiah, 62). 1976, 71).
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