Headlines/Takeaways:
-We are all members of a divine family, literally
-Our divine parents set a plan of happiness in motion in motion for their children based on free agency and personal progress.
-Critical portions of this plan were lost over the centuries and restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith
Context-Plans on offer:
Mainstream Christian:
1) God is of a completely different substance (as the Greeks would say) or species (as biologists would say) than man, he is without form (whatever that means...)
2) given 1, God is the creator and we are his creatures, we are only in his likeness to the extent that we love and use our reason correctly
3) the Savior's atonement was Plan B, Adam/Eve were intended to stay in the Garden (there are differing views here)
The Protestant Minister Jonathon Edwards is famous for his sermon titled "Sinners in the hands of an angry God". This is fire and brimstone preaching at its best. He was a kind man and likely firing for effect, but the idea of Creator/Creature and fear of God being literal fear rather than respect comes through clearly. The sermon can be found at:
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1053&context=etas
A little taste of the sermon is below:
There is no Fortress that is any Defence from the Power of God. Tho’ Hand join in Hand, and vast Multitudes of God’s Enemies combine and associate themselves, they are easily broken in Pieces: They are as great Heaps of light Chaff before the Whirlwind; or large Quantities of dry Stubble before devouring Flames. We find it easy to tread on and crush a Worm that we see crawling on the Earth; so ‘tis easy for us to cut or singe a slender Thread that any Thing hangs by; thus easy is it for God when he pleases to cast his Enemies down to Hell.
Atheism:
1) All reality is physical/material (latter day saints wouldn't disagree here) and completely random/chaotic
2) given 1, we cannot have free agency (no more than any other billiard ball)
3) also given 1, the concept of a self is very problematic. For example, how does dumb matter think? This is the most active area in philosophy/neurobiology today. Theories range from the concept of the self is a complete illusion (Dennet) to not having the conceptual tools to provide an answer or even to understand the question (what is a thought?)
4) there is no ground for ethics, i.e. if we had evolved a society organized around rape as the reproductive model that would be as valid as monogamy (Richard Dawkins admitted this). In short, to be a thoughtful atheist, one has to leave a lot of common sense experience at the door.
Boiling all of this out, the motive power of the universe in a Christian context is Love and is Chaos in the atheistic worldview.
LDS View:
1) We are members of a divine family with divine parents. The model in heaven is the same as on earth
2) Man is of the same substance, or is the same kind of thing as God. We're literally his spirit children.
3) Our Heavenly Parents designed a plan from the beginning which would allow us to progress towards living the kind of life they live. This was based on gaining experience/knowledge. Coming to earth is key part of that plan. The Saviour's atonement is the critical piece of this plan and was in place and effective from the beginning. We opted into this plan, free agency is the bedrock principle of the Gospel.
Two excellent talks on this topic are at the links below:
Bruce R. McConkie: The Three Pillars of Eternity
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/bruce-r-mcconkie_three-pillars-eternity/
Dallin Oaks: The Godhead and the Plan of Salvation
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/the-godhead-and-the-plan-of-salvation?lang=eng
Heavenly Fathers plan is referenced in many ways, as the Plan of Salvation, Restoration, Mercy, Redemption and Happiness.
Why is the plan referenced under different names?
Many critical pieces of the Plan of Salvation have been lost over time and were restored in modern scripture. For reference, the term Plan of Salvation (or Redemption, etc.) is referenced 32 times in the scriptures. Specifically never in the Bible or D&C, twice in the Pearl of Great Price and 30 times in the Book of Mormon, evidence that the Book of Mormon does contain the fullness of the Gospel.
Much of what was lost referred to the pre-existence, the nature of God and the nature of the Plan itself (known from the foundation). An analogy would be seeing a three act play, but only arriving in the second act. The play would be impossible to follow because the 1st act sets up the context, introduces the characters and explains the plot, setting it in motion. There would be no trajectory or way to understand what the action met.
Scriptures read:
Abraham 3:22-26, D&C 93:29, Alma 12:25-34, D&C 138:55-57
The class called out the following characteristics of the plan:
-We can know/comprehend Heavenly Father through revelation because we are literally his children
-the plan was known before the foundation of the world. Repentance was preached from the beginning
-Free agency is the foundation of the plan. The law of opposition is the spring that drives our ability (along with our agency) to progress
-The Fall was a necessary and positive part of the plan. A fall forward.
-The Savior's atonement was a part of the initial plan (the hub of the wheel) and has been in effect from the beginning
-the resurrection is real and a restoration/union of our physical and spiritual bodies
-death is an important part of the plan (not a tragedy) as it allows for judgement and further progression
-God will save all of his Children that want to be saved. By saved I mean that all who elected to come to earth will progress significantly from where they were in the pre-existence and will receive a level of glory associated with that progress.
Notes from my scriptures:
Abraham 3
v. 12 & 21-Note reference to creation "by his hands" rather than his word
v. 15 Egyptians big on astronomy. Was Abraham sharing the Gospel in their terms?
v. 13 Shinehah-Egyptian word for "eternal round" or the Sun. Kokob is Hebrew for "star", Kokaubeam is plural
v. 16-19-As some planets are greater, some spirits have become greater all the way to God
v.20-veris was inserted between verses showing order & regularity to the universe and that God does intervene
v. 22-23 Intelligences in v.22 same as "spirits" in v.23? What is chosen? a mutual covenant?
v.25-Go'd foreknowledge does not impinge on our agency
v.27-"lie unto" because he had not yet become the Savior?
D&C93
v.12-13-Savior received grace "for" grace (as he gave grace) and then grew grace "to" grace
v. 7-17-verses from record of John the Baptist. John used in his Gospel
v. 11- note that the word dwelt is used, that is lived rather than just visit
v.13-can this be read that the Father had a fullness from the beginning (didn't progress)?
v. 15 Joseph Smith said the Holy Ghost appeared "in the sign" of a dove, not a literal dove
v. 22-Church of the Firstborn is the name of the Church in the Celestial Kingdom
v.36-7-Light/Truth empowers us to forsake evil
v.38-we could/did sin in the pre-existence
v. 51 our prayers do bless others
Alma 12
v.6-9 Alma blames Satan, not Zeezrom, making it easier for him to save face?
v.9 mysteries are just what is hidden-specifi reference is to the spirit/body
v.10 we can't "know in full" until after the resurrection
v.14 our workds/thoughts advertise our character
v.17 we either do the will of the Father or Satan
v.26 If we lived forever we would be miserable
v.23 experiencing death is essential to the plan of salvation
v.17-18 Dee D&C 19-dying in sin is everlasting punishment
v.31 Adam and Eve "fell forward"
v.32 taught the gospel then given commandments
D&C 138
This section was given at a time of death in general (WW1 and the world wide flu epidemic) and specifically for JF Smith. He had lost his wife and 11 children and Father was martyred.
v.22-22 spirit prison-called a prision because sin and ignorance make a prison
v. 56 was probably us
v.57 JF Smith said that sisters will preach to sisters in the spirit world
Alma 12
Abraham 3
v. 12 & 21-Note reference to creation "by his hands" rather than his word
v. 15 Egyptians big on astronomy. Was Abraham sharing the Gospel in their terms?
v. 13 Shinehah-Egyptian word for "eternal round" or the Sun. Kokob is Hebrew for "star", Kokaubeam is plural
v. 16-19-As some planets are greater, some spirits have become greater all the way to God
v.20-veris was inserted between verses showing order & regularity to the universe and that God does intervene
v. 22-23 Intelligences in v.22 same as "spirits" in v.23? What is chosen? a mutual covenant?
v.25-Go'd foreknowledge does not impinge on our agency
v.27-"lie unto" because he had not yet become the Savior?
D&C93
v.12-13-Savior received grace "for" grace (as he gave grace) and then grew grace "to" grace
v. 7-17-verses from record of John the Baptist. John used in his Gospel
v. 11- note that the word dwelt is used, that is lived rather than just visit
v.13-can this be read that the Father had a fullness from the beginning (didn't progress)?
v. 15 Joseph Smith said the Holy Ghost appeared "in the sign" of a dove, not a literal dove
v. 22-Church of the Firstborn is the name of the Church in the Celestial Kingdom
v.36-7-Light/Truth empowers us to forsake evil
v.38-we could/did sin in the pre-existence
v. 51 our prayers do bless others
Alma 12
v.6-9 Alma blames Satan, not Zeezrom, making it easier for him to save face?
v.9 mysteries are just what is hidden-specifi reference is to the spirit/body
v.10 we can't "know in full" until after the resurrection
v.14 our workds/thoughts advertise our character
v.17 we either do the will of the Father or Satan
v.26 If we lived forever we would be miserable
v.23 experiencing death is essential to the plan of salvation
v.17-18 Dee D&C 19-dying in sin is everlasting punishment
v.31 Adam and Eve "fell forward"
v.32 taught the gospel then given commandments
D&C 138
This section was given at a time of death in general (WW1 and the world wide flu epidemic) and specifically for JF Smith. He had lost his wife and 11 children and Father was martyred.
v.22-22 spirit prison-called a prision because sin and ignorance make a prison
v. 56 was probably us
v.57 JF Smith said that sisters will preach to sisters in the spirit world
Alma 12
As a summary, the class was asked to conceive a plan that would be more hopeful than the Plan of Salvation that operates within the constraints of earthly life, that learning is hard. I certainly can't think of one.
Link to PDF of my lesson notes:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B78D5btorZEealJjMkNvLXJpb3M
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