THE PEARL
OF GREAT PRICE
Personal
Comments by Duane R. Hurst
copyrighted,
October 1999
General Comment:
All colored text is copied directly from
the Pearl of Great Price. Blue text
represents the statements of God or Jesus Christ; Violet text represents the
statements of a prophet (such as Abraham or Moses); brown text represents the
statements of Satan or a recalcitrant person; and black text represents my own
comments, which follow each verse.
These comments include my personal ideas, which I qualify with
“probably” or are stated as my own opinion. Those learned from research are
denoted with proper attribution, including various scripture references. This work began in October 1999. The Pearl of Great Price is copyrighted
through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I wrote the comments deliberately in a
simplified style, for the benefit of my wife.
Although she is fluent in English, it is the fifth of her seven
languages. Therefore, I have attempted
to present my comments and historical information without becoming bombastic or
verbose.
My own comments are copyright protected,
and are not to be distributed without written permission. This can be obtained upon request from Duane
Hurst at the following e-mail address: duanepauline@gmail.com.
THE BOOK OF MOSES
CHAPTER 1
1. The words of God, which he spake unto Moses at a time when Moses
was caught up into an exceedingly high mountain.
COMMENT:
This is very typical of God’s actions with
his prophets. A vision of eternity
often is shown on the top of a
mountain. The mountain or a high place
serves as a substitute for a temple.
The temple represents the middle ground between earth (man) and heaven
(God). An important point is that God
speaks face to face with Moses. This
does not often happen. It happens when
God knows that a special service must be performed by His prophet for the
benefit of mankind. Some of those who
have spoken directly with God include Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and
Joseph Smith. “Caught up” means to be
translated or changed temporarily so that the person can receive the full
vision. A normal person could not live
while seeing such a heavenly vision; that is why God uses His power to help the
person endure the experience. It drains
the body of strength, but repeated experiences strengthen the body, according
to Joseph Smith.
2. And he saw God face to face, and he talked with him, and the
glory of God was upon Moses; therefore Moses could endure his presence.
COMMENT:
Moses spoke with God the same as when we
speak to a friend. This clearly shows
that God treats people in a humble manner.
He does not consider people too low for Him to speak with; people
usually do not have enough faith for God or Jesus to visit them or speak with
them. Both modern and ancient
scriptures clarify that God wants us to speak directly with Him, if we prepare
ourselves to be worthy of that experience.
The glory of God was necessary for Moses to remain alive while speaking
with Him. Without the “glory”
(Priesthood power and exalted status), Moses would have died. Note that in the Doctrine and Covenants
84:77 Jesus Christ calls us his friends.
3. And God spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name;
for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless?
COMMENT:
Note that God spoke to Moses in the
language which Moses best understands.
He speaks to people in their own language, so that they will
understand. He never leaves us confused
when giving a revelation. The concept
of endless is difficult for many people to comprehend because we are too much
involved with the time of this earth.
Some cultures are not time sensitive--they are not concerned with exact
times. The western concept of time
(especially north Europe and the United States) is very concerned with
everything based on a 24 hour system.
Moses was brought up in Egypt, which viewed things in a more eternal
manner. They certainly understood true
principles of astronomy, because Abraham taught them the true concepts of this
solar system and its relationship with heaven.
God also is teaching Moses that he had no
beginning of existence. God taught
Abraham that each person on this earth always existed as a distinct
individual. This is a concept which
many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints during Joseph
Smith’s time had difficulty in accepting.
Brigham Young stated that the idea of a previous life in a spirit world
caused many members to leave the Church.
They did not want to believe that we lived as God’s spirit
children. Sometimes the truth is too
difficult for people to accept, because it is against the customs or traditions
of their country or time.
The Pearl of Great Price is a very short
book, but it offers many answers to the “terrible questions.” These are questions such as: why am I here
on earth; did I exist before this life; who is God; what will happen to me
after death; will I live with my loved ones after I die; can I progress after
this life. The books of Moses and
Abraham contain teachings originally found in the Bible, but they were taken
out by early Christian leaders after the great apostasy. The reason for cutting them out of the Bible
is that those leaders did not agree with the teachings of Jesus Christ or his
prophets about such things as baptism for the dead and preaching to the spirits
of the dead.
God also stated that he has no end. As Joseph Smith said, whatever has a
beginning must have an end. Each person
had no beginning either. Abraham saw
that everyone existed as an individual intelligence, became a spirit son or
daughter of God, was born on this earth, will continue as a spirit after death,
and finally will be resurrected through the power of Jesus Christ and will
never die again. This is endless.
4. And, behold,
thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine
hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they
never cease.
COMMENT:
Here is a clear statement that Moses is a
son of God. It answers one of the
“terrible questions”, one which was of great concern to the ancient
Egyptians. Remember, Moses was raised as a prince of Egypt in his youth.
God will show only a small portion of his
works to Moses, because all the worlds, stars and galaxies were not what Moses
needed to know. Moses lived on this
earth, so God only shows him things about this world. An important point to ancient Egyptians was that God’s works and
words never ceased. Works and words
always went together. First God
conceived (thought) an idea or work (creation of a world), then He made
it. His word communicated the creative
process to mankind, because He wanted to share the joy of creation with
people. It is no fun having a world
without sharing it with other people.
Therefore, God emphasizes the importance of communication. People are the ones who keep themselves from
communicating with God; they often prefer to disbelieve because it is easier
than working hard to follow God’s commandments. Most people follow the easy path in life, just as most prefer to
be a follower than to be a leader.
Later, God will show Moses the meaning of
his works never ceasing. He continues
to make other planets and people on those planets, people similar to us. The concept of eternal creation and other
people on those planets caused some people to leave the Church in Joseph
Smith’s day. They did not like the idea
that God creates many worlds and people.
5. Wherefore, no
man can behold all my works, except he behold all my glory; and no man can
behold all my glory, and afterwards remain in the flesh on the earth.
COMMENT:
God informs Moses that it is impossible
for a mortal to see all of his galaxies, stars, planets, and children. Only an exalted person can learn all of
this. Note that this is exactly what he
promises to each person who lives up to the oath and covenant of the priesthood
(explained in D&C 84:34-39). He
will share ALL with everyone who is exalted to his level. He does not view things as we do: This is
mine and that is yours. He views it as:
This is ours.
6. And I have a
work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only
Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of
grace and truth; but there is no God beside me, and all things are present with
me, for I know them all.
COMMENT:
God gives Moses a warning--he has a
specific work for Moses to accomplish.
Later, Moses will learn that the work is to be a spokesman for God. Moses will help free the children of Israel
from Pharaoh of Egypt.
God answers another of the “terrible
questions”: Moses looks similar to God the Father and Jesus Christ. This is a great comfort because it proves
that God loves Moses, His spirit son.
This verse also clarifies that ancient people knew that Jesus Christ
will be the savior of all people.
God further states forcefully that He will
not tolerate any false god or religion.
He wants everyone to know that God is our Father in heaven. Again, He wants to communicate truth to us
so that we can return to Him after our mortal life is over. He sees all things connected with this earth
and every person on it. He can know all
this at the same time. It is a
difficult concept, but He clarifies it somewhat in D&C 130:6-11 and D&C
88:41. Remember, time is viewed in the
context from where the person is located.
The time of earth is different from that of a different planet or
galaxy. Moses also learns that we all
are individuals whom God loves.
7. And now, behold,
this one thing I show unto thee, Moses, my son; for thou art in the world, and
now I show it unto thee.
COMMENT:
God wants Moses to see the purpose for
this earth because Moses was born on it.
It is very important for Moses to understand why he is on earth. The knowledge is a key for future progress
and is necessary for Moses to complete a mission to free the people of
Israel. Moses already has proved to God
that he is ready to learn the truth about this world. That is another reason why he has this vision. A person will receive revelation after
successfully passing a test, which proves that he is ready and willing to
accept the knowledge. As Nephi said in
the Book of Mormon, God only expects what a person can accomplish.
8. And it came to pass that Moses looked, and beheld the world upon
which he was created; and Moses beheld the world and the ends thereof, and all
the children of men which are, and which were created; of the same he greatly
marveled and wondered.
COMMENT:
This is an excellent scripture. It conveys a profound sense of grandeur when
Moses sees all of the earth, its many separate lands, and each person who had
lived from the time of Adam up to his own time. He “marveled and wondered” because the sight answered the
question of why we are here on earth.
He also had a better understanding of how God operates; the concern for
each person, even though millions of people were shown to Moses.
It is impossible for us to have such a
view with the natural eye or mind. We
are trained to think of only one thing at a time--to concentrate and see one
specific item. Moses experienced a bit
of how God sees and understands us and His creations. Orson Pratt, who lived in the days of Joseph Smith, gave a very
good talk about how we will see and comprehend things after this life. It is found in the Journal of Discourses,
volume 3. He explained that we will be
able to learn and remember thousands of things at the same time, use a higher
form of language and communication, and not forget any of what we learn. Of course, the more diligent we are in this
life, the faster and better we will learn.
This is confirmed in D&C 130:18-19.
Joseph Smith explained that the term
“create” comes from a Hebrew word which means “to organize.” Thus, the creation of planets, stars,
people, animals, and everything else actually means that God organized existing
matter into another form. This is in
agreement with science. This also is
the meaning of D&C 131:7 (There is no such thing as immaterial
matter). Matter cannot be created, but
it can be reorganized into other objects or places.
9. And the presence of God withdrew from Moses, that his glory was
not upon Moses; and Moses was left unto himself. And as he was left unto himself, he fell unto the earth.
COMMENT:
This is normal after an intense spiritual
experience; the normal strength is weakened and the body must rest until
strength returns. The glory (which
strengthens Moses and allows him to see God) is taken away and the mortal body is
weak. “Left unto himself” means the
normal body is on its own again, not receiving special support.
10. And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours
before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said
unto himself: Now, for this
cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed.
COMMENT:
Evidently, the experience was so powerful
that Moses had to rest many hours to regain his natural strength. When he did, he immediately thought about
what he had seen. After seeing this
earth, its people, and some of God’s creation, Moses believed that man was
insignificant. All of his life in the
court of Egypt, he had been taught that he was extremely special--a future
ruler of the land. So, he never had considered man to be of little worth. Now he saw how little power man had compared
to God. Note that in Moses 1:39 God
will inform Moses that man is of more importance than any other creation. God’s work and glory is to help each of us
to advance as far as possible, hopefully to live in the highest kingdom.
11. But now mine
own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my
natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his
presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was
transfigured before him.
COMMENT:
This clearly explains the manner in which
Moses was able to see God face to face.
He had to be transfigured (changed for a short time) in order to live
through the experience. As in true
visions, the natural eye does not “see” the event--the mind receives the
knowledge directly. Too often, people
misunderstand that the natural eye must see something to believe that it
exists. Blind people can receive
knowledge just as clearly, because knowledge of a higher level can be sent
directly into the mind.
Moses states the fact that a mortal cannot
see God and live, unless his mortal body is changed temporarily. He also states plainly that a person can see
God if that is what he wants to happen.
This further proves that man has a body similar to God, which answers
another of the “terrible questions”--what is God like.
12. And it came to pass that when Moses had said these words,
behold, Satan came tempting him, saying: Moses, son of man, worship me.
COMMENT:
This is a very interesting verse. It shows that Satan, like a good tactician,
always attacks and tempts someone when he is weak. He also resorts to both a lie and an insult. The lie here is that he demands worship/honor from Moses, pretending
to be worthy of such honor. He knows
that he is unworthy of any respect and honor, but demands it. Note that in this event, Satan makes a
demand rather than using subtlety.
The insult is in calling Moses a son of
man, meaning only a mortal man. Moses
6:57 shows the correct name for God--Man of Holiness. The verse also says that Jesus Christ is the true son of God--the
Son of Man. We use capital letters to
distinguish between “man” the mortal and “Man” our Father in heaven. Satan insults both Moses and God. His accusation is that God is no more
important to Satan than any mortal man; both are Satan’s hated enemies.
It is also interesting to see that God
chooses to call Himself “Man”, indicating that it is an honor to be a true
man. This is another reason why
throughout the history of the earth, during all periods and in all lands, Satan
and his followers encourage support of a matriarchal system. The patriarchal order is the correct method
of using priesthood for the benefit of all people. Foolish men and women throw away the system of God (it is
difficult to follow), preferring to follow the system of Satan (it is easy).
13. And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of
God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I
should worship thee?
COMMENT:
Moses can see Satan with his natural
eyes. He refuses to worship Satan,
bluntly pointing out that Satan has no glory and is not worthy of worship. Moses now has a perfect knowledge of
God. He also knows that his mortal body
is in the same shape as both God and Jesus Christ.
14. For behold,
I could not look upon God, except his glory should come upon me, and I were
strengthened before him. But I can look
upon thee in the natural man. Is it not
so, surely?
COMMENT:
Moses continues to state the obvious, that
Satan is unworthy of worship. There is
no glory and the natural eye can see Satan.
In contrast, a wondrous glory surrounds God.
15. Blessed be
the name of my God, for his Spirit hath not altogether withdrawn from me, or
else where is thy glory, for it is darkness unto me? And I can judge between thee and God; for God said unto me:
Worship God, for him only shalt thou serve.
COMMENT:
Moses easily distinguishes between the
light of truth and darkness of Satan’s lies.
This is explained very well in D&C sections 84:45 and 88:7,
11-13. These sections show the
relationship between light, life, truth, knowledge and Jesus Christ. Through the priesthood authority, Christ is
able to create and sustain worlds. He
organizes the stars, the lights which give light and life to all living plants
and animals. Light lets us see things
clearly--the more light, the better we see.
Light shows us the truth of something, giving us knowledge. A fullness of light/truth/knowledge is
possible through Christ. That is why He
is “the way” and is the “life of the world”--he intertwines these principles. This is deep doctrine. It answers all of the “terrible questions”
(the questions about life that most people fear) about why we are here; where
we came from; where we go after death; who made us; will we exist as families;
how the universe and all things were created.
Satan always works in the dark, because
light/truth are his opposite. His goal
is to destroy God’s plan for us. Moses
is not tricked. He still experiences
the glory of God. This verse also
indicates that we have a duty to judge.
We are expected to judge (to choose) between light and darkness; truth
and falsehood. Today, many urge us not
to be “judgmental”, but this is foolish.
We always judge things in life, but the key is to judge correctly
(righteously). Those who refuse to
judge will follow anyone who has a
stronger character. Too many people
follow after leaders into the darkness.
Moses restates God’s command to worship
only God. These verses reveal that
Moses understands and accepts God. This
is in contrast to his earlier life in the court of Egypt, where he had been
taught to worship many idols. Indeed,
he had been taught to view Pharaoh as a god.
16. Get thee
hence, Satan; deceive me not; for God said unto me: Thou art after the similitude of mine Only
Begotten.
COMMENT:
This is the first attempt that Moses makes
to order Satan away from him. It has no
effect since Moses actually is not using the priesthood or invoking the name of
Christ. Without such proper authority,
Satan ignores the command. Of course,
the order to “deceive me not” also is ignored.
Moses affirms his knowledge that he has a
physical shape similar to Christ. The
term “Only Begotten” always refers to Jesus Christ, because he is the only
physical son of our Heavenly Father. We
all are his spirit children, but Christ is both his spiritual and physical
son. This, of course, leads to a very
interesting and ignored relationship of God, Mary, and Jesus. Christ is fully legitimate.
17. And he also
gave me commandments when he called unto me out of the burning bush, saying: Call upon God in the name of mine Only Begotten, and worship me.
COMMENT:
Moses states the legitimacy of his calling
and position. He informs Satan that God
gave him commandments. A key
commandment is to know God and show Him proper respect. The burning bush reference is to the time
when Moses was at the base of a mountain in Sinai (he was chasing a lost
sheep). He saw a strange sight and went
to investigate it. It was a bush that
“burned” with an unusual light, one which did not burn the bush. At that time, he first heard the voice of
Christ calling him. (The name Jehovah is another name for Jesus
Christ. It actually means “Unchangable One" (I am) and
indicates His eternal nature--no beginning and no end.)
18. And again Moses said: I will not cease to call upon God, I have other things to
inquire of him: for his glory has been upon me, wherefore I can judge between
him and thee. Depart hence, Satan.
COMMENT:
Here is the second time that Moses orders
Satan to leave. Again he is
unsuccessful because he does not use the priesthood or the name of Christ as
authority.
He also is honest in stating that Satan
has no glory, and that Moses has more to ask God. His recent vision encourages Moses to seek more revelation. He has a higher faith. The lower level of faith can be compared to
the belief I had that I could build a basement room. I had not done it before, but believed that I could do it. After I did it, the next time I build such a
room, it will be done with a higher faith.
One that is based on knowledge.
I have faith that I can build again, based on knowledge that I did it in
the past.
Joseph Smith explained that God operates
on the higher faith. He knows that He
can make a world or complete an action, because He has done it many times in
the past. We also can operate in this
higher faith. First must come a belief,
so that we can seek faith based on knowledge.
This is why Jesus said it is our duty and privilege to know God. (D&C 93:19 says: “I give unto you these sayings that you may
understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come
unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness.”)
19. And now, when Moses had said these words, Satan cried with a
loud voice, and rent upon the earth, and commanded, saying: I am the Only Begotten, worship me.
COMMENT:
This sounds very similar to the crying of
a spoiled child. Of course, Satan lies
again--with a false claim of him being the “Only Begotten”. He knows that it is a lie. When he cannot get his way, the spoiled liar
has a temper tantrum. It is an old ploy
to get parents or an adult to give the child what he wants. In this case, Satan wants honor and respect
from other people (Moses in this event).
20. And it came to pass that Moses began to fear exceedingly; and as
he began to fear, he saw the bitterness of hell. Nevertheless, calling upon God, he received strength, and he
commanded, saying: Depart
from me, Satan, for this one God only will I worship, which is the God of
glory.
COMMENT:
This is the third unsuccessful attempt by
Moses to order Satan away. Again, it is
a failure because the priesthood and name of Christ are not used. However, note that Moses overcomes the fear,
as he uses faith and calls upon God. He
gains strength through this faith and proper exercise of it.
Moses sees the “bitterness of hell”--this
is explained quite well in D&C 76:30-48.
He begins to fear as he sees the power of Satan. Actually, as Brigham Young and Joseph Smith
often taught, Satan only has power over us when we give him that power. Faith is the key. Either we have faith in God or we have faith in the world (and
Satan has been granted temporary influence over the world).
This experience is very typical of ancient
epics. According to myths and stories
throughout history, the king or hero must face a near-death combat with evil
before he is saved by God. Those who
faced such a severe test include: Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Alma, and
Joseph Smith. The ultimate example of
this, of course, was Jesus Christ.
Indeed, the concept of the king/ hero epic came from Adam’s
understanding and teaching his children about the sacrifice of Christ. Later people corrupted this atonement of
Christ, making it part of their own false religion but also changing the names
and exact meaning.
21. And now Satan began to tremble, and the earth shook; and Moses
received strength, and called upon God, saying: In the
name of the Only Begotten, depart hence, Satan.
COMMENT:
Finally, success comes. Moses orders Satan away through the
priesthood and name of Christ. Although
it is not explicitly stated, Moses used the priesthood. He already had the higher priesthood given
to him through his father-in-law, Jethro.
Remember, in D&C 84:19 gives the reason for the higher (Melchizedek)
priesthood being on earth. It states: “And this greater priesthood administereth
the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of
the knowledge of God.” Melchizedek was Shem, the son of Noah. He also was the king of Salem (now called
Jerusalem), which he organized into a city of Zion after the flood. The higher priesthood was named after him,
as explained in D&C 107:2-4.
Abraham received this priesthood directly from Melchizedek. (The first Zion was the city of Enoch.)
The earth probably shook for two
reasons. One-- Satan received a
temporary ability to “rule” over the earth (which means, he can influence
mortal people). So, his anger and
frustration could cause some earth tremors.
Two--the earth actually is under the control of Christ. It quaked in recognition of the true ruler
and in rejection of Satan. As Satan
trembled in fear, the earth symbolically tried to shake off Satan’s corrupt
influence.
22. And it came to pass that Satan cried with a loud voice, with
weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and he departed hence, even from
the presence of Moses, that he beheld him not.
COMMENT:
So, Satan finally goes away from
Moses. His departure is very much as a
spoiled, crying boy. This is not the
action of a man. In the past, gnashing
meant more than just grinding the teeth.
It was biting something in anger, similar to a mad or crazy animal. Satan’s anger is so deep that it is totally irrational.
Although he has great intellect, Satan
operates more on misguided emotion than he does on rational thought. Most people who follow his teachings in this
world often operate on emotion also.
They cannot see the logic of the gospel plan. A lesser number of people choose to follow evil as a thoughtful,
although misguided, choice. Both types
of people are dangerous. The first
usually are followers and zealots. They
are the mob. The second lead others to
destruction. They cause misery and
death to billions of souls.
23. And now of this thing Moses bore record; but because of
wickedness it is not had among the children of men.
COMMENT:
Moses wrote about his vision and it was
part of the early scriptures. Lehi had
a copy of this record; it was on the brass plates of Laban. Many years later, Israelites cut out or
changed much of what Moses wrote. Most
of these things were cut out by Christian scholars and priests--mostly because
of Greek philosophers who joined the Christian faith. Such men did not like the teachings about our previous life as
spirit children of God. They also did
not believe that anyone could see God. Likewise,
many of them rejected the idea of a resurrection. In truth, they received membership in the church but did not
accept the gospel.
This is why the Pearl of Great Price was
restored through Joseph Smith. God
wants us to know about Him and our purpose in life.
24. And it came to pass that when Satan had departed from the
presence of Moses, that Moses lifted up his eyes unto heaven, being filled with
the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the Father and the Son,
COMMENT:
Now that Satan is forced to leave (by
correctly using the priesthood and name of Christ), Moses is rewarded with
another witness. The Holy Ghost gives
him a sure testimony. Note that this
action and the visit of Jesus Christ constitute what is called the Second
Comforter. It also reminds us of
“having your election made sure.” This
is a condition which Joseph Smith said happens to those in this life who
demonstrate full faith. They receive
confirmation from God that they will be exalted and receive a fulness of all
promised blessings. These blessings
were explained to Abraham (see Abraham 2:9-11). This scripture also clarifies that the ancient prophets
understood the correct relationship of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the
Holy Ghost (a better English translation should be the “Holy Spirit” rather
than a “Ghost”).
25. And calling upon the name of God, he beheld his glory again, for
it was upon him, and he heard a voice, saying: Blessed art thou, Moses, for I, the Almighty, have chosen
thee, and thou shalt be made stronger than many waters; for they shall obey thy
command as if thou wert God.
COMMENT:
Here again is the principle of “seek and
ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened”.
Moses asks and he receives another talk with God. He already proved that he has faith enough
to have an open vision.
God blesses Moses by giving him a work to
accomplish. The work is to free the
people of Israel from Pharaoh, king of Egypt (Sethos I; his son, Ramesses II,
was pharaoh during the exodus). I think
it is important to know why the Egyptians made the Israelites into slaves. Joseph, the son of Jacob (also called
Israel, the prophet who had 12 sons--the future 12 tribes of Israel), was sold
into slavery by his jealous brothers.
They were angry with Joseph, especially after Jacob gave a special coat
to Joseph. The Bible calls it a coat of
many colors; however, a correct translation of the ancient Bible language shows
that the “coat” actually was a garment with special markings. According to tradition and old writings, it
was the same coat of skins that Adam received in the garden of Eden. It was the garment of the priesthood. It also represented Joseph receiving
leadership over his brothers. (This is
explained by professor Hugh Nibley, a BYU professor and well known expert of
ancient languages and history.)
The jealous brothers sold Joseph into
slavery and lied to their father, saying that Joseph had been killed by a wild
animal. Egypt at that time already had
been conquered by the Hyksos. They also
were called “the shepherd kings” and were Semitic people (similar to those in
the middle east, including the Israelites).
This explains why Joseph later could teach them about the priesthood,
because they were not descendants of Cain.
(Cain was cursed because he killed his brother and chose to follow
Satan. He also rejected the
priesthood.)
Joseph eventually became the number two
leader in Egypt. He taught the Hyksos
rulers and married Asenath. She was the
daughter of Potipherah. Potipherah was
the chief priest of On. On was the old
name for Heliopolis, a city on the Nile river.
This city was the same place where Moses lived at one time; Mary and
Joseph also took baby Jesus to this city to avoid the evil king Herod of
Jerusalem.
After Joseph taught Pharaoh and his people,
some of them believed in the true God.
According to Jewish teachings, Pharaoh ordered that all temples of false
gods be closed. The true Egyptian
people already hated being conquered by the Hyksos. They hated the Hyksos even more because the temples were
closed. Of course, the Egyptians hated
the Israelites because Pharaoh took good land from Egyptians and gave it to
Joseph’s people. They also hated Joseph
for his influence in closing the temples.
About 1700 B.C. (years before Christ), the
Egyptian leader Kamose, and later his brother Amosis I, defeated the Hyksos and
became Pharaoh of a new Egyptian dynasty.
He enslaved the Israelites. They
were slaves for several hundred years before Moses received the task of freeing
God’s people. (Historical note: Avaris
was the capital of the Hyksos’ kingdom.
During
their reign, Joseph built a long canal named after himself, the Bahr Yusef. It parallels the Nile river even
today--between Asyut and El Faiyum.)
This verse indicates that God knows that
Moses will part the Reed Sea (erroneously thought to be the Red Sea) waters.
Indeed, Moses later commands the water to separate so that the Israelite
people can walk through the sea. At
this time, however, Moses had no idea that he would perform this miracle. It is interesting to see that God sometimes
gives us partial knowledge of what we can do in life, but we do not understand
it at the time. Later, we see it
happen.
26. And lo, I am with thee, even unto the end
of thy days; for thou shalt deliver my people from bondage, even Israel my
chosen.
COMMENT:
Moses has a difficult job. He knows Pharaoh, who once was called a
brother of Moses. He knows that the
Egyptian ruler will not agree to free the slaves. Here, God says clearly that He will never abandon Moses. This is similar to a promise to Joseph Smith
in D&C 121:7-8 and D&C 122:9.
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.
COMMENT:
Here is an awesome event. Moses is allowed to discern (to see and
understand in the mind; to comprehend) everything in or on this earth. This is something which a mortal mind cannot
do. It can be understood only through a direct vision from God. According to Hugh Nibley’s opinion, Moses
did not see every atom or molecule of the earth. Moses did receive a total understanding of all principles of
creation. He could comprehend the
purpose of the earth.
This also reveals to us that we can
understand each principle of creation and the gospel of Jesus Christ in a
manner similar to what Moses experienced.
This is true revelation. It is
instant. Time means nothing here. God can pour more knowledge into our mind in
a minute than it would take for us to learn in our entire life. This is not my opinion; many prophets and
modern Church authorities have said this, including an excellent talk by Orson
Pratt in Journal of Discourses (volume 3).
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.
COMMENT:
Here is a small measure of how God sees us. He can know each of us at the same time. We cannot view people, things or events in
this manner. Moses can see each of the
millions of people who then lived on this earth. In a similar way, God sees each galaxy, star, planet, and person
which he created. This does not mean
that Moses could know what the future of each person or animal would be.
29. And he beheld many lands; and each land was called earth, and
there were inhabitants on the face thereof.
COMMENT:
Moses saw the various continents of this
earth. People lived on those
continents. The Book of Mormon people
(Jaredites) lived in North America at the time that Moses had this vision. They probably were located in the area of
modern Mexico, in the vicinity of Oaxaca, San Lorenzo and near Mexico City (Teotihuacan).
30. And it came to pass that Moses called upon God, saying: Tell me, I pray thee, why these things
are so, and by what thou madest them?
COMMENT:
Seeing this wonderful vision, Moses asks
God why everything was made. He also
wants to know what power God used to create everything. These are good questions, especially since
Moses learned false explanations while he lived in the court of Egypt. The questions are polite.
This again brings up the important issue
of authority. The Egyptians did not
have the true priesthood. The creative
process hinges upon proper use of the higher priesthood. See facsimile number 2 in the Book of
Abraham for mention of the “medium of Kae-e-vanrash” (this probably is the
Melchizedek priesthood).
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.
COMMENT:
God again appears face to face with
Moses. During the next few verses,
Moses is told that it is not his business to know about all things. He only needs to understand the purpose of this
world. See the following scripture for
a better understanding of truth: D&C 93:24 (“And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they
were, and as they are to come”). Moses also follows a common
commandment--seek the Lord. See D&C
88:63 (“Draw near unto me and
I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye
shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”)
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.
COMMENT:
God clearly states that this earth (and
all things/people on it) was created by Jesus Christ. Here is that important principle of works/words again, as
emphasized by ancient Egypt. I think it
is an interesting use of the phrase “word of my power.” Since Christ is called the “word” in the
Bible, and the power of God is the priesthood, this seems to indicate the
following ideas: 1. He is the spokesman of God, who uses the priesthood to
create and rule; 2. He accomplishes work in a systematic way: conceive (think
of an action), prepare (plan how to do the work), organize (get the necessary
materials and people--this can include both spirit or mortal beings), know
(have a perfect understanding of all principles of creation, such as the
electromagnetic spectrum and mathematics), power (have and use all physical and
spiritual power to complete an action--the priesthood), work (the actual action
of creation), and supervise (direct the work of all who help him).
Being full of grace refers to Christ’s
ability to give the gift of salvation and exaltation. Of course, this is dependant on two things: 1. Christ’s triumph
over death and hell, accomplished in the garden of Gethsemane and His
resurrection; 2. a person’s own obedience to God’s law, and by his true
repentance. He has a true desire to see
each person progress in life and live with Him and our Father in the celestial
kingdom. Many will succeed, but most
people will go to lower kingdoms, due to their decision not to obey all
commandments. For whatever reason, many
people choose not to be follow Christ, even after they have a total knowledge
and testimony that it is true.
33. And worlds without number have I created; and I also created
them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is Mine Only
Begotten.
COMMENT:
Another interesting verse, which clarifies
that God created many worlds by Himself and directed his son, Jesus Christ, to
create many worlds. This probably
refers both to planets which have no population (such as Venus, Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, etc.) and which have people (earth and
planets in other solar systems--ones which man is not aware of
yet). All of these are created to
fulfill God’s purpose. His purpose is
to help others progress and become as He is.
That is the great secret of eternity.
Joseph Smith explained this in the King Follett discourse, one of his
last public speeches before a mob killed him in Carthage, Illinois.
King Follett was a member of the Church in
Joseph’s day. The man died in April
1844, when he was digging a well.
Joseph said, “God
himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in
yonder heavens! That is the great
secret.” Later in the talk he said, “Here, then, is eternal life--to know
the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods
yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done
before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small
capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation,
until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in
everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in
everlasting power.”
His statements basically mean: As man is,
God once was. As God is, man may
become. The reference to “dwell in
everlasting burnings” means to abide a celestial glory and on a world of that
level. D&C 131:6-9 describes such a
world.
34. And the first
man of all men have I called Adam, which is many.
COMMENT:
The meaning of Adam actually means “red
earth”, according to Nibley. Ancient
Egypt had many stories which are similar to ones in the Bible. Egyptians called the first man on earth,
Atum. They called the first woman,
Hathor. Adam was the first man on this
planet. Obviously, other populated
planets have their own first man and woman.
Adam and Eve (her name in Hebrew
language is Isha, the mother of all living) were supposed to populate the earth
with “many”--spirit children of our Father in heaven.
35. But only an account of this earth, and the
inhabitants thereof, give I unto you.
For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of
my power. And there are many that now
stand, and innumerable are they unto man, but all things are numbered unto me,
for they are mine and I know them.
COMMENT:
Here is one of the most important
revelations about God’s creative power and purpose. He clearly explains that
this earth is only one of many such planets.
These planets and their people go through the same plan of
progress. It is the impetus (reason) behind
creation. The plan is one of eternal
progression for all spirits--no matter what world they go to--no matter who is
their creator. It is based on the same
principles; it is done through the same priesthood power; and it is done to
help others attain their full potential.
Moses is told not to be concerned with
other worlds or other people. It is
none of his business at this time. In
the future, he may be told more about them.
For now, he receives more information about this world than most people. Only a few others mentioned in scripture
have had such a magnificent revelation as Moses received here. Some of them include Adam, Enoch, Noah,
Abraham, Mahonri Moriancumer, and Joseph Smith.
This verse also emphasizes the concept of
“word of power.” This combines the process
of thought with active use of priesthood to create all things in the
universe. Note that “passed away” does
not mean destruction. It indicates
completion of a process. This means
that many worlds already have gone through the same experience of this
earth. The difference is that some
worlds are celestialized, that is, the people on them have gone through their
testing period. Their people have been
resurrected, judged, and been assigned to a kingdom.
The verse further states that other worlds
are in a similar stage as this earth.
That is, they have mortal people on them. Eventually, each world must finish a mortal stage, then be
judged, and become immortal. This is
the meaning of eternal progress. Each
person may be compared to the progress of a world. We always existed as an intelligence. We accepted an offer from God to be His spirit son or
daughter. We developed as a spirit,
then chose to be born on earth with a mortal body. We now go through a period of testing to see if we will be faithful
to the gospel of Jesus Christ. After
death, we go to the spirit world for more development. A correct judgment follows that phase of
life. Finally, we go to one of four
major kingdoms (celestial--3 levels; terrestrial--an undetermined number of
levels; telestial--numerous levels; outer darkness--with Satan and all spirits
who chose to follow him). See D&C
sections 76 and 131 for details on these kingdoms.
This revelation from God is quite
impossible for many people to accept.
They prefer to deny what God explains about His purpose for us. A similar rejection of these teachings
happened about 200 years after Christ and the apostles. Greek philosophers were baptized and held
positions of authority. They eventually
changed the teachings by throwing out truth about baptism, resurrection, the
nature of God, work for the dead, priesthood authority, and other important
doctrine. This is why Jesus chose
Joseph Smith Jr. to restore what had been lost. It also explains the need for the Pearl of Great Price. This book restored many things which
originally were in the Bible. One of
the lost teachings was this clear understanding that God created other planets
and people similar to this one.
Moses finally is told that God “numbers”
(knows and has possession) all of His creations. Each world and person is important to Him. Too often, someone thinks that God is not
concerned with an individual. He might
think, “Why should God think of me? I
am only one of billions of people.” But
if one person is not important, why should a group be? Here, God states that each one is His and He
counts them as important. His way of
thinking is not the same as ours because He has advanced further than us. But, we have the hope of becoming like him
by following His plan.
As Hugh Nibley pointed out, this is the
best possible view of man’s purpose. It
is a light-light-light view. That is:
happy previous life with God as a spirit son or daughter; chance for a happy
mortal life; promise of a happy life after death. No other religion in ancient or modern time offers this view.
36. And it came to pass that Moses spoke unto the Lord, saying: Be merciful unto thy servant, O God, and
tell me concerning this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, and also the
heavens, and then thy servant will be content.
COMMENT:
Moses is respectful to God after learning
that he has no business asking to know all things at this time. He requests what God wants him to know--only
things about this earth. Wanting to
know about “the heavens” refers to this earth’s atmosphere and probably about
this solar system. He also wants to
know about people of this earth.
Actually, this is an act of responsibility. Since Moses will receive a calling from God to lead the
Israelites, Moses needs to know about them.
Learning about all other people on earth is something God offers to
share with Moses. He accepts the duty,
thus he is able to gain the knowledge which goes with it. In a sense, this is similar to when a man
receives the priesthood. He also gains
all rights, privileges, keys and authority which go with that particular office
in the priesthood.
37. And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying: The heavens, they are many, and they cannot
be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine.
COMMENT:
It seems that the Lord again must get
Moses to focus on what he can learn. In
this verse, it appears to be a reference to the many levels of
“heaven”--galaxy, solar system, and atmosphere of individual planets. All are known and considered valuable to
God.
38. And as one earth shall pass away, and the
heavens thereof even so shall another come, and there is no end to my works,
neither to my words.
COMMENT:
Again, here is clear description of God’s
creative process. When a world
completes the final phase of its mortal experience (what we now have), that
world and its atmosphere are changed to a celestial or other final level. Once that world is changed, God starts
another world and places people and all things on it. This is the work of God--to create worlds for spirit children--to
help others advance as He has. Note
also the use of works/words. There is
no end to either, because they always go together. There is no work of value without sharing it with others. As the Egyptians emphasized, the word
indicates true communication.
Communication is sharing truth with other people. Of course, there are many ways to
communicate--voice, gesture, music, writing, touch, etc. God and Jesus Christ always choose the best
method to teach a person. That is why
people have different spiritual experiences.
Some see angels, have a vision, get a warm feeling in the heart, or get
a testimony in some other way. Each
person has an individual style of writing, art, and way to compose music. Our experiences also are individual. No one is exactly the same as another. This variety is one of the great beauties of
life, both on earth and during each phase of our existence (spirit world and
final judgment life). There always will
be an infinite variety in life, no matter where we go.
39. For behold,
this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life
of man.
COMMENT:
This probably is the best statement ever
made. It explains the purpose of God
and of mankind. The work and glory
always go together. There is no glory
(no reason for admiration, no justification for pride) if there is no
successful good work. The good work is
such because it is designed to help others.
This is a key to knowing God for whom He is and always will be. He does everything to help others. He wants each person to advance and become
like He is. Of course, we will be
immortal through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Resurrection is a free gift.
However, eternal life is something that only comes to us through the
grace of Jesus Christ. D&C 19:11
states that eternal is synonymous with God (“Eternal punishment is God’s punishment”).
Therefore, eternal life is life with God. That is a description only of those who live in the celestial
kingdom (all 3 levels).
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.
COMMENT:
Now, Moses is instructed to write all that
he sees about this earth and its people.
Originally, this was in the Book of Moses, which became part of Genesis
(in the Old Testament of the Bible).
However, many of his words were cut out of the Bible. That is why God revealed the Pearl of Great
Price information to Joseph Smith--to return what had been lost.
It is the right and responsibility of
mankind to know about these teachings.
It is our right, because we live on this earth and promised to obey God
(in the spirit world) before we came here.
Without correct instruction from God, we might be able to blame Him for
not helping us overcome the many problems we face in this life. It is our responsibility, because God has
given us what is necessary to overcome our problems. A person who receives knowledge is duty bound to use that
knowledge to teach and benefit others.
That is exactly why Abraham sought the higher priesthood--to administer
(teach and help) other people. We are
expected to do the same thing.
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.
COMMENT:
Note that God knew that in the future many
of Moses’ words would be lost. These
words were cut from scripture by people who claimed to follow God. Actually, they did not agree with doctrine
and historical facts (such as creation of the earth, preexistent life, and many
other teachings), so they deliberately cut them from scripture. This action denied truth from billions of
people. A restoration was necessary.
This verse referred to Joseph Smith. God and Jesus Christ chose him to restore
the lost church and all related ordinances and teachings. Joseph was compared with Moses. Both men led a “lost” people from a form of slavery and ignorance. In the time of Moses, it was an actual
slavery in Egypt and ignorance of the God of Israel. Often, Moses chastised them for following the ways of Egypt, such
as when they built a gold calf. That
was typical of Egyptian idolatry. The
cow represented Hathor, the mother cow (this also was an ancient Egyptian
reference to Eve, the first woman).
Such idolatry was repudiation (rejection) of the patriarchal order, and
acceptance of a matriarchal order.
Satan and his followers continually urge man to reject a patriarchal
order of priesthood.
In the time of Joseph Smith, many millions
throughout the world claimed to follow Christ, but their various churches
rejected the true gospel. They denied
modern revelation, the actuality of God, priesthood authority, temple work, and
many other necessary parts of Christ’s gospel plan. Therefore, Joseph was called to lead people out of idolatry and
the “slavery of ignorance and hell.” Jacob in 2 Nephi 9:4-13 (Book of Mormon) gives an excellent
explanation about the meaning of death and hell. Basically, death refers to a physical separation of the body and spirit. Hell refers to a separation of the spirit
from God. Christ’s atonement overcame
both. Of course, a person must follow
His commandments to be freed from hell (called the second death--separation of
spirit from God after life on this earth).
Note that this verse says that these
teachings of Moses will be available to everyone in the future, if they will
believe in them. Many people will
reject the teachings, just as others in the past rejected them and cut them out
of scripture.
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.)
COMMENT:
This verse contains instruction to Joseph
Smith. He was not to share this
information to people, except those who believed in the restored gospel. The teachings were compared to the pearl of
great price mentioned by Jesus in the New Testament (Matthew 13:45-46). It also can be compared to his statement in
Matthew 7:6 (“Give not that
which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest
they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you”). The books of Abraham
and Moses contain precious information which answers the “terrible
questions.” They teach truth about the
purpose and creation of man and star systems.
Such teachings are worthless to many people. Therefore, the information should be taught only to those who are
believers. As mentioned in scripture,
we do not give meat to children until they are prepared to eat it. Deep doctrine (complex instruction) is not
for beginners. But, we also are told to
seek the mysteries of God (D&C 42:61 — “If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation,
knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things--that
which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal”).
Each person is expected to study as much
as possible in this life (D&C 130:18-19).
In the King Follett discourse, Joseph Smith emphasized the need to learn
step by step. He said, “When you climb up a ladder, you must
begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and
so it is with the principles of the Gospel--you must begin with the first, and
go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have
passed through the veil before you will have learned them.”
So, we continue to learn in the spirit world after our mortal death.
Joseph also emphasized the need to
understand God, saying: “If
men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves.”
(This is the end of chapter one.)