MAN.
1. Man is a Child of God—his spirit having been born of heavenly parents before it was clothed upon with flesh.
ACTS 17:28.—We are God's offspring.
HEB. 12:9.—God is the "Father of spirits."
HEB. 2:17.—We are brethren to Jesus—and He was a Son of God.
ROM. 8:29.—Jesus is the first-born of many brethren.
JOHN 20:17.—God is the Father of Jesus and of Mary. This relationship between the Father, Jesus and mankind presumes
2. The Preexistence of Man—for Jesus and mankind are children of the same Father; Jesus existed with the Father before this world was; (John 1:2) therefore, it is reasonable to suppose that we, "the many brethren" also lived with our common Father.
JER. 1:5,—The Lord and ordained Jeremiah before he was born.
JOB 38:4-7.—Sons of God shouted for joy when the foundations of the earth were laid.
JOHN 9:l.—There is a possibility of a man's sinning before birth.
DOC. & COV. 93:23-29.—Man as in the beginning with God.
GEN. l:26.—Man was created spiritually first; for
GEN. 2:5.—There was not a man to till the ground.
P. of G. P. Moses 3:5.—All things, man included, were created spiritually before they were in the earth.
3. Man is in the Physical Image of God—for man is in the same form as Jesus, and Jesus is in the "express image" of the Father.
GEN. 1:26.—Adam was created in the image of God.
GEN. 5:3.—Adam begat a son, Seth, "after his image."
MOSIAH 7:27.—Man was created after the image of God.
4. God's Purpose in Giving Man this Earth-life, is
P. of G. P. Moses 1:39.—To bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
II NEPHI 2:25.—"That he might have joy." To this end
DOC. & COV. 93:33, 34.—A combination of spirit and body was necessary; also
II TIM. 1:9; TITUS l:2.—Salvation and eternal life was planned and promised "before the world began." For this purpose—
5. Man May Become Perfect; for Jesus said
MATT. 5:48.—Be ye perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.
HEB. 12:23.—Just men may become perfect.
I JOHN 3:2.-The Saints shall be like Jesus.
6. Man's Spirit is Immortal; for it existed before coming to earth (see Preexistence under 2) and it will exist after the body is lain down.
LUKE 16: 19-31.—Jesus teaches this in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
I PETER 3:18-20.—Christ, while His body lay in the tomb, visited the spirits in prison. The spirit of the thief went with Him.
LUKE 24:37-39.—There are spirits: "A spirit has not flesh and bones," said Jesus.
DEUT. 34:5; JOSH. 1:1, 2.—Moses died and was buried; yet
MATT. 17:3, 4.—He appeared to Peter, James, and John. This must have been in the spirit; for
I COR. 15:20.—Jesus was the first person resurrected, He being, "the first fruits of them that slept."
7. The Resurrection of Man's Body is assured; for
LUKE 24:36-42.—Jesus received again His body of flesh and bones.
MATT. 27:52, 53.—Many Saints received their bodies at Christ's resurrection.
JOB 19:25-27.—Job said that he would yet in his flesh see God.
I THESS. 4:13-16; REV. 20:4-6; DOC AND COV. 88:97, 98.—The righteous will come forth in the first resurrection.
REV. 20:5.—"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished."
II NEPHI 9:12-14; ALMA 11:42-45.—The resurrection is to be literal.