[Footnote B: Book of Abraham, ch. iii:24-27.]
And so the second personage of the Godhead was chosen for his office of Savior of men. But the first Personage was proposing the plan for "adding upon" these spirits of heaven. He was planning for their increase in honor and glory for ever and ever; and that through development; though increasing their intelligence, knowledge, wisdom and spiritual power; by experiences to be obtained in earth-life among broken harmonies, when fidelity to truth and virtue and God should be tested, where men should find themselves. He was "fathering" them. Just as in being "Creator" he not only creates—causes to exist—but he cares for the "creation," he sustains it; upholds it; guides it to some definite end, to the achievement of some beneficent purpose.
Such must be our thought of this all glorious First Personage of the Godhead-Father, Creator; also Sustaining, Guiding, Loving Power of the Universe.
LESSON XI.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
SPECIAL OFFICE OF THE PERSONAGES OF THE HOLY TRINITY (Continued).
ANALYSIS. | REFERENCES. |
IV. Special Office of the Second Personage of the Trinity—Redeemer. | The citations in the body of this lesson. |
V. Special Office of the Third Personage of the Trinity—Witness. | |
VI. The Three in Union. |
SPECIAL TEXT: "But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come * * * through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God." (Hebrews ix:11, 14.)
DISCUSSION.
1. God, the Son, Redeemer: We have found the chief office or function of the first Personage of the Godhead, so may we find the chief office and function of the second, and much more briefly. More briefly because one Year Book of the Seventy's course in Theology has already been devoted to him and his work. He is the Redeemer of men. To be such was his appointment in heaven, as incidentally, we have seen in Lesson IX; and as it is abundantly declared in the scriptures.