A grand patriarchal line, then, down from the "eternities;" generations of worlds and generations of Gods; all one universal family.
The Gods are the fathers and the mothers, and the brothers and the sisters, of the saints.
Divine ambitions here; a daring genius to thus conceive; a lifting up of man and woman to the very plane of the celestials, while yet on earth.
Now for the father and the children of the covenant.
With Abraham begins the covenant of Israel. The Mormons are a Latter-day Israel.
God made a covenant with Abraham, for Abraham was worthy to be the grand patriarch of a world, under Adam. Like Jesus, he had a pre-existence.
He was "in the beginning" with God; an archangel in the Father's presence; one not less noble than his elder brother and captain of salvation; the patriarch, through whose line Messiah was ordained to come into the world.
Abraham was the elect of God before the foundation of this earth. In him and his seed were all the promises—all the covenants—and all the divine empires. In them was the kingdom of Messiah to consummate the object and vast purposes of earth's creation.
He is the father of the faithful and the friend of God. In him and his seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. He shall become the father of many nations. His seed shall be as the sand on the sea-shore.
In Abraham many nations have already been blessed. He and his seed have given Bible and civilization to Christendom. From his loins came Jesus—from him will come Messiah.