"And he bore record, saying, I saw his glory that he was in the beginning before the world was; therefore in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation, the light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men. The worlds were made by him: men were made by him: all things were made by him, and through him, and of him. And I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us."—Sec. xciii, 7-11, p. 329.
Paul, likewise, in his Epistles, more than once directs attention to this great truth. In writing to the Colossians he says:
"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist."—Col., i, 16, 17.
And to the Hebrews he writes, that God "hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."—Heb., i, 2, 3.
God revealed these things unto Moses; but his words in relation thereto are among the precious things that have been taken from the Scriptures by the iniquity of man; amongst those restored to us by modern revelation are the following words of God to that Patriarch with regard to the creation:
"And by the word of my power have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth. 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. And the first man of all men have I called Adam, which is many. But only an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you. For behold, there are many worlds which have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many also which now stand, and numberless are they unto man, but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them."—Pearl of Great Price.
CHAPTER XI.
Abraham's Record Concerning the Creation—The Council in Heaven—The Father's Plan, the Son's Acceptance, Satan's Rebellion—The Agency of Man—Suggestions Regarding Satan's Plan to Save All Mankind.
The Lord also revealed to Abraham many great and glorious principles and truths relating to the creation. We extract the following from the fragment of the writings of that Patriarch, which has been graciously restored to us by the Lord in these days:
"And the Gods prepared the earth to bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind; and it was so, as they had said. And the Gods organized the earth to bring forth the beasts after their kind, the cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after their kind; and the Gods saw they would obey. And the Gods took counsel among themselves and said, Let us go down and form man in our image, after our likeness; and we will give them dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So the Gods went down to organize man in their own image, in the image of the Gods to form they him, male and female, to form they them; and the Gods said, We will bless them. And the Gods said, We will cause them to be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and to have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And the Gods said, Behold, we will give them every herb bearing seed that shall come upon the face of all the earth, and every tree which shall have fruit upon it, yea, the fruit of the tree yielding seed to them we will give it; it shall be for their meat; and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, behold, we will give them life, and also we will give to them every green herb for meat, and all these things shall be thus organized. And the Gods said, We will do every thing that we have said, and organize them; and behold, they shall be very obedient. And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning they called night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that they called day; and they numbered the sixth time.