Almost every Bible-believing Christian has been taught that God created the world in 6 days, but that’s actually a wild oversimplification. Even a careful reading of the Genesis account alludes to something more complex. To make sense of it, however, we need the Book of Moses and the Book of Abraham.

In my experience, most Latter-day Saints understand the creation story to be about the Earth’s physical creation. Latter-day Saint scriptures, on the other hand, take a more refined view that is easy to overlook because we are so used to the traditional story. In our scriptures, there are 2 separate creations: spiritual, then physical.

Immediately after describing the 6 days of creation, God tells Moses that “spiritually were (these things) created and made according to my word.” The Book of Moses is not overly clear about what is meant by being created spiritually, but the Book of Abraham adds details which make the spiritual creation sound more like a planning period. Before we get into that, though, let’s look at what remains of this teaching in the Bible.

Genesis describes how God created the earth, plants, animals, and humans, only to follow up by saying that “the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground⁠” (Gen. 2:5). This is often seen as a contradiction by Bible critics because you can’t have plants, animals, and humans on an Earth that has had no rain and no humans. Most biblical scholars, however, take a different view.

Scholars argue that Genesis records two versions of the same creation story. Their general belief is that ancient Hebrews adopted these two versions at different times, but instead of choosing one story over the other, they mashed them together into a single story. In the scholarly view, it’s the same story told twice. Each version just has a difference in emphasis. The first version mentions the creation of humans but focuses on the creation of the world (see Gen. 1:1 - Gen. 2:4). In the second version, the creation of the earth is mentioned, but the focus is on the creation of humanity. This version includes the story of Adam and Eve’s fall (see Gen. 2:5- Gen. 3:24). The problem with this theory is that if the Hebrews were trying to create one cohesive creation account, you’d expect a glaring inconsistency like humans being created twice to be fixed at some point during the last several thousand years. That said, the scholarly work is quite good, all things considered. There is certainly no room for criticism since we are holding the cheat sheet.

What restored scripture explains is that these are not separate versions of the same account combined together at a later time. Instead, it is one continuous account of two different events. For example, the Book of Moses shows how God used the 6 creative periods in Genesis to create the Earth, humans, plants, and animals “spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth” (Moses 3:5) God then further explains that, “I, the Lord God, had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth. And I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground⁠; for in heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, neither in the air”.

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This revelation could not be more massive! Geologists, astrophysicists, and other scientifically minded individuals have relentlessly mocked Christianity because of the mistaken belief that the Earth was physically created in 6 days. More than a decade before geologists had developed any meaningful arguments that the Earth may be much older than 6,000 years, Latter-day Saints had already received this clarity from the missing sections of the book of Genesis. What creates a massive stumbling block for other Christians only bolsters the faith of Latter-day Saints. This isn’t just a stray comment in the Book of Moses either. The Book of Abraham is even more explicit.

Abraham received a very similar vision to Moses, but there are some differences. For one, Abraham’s vision uses the term “counseled” to do instead of saying created “spiritually”. In the Book of Abraham, we learn that after the first 6 creative periods, the gods declared, “We will end our work, which we have counseled; and we will rest on the seventh time from all our work which we have counseled. And the Gods concluded upon the seventh time, because that on the seventh time they would rest from all their works which they (the Gods) counseled among themselves to form; and sanctified it. And thus were their decisions at the time that they counseled among themselves to form the heavens and the earth. And the Gods came down and formed these the generations of the heavens and of the earth, when they were formed in the day that the Gods formed the earth and the heavens, according to all that which they had said concerning every plant of the field before it was in the earth⁠, and every herb of the field before it grew; for the Gods had not caused it to rain upon the earth when they counseled to do them, and had not formed a man to till the ground”. The Doctrine & Covenants reiterates this point too when Christ tells Joseph Smith, “by the power of my Spirit created I them; yea, all things both spiritual and temporal—First spiritual⁠, secondly temporal, which is the beginning of my work”. These scriptures provide immeasurable insight into the creation story and clarify questions that have stumped biblical scholars for thousands of years. There is something far more important than all of this, though!

Understanding the creation account opens the door to understanding our temple experience.

Joseph Smith did not mince words about the fact that the temple endowment was a restoration of “the ancient order of things”. Like in modern temples, the creation story was central to temple worship among ancient Hebrews. In Joseph’s day, this was scoffed at; it was a ridiculous notion. Today, it is broadly accepted as fact.

Why the creation story?

The creation story is far more than a history of Earth’s creation. It’s a multilayered story about our premortal existence, our time on earth, and the plan God has for us. It has everything to do with the covenants we make in the temple.

For a deeper dive into the original purpose of the creation story, and its use in ancient and modern temples, I have a book called Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story. The book is about understanding the temple experience, how other Christians and Latter-day Saints have misunderstood the creation in the past, and how restored scripture provides the answers we need. It was even an Amazon category bestseller.

Kindle Unlimited subscribers can now read it for free. If that’s not you, it’s also available through Amazon.

Get the Book Here

Best wishes!

Tom Schleiffarth

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Recently, I had a conversation with a devout Catholic friend about the great apostasy. It was a good and friendly conversation. I also learned I was wrong.

The great apostasy certainly happened, but I seriously misunderstood an essential scripture.

Long story short:

In our conversation, I explained the apostasy using pretty standard talking points. I pointed out how changes to doctrines on the nature of God and baptism were evidence for the apostasy. I pointed out how Roman emperors asserted control over church beliefs. I even showed him where Paul prophesied that Christ “will not come unless the apostasy comes first” (2 Thess. 2:3).

I wasn’t familiar with the Catholic interpretation of Paul’s prophecy, so I was a little surprised when he dismissed it as a reference to a grand rebellion just before Christ's second coming. However, I was completely taken off guard when we discussed Matthew 16:18.

The verse says:

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”

My Catholic friend claimed that Christ established the Catholic church through Peter and that Jesus promised Peter that not even the “gates of hell” would destroy the church. Since Catholics claim to be the original church of Christ, this means the Catholic church is still Christ’s church today.

I expected this part.

It’s true, at first glance, Matthew 16:18 does sound like it’s contradicting Paul’s prophecy, but I was familiar with the traditional Latter-day Saint explanation. So, I shared it with him. The problem is that this explanation also misses Christ’s actual message.

The traditional Latter-day Saint response

Matthew 16:18 is tricky because the translation is complex. Defenders of the restored gospel latched onto this a long time ago, and came up with this basic explanation:

Main Point: Jesus is saying that the church is built upon him, not Peter

Point 1: In Greek, ‘Peter’ means small rock or stone (from the Greek word “petra”).

Point 2: Christ uses a different word, “petros” for the rock he will build his church on. This word means bedrock.

Conclusion: Peter is the small rock, but Christ is the bedrock foundation of the church. So, the Catholic claim to Peter’s authority is invalid.

In this interpretation, the verse would read like this, “And I tell you, you are Petra, and on the petros I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”

The problem: My Catholic friend was quick to point out that, while the text was originally written in Greek, Jesus most likely spoke Aramaic. In Aramaic, there is only one word for rock, ‘kepha’. It doesn’t matter if it’s a pebble or bedrock, the word is ‘kepha’. So, in all likelihood, Christ would have used ‘kepha’ in both instances. I double checked, and he was right. There is only one Aramaic word for ‘rock’. Most likely, Matthew chose two different words simply because Greek grammar rules required it.

Even if, theoretically, Jesus used a Hebrew word like “tzur”, which means bedrock, this traditional Latter-day Saint explanation does not actually refute the Catholic claim about the apostasy because we both agree that Peter was called to lead the church.

Peter’s name is not the issue. It’s a bigger translation problem.

As is often the case, when you encounter a problem in the gospel, you just need to dig a little deeper.

When Christ says that “the gates of hell will not prevail” against the church, it’s completely understandable to assume this is a verse about the indestructible nature of the church… but it’s not.

The real meaning

We actually need to look at 3 other parts of Christ’s message to Peter to make sense of what Jesus is saying.

1. The translation of “hell”

2. The purpose of gates

3. The following verse (verse 19)

The translation of “hell”

In the New Testament, two words often get translated as ‘hell’: ‘Gehenna’ and ‘Hades’.

‘Gehenna’ is a real geographical location outside of Jerusalem. It’s also known as the Valley of Ben Hinnom. It’s famous for its awful history of suffering and the sacrificial burning of children (Jeremiah 7:31). Because of its history, it’s used as a metaphor for the place where the wicked will suffer. In other words, it’s what we usually think of as ‘hell’.

‘Hades’ is simply the Greek word for the place of the dead or what we call the spirit world. Matthew 16:18 uses the word ‘Hades’. So, think of it as the ‘gates of the spirit world’ or the ‘gates of death’.

The purpose of gates

Gates are not weapons. They don’t attack. They have no power to tear the church down. So, Jesus is obviously not saying that the church will be protected from gates coming to destroy it. Gates keep people in an area, or they keep people out. In this case, the gates of the spirit world are keeping the dead trapped in the spirit world (metaphorically speaking).

Matthew 16: 19

We can’t read verse 18 without reading verse 19 because these two verses are part of the same conversation. In verse 19, Jesus tells Peter, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” In other words, Christ is giving Peter the power to perform work for the dead.

The complete meaning

Jesus is telling Peter that he will be the first head of the church, and Peter is being given the sealing power to bind on earth and in heaven. This will allow the chains of death to be broken through the atonement, and allow people who did not have the opportunity to accept Christ in this life to still partake in the glory of God.

In more modern translations than the King James, the verse reads like this:

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Again, Christ is not discussing the dangers that will be posed to his Earthly church; he is discussing how death will be overcome through Christ and the related priesthood keys he is entrusting Peter with. Christ is explaining an essential part of the Plan of Salvation. So, despite the impulse to connect this verse with apostasy, that actually misses the message Christ is sharing with Peter.

Thoughts always have a reason behind them. Usually, it’s something you see or hear that inspires your next thought. But what about those random thoughts that seem to come from nowhere at all? If they inspire you to do something good, they almost certainly come from the Holy Spirit.

The First Experience

I struggle to attend the temple regularly. Life is busy, our kids aren’t old enough to leave at home alone, and frankly, I should just do a better job of making it happen anyway. That said, about a year ago my family was out of town without me and this gave me a great opportunity to attend the temple. I had a handful of family names ready to go and I was planning on going to the temple on Saturday.

This is where the story gets interesting.

On Friday, I was mowing my lawn and I started thinking about a man named Elmer. Elmer lived in the late 1800s/early 1900s and was indirectly related to my family. He was the brother of a great-great-grandparent or something to that affect. I came across his name about 20 years ago while doing genealogy on my mom’s side of the family. Unfortunately, my genealogy work was accidentally thrown away before any temple work could be done with it. In any case, I hadn’t thought about Elmer since that time. For some reason, while mowing the grass, I started thinking about Elmer and what he may be doing right now in the spirit world. Again, I didn’t actually know anything about him besides the fact that he was somewhat related to me. While I was thinking about him, I got the distinct impression that Elmer wanted to have his temple work completed. The problem, of course, was that I didn’t have the genealogical records for him anymore. Those records were lost over 20 years ago. Nevertheless, I kept thinking about him and his situation.

I wasn’t sure what to do about Elmer’s geneology, but I knew I still needed to schedule my temple appointment for the next day. So, I hopped on the church’s app and made the appointment. While scheduling the visit, there was a button that said “find family names.“ I already had plenty of family names prepared, but I clicked the button anyway. A short list of names appeared. Elmer was right there near the top of the list. Someone else must have done his genealogy and it was now my turn to do his temple work.

This was a simple experience but I’ve found “common” interactions with the Holy Spirit are often the ones most likely to affect us. It drove home the knowledge that the gospel is essential for us all, both embodied and disembodied. It reminded me how our disembodied ancestors truly rely on us. It brought to mind how, after Christ was crucified, he immediately went to teach the spirits in prison. Why? Because he cares about each of us, both living and dead.

The Second Experience

On another occasion, I was hanging out with a couple friends of mine: Ben, Syd, and Syd’s girlfriend Lauren. Ben and I were both active members of the church. Syd never talked about religion, but I leaned that night that he had been baptized into the church when he was much younger. However, he no longer believed. Lauren grew up Catholic, but no longer practiced either.

While hanging out, the four of us started talking about the gospel. Syd must have been in a bad mood because he was being very antagonistic about the gospel, which I’d never seen from him before. I kept trying to turn the conversation in a more positive direction, but it wasn’t working. At one point, however, an distinct impression came over me. It wasn’t a voice, it was a distinct impression on my mind. It told me to turn to Lauren and to testify to her that the feeling she was experiencing was the Holy Spirit.

I’m not exceptionally outgoing, so testifying to a semi-stranger that she was feeling the Holy Spirit felt very uncomfortable to me. I hesitated. It wasn’t more than a few moments later that Lauren jumped into the conversation and said something like, “You know, sometimes I get these feelings and the old me thinks it’s the Holy Spirit. Then I remember that’s not real. It’s just my imagination.”

I was entrusted with delivering an essential message to one of God’s beloved daughters and I failed. I didn’t fail because I didn’t care or because I refused. I failed because I hesitated. The need was urgent, and I hesitated. That is not an experience you easily forget.

The Lesson I Learned

The reason I mention these two experiences is simply to testify that the Holy Spirit does communicate with us. He is real and he works through us to bless our lives and the lives of those around us. We can either trust the impressions we receive and bless those around us or we can brush off these impressions and miss the opportunities God has given us to participate in his Plan of Salvation.

The problem with establishing “homoousios” as an agreed upon doctrine was its lack of scriptural support. The closest thing was John 10: 27-30 which says, in part, “My sheep hear my voice… neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father and I are one.” But that is hardly more than a statement that Christ represents his father, not that they have a “shared substance”. This is especially obvious in light of John 17: 21 where Christ prays to the Father that his followers may “be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us” which uses extremely similar language to talk about the unity of the church and our own relationship with God. In other words, the oneness spoken of in the Bible, up until this point, only pointed to a unity of purpose and close relationship with God.

Homoousios demanded belief in something more abstract: 3 gods who are actually one god but who live separately from each other and do not depend on one another for their existence but are still one entity. It required something to contradict Christ’s own words that “the Father is greater than (Christ)”. Only a few years later, this problem would be solved with the addition of a new verse in the Bible.

Though scholarly opinions vary, circumstantial evidence seems to indicate the Johannine Comma was likely added to the scriptures shortly after the death of Constantius II and it was in enough widespread use that at least one bishop quoted it as evidence of his orthodox beliefs in 380 AD. We don’t know exactly when it was first added, nor by whom, but in all likelihood, it was sometime after the Council of Nicea in 325 AD.

The reason for this date is because the bishops at Nicea were still concerned that homoousios lacked scriptural backing at the time of the Council. Presumably, that means they did not have these scriptural additions yet. Historically speaking, the Johannine Comma also only appeared in Latin, never in the original Greek. This matters because Greek was more common among Christians early on, while Latin gradually gained prominence during the time immediately before and after the Council of Nicea. Whether the new scripture was created specifically for the purpose of settling the debate over the nature of God is another question, but its timing fits well with that possibility.

Granted, this evidence is circumstantial, and we want to be careful not to throw out unwarranted accusations, but it would also be a mistake not to point out the suspicious timing of events throughout this period of apostasy.

However it happened, the Johannine Comma became the one set of verses that could unequivocally create a scriptural backing to Constantine’s Trinity theology. It worked too. While it took over a century to fully develop, the Johannine comma was actively being used to argue for Trinitarian Theology by the time the Athenasian creed solidified the version of the Trinity we know today. Around 500 AD, Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe wrote a massive treatise arguing for Trinitarian theology, saying that "The blessed Apostle John clearly says: 'And the three are one'; that this was said of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, as I showed above when you demanded an explanation from me, I demonstrate from that very epistle of his. For he says: 'There are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one.'" Even a century before that (390 AD), Saint Jerome of Stridon lamented the fact that the Comma was not included in all the Biblical texts because it “created uncertainty for readers” about the Trinity since these verses were the place where “the one divine substance of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is demonstrated.” That is to say, the Johannine Comma was not merely additional support for a thriving Trinitarian theology. It was its backbone and the one thing that would permanently establish the Trinity as the standard for creedal Christianity. While defenders of Trinitarianism will downplay its importance, the Comma was an absolute game-changer. That’s why, in 1516 AD, it was such a big deal when the Johannine Comma was discovered to be a fake.

Desiderius Erasmus was creating a new scholarly translation of the original Greek Bible into Latin when he stumbled into massive controversy. When he finished his translation, it did not include the Johannine Comma. This wasn’t because he overlooked it or even disagreed with Trinitarianism (he was a Trinitarian himself). The verses simply weren’t in his original Greek manuscripts. Theologians at the time feared it would destroy support for the Trinity and insisted that Erasmus add these verses back into his translation. He said he would only make the change if someone could provide a Greek manuscript that included it. Eventually, these theologians were so concerned about the loss of the Johannine Comma that they gave Erasmus a much more recent Greek manuscript known as Codex Montfortianus. Erasmus suspected the manuscript was a fake based on their current Latin Bible, but he couldn’t prove it. So, he stuck to his word and included the Johannine Comma in his new translation. His new translation then played a key role in creating the King James Bible, which, in turn, was critical to the development of Christianity throughout the English-speaking world and beyond.

During the Reformation, Erasmus’ inclusion of the Johannine Comma became even more impactful. The Catholic church was ok with some doctrines being defined through councils, and not just through the exact words of scripture. In contrast, many Protestants insist that every doctrine must comply with their belief in sola scriptura (scripture alone). As the protestant movement grew, the Johannine Comma became disproportionately influential because it supplied the explicit biblical statement they needed to continue believing in Constantine’s Trinity doctrine. By the time scholars had firmly concluded the Johannine Comma was not an original part of John’s first epistle, the Trinity had become so firmly embedded in creedal Christianity that it was nearly impossible to remove. The great apostasy was thoroughly complete.

The goal is not to criticize the early Saints nor, by extension, the Catholic church. A great many of them were sincere believers and followers of Jesus Christ. Despite biblical corruption, like the Johannine Comma, much of the gospel was preserved because of them. After the death of the apostles, there were “savage wolves” who came in among the Saints, “not sparing the flock (Acts 20:29). Governments actively persecuted, murdered, and even crucified the early Saints for their beliefs. This happened for hundreds of years before an emperor provided protection to the desperate church. He provided a place for the church to grow. That emperor, however, was not the savior he appeared to be. He began to take control. It started with calling for a meeting that was not his to call. Then he wanted to participate. Then he wanted to create new doctrine. By the end, the emperor was deciding who got to be a member of the church and who did not. The church was no longer Christ’s; It was the Emperor’s.

One of the most influential verses in the history of Christianity was completely made up. Its false nature is not even disputed despite remaining in many traditional Bible translations. 1 John 5:7-8 is known as the Johannine comma, and virtually all modern biblical scholars agree that it was not part of the original epistle from the apostle John. The Johannine Comma was central to the development of the false doctrine of the Trinity, yet its significance is often disregarded or downplayed by many creedal Christians. They often argue that the Johannine Comma was a harmless and accidental addition that happened when copying the Bible transcript. They may even refer to it as a minor “textual variant” where scribes unintentionally added a personal note from the margin of a source manuscript. This is despite the fact that there are few, if any, other examples of scribes accidentally adding notes from the margins into scripture. Defenders of the Trinity doctrine say the Johannine comma may not be scripture, but the Trinity is still real. The problem with that idea is that belief in the Trinity is unlikely to have fully developed, much less survived, without these verses being added to the Bible.

Where the scriptures originally read, “For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree”, the Johannine Comma changes the verse to read as two verses:

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

So, why were these verses added to the Bible? It all starts with the Roman Emperor Constantine.

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Again, many creedal Christian scholars claim that, while the earliest Christians may not have fully understood the Trinity, the teaching was always there. They claim Christianity gradually discovered the Trinity through the debates of their early councils, and that discovery of the Trinity came very early in Christian history; the Council of Nicea in 325 AD simply made the Trinity an officially stated doctrine.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

One simply needs to ask: If the Trinity was always the obvious teaching of scripture, why did it take centuries of controversy and the appearance of a new biblical passage to establish it?

In 325 AD, Roman Christianity was deeply divided over the nature of God. On one side, Arianism taught that Jesus was not fully God. On the other side were those who had come to believe Jesus was equal with the Father. Those like Eusebius of Caesarea (more on him in a moment) sat somewhere in the middle. To end the division, the Roman Emperor Constantine called a council of bishops to sort out their differences in the city of Nicea. Bishops from around the region gathered together to discuss, debate, and eventually write the Nicene Creed as a statement of official Christian belief. This all happened according to plan, except with one huge twist.

Instead of settling the debate, the Nicene Creed created a new doctrine. This new doctrine was not only absent from the scriptures, it had never even been heard of before.

Christians demanded an explanation. Eusebius of Caesarea, one of the moderate bishops at the council, wrote a letter to his congregations to explain what happened. What he explains is not just a mistaken understanding on the nature of God. It’s far worse. He describes the entire council of bishops entering the church into widespread institutional apostasy. Instead of correcting what happened, this grand betrayal of faith was simply swept under the rug.

In his letter, Eusebius explains that the council debated and discussed their beliefs and came to an agreement on doctrine, just as planned. The agreed-upon statement of faith was then written and presented to Emperor Constantine. From a Latter-day Saint perspective, this original version of the creed would have taught something very close to an accurate understanding of the nature of God. When the council presented this original version to Constantine, however, the emperor insisted that they make a change. The bishops were told to add the phrase “homoousios”, meaning Christ and the Father are made from the same “shared substance”. If Athanasius of Alexandria’s much later account is accurate, this controversial term may have been discussed earlier as a way to avoid biblical terminology that Arians already interpreted differently. In any case, the emperor insisted on adding the word to the already completed creed and “advised all present to agree to it”. I am going to reiterate this point because this is a part of the story that is rarely told. According to the only contemporary record we have, the idea of the shared substance of the Trinity was never part of the original Nicene creed. It was an insertion from Emperor Constantine himself. It was not the result of sincere debate and discussion among bishops as is often taught. The council of bishops simply allowed the emperor to dictate a new theology. Granted, the bishops went back to discuss the problem. They struggled with the fact that the teaching was not found in scripture, and many bishops felt overwhelming pressure to comply despite their own beliefs. In the end, however, most of them gave in. They allowed the semi-Christian emperor of Rome to dictate the doctrine of the church. If Christ’s church was perishing without the leadership of the apostles, this was its death knell. This wasn’t the end of the church because the bishops got the doctrine a little wrong. That can happen, and hopefully it gets fixed. This was the end because the entire body of church leaders allowed the emperor to dictate their doctrine. It is the very definition of apostasy.

To be fair, extracting agreement from the divided bishops was no easy task. It required Constantine to exile Arius, to exile the 4 bishops who would not sign the creed or Arius’ condemnation, and to threaten the same consequence to all the other bishops who would not comply. While the decision pressured many bishops to reluctantly sign the creed, the result would be hundreds of other bishops rejecting Constantine’s new theology. The most prominent of these bishops may be Maris of Chalcedon, who later became an adamant opponent of the new doctrine after first signing the creed.

With his new position of de facto religious power, Emperor Constantine continued to call church councils and instruct the church on how to handle its business. Constantine even changed his mind about Arius and allowed him to return from exile. Maybe most brazenly, he ordered the church to restore Arius to full communion. Supporters of “homoousios” resisted his order, but little could be done. Then, on the day Arius was going to be restored to full fellowship with the church, Arius died a horrendous and very public death. While no one publicly suggested Arius was murdered, the timing was shocking and suspicious. His enemies called it a sign of his evil and compared him to Judas. The death of Arius would not, however, be the end of the church’s theological battle.

From the time of Nicea, rebellion grew against the doctrine of “homoousios”. Over the coming decades, bishops would gather at Antioch, Serdica, Rimini, Seleucia, and elsewhere to create alternative creeds. To say the backlash was significant would be a gross understatement. The church was literally tearing apart.

When Emperor Constantine died in 337 AD, his son, Constantius II, took over the rule of the empire. Not all at once, but by 353 AD he was the sole emperor. This is just after Liberius became pope. Liberius was a supporter of Athanasius of Alexandria and both were supporters of Constantine’s “homoousios” doctrine. Athenasius, however, was trouble for the empire. He was a violent enforcer of Nicene Christianity and was often caught in various scandals. In short, his behavior exacerbated the division in the empire. Constantius II, on the other hand, didn’t believe in the “shared substance” doctrine taught in “homoousios”. Instead, he believed the Father and Son were of “similar substance”. That may sound like splitting hairs, but it was a huge theological distinction at the time.

To deal with Athenatius, Constantius pressured bishops to condemn him. This would strip him of his position and remove him from full communion with the church. When Athanasius refused to accept condemnation, Constantius sent troops to Alexandria and Athanasius fled into hiding. During all of this, Pope Liberius remained a loyal supporter of Athenasius and refused to condemn him. As a result, Liberius was also arrested and exiled.

Pope Liberius would not be pushed out for long, though. Instead, he followed the example of the Nicene bishops by deciding to condemn Athenasius and signing a new creed which supported this emperor’s doctrine of “similar substance”. “Homoousios” was out… for now. That said, there were still plenty of church leaders who opposed Constantius’s position which they inaccurately called an Arian theology. Saint Jerome’s somewhat famous complaint may have captured this feeling the best when he said, “The whole world groaned and was amazed to find itself Arian.”

When Constantius II died in 361 AD, Pope Liberius switched his stance back again to teaching the “shared substance” or “homoousios” of God. This doctrinal rollercoaster ride, of course, caused even more problems across Christianity. Christians on all sides had increasingly serious concerns about the rapid doctrinal drift they were witnessing before their own eyes. Something needed to be done. To fix the problem, the Bible just needed a little “boost” to help it on its way.

The next article in this series will show how the Johannine Comma (a fake scripture added to the Bible) provided the support needed to solidify the Trinity as the god of creedal Christianity.

I’ve said before that I believe Adam and Eve’s portion of the creation story is the most important story in any of the scriptures. When we apply the symbolic meanings discussed in the previous 3 articles, we end up with is a very powerful description of the plan of salvation in a way that we don’t usually see it. It teaches us about God’s plan, about the atonement, and how we can return to live with God again. It adds depth and meaning to temple ordinances.

If you’ve missed any of the previous 3 articles, reading through the details will be well worth your time. You can go back and check them out here:

Start at the Beginning of the Series

Before we get any further into this, let’s review the original meaning behind the symbols covered previously.

Symbols and Their Descriptions

The Garden of Eden = The presence of God

Adam and Eve = While a literal Adam and Eve exist, in the story, they primarily represent all of humanity. Adam represents all men; Eve represents all women.

Adam’s rib/side = Neither man nor woman is complete without the other.

Tree of Life = The love of God

The fruit of the Tree of Life = Eternal life

Tree of Knowledge = Moral responsibility and culpability

The fruit of the Tree of Knowledge = Knowledge through Earthly experience

Nudity = Before the fall, it represents childlike innocence. Afterward, it represents the shame and sin that often come with moral responsibility.

Coats of skins = This is a dual symbol. It represents both the covering atonement of Christ and receiving our earthly bodies when we leave God’s presence.

The serpent = He is a follower of Satan, who, in some ways, also represents temptation in general.

Cherubim = Guardians of the presence of God

The flaming sword = The sword is held by the cherubim and points in all directions. This represents the inability to return to God’s presence on our own.

If you’ve changed your mind, and want to go over these symbols in more detail again, click below:

Go Back to the Beginning of the Series

The Explanation

The story begins with Adam (men). God then creates Eve (women) by taking an entire side of Adam (neither is complete without the other). They are united in marriage and commanded to be “one flesh” (a symbol of unity). God then places them in the Garden of Eden (God’s presence, God has brought them to be with him) where they abide near the tree of life (God’s love) and eat its fruit (experience eternal life). They are then instructed to be “fruitful and multiply” and replenish the earth. However, they are naked (innocent like a child) and therefore unable to fulfill God’s commandment. Additionally, they have not yet received their coats of skins (mortal bodies). Seeing the opportunity to separate Adam and Eve (us) from God, Satan employs the serpent (a follower of Satan) to persuade Adam and Eve to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge (become morally responsible for their actions). The serpent tells them that they must eat the fruit (become morally responsible) in order to fulfil God’s plan to grow into a being like God is (See Genesis 3:22). Adam and Eve listen to the serpent. Having made this choice, Adam and Eve recognize their nakedness (have become morally responsible) and try to hide their nudity (shame/sin) from God. They cannot do it on their own. God then prepares a covering (the atonement) for their nudity (shame/sin) before sending them out of the Garden of Eden (God’s presence). Clothed in a coat of skins (having gained bodies and having an atonement prepared), they leave the garden (are born). God then sets the cherubim with the flaming sword to guard the way (a demonstration that we cannot simply return to where we came from). Having left the Garden of Eden (God’s presence), the historical Adam and Eve then enter Adam-ondi-Ahman to live out their mortal lives.

This is only the beginning of the story, though. Remember, the creation story was originally given to Moses for use in the ancient temple. So, we would be right to suspect that the story is completed through temple ordinances. The endowment symbolically completes the journey we began in the creation story above. When we enter the temple, we begin already separated from God, but we symbolically return to God’s presence through Jesus Christ.

While I’m not comfortable discussing the specifics of our sacred temple ceremonies in a public setting, suffice it to say the celestial room is symbolically equivalent to the Garden of Eden and that the covenants we make in the temple connect our souls to God. Through covenants with Christ, we re-enter the Father’s presence through Christ (symbolized by the temple veil).

Learning about the sacred symbolism in the creation story was a life-changing experience for me. I hope it has been enlightening for you, too. This 4-article series is just a summary of what I explored in my book Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story. So, if you want to dive deeper into it, take a look at the section below and click the “Get the Book” button. The book is super affordable. It’s even free if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited.

Have a fantastic day!

The Book

This research originally appears in my book Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story. If you don’t want to wait for each article, or want more background, details, and context about how to understand the creation story from a Latter-day Saint perspective, you can find it here:

Get the Book

The first opportunity I had to discuss my new book publicly was on a small Latter-day Saint podcast called The MoxieMoron Show. I gave the host, Kevin, a copy of the book afterward. He finished the entire thing later that night and sent me the text below.

The book quickly jumped to #1 in its category on Amazon’s best seller list and has, I hope, made a positive impact on the lives of its readers.

Get the Book

Why is there no revelation on evolution?

At first, it may seem odd that the church would not take a stance in the debate between one of its core doctrines (the creation) and the #1 argument against it. After all, we teach the creation story in our temples, in the books of Genesis, Abraham, and Moses, and it’s even referenced throughout many of our other scriptures. However, the creation story is not as related to the topic of evolution as many of us have assumed.

While the creation story may or may not overlap with scientific discoveries, its main purpose was not to be a scientific history of the world. It is far more important.

The story is, and always was, used in temple worship as a way to learn about the Plan of Salvation. Through the creation story, we learn about our pre-mortal origin, come to understand our relationship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and learn how we can return home to reign alongside them.

The creation story is, in my opinion, the most important story in all of scripture. You might say, what about the story of Christ’s atonement? To which, I would reply, it is the story of Christ’s atonement and the story of why it matters. It tells the story through symbolism. Understanding the specific symbolism used in the creation story provides us with valuable gospel insights and drastically enhances our temple experience. The more we learn, the more we understand the Plan of Salvation.

Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story dives into each of these topics and more. It explains common misunderstandings, discusses how the creation account was used in the ancient temple, and breaks down the most important symbolism needed to fully understand the story today. The book is easy to read, but very well cited, so you know where the information is coming from.

If you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you can even read it for free.

Get the Book Here

Best wishes!

Tom Schleiffarth

This is the 3rd in a series of 4 articles on the symbolism used in the biblical creation story. To begin at the start, click the button below.

Begin at the Start

The explanations below use a combination of prophetic insights and scholarly research to explain what the symbols meant to the ancient Hebrews. Understanding this symbolism will allow Latter-day Saints to better understand temple worship and the gospel as a whole.

Nudity and symbolic clothing

When God created Adam and Eve, they were “both naked … and were not ashamed” (Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭25). In the beginning, this unashamed child-like nudity symbolized their innocence, being both naive and without sin. As they grew in knowledge (represented by eating the fruit of knowledge), their nudity became a representation of their shame. We could compare this shift in meaning to how a little child does nothing wrong when he runs out of the bath, completely naked, in front of house guests. The child is young, naive, and innocent. It’s a very different situation when a 40-year-old man does the same thing. They are both equally naked, but we expect something different from an adult who knows better. The child’s nudity shows their innocence. An adult streaking through the living room is shameful. Similarly, as Adam and Eve grew in knowledge and understanding, they lost their innocence. With the loss of innocence came sin and culpability — demonstrated by the shame they felt when found naked in the garden after eating the fruit of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:7-10).

In ancient Hebrew culture, the ideas of shame and nudity were closely tied together. For example, you can see it in the Hebrew poetic parallelism found in Isaiah 47:3. Isaiah says, “Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen”. Though nakedness can sometimes be meant literally in the Bible, after the fall, it represented Adam and Eve’s “weaknesses and sins” (Church website: FAQ, “About the Temple Garment”).

After eating the fruit, Adam and Eve’s nakedness is covered by the “Lord God” (Christ) with a “coat of skins” (Genesis 3:21) or what New Testament era Hebrews called “garments of honor”.

The coats of skins likely represent two ideas at once.

First and foremost, the skins represent the atonement of Christ. To make the coats of skins given to Adam and Eve, it required the sacrifice of an animal’s life. That sacrifice was then used to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness, or shame, in the same way the atonement of Christ required the sacrifice of his own life to cover the ‘shame’ of our sins. In Hebrew, this would have been even more apparent since the word for “atonement” means “to cover”. This emblematic covering was not just for Adam and Eve, though; we all “need a similar covering of mercy for the mistakes we make” (Church website: FAQ, “About the Temple Garment”) . Today, this is symbolically represented by the temple garment.

Secondly, the coats of skins given to Adam and Eve may have represented the time when Adam and Eve were given physical bodies because they would have been literally covered in skin (like a coat). If you overlook the symbolism used in the story and take it all at face value, it’s easy to assume that Adam and Eve already have physical bodies. Once you uncover the symbolic meaning of the story, however, their pre-mortal state becomes much more obvious. This will be discussed in more detail in the forthcoming 4th article in this series.

The serpent

Though the serpent is one of the more obvious allegorical aspects of the creation story, the scriptures do not directly provide any insight into how to interpret its meaning. This is probably because it would have been intuitive for the original Hebrew audience who would have known the serpent’s human-like attributes indicated interference from a being from outside the earthly world.

Hebrews expected this kind of symbolism because it was baked into their language and culture. So, the idea of a serpent is probably more associated with the real or perceived attributes of a serpent, ideas like subtlety (mentioned above) and danger. Using the symbolic depiction of a serpent provides a more impactful, memorable, and tangible depiction of this evil being than mere adjectives could.

As the story progresses, we are introduced to even greater symbolism. Specifically, after the serpent persuades Eve to eat the fruit, God curses the serpent, saying, “upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life”(Moses 4:20). Literal serpents are already on their bellies since they have neither legs nor wings. So, this punishment wouldn’t make much sense. Readers may be left wondering whether God is letting the serpent off the hook by leaving him as he is, or if this is a silly ‘just so’ story like ‘how the camel got its hump’ or ‘how the zebra got its stripes’.

This is not the case.

While neither the Genesis account nor the Book of Moses version of the creation story specifically mentions that the serpent has wings, it makes sense to assume that he was not lying on the ground like a regular snake since God cursed him to go on his belly. This clue also allows us to compare the symbolism of the serpent to symbolism found in other books of scripture. As luck may have it, Joseph Smith was given several explanations of the symbolism in the Book of Revelation, and those explanations fit equally well with the creation story.

There are 2 relevant parts to understanding the meaning of the serpent.

1. In the Book of Revelation, Satan is represented by a “great red dragon” (Revelation 12:3). Wings are not explicitly mentioned here either, but they are implied by the fact that the dragon appears as a “wonder in heaven”— in other words, it is flying in the sky. While the serpent in the creation story is a separate individual from Lucifer, the two play a similar role.

2. In the Doctrine & Covenants, Joseph Smith receives an explanation of several parts of John’s vision in Revelation. One of those explanations discusses a beast near the throne of God, which was mentioned earlier. It is depicted with several sets of wings, which Christ himself explains as “a representation of power” (D&C 77:4).

If the serpent in the creation story was a dragon with wings, those wings likely represent the power and authority of the serpent. Before his fall, Lucifer was a righteous leader among the children of God. He stood in “authority in the presence of God” but “rebelled against the Only Begotten Son” (D&C 76:25) and fell “from heaven like lightning” (Luke 10:18). Similar to how Satan lost his authority when he fell, the serpent in the creation story is cursed by losing his power and authority just like Satan did. This loss of authority is symbolized by cursing the serpent to go on its belly and to have Adam and Eve’s descendants empowered to bruise or crush its head (Moses 4:21). This is also a warning to us. If we choose to follow Satan, like the serpent, we will also lose any power or authority given to us by God. When the serpent is cursed, it represents a significant power shift, moving from the serpent to the children of Adam and Eve.

This is reiterated in the gospel of Luke. After Christ sends 70 missionaries out to preach and to heal in his name, they return rejoicing in their power over evil. When Jesus hears them, he repeats part of the creation story, telling them how Satan fell from heaven and how Christ had given the 70 power or “authority to walk on snakes and scorpions, and authority over all the power of the enemy” (Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭18‬-‭20). The snakes and scorpions discussed by Jesus are symbolic creatures representing Satan and his followers.

This same imagery is used when “fiery serpents” plagued the Israelites in Numbers 21. The Israelites had begun to sin and be angry with God when venomous snakes invaded the region. The snakes began biting them, and many of the Israelites died as a result. When they began to regret their choices, they asked Moses for help. Moses prayed to God, who told him to make “a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live⁠. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived”. These weren’t just fiery (venomous) serpents though. The book of Nephi reveals that they were “fiery flying serpents” (1 Nephi 17:41). The brass serpent on the pole represents Christ. Jesus explains this in the gospel of John when he tells Nicodemus that “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). Christ is lifted up on the cross to save the people if they will turn to him, just like how he saved the Hebrews from the venom of the fiery flying serpents (Satan and his followers) if they would turn and look toward the brass serpent lifted up on the pole.

There is more that could be said about how the serpent represents both Christ (on Moses’s pole) and Satan’s influence (in the garden), but it goes beyond the scope of this article. In short, though, the serpent is just a symbol; it is not a literal representation. This is similar to how a sword can represent both protection and danger, which are opposite ideas. This can be confusing for a cultural outsider trying to understand ancient symbolism, but, just like in our modern culture, a single symbol can be interpreted in different ways.

The Next Article

The 4th and final article in this series will combine all of this symbolism together. The result is a shockingly cohesive story that explains the plan of salvation in great detail.

The Book

This research originally appears in my book Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story. If you don’t want to wait for each article, or want more background, details, and context about how to understand the creation story from a Latter-day Saint perspective, you can find it here:

Get the Book

The first opportunity I had to discuss my new book publicly was on a small Latter-day Saint podcast called The MoxieMoron Show. I gave the host, Kevin, a copy of the book afterward. He finished the entire thing later that night and sent me the text below.

The book quickly jumped to #1 in its category on Amazon’s best seller list and has, I hope, made a positive impact on the lives of its readers.

Get the Book

Why is there no revelation on evolution?

At first, it may seem odd that the church would not take a stance in the debate between one of its core doctrines (the creation) and the #1 argument against it. After all, we teach the creation story in our temples, in the books of Genesis, Abraham, and Moses, and it’s even referenced throughout many of our other scriptures. However, the creation story is not as related to the topic of evolution as many of us have assumed.

While the creation story may or may not overlap with scientific discoveries, its main purpose was not to be a scientific history of the world. It is far more important.

The story is, and always was, used in temple worship as a way to learn about the Plan of Salvation. Through the creation story, we learn about our pre-mortal origin, come to understand our relationship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and learn how we can return home to reign alongside them.

The creation story is, in my opinion, the most important story in all of scripture. You might say, what about the story of Christ’s atonement? To which, I would reply, it is the story of Christ’s atonement and the story of why it matters. It tells the story through symbolism. Understanding the specific symbolism used in the creation story provides us with valuable gospel insights and drastically enhances our temple experience. The more we learn, the more we understand the Plan of Salvation.

Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story dives into each of these topics and more. It explains common misunderstandings, discusses how the creation account was used in the ancient temple, and breaks down the most important symbolism needed to fully understand the story today. The book is easy to read, but very well cited, so you know where the information is coming from.

If you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you can even read it for free.

Get the Book Here

Best wishes!

Tom Schleiffarth

Quick context:

The story of Adam and Eve is often misunderstood as nothing more than a piece of early history. However, there is much more going on here. Instead of being a mere historical record, it was given by revelation to Moses while on the mountain. Like today, it was given specifically to use in the ancient Hebrew temple. The symbols it uses were clear to the original Hebrew audience, but those symbols have become less clear over time.

The explanations below use a combination of prophetic insights and scholarly research into ancient Hebrew symbolism to explain what these symbols meant and how we can understand them in our worship today.

This is the 2nd in a series of 4 articles. So, if you missed the 1st article in this series, you can read it hear:

Start at the Beginning

Adam’s Rib

Many church leaders, including Spencer W. Kimball, agree that “the story of the rib … is figurative” (Kimball, 1976). Both inside and outside the church, it has become a popular belief “that the woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved” (Matthew Henry’s commentary). This is a beautiful saying, and there may be some truth in it, but it doesn’t match very well with the actual point being made.

To this day, there is debate about the correct translation of the Hebrew word ‘tsela’. In the King James Bible, it is translated as ‘rib,’ but it is more literally translated as ‘side’ (Strong’s Lexicon: tsela). This isn't an English translation issue, though. This is an issue with the ancient Hebrew language itself. Ancient Hebrew was a fairly limited language, and there is actually no separate word for rib. So, the original translators went with their best guess that the idea of a rib was intended. It’s not a decided issue, though, and the debate goes back to at least the time of Christ. 

There is a Jewish commentary on the scriptures that was written a few hundred years after Jesus' death. It is called the Bereshit Rabbah. Part of it is a debate between a group of Jewish Rabbis on the meaning of ‘tsela’. In the debate, one group of Rabbis asks, “But is it not written: ‘He took one of his ribs … and the Lord God built the rib that He took from the man into a woman?’” The other rabbis reply by saying, “It means that He took one of his two sides”. The second group of rabbis then argues that the same word ‘tsela’ is translated as “side” when referring to the Tabernacle in another verse. While it is not clear how the word ‘tsela’ should be translated on its own, a lot can be learned by looking at the context.

If Eve was not made from the rib of Adam but taken from the entire side of Adam, the interpretation changes completely. It would mean humans were each created to be one half of a whole. Man is one half, woman is the other. Man and woman are incomplete without each other. This interpretation also fits much better with Adam’s response after he marries Eve. 

After their marriage, Adam says man should “leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife⁠; and they shall be one flesh” (Moses 3:24) and continues by declaring that Eve is not just “bone of (his) bones” but also “flesh of (his) flesh” — implying that more than just bone was taken. The idea that Eve symbolically represented an entire side of Adam also fits better with the restored understanding of the plan of salvation because we know marriage is the completion of an eternal union essential to our becoming like God. By joining man and woman together, we become complete. This is why the Father tells Christ it is “not good that the man should be alone⁠” (Moses 3:18). It is the sealing of man and woman as one that provides the very purpose of the plan of salvation and the fulfillment of our temple covenants, that we may receive the highest degree of celestial glory. But to do this, “a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage⁠]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it” (D&C 131:1-3). Without each other, man and woman cannot be complete. If we are incomplete, we cannot become like God and “cannot have an increase⁠” (D&C 131:4).

This need for united couples and families extends beyond ourselves. So much so that God warns us “the whole earth would be utterly wasted” (D&C 2:3) if we are unable to unite families eternally. In 1987, then Elder Russell M. Nelson explained it this way: “As Michael, Adam did his part. He became the first man. But, in spite of the power and glory of creation to that point, the final link in the chain of creation was still missing. All the purposes of the world and all that was in the world would be brought to naught without woman—a keystone in the priesthood arch of creation” (Nelson, 1987). The unity of man and woman sealed together for eternity is the crux of the plan of salvation, and we learn this through a proper understanding of the creation story.

Cherubim and the flaming sword

One of the other more ambiguous parts of the creation story is the cherubim (plural for cherub) left to guard the Garden of Eden after the fall. The only time most people see a cherub today is in a cartoon of Cupid shooting one of his love arrows. This has nothing to do with the biblical cherubim, though. The original Cupid was not a cherub to begin with, and biblical cherubim were not chubby winged babies. When the bible talks about the cherubim, it’s describing a variety of winged, hybrid creatures who guard the presence of God. They often have multiple sets of wings, which represent their abundant power (D&C 77:4). In this context, their abundant power also indicates that we cannot simply pass them by to return to God. This is reinforced by the “flaming sword which turned every way” (Genesis 3:24) implying that there is no sneaky way around the guards set to “keep the way of the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24). There is a way provided, however. We must enter in with Christ just as the wise virgins entered into the wedding feast with the bridegroom in the gospel of Matthew. The virgins who tried to enter by the dim light of their own lamps were turned away. Without Christ, the cherubim will similarly turn us away from re-entering God’s presence.

Throughout the Bible, cherubim protect only the most sacred locations. They acted as guardians of God’s throne in Psalms 99:1, they appear on each side of the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:18-19), they were carved at the entry to the holy of holies (2 Chronicles 3:10-13) in Solomon’s temple, and were sewn onto the ancient temple veil (Exodus 26:1). Each of these locations symbolically represents the presence of God. In other words, when cherubim show up in scripture, readers should assume there is a symbolic reference to the presence of God.

The Next Article 

The next article will discuss the symbolic meaning behind Adam and Eve’s nudity in the garden, the clothing that they are given, and the significance of the Serpent beyond being a mere representation of Satan.

The Book

This research originally appears in my book Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story. If you don’t want to wait for each article, or want more background, details, and context about how to understand the creation story from a Latter-day Saint perspective, you can find it here:

Get the Book

The first opportunity I had to discuss my new book publicly was on a small Latter-day Saint podcast called The MoxieMoron Show. I gave the host, Kevin, a copy of the book afterward. He finished the entire thing later that night and sent me the text below.

The book quickly jumped to #1 in its category on Amazon’s best seller list and has, I hope, made a positive impact on the lives of its readers.

Get the Book

Why is there no revelation on evolution?

At first, it may seem odd that the church would not take a stance in the debate between one of its core doctrines (the creation) and the #1 argument against it. After all, we teach the creation story in our temples, in the books of Genesis, Abraham, and Moses, and it’s even referenced throughout many of our other scriptures. However, the creation story is not as related to the topic of evolution as many of us have assumed.

While the creation story may or may not overlap with scientific discoveries, its main purpose was not to be a scientific history of the world. It is far more important.

The story is, and always was, used in temple worship as a way to learn about the Plan of Salvation. Through the creation story, we learn about our pre-mortal origin, come to understand our relationship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and learn how we can return home to reign alongside them.

The creation story is, in my opinion, the most important story in all of scripture. You might say, what about the story of Christ’s atonement? To which, I would reply, it is the story of Christ’s atonement and the story of why it matters. It tells the story through symbolism. Understanding the specific symbolism used in the creation story provides us with valuable gospel insights and drastically enhances our temple experience. The more we learn, the more we understand the Plan of Salvation.

Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story dives into each of these topics and more. It explains common misunderstandings, discusses how the creation account was used in the ancient temple, and breaks down the most important symbolism needed to fully understand the story today. The book is easy to read, but very well cited, so you know where the information is coming from.

If you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you can even read it for free.

Get the Book Here

Best wishes!

Tom Schleiffarth

Subscribe now

One of the beautiful things about symbols is that they can carry multiple meanings at once. A well-crafted symbol communicates more depth and understanding than mere words. Symbols can play on our feelings, remind us of past experiences, and create a more tangible understanding than otherwise possible. At the same time, they can mask more sacred teachings from those who are not ready to understand them. This is why Christ often taught in parables (see Matthew 13:10-13). “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The creation story is filled with symbolism, which was well understood by its original audience: the ancient Hebrews. However, those symbols are not as clear today as they once were. Because of the prominent role the creation story plays in the Latter-day Saint temple experience, it’s essential to understand the meaning behind these symbols. 

This is the first in a series of articles that explores the 9 most significant symbols used in the creation story. It will explain what these symbols meant to ancient Hebrews, and what they can mean to us today. They are:

1. The Garden of Eden

2. The 2 trees

3. The fruit of the trees

4. Adam’s rib

5. Adam and Eve’s nudity

6. Adam and Eve’s clothing

7. The serpent

8. The cherubim

9. The flaming sword

This research comes from both prophetic explanations and scholarly research into ancient Hebrew symbolism.

On the surface, the creation story teaches us about how God created Earth and everything in it. Most Christians also understand that the story of Adam and Eve explains why we need salvation. However, the 9 symbols I listed above work together to provide an even deeper understanding. They explain God’s plan in great detail and add irreplaceable context to both ancient and modern temple worship.

The Garden

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The Garden of Eden is not just a serene location. The garden itself is the home and dwelling place of God. It represents God’s presence. Ancient readers would have naturally assumed this because mountains and gardens were culturally thought of as the location of the gods. It’s for this same reason that we often say that “the mountain of God is his temple”. In the case of the Garden of Eden, it is a garden on a mountain. We know it’s on a mountain because it is described as having 4 rivers flowing from it, and rivers only flow downhill. If this weren’t enough of a clue to the ancient Hebrews, it was made even clearer when the cherubim were placed at the entrance to “guard the way” when Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden. Why? Because Cherubim were also guardians of God’s presence

Symbolically, the celestial room, the garden, and the holy of holies all represent God’s presence, and we can think of them in the same way. When Adam and Eve left the Garden, they left God’s presence. When we pass through the veil in the temple, we re-enter God’s presence through Christ (represented by the veil). At the veil, we accept redemption from our own fall and return to God’s presence.

The Trees and Their Fruit

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It’s unlikely that any apples or pears were involved when Adam and Eve had to leave God’s presence. The tree and the fruit are a well-established metaphor used throughout the bible to teach lessons to the Hebrew people. In the New Testament, Christ taught his disciples that they could identify a true prophet “by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). Paul taught about the “fruit of the spirit” (Galatians 5:22). Isaiah reassures the righteous that they will “eat the fruit of their doings” ( Isaiah 3:10) and Hosea curses Israel, saying that they have "eaten the fruit of lies”( Hosea 10:13), among many other examples. The fruit metaphor is even clearer to Latter-day Saints familiar with Lehi’s dream in the Book of Mormon. 

In Lehi’s dream, he sees the tree of life, and we are given specific explanations about its symbolism. In 1 Nephi 11, we are told that the tree of life represents “the love of God”, and the fruit of the tree of life represents “the greatest of all the gifts of God” (1 Nephi 15:36), which is eternal life (D&C 14:7). While the scriptures never explicitly state this is the same tree of life as the one found in the garden of Eden, it only makes sense that it is, since Lehi’s vision comes immediately after he reads the creation story on the brass plates. However, Lehi’s vision does not discuss the meaning of the 2nd tree in the creation story.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents the loss of innocence. We can tell this from the context. When Adam and Eve partake of this fruit, it represents a necessary step toward the maturity of our eternal spirits. As we learn and gain experience, we are no longer innocent, and that lack of innocence brings along accountability. With accountability comes error (or sin). Because we are “not able to abide the law of a Celestial Kingdom”, we cannot “abide a celestial glory” (D&C 88:22). In other words, we can no longer live with God.

After Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit, God’s main concern is that they do not “take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever” (Genesis 3:22). If Adam and Eve remain in their sins eternally, they cannot return to him. Instead, they (like us) must die so that we can be resurrected in perfected, god-like bodies. Adam and Eve must experience mortality so that they can gain experience and so that their children can be born, so that the savior can be born, so that we may all return sinless to live with God again. When God prohibits Adam and Eve from eating the fruit of eternal life, it is an explanation of the importance of physical death to provide a way back to God.

To fulfill God’s plan, Adam and Eve needed to leave God’s presence and experience mortality for themselves. They also needed to decide for themselves. This choice is represented by the fruit of the 2 trees. To become like God, we also must partake of both the fruit of knowledge and the fruit of eternal life by entering into covenants with him.

More to Come

This is just the first of 4 articles on the symbolism used in the creation story. If you don’t want to wait for each article, or want more background, details, and context about how to understand the creation story from a Latter-day Saint perspective, I wrote a book that covers this same material and much more. It’s called Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story. Details are below.

Subscribe now

The first opportunity I had to discuss my new book publicly was on a small Latter-day Saint podcast called The MoxieMoron Show. I gave the host, Kevin, a copy of the book afterward. He finished the entire thing later that night and sent me the text below.

The book quickly jumped to #1 in its category on Amazon’s best seller list and has, I hope, made a positive impact on the lives of its readers.

Get the Book

Why is there no revelation on evolution?

At first, it may seem odd that the church would not take a stance in the debate between one of its core doctrines (the creation) and the #1 argument against it. After all, we teach the creation story in our temples, in the books of Genesis, Abraham, and Moses, and it’s even referenced throughout many of our other scriptures. However, the creation story is not as related to the topic of evolution as many of us have assumed.

While the creation story may or may not overlap with scientific discoveries, it was not intended as a scientific history of the world. It is far more important.

Latter-day Saints who only look at the creation story as a literal history of the world, miss its true message. The story is, and always was, used in temple worship as a way to learn about the Plan of Salvation. Through the creation story, we learn about our pre-mortal origin, come to understand our relationship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and learn how we can return home to reign alongside them.

The creation story is, in my opinion, the most important story in all of scripture. You might say, what about the story of Christ’s atonement? To which, I would reply, it is the story of Christ’s atonement and the story of why it matters. It tells the story through symbolism. Understanding the specific symbolism used in the creation story provides us with valuable gospel insights and drastically enhances our temple experience. The more we learn, the more we understand the Plan of Salvation.

Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story dives into each of these topics and more. It explains common misunderstandings, discusses how the creation account was used in the ancient temple, and breaks down the most important symbolism needed to fully understand the story today. The book is easy to read, but very well cited so you know where the information is coming from.

If you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you can even read it for free.

Get the Book Here

Best wishes!

Tom Schleiffarth

My New Book

The first opportunity I had to discuss my new book publicly was on a small Latter-day Saint podcast called The MoxieMoron Show. I gave the host, Kevin, a copy of the book afterward. He finished the entire thing later that night and sent me the text below.

The book quickly jumped to #1 in its category on Amazon’s best seller list and has, I hope, made a positive impact on the lives of its readers.

Get the Book

Why is there no revelation on evolution?

At first, it may seem odd that the church would not take a stance in the debate between one of its core doctrines (the creation) and the #1 argument against it. After all, we teach the creation story in our temples, in the books of Genesis, Abraham, and Moses, and it’s even referenced throughout many of our other scriptures. However, the creation story is not as related to the topic of evolution as many of us have assumed.

While the creation story may or may not overlap with scientific discoveries, it was not intended as a scientific history of the world. It is far more important.

Latter-day Saints who only look at the creation story as a literal history of the world, miss its true message. The story is, and always was, used in temple worship as a way to learn about the Plan of Salvation. Through the creation story, we learn about our pre-mortal origin, come to understand our relationship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and learn how we can return home to reign alongside them.

The creation story is, in my opinion, the most important story in all of scripture. You might say, what about the story of Christ’s atonement? To which, I would reply, it is the story of Christ’s atonement and the story of why it matters. It tells the story through symbolism. Understanding the specific symbolism used in the creation story provides us with valuable gospel insights and drastically enhances our temple experience. The more we learn, the more we understand the Plan of Salvation.

Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story dives into each of these topics and more. It explains common misunderstandings, discusses how the creation account was used in the ancient temple, and breaks down the most important symbolism needed to fully understand the story today. The book is easy to read, but very well cited so you know where the information is coming from.

If you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you can even read it for free.

Get the Book Here

Best wishes!

Tom Schleiffarth

The Cain and Abel story isn’t just a tale about two brothers. It’s a lesson about the ritual sacrifice that was fundamental to temple worship before Christ’s atonement. It’s not a stand-alone story, either. The story actually starts with a sacrifice performed by Adam. Together, the whole story can rightly be called the ‘story of ritual sacrifices’. Today, ritual sacrifices are no longer needed in temples because Christ eliminated the need for them when he atoned for our sins. So, the story of ritual sacrifices is no longer relevant to the temple and, therefore, not included in modern temple ceremonies. At first, this makes Cain and Abel’s story seem like an interesting, but ultimately unimportant detail of history. If that were true, though, why did God reveal a corrected version of their story for us to use in our modern era? (see Moses 5)

Temple dramas are filled with layers of meaning. The creation story teaches us about our divine origin and our purpose on Earth. The story of the fall symbolically explains the Plan of Salvation and establishes the context for us to symbolically complete the journey initiated by our first parents (see What Latter-day Saints Get Wrong about Temple Symbolism). The story of Cain and Abel, or story of ritual sacrifices, is no different. Its primary purpose was to teach important lessons about performing a proper animal sacrifice, but it also contains powerful lessons that are extremely relevant today.

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Rediscovering the Ancient Temple Drama

Just because the ancient Hebrews needed to learn how to perform ritual sacrifices in their temple doesn’t mean they learned about it through a temple drama. For that, we need to look at everything Latter-day Saints know about the temple in both ancient and modern times.

1. Both of the temple dramas that we know (the creation and the fall) were revealed to Moses while he was on the mountain (Moses 1-4). This also appears to be the same time as when God gave Moses instructions on how to build the tabernacle (mobile temple) in the book of Exodus (Exodus 25-31).

2. When God revealed the stories about the creation and the fall, God revealed the story of ritual sacrifices at the same time (Moses 5).

3. After receiving revelations about the creation, the fall, and the story of ritual sacrifices, Moses came down from the mountain and immediately built the tabernacle/mobile temple (Exodus 33).

4. The story of creation, the story of the fall, and the need for ritual sacrifice all played prominent roles in ancient Hebrew temple worship (broad scholarly consensus).

5. The creation story, story of the fall, and the opening portion (Adam’s sacrifice) of the story of ritual sacrifices are all part of the temple drama today.

6. Modern temple ordinances are a restoration of “the ancient order of things” (Joseph Smith).

The fact that these 3 stories were all given to Moses together with the other temple instructions is a good first clue that they were most likely all intended for temple use. Since we also know the first 2 stories were prominently used in Hebrew temple worship, it becomes hard to argue that the Cain and Abel story was not used in a similar way. This is especially true since this story is so focused on a central activity in the ancient temple: ritual sacrifice. However, it’s when we look at temple worship within the restored gospel, that it becomes clear that the Cain and Abel story was, almost certainly, presented as part of the ancient temple drama. This is because, in our temples today, we also use all 3 stories during the endowment ceremony. The story of ritual sacrifice is just cut short before Cain and Abel are discussed, the Adam and Eve portion is still included.

A Counter Argument

Some people may argue that the story of ritual sacrifices was given in a separate revelation to Joseph Smith than the stories about the creation and fall. Therefore, they may not be related at all.

While it’s technically true that the story of ritual sacrifices comes in a separate revelation from the creation and fall, this appears to be coincidental rather than meaningful. Not only were the two revelations received by Joseph Smith during the same very short time period, all of Moses 1-5 is a translation of the same, continuous ancient text. We know this because the story of ritual sacrifices begins right where the creation and fall revelation left off: with Adam and Eve. It begins immediately after they were expelled from the Garden of Eden. This isn’t just extra information about their lives after the fall, either. The story begins with Adam’s sacrifice on the altar, which is also part of the modern temple ceremony, and continues until God ends the revelation by saying, “Amen”.

When ‘Amen’ Means More than ‘Amen’

The fact that the revelation ends with ‘Amen’ is actually important because it is part of a pattern used in each of the temple revelations in the Book of Moses. When God says “Amen”, it clearly marks the end of that revelation. In this case, God just concluded the story of the fall of Adam and Eve by saying “Amen”. However, this is not where our modern temple drama stops. Instead, it stops about ¼ of the way through the story of ritual sacrifices, right after Adam gives sacrifice and just before the Cain and Abel story begins. This may seem like the natural end to Adam’s story and the beginning of Abel’s story, but it’s not. This revelation is not about Adam or Cain or Abel. The whole story is about ritual sacrifice. It begins with instructions given to Adam on how to properly perform sacrifice, it shows Adam following those instructions, and it continues by discussing the sacrifices of Cain and Abel. Only after all of this does God end the revelation by saying, “Amen”.

One Chiasm to Unite Them All

Not only are the stories of Adam’s sacrifice and Cain and Abel’s sacrifices part of the same revelation, they are joined together by a large chiasm. It wouldn’t make sense for the two stories to be part of the same chiastic structure if they were intended to be used separately. Instead, the chiasm establishes the stories as two parts of a whole.

If you aren’t familiar with chiasms, they are a common poetic technique used in Hebrew scripture to emphasize important points. Chiasms use an A-B-B-A pattern where ideas are shared and then repeated in reverse order. A simple example of this is found in Matthew 20:16, where it says, “the last shall be first, and the first last”, but chiasms can be much larger and far more complex as well. These more complex chiasms are sometimes called ‘structural chiasms’. Structural chiasms build up to a main point over several verses, or even chapters, and then repeat back similar themes in reverse order. It’s a way to compare related ideas and make sure the reader fully comprehends the main message being shared. Somewhat famously, Nephi, King Benjamin, and Alma all made extensive use of chiasms in the Book of Mormon but they are also used throughout the Bible and other ancient Hebrew writing.

The structural chiasm linking the story of Adam’s sacrifice with the story of Cain and Abel is found spread across the 5th chapter of the Book of Moses, from verse 1 to verse 21. It contrasts Adam’s obedience with Cain’s wickedness and emphasizes the blessings that came from the fall. It breaks down as follows (verse numbers are in brackets):

A: Adam and Eve have children and are obedient. They are

told to sacrifice the “firstlings of their flocks”. [1-5]

B: Adam calls upon God using ritual sacrifice. [6]

C: Adam is commanded to repent and call upon God in the name

of Christ. [7-8]

D: The Holy Ghost testifies of the Father and Son. [9a]

E: Christ declares he is the only begotten son and

shares his gospel. [9b]

F: Adam blesses God and prophesies about the

families of the Earth. [10a]

G: Adam says why he is grateful for the fall. [10b]

G: Eve says why she is grateful for the fall. [11]

F: Adam and Eve bless the name of God and share

their experience with their family. [12]

E: Satan says he is also a son of God and shares his

teachings/false gospel. [13]

D: Through the Holy Ghost, Christ calls men to repent.

[14]

C: Those who believe in Christ and repent will be saved. [15]

B: Adam and Eve call upon God. [16a]

A: Adam and Eve have children (Cain and then Abel). Abel is

obedient and offers the ‘firstlings of his flocks’. Cain does not.

[16b-21a]

This chiasm builds an important bridge between what is included in our current temple drama and the Cain and Abel story. By doing so, it clearly establishes the temple origin of the Cain and Abel story, and its ancient use as a temple drama. It means we can read all of Moses 2-5 as a record of ancient temple liturgy (structured, ritual worship). This includes the creation of the earth, the story of Adam and Eve, and the story of Cain and Abel.

The Importance of the Cain and Abel Story Today

While Adam and Abel’s stories are closely tied together, ending the modern temple story with Adam’s sacrifice is not a mistake. The chiasm above just confirms that Cain and Abel’s story was once part of the same temple presentation as the Adam and Eve story. Their story does not have a place in modern temples because it focuses on ritual sacrifice, which is no longer relevant. However, this lesson was essential for the early Hebrews to learn as they prepared sacrifices in preparation for Christ’s “great and last sacrifice” (Alma 34:14). The story was sacred enough to preserve for thousands of years and it was sacred enough for God to reveal a corrected version again for us to use today.

Scriptures are often written with layers of meaning, particularly temple texts. So, it matters that we recognize the temple origins of the Cain and Abel story. Its temple origin is a clue that we should search for lessons beyond what appears on the surface. Afterall, God specifically chose to reveal a corrected version of the Cain and Abel story during these latter days.

There are at least 3 significant lessons we can learn from the story of Cain and Abel.

1. Obedience

2. Precision in ordinances

3. God’s enduring love

Obedience

The story of Adam’s sacrifice, at the beginning of the Cain and Abel story, is often given as an example of obedience because he makes an offering to God without understanding why he was doing it. It is after being obedient that Adam is visited by an angel to explain the purpose of the ritual. This isn’t dissimilar from the way we come to understand our temple covenants today. Temple goers rarely, if ever, fully understand the endowment when they first participate in it. These important covenants are made by faith and show our trust in God. It’s only after time and study that we come to understand the significance of what we are doing.

This same theme of obedience runs throughout the rest of the story as well.

Cain and Abel’s story compares two sacrifices. Abel was obedient and brought the “firstlings of his flock”. Cain, on the other hand, did something very interesting. He did not refuse to make a sacrifice or even deny the need to make a sacrifice. Rather, he modified God’s commandments. Instead of bringing a proper animal sacrifice (to represent Christ’s atonement), Cain only offered the “fruit of the ground” (Moses 5:19). This made a mockery of the sacred offering. He replaced a symbol of Christ’s greatest sacrifice on his behalf with berries from the dirt. It was utterly blasphemous. Yet, this is not why Cain lost his salvation.

Cain lost his salvation because of pride. God chastised him for his behavior, but he would not repent. Instead, he became offended because he was called out for doing what he already knew was not right. He eventually commits himself to Satan and becomes an open enemy to God.

The lesson is this: If we are like Cain, if we are loose with God’s commandments, or if we willfully rebel against him, we displease our Heavenly Father. If we persist in our pride, if we refuse to repent, we also jeopardize our salvation. If we follow God and do what he asks, if we strive to follow Jesus, God will accept Christ’s atonement on our behalf. God will then exalt us and allow us to reign alongside Christ in the eternities (Revelation 3:21).

Precision in Ordinances

Like how animal sacrifice was a representation of Christ’s atoning sacrifice, God has reasons for the way he has organized the ordinances we practice today. They are intended to communicate with us on a deeper level than mere words. When Cain changed the ordinance of animal sacrifice, he changed its meaning and undermined the entire point.

In many ways, animal sacrifice is similar to modern baptism. Baptism is also a sacred ordinance symbolizing the atonement of Christ. God has commanded us to be baptized by immersion. That immersion represents the death of our old selves and being born again as new followers of Christ. Through this symbolism, we become children of Christ. It also represents the death and resurrection of Christ. This symbolism is important. This is why, when Latter-day Saints are baptized, we have strict guidelines and official witnesses to ensure the ordinance is done correctly.

Like Cain’s false sacrifice, we see various imitations of baptism today. Many churches now claim that a verbal commitment to Christ is sufficient and that actual baptism is unnecessary. Others perform a mere sprinkling of water or insist on other rules not required by God (such as using a natural body of water or using the river Jordan). Like replacing an animal for fruit, these adaptations may have “a form of godliness” but they “deny the power thereof” (Joseph Smith History), thus taking away its symbolic significance and undermining the ordinance itself.

God’s Enduring Love

Cain was not merely misinformed about the offering he was supposed to prepare. He had a direct commandment from God, but he listened to Satan. Cain chose to actively reject the commandment to make an animal sacrifice. Even still, God had no desire to reject Cain as an individual. God loved Cain despite his wickedness. He told Cain to repent. He warned him what would happen if he did not change. Unfortunately, Cain “listened not any more to the voice of the Lord” and he lost his entire salvation (Moses 5:26).

The lesson here is that if we act against God’s commandments, he will also reject our wicked offerings but he still wants us to come back. He has the way mapped out for us. We simply need to follow the path. When we wander off the path, God is going to tell us to get back on but we can’t blame him when we get lost and can’t find our way home.

Conclusion

The purpose of the temple is the same today as it was in ancient Israel but how that purpose is accomplished has changed. Christ’s atonement fulfilled the law of ritual sacrifice, and this changed the temple considerably. However, this doesn’t mean there is nothing to learn from the time before Christ. In fact, the underlying lessons are just as applicable today as they ever were. God loves his children, and, like any good parent, that means he has established certain rules and ways of doing things to help us develop and progress as people. He isn’t being secretive with us, he has laid out the path. By studying all 3 temple dramas, we can gain a greater understanding of God’s love, the need for obedience, and his plan to sanctify and exalt us.

Want to Learn More?

This article covered some similar content discussed in my new book, Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story.

The first opportunity I had to discuss my new book publicly was on a small Latter-day Saint podcast called The MoxieMoron Show. I gave the host, Kevin, a copy of the book afterward. He finished the entire thing later that night and sent me the text below.

The book quickly jumped to #1 in its category on Amazon’s best seller list and has, I hope, made a positive impact on the lives of its readers.

Get the Book

Why is there no revelation on evolution?

At first, it may seem odd that the church would not take a stance in the debate between one of its core doctrines (the creation) and the #1 argument against it. After all, we teach the creation story in our temples, in the books of Genesis, Abraham, and Moses, and it’s even referenced throughout many of our other scriptures. However, the creation story is not as related to the topic of evolution as many of us have assumed.

While the creation story may or may not overlap with scientific discoveries, it was not intended as a scientific history of the world. It is far more important.

Latter-day Saints who only look at the creation story as a literal history of the world, miss its true message. The story is, and always was, used in temple worship as a way to learn about the Plan of Salvation. Through the creation story, we learn about our pre-mortal origin, come to understand our relationship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and learn how we can return home to reign alongside them.

The creation story is, in my opinion, the most important story in all of scripture. You might say, what about the story of Christ’s atonement? To which, I would reply, it is the story of Christ’s atonement and the story of why it matters. It tells the story through symbolism. Understanding the specific symbolism used in the creation story provides us with valuable gospel insights and drastically enhances our temple experience. The more we learn, the more we understand the Plan of Salvation.

Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story dives into each of these topics and more. It explains common misunderstandings, discusses how the creation account was used in the ancient temple, and breaks down the most important symbolism needed to fully understand the story today. The book is easy to read, but very well cited so you know where the information is coming from.

If you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you can even read it for free.

Get the Book Here

Best wishes!

Tom Schleiffarth

One verse in the Book of Mormon is quoted more than any other. It’s quoted by ‘anti-Mormons’ and Latter-day Saints alike. It’s quoted to argue that we must work out our own salvation, but also to argue that we are saved by ‘grace alone’. Even general authorities have taken very different stances on how to understand it (compare The Atonement: Our Greatest Hope by Elder Faust with The Gift of Grace by Elder Uchtdorf). That verse is 2 Nephi 25:22, where it says, “it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do⁠”.

In 2015, Elder Uchtdorf rightly critiqued the interpretation that the atonement only kicks in “after all we can do”. That critique has been widely misinterpreted to mean that we are saved by ‘grace alone’, but Elder Uchtdorf never said such a thing. He said that “even if we were to serve God with our whole souls, it is not enough, for we would still be “unprofitable servants” and that “we cannot earn our way into heaven”. However, the insufficiency of our works is not the same thing as salvation by ‘grace alone’. As Latter-day Saints, “we believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel” (3rd Article of Faith). 

Grace Alone

‘Grace alone’ doesn’t just mean that we are saved through Christ’s grace. We certainly are. It is only through him that we are able to return to the Father (John 14:6). ‘Grace alone’ is a Protestant term meaning that our actions contribute nothing to our salvation, therefore, we are not accountable for our sins once we accept Christ. They teach that obedience may be evidence of someone’s sincerity, but it doesn’t affect their salvation.

A few years ago, I came across an invitation to a Baptist church. The invitation looked like a Monopoly “Get Out of Jail Free” card except it said, “Get Out of Hell Free”. At the bottom of the card, it also quoted Romans 6:23 saying, “The GIFT OF GOD is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. While I don’t want to spend time bashing another group of Christians, it needs to be clear that Christ taught something very different.

It’s true that we are saved by Christ’s grace, but our works also play an essential role in our salvation. We do not simply “get out of hell free”. We know that Jesus did not come to redeem us in our sins, but to redeem us from our sins (Heleman 5:10). That means we need to overcome our weaknesses and repent of our wickedness. We must follow Christ, not simply declare ourselves to be followers of Christ. As Latter-day Saints, we understand that not everyone who calls Christ their Lord “will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of (the) Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

If our ‘works’ didn’t affect our salvation, Christ would not have so bluntly stated that “if you want to enter life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). If I am merely misinterpreting Christ’s words, Paul, who is famous for preaching about the importance of Christ’s grace, would have never mentioned the 3 kingdoms of glory after the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:40-42) nor taught the Philippians that they must “work out (their) own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). James would also not have made the point that “a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone" (James 2:24), and Peter would not have warned the entire church that “it would have been better for (believers) never to have known the way of righteousness” than to knowingly return to their sins (2 Peter 2:20-21). Even though our works, on their own, are entirely insufficient to save us, our eternal potential cannot be realized without doing our meager part.

To say that we are saved by ‘grace alone’ is to say that there is no law, and “if ye shall say there is no law⁠, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God” (2 Nephi 2:13). Suffice it to say, this is not the doctrine of the restored gospel.

The Root of the Problem 

The confusion around the roles of grace and works seems to come back to two main scriptures: It’s 2 Nephi 25:22 (mentioned earlier) and Ephesians 2:8-9.

Even though 2 Nephi 25:22 is at the heart of the Latter-day Saint debate between grace and works, it actually has nothing to do with the topic. It sounds like it does, but that’s only because it is almost always quoted out of context. In 2 Nephi 25, Nephi teaches that salvation does not come through “the performances and ordinances” of the law of Moses (2 Nephi 25:30). In other words, rituals do not save on their own. He is not saying that ‘works’ are unnecessary for salvation. Rather, our ‘works’ only have meaning because of Christ’s sacrifice. Specifically, Nephi is saying that the rituals of the Law of Moses are meant to point to Christ, and that his people should look forward to his coming. Today, his message would be like saying baptism and temple ordinances do not save us on their own because those covenants only have meaning through Christ’s atonement. So, to use 2 Nephi 25:22 to justify either a ‘grace alone’ or a ‘grace plus works’ perspective completely misses the point Nephi was making.

A very similar thing happens in the Bible. Ephesians 2:8-9 is the most prominent scripture used to promote the ‘grace alone’ belief within Protestantism. In it, Paul says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” It sounds like the definitive verse to establish a belief in ‘grace alone’… until you read the whole chapter. Put in its proper context, Paul is teaching how we were all lost in sin, but that God still loved us. He led us out of sin, not because of anything that we did, but because of his love (Ephesians 2:1-5). He is not saying we will not be held to account for our obedience. Interpreting Paul’s statement as a teaching on ‘grace alone’ would completely contradict Paul’s own message to the Romans where he taught that Christ “will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury” (Romans 2:6-8).

Our Essential Works

I occasionally like to do woodworking, and my 4-year-old daughter often wants to help. In truth, I don’t actually need her to hold the nail or to turn the screw one last time. The project will get done either way, and it would probably be done faster if I did it on my own. However, there is something more important than that woodworking project. The more important thing is the relationship I’m building with my daughter and the skills she is developing. She is learning how to work hard, how to follow my example, and how to follow directions. I imagine the importance of our ‘works’ is a lot like that. They help us far more than they help God, yet God’s real goal was to develop us in the first place.

Critics of Christ’s restored church often accuse us of trying to “earn heaven”. If that were our belief, they would be right to criticize us, but that is not what we believe. Rather, we yoke ourselves with Christ and do the work required to become like him. When we are yoked with Christ, we walk side by side with him. We learn the way he works and do as he does. In short, we become disciples of Jesus Christ.

The word ‘disciple’ means ‘learner’ in Greek, but it does not mean a student in a classroom. It’s more like an apprentice. So, to be a disciple of Jesus Christ is to imitate the Master, not just learn from him, and not just to watch him do all the work. To be a disciple of Christ is to participate alongside the master as we learn from him.

Salvation: One Word, So Many Meanings

There is nothing more confusing than when two people use the same word but mean two very different things. ‘Salvation’ is one of those words. The confusion runs deep because Latter-day Saints and Protestants have fundamentally different understandings of eternal life.

Protestants typically believe the fall of Adam and Eve was the worst possible thing that could have happened, that Adam condemned all of humanity by eating the forbidden fruit. To fix the problem, Christ suffered and died so that anyone who would accept him could become innocent again and return to live with God in a state of eternal bliss. By this definition of ‘salvation’, being saved by ‘grace alone’ makes sense. This isn’t God’s plan, though.

“If salvation means only erasing our mistakes and sins, then salvation—as wonderful as it is—does not fulfill the Father’s aspirations for us. His aim is much higher: He wants His sons and daughters to become like Him” (Elder Uchtdorf, The Gift of Grace). Salvation from the fall is an immeasurably wonderful gift from Christ, it is essential to the Plan of Salvation, and our works would mean nothing without Christ’s immense sacrifice. Christ’s atonement, however, is merely step 1 of the Plan of Salvation. Without our ‘works’, the result would be an utter failure. The result would be our eternal damnation. While this may sound blasphemous to creedal Christians, it is what Christ explained over and over again throughout his mortal ministry, including in his famous parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). 

The parable of the talents is an allegory about what is required for salvation. In the parable, 3 servants are each trusted with managing certain amounts of a man’s property while he is gone. When the man returns, the 2 productive servants present the successful results of their labor. Because of their success, they are both rewarded with greater responsibility and stewardship over his property. When the man comes to the 3rd servant, that servant has nothing more than what the man had given him in the beginning. He had not done the work to improve his stewardship. This is like returning to God the same way that we left him (free from sin, in a body, but not having done the work required of us during this life). The Master calls this servant “worthless” and casts him “into the outer darkness” where “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30). We need to stop and think about what Christ is saying here.

Before we came to this world, Satan tried to usurp God’s power by promising us that he could redeem us all, that even “one soul shall not be lost” (Moses 4:1-3). We would receive bodies and then return to God innocent, having gained nothing through our agency. He would have denied us the ability to progress and become like God. The plan was to eternally damn us.

God’s plan, the real and only true plan, was very different. When we left our Heavenly Father’s presence, we were innocent. He then provided us with physical bodies, and we came to live on Earth. Though we would surely fall into sin, we could still return to the Father, innocent, because Christ would atone for our sins. Through Christ, we would also return with our resurrected body. Through experience, we would have learned compassion, love, and righteousness in the face of temptation. We would be allowed to enter into covenants with God, to become agents on his behalf. In short, it would allow us to continue in our eternal progression. If we do not do these things, we will be like the “worthless” servant who did not take the opportunity to improve upon what he was given. We will not have fulfilled God’s plan; Instead, we will have unwittingly fulfilled Satan’s plan.

Christ’s message when sharing the parable of the talents is simple. It is what he has taught from the beginning: God “will reward each person according to what they have done" (Matthew 16:27).

We are not, however, expected to do it on our own.

The Atonement is More Than Forgiveness

Elder Bednar has also spoken extensively on the enabling power of the atonement. One of those teachings has been  that “there is help from the Savior for the entire journey of life—from bad to good to better and to change our very nature.” The atonement does not come into effect “after all we can do” or after our efforts are complete. Instead, Christ asks us to yoke ourselves with him (Matthew 11:28-29). When two animals are yoked together, they share the burden, and so it is when we accept Christ’s atonement. Christ is latched by our side, helping us every step of the way. So, there are two parts to the atonement. The first is redemption from the fall. This includes our resurrection and forgiveness as we repent. The second is Christ’s support as we put forth the effort to become better children to out Heavenly Father.

As an apostle, Dallin H. Oaks explained it like this:

“We receive God’s grace because of the Atonement. We can’t raise ourselves from the dead, so the Resurrection is an example of His grace. We can’t purify ourselves from sin, so the Lord’s forgiveness is another example of grace. But before He will forgive us, we must repent—that’s our part, our works.

Besides repentance, our works also include receiving ordinances, keeping covenants, and serving others. While these works are necessary for salvation, they aren’t sufficient. They are not enough because we can’t live perfect lives, but we can do our best to live righteously. By doing so, we invite the Lord’s grace into our lives and qualify for the gift of salvation.”

So, yes. We are saved by Christ’s grace but we are not saved by grace alone. Salvation requires both grace and our works.

The book quickly jumped to #1 in its category on Amazon’s best seller list and has, I hope, made a positive impact in the lives of its readers. During the next 5 days, I’m giving away copies 100% free!

Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story

In its almost 200 years of existence, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has never taken a stance on the topic of human evolution. You may ask, what about Joseph F. Smith’s 1909 Origin of Man First Presidency statement? 

It’s true that the Origin of Man said humans were not produced from “lower orders of the animal creation”, but shortly after issuing the statement, Joseph F. Smith issued another statement. In it, he clarified that “The Church itself has no philosophy about the modus operandi employed by the Lord in His creation of the world” and that revelation has only explained the origin of life “in a very limited degree”. While other church leaders have also expressed opinions one way or the other, God has not revealed anything about the scientific theory of evolution.

Why is there no revelation on evolution?

At first, it may seem odd that the church would not take a stance in the debate between one of its core doctrines (the creation) and the #1 argument against it. After all, we teach the creation story in our temples, in the books of Genesis, Abraham, and Moses, and it’s even referenced throughout many of our other scriptures. However, the creation story is not as related to the topic of evolution as many of us have assumed.

While the creation story may or may not overlap with scientific discoveries, it was not intended as a scientific history of the world. It is far more important. 

Latter-day Saints who only look at the creation story as a literal history of the world, miss its true message. The story is, and always was, used in temple worship as a way to learn about the Plan of Salvation. Through the creation story, we learn about our pre-mortal origin, come to understand our relationship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and learn how we can return home to reign alongside them. 

The creation story is, in my opinion, the most important story in all of scripture. You might say, what about the story of Christ’s atonement? To which, I would reply, it is the story of Christ’s atonement and the story of why it matters. It tells the story through symbolism. Understanding the specific symbolism used in the creation story provides us with valuable gospel insights and drastically enhances our temple experience. The more we learn, the more we understand the Plan of Salvation.

Adam vs Evolution: Rediscovering the Original Creation Story dives into each of these topics and more. It explains common misunderstandings, discusses how the creation account was used in the ancient temple, and breaks down the most important symbolism needed to fully understand the story today. The book is easy to read, but very well cited so you know where the information is coming from.

The paperback version normally sells for $11.99 on Amazon, which you are welcome to get, but you can also get the ebook for free until Friday, May 15.

Click below to download it now: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0GFD1TXC2/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.g2-2sfMH1565xml0t8RkHU_TvsNsRpEVAk0PeR-G68pvUgX9GgFHxTVCrB_T6yX2EzIrDd7l67lPXwN5OyEkwmPx5nNZViDv6tAuGc3YTJkxsbIxfXZ4KozvZ3KwAj9O9am5UHcnc7euQtllYj_M_KllJHhxO5pfwEbaffiEUvnVK7xXPmI1LNW88kW1rYxWK2QmN48mWGT9McBVnJ3nGw.CzyzgH0H51JtcAdIcF2kUq9_6kezR96VjW1twjaxkyo&qid=1778198318&sr=8-1

I hope reading the book helps you as much as writing the book helped me!

Best wishes!

Tom Schleiffarth

When Christ was asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”, he did not name anyone powerful or great like the culture would have expected. Instead, he shocked his listeners with an example that would endure for thousands of years. Jesus called over a little child and said that whoever “shall humble himself as this little child⁠, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:1-4)

Understanding Humility

Does humility just mean that we need to be teachable? Does it mean we shouldn’t brag about our accomplishments? If so, why didn’t he say “be teachable” or “don’t brag”?

Christ answers this question throughout his ministry through his consistent message and through the way he treated others.

Christ set the ultimate example in humility when he went from ruling over the universe as Jehovah, to being born as a mere man. Not just any man, either. He was born into poverty, in a stable where his first bed was an animal’s food trough. What’s important, though, is why he did this. He did it so that he could experience our trials, so that he could suffer for our sins, and so that we could be redeemed from the fall. He didn’t do it for his personal gain or for His sins, but for the benefit of us, for our sins. He did not see himself, the mighty Jehovah, as above the task of helping us. Instead, he prioritized us. Of all that needed to be done in the universe, he prioritized us. Why?

Christ taught, “he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted" (Matthew 23:12). In other words, when we focus on serving ourselves and putting ourselves above others, we risk losing the blessings of heaven, of losing our exaltation. However, when we focus on serving others, we live as Christ lives and he will exalt us above all. We will receive eternal exaltation because we have become like God is.

Christ didn’t just teach nice words, though. He lived them. Holy Week recently ended and I’m reminded of the last supper. That night, Christ, the greatest of all, washed the dirty feet of each apostle. He is the greatest of all, yet, he did not ask his disciples to wash his feet. He washed theirs. What strikes me, though, is that Judas was among the apostles whose feet Jesus washed. Christ knew that Judas had already agreed to betray him, yet he still washed Judas’ feet. Afterward, Jesus said, “I have given you an example⁠, that ye should do as I have done to you.” He then explains, “The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.“ (John 13)

In the Service of God

During a recent General Conference, President Holland quoted Elder Richard L. Evans, an apostle during the 1950s through the early 70s. Elder Evans said, “Many of us profess to be Christians, yet we … do not take Him seriously. … We respect Him, but we don’t follow Him. … We quote His sayings, but we don’t live by them.”“We admire Him, but we don’t worship Him.”

To receive exaltation, to become like Christ, we must become like Christ. We must learn to do as he did.

Following Christ’s Example

Looking back, there have been many people who have led with Christlike love and blessed my own life immensely. I look to them as examples.

One example that comes to mind is a man named Todd. He was assigned as my family’s home teacher for many years while I was growing up. When I was 12 years old, my wonderful sister Melissa was in an awful car accident. The car she was driving had rolled over several times on the freeway while going to work. She was in the hospital, she had terrible injuries to her brain, and there was nothing doctors could do to save her life. It was absolutely gut wrenching for me at the time but, as a parent now, I cannot imagine the pain that my mom and dad were in and the challenge they faced. They were losing their only daughter, and they still had to tell their other children that she would not survive despite grappling with this awful reality themselves. Todd saw the situation and volunteered himself to bare the burden of sharing this terrible news with me and my brothers.

It must have been a very difficult moment for Todd. He could have easily let the opportunity go and no one would have thought anything of it. It wasn’t his job to do, not specifically anyway. But Todd, in Christ-like love, did the hard thing, he did the inconvenient thing, and he blessed my parents in their time of need.

Todd wasn’t the only one looking out for my family though. My mom’s friend Julie was very physically active and would take fast paced walks every morning. She began to invite my mom to come with her despite the fact that my mom was not, by any means, a speed walker. Instead Julie slowed down her pace considerably so that my mom could keep up, so that my mom had the friend she needed in her time of need.

We don’t have to wait for tragedy to strike to help those around us, though. Opportunities to bless the lives of others surround us. The hard part, the part I personally struggle with the most, is developing the habit of noticing the opportunities.

Recognizing Opportunities 

Christ, on the other hand, saw Zacchaeus up in the tree and invited him to dinner (Luke 19:1-10). When teaching at the synagogue, Christ noticed the crippled woman across the room and healed her (Luke 13:11-13). Even when he was surrounded by crowds after healing Jairus’s daughter, he noticed the sick woman who touched his clothing (Mark 5:24-34).

Conclusion

We all fall far short of Christ’s example. That’s not the point. The point is that humility is much more than being teachable and not bragging. Humility is noticing those around us, being willing to serve them, being willing to obey God despite our personal objections, and being willing to follow despite wanting to lead.

While earthly wealth adds comfort, the Lord is much more concerned with our spiritual wealth. Similar to the wells dug by Abraham and Isaac, we must dig spiritual wells to develop a wealth of spiritual strength and protection from the cunning of the Devil. Digging spiritual wells is the foundational work to invite Christ into our lives.

One way to think of spiritual wells is to think of them as our covenants. When we are baptized, we covenant to keep God's commandments. In the temple we get more specific, making more covenants with both God and with our spouse. The promises we make become spiritual wells to protect us from temptation and the pains of sin. Our covenants become wells to partake of the living water of Jesus Christ.

Elder Cristofersen once said, "With covenants, we are intent on more than just avoiding mistakes or being prudent in our decisions. We feel accountable to God for our choices and our lives. We take upon us the name of Christ. We are focused on Christ—on being valiant in the testimony of Jesus and on developing the character of Christ."

Keeping our covenants isn't always easy. To this point, Elder J. Golden Kimball said, “I may not have [always] walked the straight and narrow, but I [try] to cross it as often as I can". In other words, it's a matter of constant course correction.

The idea of keeping covenants is often over simplified, though. It's not like we can simply say, I am a covenant keeper and then be done. Covenants are kept in the monotony. It's doing the small and simple things. It's creating habits of prayer and scripture study. It's making sure we are taking time to spend with our spouse and children, it's realigning our values with the Lord's values.

I started out with a million questions about how the creation story could possibly fit with modern scientific theories but I never expected to discover as many answers as I did. The coolest discovery was to see how revelations given to Joseph Smith in 1830 answered all the major questions about how to understand the conflicts between creation and evolution decades before the theory of evolution even existed. More than anything, though, I’m excited to share what I’ve learned with as many people as I can!

Adam vs Evolution is available now. Click the link to take a look: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GFTFNCHY/

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Back of the book:

If the theory of evolution is true, is the creation story false? If so, can we still trust the scriptures?

If Adam and Eve weren’t real people, how will Adam return to Adam-ondi-ahman and how can he be the archangel Michael?

Is there really a way that the creation story and modern science fit together?

Adam vs Evolution tackles these questions head-on with faith-promoting insights and a careful look at Latter-day Saint teachings. Members of Christ’s restored church will find this book packed with fresh perspectives and clear answers to the most challenging questions about the creation story. It will enhance your understanding of temple symbolism, challenge false narratives about the story’s origin, and show exactly how science and religion do not conflict in any way whatsoever. This book combines new primary research, scholarly analysis, and prophetic understanding from modern-day apostles to dispel mistaken assumptions and add important ancient context to a story that predates us all. Readers will even learn how a chiasm in the Book of Moses provides new details about what was taught in Solomon’s ancient temple. By the end, you’ll understand the original meaning and purpose of the creation story and how it provides a far deeper understanding of the gospel than we could get any other way.

Get a copy here:

One of the ways we can keep the holy ghost with us is by staying connected to our prophets and apostles. As someone who grew up in the church of Jesus Christ, I sometimes take for granted the incredible blessing these men are in our lives. Our relationship with them is a privilege that other followers of Christ do not have and staying connected to them can help us  firmly anchor our lives in Christ.

Our prophets and apostles today were chosen by Christ to lead us in His absence just like the original 12 apostles were chosen during Christ's lifetime here on Earth. They are special witnesses of His divinity. They are inspired leaders to guide us through the most challenging circumstances.

I don't think it was a coincidence that the Church began an emphasis on home centered gospel study shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic prevented us from attending church in person, I don't think it's a coincidence that the apostles released The Family: A Proclaimation to the World only a few years before the issues discussed switched from being obvious truisms to major points of societal debate. I don't think it's a coincidence that President Nelson is now telling us that we won't be able to "survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."

No, these are prophetic teachings preparing us for what we will face. To help us answer our questions and support us in the struggles that we will have.

I'm reminded of Lehi's vision of the tree in First Nephi. In his vision, the tree represents the love of God and is more desirable than anything else. Lehi describes the fruit saying, "it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy." Lehi wants to share the fruit with all those he loves. As he looked around, he saw "numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood. And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree. And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost. And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree."

The rod of iron is the word of God. It is our prophets and apostles who, above all, are called to witness of Christ and teach the word of God. It's not always clear why one doctrine or another is taught but we can know through the Holy Spirit that they are teaching us what Christ wants us to know. By clinging to their words when the mists of darkness, or the influence of the world around us, make it impossible to see where we are going, we can still press forward knowing that by following the word of God, we will fulfill our eternal destiny.

To do that, we must be connected to our church leaders and seek to understand their words even when they are uncomfortable for us. If you have doubts or concerns, seek spiritual confirmation of their calling, then move forward knowing that you are headed in the right direction even if you can't see through the confusion of this world.

In President Nelson's talk, he says a little more than the now famous quote. Speaking of coming times, he says, "We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost. My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation."

We have seen, and will continue to see, miraculous signs of the Lord's divine leadership over this church but unless we allow the Holy Spirit to change our hearts, we will not survive spiritually. We can see angels like Laman and Lemuel, or like the pharisees, we can witness the miracles of Christ, but if we don't open our hearts to the changing power of the Holy Spirit, we will miss out on the benefit of the "miraculous indications" spoken of by President Nelson. 

Relationships and connections are built on time and experience. This is equally true in our personal relationships as it is with the apostles and prophets. As we listen to the council of our prophets and apostles, as we test their words and seek to understand them, to understand why they are teaching what they teach, and as we open our hearts to accepting even difficult teachings, the Holy Spirit will help us. He will change our hearts and help us establish the necessary connection with God's chosen leaders. In the book of Mormon, Alma teaches a group of Zoromites who have struggled to believe the teachings of the Church of God. He says to them, "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." It is the same with our apostles and prophets today. If we have doubts or concerns, we should try what they are saying, see if we do not feel positive changes in our lives, and pray for help. Our faith will grow. We will come to better trust our leaders and we will have established an essential connection with them.

Like probably everyone else, I'm busy. I work 5 days a week. I have 3 great kids who want ever moment of my attention when I'm home. I want to go on dates with my wife. I have a huge list of projects around the house. In short, I don't get a lot of free time and sometimes it feels like there is no room for anything else.

Realistically, I've sometimes wondered where the time to build these connections with our church leaders is? Over time, however, I've found it helpful to listen to talks on the way to work. I try to make it part of my daily routine. It's one of the few moments I get to myself. Sometimes I listen to general conference talks through the church's Gospel Library app, sometimes I listen to the words of ancient prophets in the scriptures, and frankly, sometimes I listen to regular music or a podcast. If I do listen to something less spiritual on the way to work, I try to put on my headphones and listen to something spiritual at work.

I think another important aspect of creating powerful and positive connections with our church leaders is sharing what I know with others. Talking about what we love about the apostles is a great way to reenforce their words in our hearts. I've found several great times to do this. One is simply making the effort to comment in Sunday school. Being a part of the Sunday school conversation increases my interest and keeps me focused on what we're learning. I also try to study the gospel with my kids every night after dinner. My kids are little and the lessons are short but this allows me to pass on what I've learned and draw closer to God myself. I'm also working on sharing messages from the apostles more often on social media. These are all points where I'm interacting with these inspired men. I believe that the more we interact with them, the more we share their messages, the better connected we become to them.

It's not just about us following them either. These men truly care about us and desire to connect with us. They spend basically all day, every day, doing their best to support us. They could be retired and living a life of relaxation and leisure but they are not.

When I was a teenager, we had a stake activity. I don't remember much about it except for the message we received from the prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley. As luck would have it, President Hinckley's granddaughter lived in the stake and was part of the group planning this activity. She had asked her grandfather if he could write our stake a brief message. He said he would. This was going to be the highlight of the activity, a message to our stake youth directly from the prophet himself. President Hinckley, however, was a very busy man. Like our current apostles, he chose a life with little leisure time. As the date of the activity got closer, President Hinckley realized he had run out of time and had still not written the message he meant to. However, President Hinckley was also a man of his word and a man who cared deeply about the members of Christ's church. So, being short on time, he recorded a message just for us instead. Which, frankly, made it even cooler. He reminded us of many things, particularly the joy we receive by following Jesus Christ. What sticks with me most though, was his love for us.

He could have simply said he didn't have time to craft a message for a single stake but he did not. He could have apologized and not sent the message he intended but he did not. No, he made a point of speaking to us, a relatively small group of youth in St. Louis Missouri. He took to heart the care Christ has for each one of us. 

In Luke chapter 15, Jesus asks, "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing." Here, Christ teaches about the individual love we must have for each other. President Hinckley demonstrated to me the connection he, as an apostle, had for me, a regular kid from St  Louis. Similarly, it's our role to put forth that same effort to create a connection with them. 

The adversary wants to deceive us, but staying connected to our leaders provides a sure foundation of truth. In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul made clear that the household of God is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone;" To survive spiritually, it is essential that we anchor ourselves to the foundation of Christ's church. In other words, to anchor ourselves to Christ and His chosen leaders. We must build enduring connections to them. Doing so will not only help us to find peace and comfort in our lives, it will allow us to avoid the ever increasing pitfalls of false teachings which run rampant across the world and unavoidably influence our lives, blinding us like the mists of darkness.

The role of the father is really hard. Traditionally, fathers miss out on a lot of what our kids do. We miss first steps and first words, we miss trips to the park, and we miss many other opportunities to develop close relationships with our kids. Personally, I do my very best to maximize the little time I get with my kids each day but I know nothing I do will equal the closer relationship they have with their mother. She is there during the day. She puts on the band aids, hugs them when they are sad, and teaches them the majority of what they know. As much as I'd love to make my 2-3 hours a day with them equal to her 12-13 hours a day, that math just doesn't add up. It's hard and I wish I could eat my cake and have it too but there is no way around the reality that my kids need to have a provider. They need to eat and have shelter. So, work outside the home needs to happen too.

My wife and I used to both work and the kids stayed with their Grandma a lot, or a random friend or neighbor. One time, they even had to stay with someone we barely knew. That was a really hard time. We are in a better position now that I've been able to go back to school to get a more practical degree. We made a lot of sacrifices to make that happen but it paid off because my wife is able to be a full time mom now and our kids have way more stability in their lives and are able to spend way more time with their mom.

I don't support full time moms because that's the only job women can do. It's not. I support full time moms because it's the most important job in the world. There is plenty of time for careers as kids grow up if that's important to you. You never get the time back with your kids though and most people only learn that after it's too late to change.

Now, I get it… and it makes total sense. Restored Christianity is a slap in the face to apostatized Christianity. The great irony is that the many changes the fallen church has made over the last ±/- 2,000 years makes the original faith unrecognizable in many ways. The biggest of these shifts may be the nature of God himself. I am talking about the creation of the Trinity.

Proverbs warns parents to "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." If the original church of Christ were a child, it went astray quickly after his death and resurrection. We actually see this in the Bible itself. After the 4 gospels, the Bible is essentially the story of the great apostasy and the apostles’ efforts to prevent it. Paul, in particular, wrote a lot of the letters that now make up most of the New Testament. He pleads in letter after letter for church members to stay true to the faith. All the while, so many of them continue to adopt all sorts of unholy practices and beliefs. To the point of Proverbs, these bad ideas got imbedded early and now they are incredibly hard to change.

When it comes to the Trinity, early Christians struggled with how to understand the relationship between Christ and our Heavenly Father. It took hundreds of years of debate between modalism, trinitarianism, arianism, and other uninspired ideas of the true nature of God before Emperor Constantine called together an assembly of bishops to vote on it. This was called the First Council of Nicaea. Anyone left disagreeing at the end of the voting would be excommunicated and exiled. The Trinitarian’s won against Arius and his slightly less false concept of God. 20 or so bishops still resisted the agreement, but they all eventually gave in. However, Arius wouldn’t let it go. He was exiled, but in a twist of fate, his beliefs would become the official stance of the Catholic Church… before changing back to an early form of Trinitarianism again once a new pope was elected.

The whole thing was a mess. Trinitarianism was truly the last heresy left standing at the end of centuries of debate. With time, predictably, it only got worse and the concept of God finally devolved into the “spaceless”, “timeless”, “passionless” contradiction of a god that is somehow “immaterial” while still having a “substance” shared between the 3 different beings of the Godhead at the same time. These are their words, not mine. I am in no way exaggerating by saying that this is the god described by the various creeds. Yes, the same creeds which God himself called “an abomination.”

To be clear, God does not call any of the sincere seekers of Christ from other churches “an abomination.” He uses that term to describe the creeds themselves.

All this is to say, the #1 reason why other Christians argue Latter-day Saints are not “Christian” is (ironically) because the God of the Bible is almost unrecognizable in the creeds they accept as truth.

Why 3 gods with one substance?

Admittedly, the nature of God can be confusing if you aren’t looking at the whole message. Trinitarian advocates often point to verses where Christ describes himself and the Father as “one” and argue that this means they must be the same being in some way. Christ wasn’t trying to trick anyone though. Frankly, I don’t see how he could be clearer than he is in the gospel of John when he says:

"That they (us) may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 

The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one."

As long as you don’t take verses out of context it is obvious that Christ is discussing deep unity. He desires complete unity for us, the same unity Christ shares with the father. He expects unity not just with each other but with Him (this is the power of making and keeping covenants).

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Why Latter Day Insights?

I created this Substack because I record a lot of gospel insights into my own personal notes and those notes are extremely valuable to me. It’s everything from quick takes to major epiphanies to more in depth study on specific topics. This Substack is an opportunity to my work with others.

I don’t claim to be a super expert on any specific topic but I study a lot and I’m very good at drawing out overlooked details, seeing new angles, and making seemingly conflicting ideas fit together naturally.

That said, I most definitely don’t have all the answers so I love to hear your perspective too. Many of “my” best ideas are ideas that I’ve gathered from others, so please share your thoughts too.

I hope this is a helpful and insightful Substack for anyone who reads it. And thank you in advance!

I post frequently but I don’t post on a regular schedule so keep an eye out for notifications.