in genesis 1 abraham 4 and moses 2 we will be reading three different accounts of the creation as we do note the differences in the accounts and ask yourself what can i learn from these differences how do they help me gain a greater understanding of the creation in my scriptures i have underlined the words in each account that are unique to that account may i share a few differences in the first five verses of genesis abraham and moses as you continue to carefully read these scriptures i am sure that you will find additional insights all
of christianity is familiar with the genesis account in the beginning god created the heaven and earth is a strong declarative statement of a simple truth the hebrew word for created in this verse means shaped fashioned and is always a divine activity god says let there be light and there was light the light is first because the light of christ is the power by which all else is made president john taylor explained that god caused light to shine upon the earth before the sun appeared in the firmament for god is light and in him there is
no darkness he is the light of the sun and the power thereof by which it was made he is also the light of the moon and the power by which it was made he is the light of the stars and the power by which they are made the light of christ needed to be first in order for the rest of creation to happen symbolically just as the earth was in darkness before the light of christ so are we in darkness until we acknowledge his light and our hearts the apostle paul wrote about this in his
letter to the corinthians for god who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ after the light appears god saw the light that it was good and god divided the light from the darkness and called the light day and the darkness he called night ask yourself why do we need both darkness and light to complete a day also next time you're in the temple ponder about the temple account and why the order
is different everything in the temple points us to christ how can the difference in order help us focus on christ and his mission on this earth in abraham 4 we are introduced to the plurality of gods who helped form the earth we read the phrases let us go down and they organized and formed the earth in abraham's account we are taught that others were privileged to assist jehovah in the organization and formation of this world president joseph fielding smith said it is true that adam helped to form this earth he labored with our savior jesus
christ i have a strong view or conviction that there were others who assisted them perhaps noah and enoch and why not joseph smith and those who were appointed to be rulers before the earth was formed in verse 1 of the moses account the lord speaks to moses very clearly explaining that this is the creation account for this earth upon which moses stands reminding moses that worlds without number have i created moses also learns that the almighty god created these things by mine only begotten who is full of grace and truth after the light is brought
forth out of the darkness the lord says this i did by the word of my power and it was done as i spake notice the phrase by the word of my power and it was done as i spake john begins his gospel by talking about the word in the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was god all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made in him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shineth in the
darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not the psalmist also wrote about the power of the word and creation by the word of the lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth let all the earth fear the lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him for he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast in the lectures on faith we read when a man works by faith he works by mental exertion instead of physical force it is by words instead
of exerting his physical powers with which every being works when he works by faith faith then works by words and with these its mightiest works have been and will be performed the whole visible creation as it now exists is the effect of faith it was faith by which it was framed and it is by the power of faith that it continues in its organized form and by which the planets move around their orbits and sparkle forth their glory these accounts strengthen my faith in my lord and savior jesus christ remember to find joy in the
lord this week and sparkle forth in his glory [Music] [Music] you
