The Book of Moses revisited

Carol and I started to attend a Summer Institute class on the Pearl of Great Price this last week. If you haven’t attended an Institute class recently and there is one in your area, I highly recommend it. A roomful of single college age students discussing the gospel is very different from even the best Gospel Doctrine class. The discussions are livelier and the enthusiasm is almost palpable.

The instructor is a man I highly respect who seems to be well at ease in front of a classroom of forty students. He is a former Bishop and is the Senior High Counselor in our Stake. He manages his own flower growing business and has been teaching Institute part-time for many years. It could have just as easily been a sister teaching. We have some wonderful women seminary and institute teachers in our ward and stake.

The spirit was strong and the instruction was superb. Carol and I were the only “old” people in the room but we felt right at home since we are both perpetual students. There is just something special about being in an Institute class with the same kids that I serve each week as the ward clerk of the local young adult ward in our stake. I know something of the challenges they face. I pray for them each week in Bishopric meetings.

Things that I probably once knew

Even though I have seriously studied the Pearl of Great Price at least a dozen times and have taught from it in Seminary myself, I learned things I had never heard before. For example, in Moses 1:12-14, we read, “And it came to pass that when Moses had said these words, behold Satan came tempting him, saying: Moses, son of man, worship me.”

The phrase “son of man” escaped me until it was pointed out by our instructor. Compare that to the response from Moses in verse 13: “And it came to pass that Modes looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee?” Did you catch the implied differences?

What did Satan look like? He looked just like Jesus but without the glory. Somehow Satan appeared to him in a manner that Moses could see him with his natural eyes as we read in verse 14: “For behold, I could not look upon God, except his glory should come upon me, and I were transfigured before him. But I can look upon thee in the natural man. Is it not so, surely?”

How we got the Book of Moses

If you have ever looked at the first chapter of Moses, you realize that it is not found in the Bible. Chapters two through eight are similar to the first six chapters of Genesis, but have a whole lot more added for clarification. Joseph was commanded of the Lord to translate or revise the Bible. He worked on it for many years from shortly after the church was organized until just shortly before his death in 1844. The work was revelation and it was performed by a prophet of God.

I wonder why we don’t get the same kind of flack about the Book of Moses that we do with the Book of Abraham. I have written previously about how some people struggle with the Book of Abraham, getting stuck on the idea that it was not a valid translation from the papyri. I have suggested that the papyri that was used to translate the Book of Abraham has not been found. Eyewitnesses describe the original papyri and it is not the same as the recovered fragments.

That Joseph didn’t need any actual source material to reproduce lost ancient scripture is shown by Moses chapter one. Just as the work of translating the latter part of the Book of Mormon was done without the Urim and Thumim or seer stones, when Joseph started translating the Bible he did so without the aid of anything other than prayer, righteous living, a commandment from God, the exercise of the prophetic gift of revelation and acting as a seer.

Study guides are extremely helpful

As I have taught in the CES program over the years, I have just been amazed at the great material that the church has put together for the use of the volunteer instructors. We’re not really volunteers as we are asked to teach, but it is not really a calling. The manual for the Pearl of Great Price contains exceptional resources. In there you can read about two other points our instructor made the other night that I’m sure I knew at one time but had forgotten.

In verse 11 of chapter one we read that Moses was transfigured before the Lord. That word needs defining. Our instructor pointed out that the same thing happened to Joseph Smith when he was visited of the Father and the Son during the First Vision. He was transfigured. That was how he was able to endure the presence of God, just as Moses was. I am glad to see that some church manuals still quote from Mormon Doctrine, one of my favorite encyclopedic references.

“Transfiguration is a special change in appearance and nature which is wrought upon a person or thing by the power of God. This divine transformation is from a lower to a higher state; it results in a more exalted, impressive, and glorious condition. . . .By the power of the Holy Ghost many prophets have been transfigured so as to stand in the presence of God and view the visions of eternity” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 803).

Jehovah spoke to Moses

The personage who spoke to Moses was the premortal Jesus Christ, who is Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament. Being one with Heavenly Father, Jesus at times speaks as if He were God the Father. This is known as divine investiture, whereby Christ is invested with authority to speak for and in behalf of the Father. President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: “All revelation since the fall has come through Jesus Christ, who is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. . . .

“He is the God of Israel, the Holy One of Israel; the one who led that nation out of Egyptian bondage, and who gave and fulfilled the Law of Moses. The Father has never dealt with man directly and personally since the fall, and he has never appeared except to introduce and bear record of the Son” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 1:27).

When God had completed his dialog with Moses, he left him for a little while. “And the presence of God withdrew from Moses, that his glory was not upon Moses; and Modes was left unto himself. And as he was left unto himself, he fell unto the earth. And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed.”

Summary and conclusion

I love the Pearl of Great Price. Some people say or write that they find the doctrine of the church boring. I can’t imagine why. I find it fascinating. It is sad to realize how many people do not study the scriptures each day, but I know it is a large part of the membership of the church. I attribute that mostly to the very busy lives we lead. For others it displays an appalling lack of commitment or motivation. Yes, it is work to study the gospel each day but it is worth it.

I am grateful for the prophet Joseph Smith who translated the Bible and restored lost scripture as found in the first chapter of the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price. The works he produced are evidence of his divine calling as a prophet of God. The Pearl of Great Price is a wonderful Book of Scripture that contains so much doctrine and ancient history that teaches us so much about how God deals with prophets like Moses, Abraham and Enoch.

There are many study guides to help with understanding the scriptures. Some can be found at Deseret Book, others on the church web site, but the best guide is the Holy Spirit. “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt 18:20). Such is the case with an Institute class or a Gospel Doctrine class. If you are struggling to find the motivation to study the gospel by yourself during the week, go join an Institute class.

4 thoughts on “The Book of Moses revisited”

  1. TimI agree with you that Scripture contains so many important things to our living. If we hope to be gods how can we possibly advise our children on planets about things we don’t understand? If we are lazy in doctrinal studies in this life, we will be later also. As Alma said, that same spirit which inhabits us now will be the same one that inhabits our body in the resurrection. We won’t just change.In regard seeing Satan. We see him with our spirit body eyes, as he is made of spirit matter which cannot be discerned with the physical eye. He looks just like us except that he is in darkness – there is no light in him. Darkness is through him and radiates from him – an unhappy character. But our brother nontheless, so I feel sorry for him.Yes, the book of Moses is a real eye-opener, isn’t it? I was stunned when I first read it.

  2. Hi Doug,I like it when readers leave comments with a link back to their own material where I can learn more about them. I enjoyed visiting your blogs and reading your postings there. Thanks you for sharing and for you comments here. You have tackled some deep and controversial subjects on your blogs. It is worth re-visiting.I am grateful to realize that God doesn’t expect me to understand everything he has revealed in this life. There are so many things that I do not understand and my time is limited as to what I can study within the constraints of making a living and not ignoring my family. That’s why it’s so good to read what others have shared.You are correct that it takes discipline to obtain the knowledge that we need. A man cannot be saved in ignorance, as Joseph taught. D&C 130:18-19 became a motto long ago in my life. However, there are some things that I know I will never understand in this life. Only the perspective of being in the spirit world will allow that to come to pass.I do not feel sorry for Satan. Is that un-Christlike? I don’t think so. Satan and his followers do not have my best interests in mind. I know what Brigham said that we would look back and thank Satan when this life is over, and I understand his point that without opposition I would not be impelled to choose to do better with my life. Yes, he is full of darkness but he chose his path out of pride and arrogance.The idea of bing able to see beings of spirit with our natural eyes is not something I have come to grips with yet. I have read of others who say they can see spirits and of course we read the story in the early history of the church where someone saw Cain walking with him on the road. Then of course, there is the story of Heber C. Kimball seeing all those evil spirits on his mission in England.I have not had any personal experience in this area. I have never seen an evil spirit and do not want to. I have seen and felt their influence. It is distinct and very discernible to me. I recognize it by the uncomfortable feeling I get around certain kinds of people – by that I mean those who are exhibiting certain kinds of behavior or attitudes that are offensive to the spirit of the Lord.So while I agree with you that we can “see” Satan and his followers with our spiritual eyes, I interpret that to seeing the effect the adversary has on others. It shows in their face, in the lack of light in their eyes and loss of enthusiasm for life. I am sure there are those who have a gift of being able to actually see the evil spirits but I never have met anyone who has shared their experience with me in this area.I guess I am not a seer like Moses, Abraham, Enoch or Joseph. I’m OK with that. I have other gifts which I enjoy and for which I am grateful to share with others. Thank you again for visiting my blog and sharing your comments. I look forward to reading more of what you have written on your blog.

  3. TimThanks for the support in reading my bloggs.I was speaking from personal experience in what I said about what Satan looks like. I am one of those who has seen many spirits.I agree with you that we can’t think he’s some great kind of guy. But if you watch a man continuatlly shooting himself in the foot, in spite of his intensions toward you there is a bit of sympathy felt. Even Christ demonstrated empathy toward the spirits that begged him not to send them back into the void. So he sent them into the pigs.Feeling love for them does present a bit of change of thinking, though. I agree with you there too.

  4. Hi Doug,I looked all through your blogs and could not find any writings about seeing spirits. I am not doubting, I just want to learn more. Obviously Joseph had this ability as have many others throughout the history of the church. I have imagined that I have been able to see auras, but only when looking intently at someone who is speaking under the influence of the spirit.In the modern church we talk about gifts of the spirit. I assume this is one of them. How does it work? Does it come unbidden? Does on see only the spirits that inhabit mortal bodies or can one see the disembodied spirits? For what is the gift given? How does it enlighten, uplift and bless?You say you speak from personal experience. Is it too sacred to share or have you written about it elsewhere? I have read some accounts of those who have had “spirit attachments” who have spoken through them. Some would call this multiple personalities.This is one of those mysteries that is not central to our salvation, but much was revealed to Joseph on this subject (Section 50 for example). Care to share details?

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