This document provides a summary of key aspects from previous weeks' lectures on the creation story from the Bible. It discusses how the creation story is represented symbolically in the design of the Temple and how breaking the bonds of the covenant through sin can destroy God's creation. It also reviews how the six days of creation correspond to stages of the temple and how faith is needed to see beyond the veil into the invisible spiritual world.

1. Week 29
The Lectures on Faith - Lecture Second - Part 6
Finish-up the CREATION
Begin the Topic of the FALL
Lecture Second
Verses 12-36

2. The Lectures
on Faith
The
Importance of
Faith
A Quick Reminder of the
Importance of the
Lectures on Faith
…a passage in
The Book of Mormon

3. The Lectures
on Faith
The
Importance of
Faith
FAITH IS A PRINCIPLE OF ACTION & POWER
If we don’t have FAITH we have no “POWER” to
“lay hold upon every good thing”

4. Quick Review
Week 25 & Week 26
Important CREATION Aspects

5. Creation Review – Important Aspects
The story of CREATION is the greatest parable in the Bible
• Jesus reminded his disciples that parables are designed to both
conceal and reveal (Matthew 7:2)
• “Understanding” parables comes through the gift of Wisdom
• The Tree of Life (Menorah) is the symbol of Wisdom (Mother Ahman)
• Rejecting Wisdom brings punishment, since people are no longer
able to “see”
• By choosing the other Tree, man became unable to “see”
Matthew 7:2
2 Then the disciples came and said unto him, Why do
you speak unto them in parables? He answered and
said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know
the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but to them it
is not given; for whoever receives, to him shall be
given, and he shall have more abundance. But whoever
continues not to receive, from him shall be taken away
even that he has. Therefore, I speak to them in parables
because they seeing, see not, and hearing, they hear
not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled
the prophecy of Isaiah concerning them, which says, By
hearing you shall hear and shall not understand, and
seeing you shall see and shall not perceive; for this
people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of
hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any
time they should see with their eyes, and hear with
their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and
should be converted, and I should heal them.

6. Creation Review – Important Aspects
The story of CREATION and Eden form the BEGINNING and the
END of the Bible story
• Genesis describes how things went wrong
 Revelation shows how they were put right again
• In Genesis, man lost access to the Tree of Life
 In Revelation, this most critical gift was restored to him (Revelation
1:9 & Revelation 9:3)
The “first disobedience” (…in a Terrestrial state) concerned KNOWLEDGE
– and how it should be used
In Genesis, disobedience is described as choosing the wrong Tree
• The fruit represents a way of “being”
(Second Comforter – Chapter 15: DOING AND BEING)
• The fruit also represents our “attitude” towards
the Lord and creation
(Ten Parables – Chapter 7: HOPE AND TARWATER)
Revelation 1:9
9 Nevertheless, I have somewhat against you, because
you have left your first love. Remember therefore from
where you are fallen, and repent, and do the first
works, or else I will come unto you quickly and will
remove your candlestick out of its place, except you
repent… He that has an ear, let him hear what the spirit
says unto the churches: To him that overcomes will I
give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of
the paradise of God.
Revelation 9:3
3 And behold, I come quickly and my reward is with
me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I
am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the
first and the last. Blessed are they that do his
commandments, that they may have right to the Tree
of Life and may enter in through the gates into the city;
for outside are dogs, and sorcerers, and
whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and
whoever loves and makes a lie.

7. Creation Review – Important Aspects
The TEMPLE is the tool which shapes our view of the CREATION and
our place in the CREATION
• The temple represents and establishes how we relate to our CREATOR –
and to each other
• Solomon’s temple and Moses’ tabernacle in the desert represented the
CREATION
• Creation theology = Temple theology
• The Genesis story of the six days of creation was related to the ceremonial
building of the temple (1 Corinthians 1:12)
• The temple was in two parts – divided by a veil
• Each “day” of CREATION represented one “stage” in the temple
building
• The outer part was the Holy Place, is the great hall of the temple,
represented the visible material world (the Garden of Eden) and was
decorated with trees and flowers (2 Kings 2:38)
• The inner part was the Holy of Holies, the invisible world of God and
the angels (heaven)
• These two parts of the temple establish a key gospel theme directly
related to FAITH – things INVISIBLE and things VISABLE (Colossians 1:4)
• In the time of Jesus, all temple worship related to the CREATION of
God – the whole creation was seen as the temple
1 Corinthians 1:12
12 Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the spirit of God dwells in you? If any man
defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy. For
the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Colossians 1:4
4 For by him were all things created that are in heaven and
that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they are thrones,
or dominions, or principalities, or powers. All things were
created by him and for him, and he is before all things, and by
him all things consist….
1 Kings 2:38
38 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved
figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, within and
without. And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and
without. And for the entering of the Holy of Holies, he made doors of
olive tree. The lintel and doorposts were a fifth part of the wall. The
two doors also were of olive tree, and he carved upon them carvings
of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them
with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubim and upon the palm
trees. So also made he for the door of the temple doorposts of olive
tree, a fourth part of the wall. And the two doors were of fir tree; the
two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the
other door were folding, and he carved thereon cherubim and palm
trees and open flowers, and covered them with gold fitted upon the
carved work. And he built the inner court with three rows of hewn
stone and a row of cedar beams.

8. Creation Review – Important Aspects
The CREATION pattern was revealed to Moses and David
• The plan for the tabernacle was revealed to Moses on Sinai (Exodus 14:1)
• The plan for the temple was revealed to David (1 Chronicles 12:7)
• The plan for the new temple in New Jerusalem will be revealed to David
In the time of Jesus, they still taught that when Moses was on
Sinai, and in the cloud, that he was there for SIX DAYS
• Moses saw the six-day (Exodus 13:26) vision of the creation which is
recorded in Genesis 1
• The Lord told Moses to replicate this in the tabernacle
• The shape of the tabernacle/temple and the understanding of creation
were revealed to Moses when he stood in the presence of the Lord
• These ways of thinking were symbolically taught to Israel and then
expressed in life and in worship of God the Creator
Exodus 14:1
1 …And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may
dwell among them. According to all that I show
you after the pattern of the tabernacle and the
pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so
shall you make it…
1 Chronicles 12:7
7 All this, said David, the Lord made me
understand in writing by his hand upon me, even
all the works of this pattern.
Exodus 13:26
26 And Moses went up into the mount, and a
cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the
Lord abided upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud
covered it six days. And the seventh day he
called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

9. Creation Review – Important Aspects
One the SECOND DAY – TIME began
• The Lord created the firmament to separate heaven & earth
• The firmament is represented by the veil of the temple
• The complex fabric of the veil had colors (red, blue, purple and white) which
were explained as the four elements from which the world was made (…see
Week 24 – slide 9)
• These worldly “elements” veils the glory of the Lord from human eyes
The great blessing/promise of Aaron (and all High Priests) is they would be
able to “see” beyond the veil (as Isaiah had done)
• “May the Lord make his face/presence [the same word in Hebrew] shine on
you, and be gracious to you . . . and give you peace” (Numbers 4:7)
• This is why the early Christian greeting was “Grace to you and peace from
God...” (Romans 1.1; 1 Corinthians 1.1 …and the opening of all Paul’s letters)
The angels (sometimes called “sons of God”) are to maintain the
harmony / peace of creation
• Jesus was using the temple/angel/children imagery to describe His followers:
• ”Blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children
[sons & daughters] of God” (Matthew 3:12)
Jesus also said that the pure in heart would see God, that is, see beyond
the veil to the glory of His presence (Matthew 3:12)
Number 4:7
7 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron
and unto his sons, saying, In this way you shall bless the
children of Israel: saying unto them, The Lord bless you and
keep you, the Lord make his face shine upon you and be
gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you
and give you peace. And they shall put my name upon the
children of Israel, and I will bless them.
Romans 1:1
1 …Wherefore, I write to all who are in Rome, beloved of God,
called saints: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:1
1 Paul, an apostle called of Jesus Christ through the will of God,
and Sosthenes our brother, unto the church of God which is at
Corinth; to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be
saints with all who in every place call upon the name of Jesus
Christ our Lord — both theirs and ours: Grace be unto you, and
peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 3:12
12 And blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called
the children of God.
Matthew 3:11
11 And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

10. Creation Review – Important Aspects
On the OTHER DAYS of CREATION God:
• Separated sea from land
• Caused vegetation to grow
• Represented in the tabernacle/temple by the table of “cereal” offerings
Question: why “cereal” grains after the Fall – instead of “fruit”??
• Set lights in the heaven
• Represented in the tabernacle/temple by the seven-branched Menorah
• Introduced fish, birds and animals
• Represented by the altar of sacrifice
• Pro-created man – the climax of all creation
• Represented by the High Priest in the presence of God
Everything visible (natural world) and the invisible (world of the
angels) was part of the system created by God
• “Bonds” held everything together and joined the visible world to the
invisible world – with God in the center
• In Hebrew the words “binding” and “covenant” are directly related
• The Hebrew creation verbs “create/make/form/bring forth” are linked
to the words “binding/covenant” in both sound and meaning

11. Creation Review – Important Aspects
Any action that breaks the “bonds” or “covenant” is called
sin - so disobedience could in fact destroy the system
• The High Priests had to labor to maintain this covenant, to
keep everything at peace and link/bind heaven and earth
• High Priests had to provide true teaching - because sin broke
the “bonds” of the covenant (whether done in ignorance or
deliberately)
• Breaking away from God (sin) was dangerous, as one loses
touch with the source of life and renewal
• The anointed high priest of creation had to maintain
righteousness, that is, to preserve the covenant of creation
• The anointed (a.k.a. possessing the Spirit of God) High Priests, in
title, is described as the one who upholds and secures the
CREATION
• High Priests who gave false teachings destroyed the covenant
(Malachi 1:3)
• High Priest are the Lord’s messengers/angels (the same Hebrew
word) — and false teaching made them the “fallen angels” who
destroyed the earth
Malachi 1:3
3 And now, O you priests, this
commandment is for you. If you will not
hear and if you will not lay it to heart, to
give glory unto my name, says the Lord of
Hosts, I will even send a curse upon you,
and I will curse your blessings. Yea, I have
cursed them already, because you do not
lay it to heart. Behold, I will corrupt your
seed and spread dung upon your faces,
even the dung of your solemn feasts, and
one shall take you away with it. And you
shall know that I have sent this
commandment unto you, that my
covenant might be with Levi, says the
Lord of Hosts. My covenant was with him
of life and peace, and I gave them to him
for the fear with which he feared me and
was afraid before my name. The law of
truth was in his mouth and iniquity was
not found in his lips. He walked with me in
peace and equity, and did turn many
away from iniquity. For the priest’s lips
should keep knowledge, and they should
seek the law at his mouth, for he is the
messenger of the Lord of Hosts. But you
are departed out of the way, you have
caused many to stumble at the law, you
have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says
the Lord of Hosts. Therefore have I also
made you contemptible and base before
all the people, according as you have not
kept my ways but have been partial in the
law.

12. Creation Review – Important Aspects
EACH AUTUMN, ancient Israel celebrated what are now called the “high
holy days”: New Year, the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles
This is when the tabernacle and temple were either built (Exodus 20:2) or cleansed
and renewed (Ezra 1:5)
• Renewing the earth and restoring the temple were one and the same, and so September
has always been the time for God’s creation (…think of the covenant in Boise)
• In the time of Jesus, the autumn new year was called the new year for planting trees
The “bonds of creation” were broken by human sins
• Isaiah saw in a vision how the earth was collapsing because the eternal covenant had
been broken – a curse was devouring th earth, and its inhabitants were suffering from
their own sins (Isaiah 7:1)
• Jeremiah saw everything revert to its pre-creation state — waste and void — because
people were only skilled in doing evil (Jeremiah 3:1)
• The vivid images in the “apocalypse scriptures” — stars falling from heaven, the sun
turning black — were inspired by the same messages through Isaiah and Jeremiah
Exodus 20:2
2 And it came to pass in the first month in the second
year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle
was reared up.
Ezra 1:15
15 And when the seventh month had come and the
children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered
themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. ... From
the first day of the seventh month began they to offer
burnt offerings unto the Lord.
Isaiah 7:1
1 The earth mourns and fades away; the world
languishes and fades away; the haughty people of the
earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the
inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the
laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting
covenant. Therefore has the curse devoured the earth,
and they that dwell therein are desolate; therefore, the
inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
Jeremiah 3:1
1 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they
are senseless children and they have no understanding;
they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no
knowledge. I beheld the earth, and behold, it was empty
and desolate; and the heavens, and they had no light. I
beheld the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and
all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and behold, there
was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I
beheld, and behold, the fruitful place was a wilderness,
and all the cities thereof were broken down at the
presence of the Lord and by his fierce anger.

13. Creation Review – Important Aspects
The High Priest had to uphold the covenant by teaching truth – when the
covenant was broken it was supposed to be restored on the Day of Atonement
• Before he (Denver) can cleanse and consecrate the tabernacle/temple at the new year (and thus
renew the creation) sinners must repent of their actions and make reparation
• The Jubilee was proclaimed on the Day of Atonement, the day of great “remission” property was
restored, families were reunited, land was left to rest, bond slaves were released, and debts cancelled
• The land and “civilization” (…think of the Grand Junction conference) returned to the state of the sixth
day of creation, when everything was “very good” – the state before Adam had sinned
The offerings on the Day of Atonement are described in Leviticus (Leviticus 6)
• A bull was sacrificed, and then two goats were chosen; one was sacrificed and the other (the
scapegoat) was driven out into the desert
• Blood represented life, and, in the time of Jesus, both goats represented the Lord. He bore away the
sins of Israel — in Hebrew “bear” and “forgive” are the same word
• Jesus’ blood was sprinkled and smeared in the tabernacle/temple to cleanse and renew
• Deuteronomy 9:19, translated literally, says that the Lord came forth [on the Day of Atonement] to
atone [that is, to heal] the soil of his people
• The creation covenant was restored - in the time of Jesus, the remaining blood was poured out
under the great outdoor altar to complete the atonement - Jesus renewed the creation covenant
• At the last supper, Jesus spoke of covenant blood poured out for the “remission [putting away] of
sins” (Matthew 12:6)
Deuteronomy 9:19
19 Rejoice, O you nations, with his people, for he
will avenge the blood of his servants, and will
render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be
merciful unto his land and to his people.
Matthew 12:6
6 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and
broke it, and blessed it, and gave to his disciples,
and said, Take, eat. This is in remembrance of my
body, which I gave a ransom for you. And he took
the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them,
saying, Drink you all of it, for this is in remembrance
of my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for
as many as shall believe on my name, for the
remission of their sins.
…in other words, it was the Lord’s giving of his
own life that took away the effects of sin and
renewed the creation