What if he didn't know?
Is that an intriguing question for you?
First, disclaimers. I haven't written for a while a piece that would need to have them, so here goes.
The opinions expressed here, are my opinions only and are not necessarily doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or any other church that I am aware of. Also.
They ARE based on doctrine of the aforementioned church, and so may not fit your picture of what is described.
We know the story of Adam and Eve, right? Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil placed before them, and they were commanded to not eat of it. At some point they did, with Lucifer, or Satan, tempting them to eat the fruit. Are we good?
Adam and Eve were in a pre-mortal state in the Garden of Eden. They lived without passion, without pain, without suffering, and because these things were lacking, without joy, or happiness. Why do I say that? It is because without knowing the bad, it is impossible to understand joy or happiness. This is very important because the LDS church teaches that partaking of the fruit of the tree (known as the Fall) was essential for the progress of mankind.
We are all spirit children of Heavenly Father. We lived together before the Earth was. Our Father presented a plan, that we would come to earth, receive bodies, and learn faith, gain experience, and exercise that faith. He taught us that we would make mistakes, and that on our own, we could not return to Him. Then He presented that His Son, Jehovah, or Jesus Christ, would pay the price for our sins, our suffering, and suffer death that we might not only live again in a resurrected, glorified and perfected body, but if we kept His commandments, and had faith in His Son, we could return to live eternally in His Kingdom.
Lucifer, a "son of the morning" (Isaiah 14:12) stepped forward, and offered himself, and guaranteed that all would return to the Father, and that because of this, the glory should be his. In other words, his plan was to rob us of our ability to choose so that he could be glorified. That was not the Father's plan, and it was rejected which resulted in a war in heaven, wherein one third of our spirit brothers and sisters were banished, never to receive a mortal body, and to be permanently banished from glory. Those brothers and sisters exercised their agency, or freedom to choose, and they received the consequences.
Here is the thing that I have been wondering, and so from here on out, MOSTLY OPINION.
If Lucifer, or Satan, as he became, knew fully the plan, including the need for the Fall, why did he tempt Adam and Eve? The Father's plan would have been just as easily thwarted by Adam and Eve remaining in a pre-mortal state, including the inability to procreate and have children. And.
If Satan understood that Christ's death was equally as important to the plan, why would he stir up the Jews and Romans to try and ultimately crucify Him on Calvary? As Christ aged beyond the normal age of men at the time, he would start to gain notoriety and fame, not because of the works and miracles he did, but simply by being the oldest man around. I wonder if Satan knew either of these things before he was cast out of Heaven.
Have you written me off as an apostate yet? I hope not, because while I am opining, I recognize that it is strictly that, and nothing that I would teach at this time, though I guess I could say that since you are reading, you may be learning, and so indirectly I am teaching, but you know what I mean.
If Satan didn't know that Adam and Eve had to partake of the fruit, then he may have thought that by simply partaking would bring about the death promised by the Father when He said: "for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17 ) and that that would defeat the Father's plan.
While I had the idea previously, reading in the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price sort of cemented the idea in my mind, Moses 4:6.
Equally, if Satan knew that Jesus had to die to fulfill His mission on the earth, would he have worked so hard to kill Him? The purpose of the temptation Satan offered (Matthew 4:5-7) was notoriety and fame, which could just as easily be accomplished by Christ living well beyond a normal age. I wonder if Lucifer knew the horror that the Messiah would have to suffer to pay the price of sin. More likely, he saw the same image of the Messiah, or King that the Jews hoped for; Someone to ride into Jerusalem, to free the Jews from Roman bondage, and to rule the world. So, by causing that horrible suffering and death to come upon Jesus, and denying Him his kingdom (or so he thought), he would wreck the Father's plan?
God knows each of His children. He knows us so well, that He knew that Jehovah would fulfill his mission by living a perfect life, and by willingly offer Himself as a sacrifice for sin.
Well, what do you think? I would love to read comments, good or bad. Please be respectful, both of my fragile construct, and also any other opinions that you might hear or read.
Any references to the bible are taken from the King James Version.
First, disclaimers. I haven't written for a while a piece that would need to have them, so here goes.
The opinions expressed here, are my opinions only and are not necessarily doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or any other church that I am aware of. Also.
They ARE based on doctrine of the aforementioned church, and so may not fit your picture of what is described.
We know the story of Adam and Eve, right? Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil placed before them, and they were commanded to not eat of it. At some point they did, with Lucifer, or Satan, tempting them to eat the fruit. Are we good?
Adam and Eve were in a pre-mortal state in the Garden of Eden. They lived without passion, without pain, without suffering, and because these things were lacking, without joy, or happiness. Why do I say that? It is because without knowing the bad, it is impossible to understand joy or happiness. This is very important because the LDS church teaches that partaking of the fruit of the tree (known as the Fall) was essential for the progress of mankind.
We are all spirit children of Heavenly Father. We lived together before the Earth was. Our Father presented a plan, that we would come to earth, receive bodies, and learn faith, gain experience, and exercise that faith. He taught us that we would make mistakes, and that on our own, we could not return to Him. Then He presented that His Son, Jehovah, or Jesus Christ, would pay the price for our sins, our suffering, and suffer death that we might not only live again in a resurrected, glorified and perfected body, but if we kept His commandments, and had faith in His Son, we could return to live eternally in His Kingdom.
Lucifer, a "son of the morning" (Isaiah 14:12) stepped forward, and offered himself, and guaranteed that all would return to the Father, and that because of this, the glory should be his. In other words, his plan was to rob us of our ability to choose so that he could be glorified. That was not the Father's plan, and it was rejected which resulted in a war in heaven, wherein one third of our spirit brothers and sisters were banished, never to receive a mortal body, and to be permanently banished from glory. Those brothers and sisters exercised their agency, or freedom to choose, and they received the consequences.
Here is the thing that I have been wondering, and so from here on out, MOSTLY OPINION.
If Lucifer, or Satan, as he became, knew fully the plan, including the need for the Fall, why did he tempt Adam and Eve? The Father's plan would have been just as easily thwarted by Adam and Eve remaining in a pre-mortal state, including the inability to procreate and have children. And.
If Satan understood that Christ's death was equally as important to the plan, why would he stir up the Jews and Romans to try and ultimately crucify Him on Calvary? As Christ aged beyond the normal age of men at the time, he would start to gain notoriety and fame, not because of the works and miracles he did, but simply by being the oldest man around. I wonder if Satan knew either of these things before he was cast out of Heaven.
Have you written me off as an apostate yet? I hope not, because while I am opining, I recognize that it is strictly that, and nothing that I would teach at this time, though I guess I could say that since you are reading, you may be learning, and so indirectly I am teaching, but you know what I mean.
If Satan didn't know that Adam and Eve had to partake of the fruit, then he may have thought that by simply partaking would bring about the death promised by the Father when He said: "for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17 ) and that that would defeat the Father's plan.
While I had the idea previously, reading in the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price sort of cemented the idea in my mind, Moses 4:6.
Equally, if Satan knew that Jesus had to die to fulfill His mission on the earth, would he have worked so hard to kill Him? The purpose of the temptation Satan offered (Matthew 4:5-7) was notoriety and fame, which could just as easily be accomplished by Christ living well beyond a normal age. I wonder if Lucifer knew the horror that the Messiah would have to suffer to pay the price of sin. More likely, he saw the same image of the Messiah, or King that the Jews hoped for; Someone to ride into Jerusalem, to free the Jews from Roman bondage, and to rule the world. So, by causing that horrible suffering and death to come upon Jesus, and denying Him his kingdom (or so he thought), he would wreck the Father's plan?
God knows each of His children. He knows us so well, that He knew that Jehovah would fulfill his mission by living a perfect life, and by willingly offer Himself as a sacrifice for sin.
Well, what do you think? I would love to read comments, good or bad. Please be respectful, both of my fragile construct, and also any other opinions that you might hear or read.
Any references to the bible are taken from the King James Version.
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