ALEX - When God said, "let US make man......" was he speaking to Heavenly Mother or Jesus Christ .

JOEL - We learn in the book of Abraham and in the temple that it was the "Gods" (plural) who created the heavens, the earth, and man(Abr 4-5) by the power of the priesthood. The word "Gods" is refering specifically to God the Father and His son Jesus Christ. Our Heavenly Mother having a direct involvement in the creation is speculation at best; the scriptures only hint of her actual existance. We know of course that she was somehow involved in the creation of our spirits in the pre-earth life, and therefore is literally the mother of our spirits. And it is logical to assume that She was the model for the creation of the physical female form, but there is no scriptural support that suggests she was involved directly in the creation process of the physical universe. One might reason that if she is "one flesh" with her husband as we are told to be with our mortal spouses(Gen 1:24), she could take credit in an indirect way for the creation. For example, even though a married man might build a house by himself with his own two hands; when asked who built it, he will of course say, "we built the house"(meaning he and his wife), even though his wife didn't hammer one nail. I have seen different opinions on this and since there are really no scriptural sources to support any of this, all we are left with are opinions; and now you have heard mine.

ALEX - Where did luicifer get the Priesthood from?

JOEL - We know that Jesus obtained his priesthood from His Father perhaps sometime during His pre-earth life, but we don't know exactly how or when it happened:

"And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec." (Heb 5:4-6, 9-10)

We also know that Lucifer had some form of authority in the pre-existence as suggested in the following scripture:

"And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son," (D&C 76:25)

Bruce R. McConkie said:
"This name-title of Satan (Son of the Morning), indicates he was one of the early born spirit children of the Father. Always used in association with the name Lucifer, son of the morning also apparently signifies son of light or son of prominence, meaning that Satan held a position of power and authority in pre-existence. (D. & C. 76:25-27; Isa. 14:12-20.)" (Mormon Doctrine p. 744)
The question one might ask is what kind of authority was this? Was it God-given priesthood authority the same as Jesus had or was this "authority" he had simply a consequence of his seniority above all the other spirits in the pre-existence?

President Joseph Fielding Smith was reluctant to call it priesthood when he said:
"Just what authority Lucifer held before his rebellion we do not know, but he was an angel of light, his name, Lucifer, meaning torchbearer" (Church History and Modern Revelation 1:128 (1953 ed., 2 vols.), Joseph Fielding Smith)
We do know that Satan has the "power to bruise our heal" and cause great suffering to a man's soul if he allows him inside, but as far as I know the only "priesthood" that Satan ever had is the ungodly power and priestcrafts which he himself calls "priesthood".



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