I love truth. In its lofty pursuit the seeker of truth must occasionally collide with false precepts which are all around us. These are the cultural and political beliefs that are touted as truth but which have no eternal footing, and by ‘footing’ I’m referring to doctrine – or better still, ‘canon’.
The purpose of scriptural canon, according to the LDS bible dictionary is, “A word of Greek origin, originally meaning a rod for testing straightness”. Canon gives us a foundation for comparing all philosophies against – a litmus test as it were – and if that ideal synchronizes well with canon, then it passes the test. Those with no canon in their lives are those described in Ephesians as “carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14).
Lucifer, who’s pride led him to think more of himself than God, loves to set forth his own propaganda in every way possible. We see it in media, at church and in our societal culture. It often appeals to the senses, and reinforces selfishness, but it never measures up to the litmus test of true doctrine.
One of those fallacies, and which is ever increasing to society’s carnal senses, is that we are all created equal. I now use canon, and other scripture which I believe passes the straightness test, to demonstrate how Lucifer has perverted and crook-ified this pure and simple truth.
The Doctrinal Case for Spiritual Inequality
In Abraham 3, the Father of Many Nations beholds a vision of heaven through the Urim and Thumim (Abraham 3:18-19). In this vision he beheld the difference in glory between the sun and the moon, the moon and the stars; and then his purview expanded and he beheld other glories, one of which I believe is the gallactic core and its tremendous glory. Abraham was shown how there are no two objects in the heavens that proliferate the same measure of light, and how one sphere is always subject to another.
For the second half of the chapter, the stars of Abraham’s divine physical science lesson became a metaphor for the children of God, indicating that no two of His children possess the same level of intelligence nor glory. Why is God God? Ultimately because He is more glorious and intelligent than all other beings in His jurisdiction. As I write that, my heart burns within me, verifying the truthfulness and straightness of that doctrine. This scripture alone is enough to refute any claim that men were created equally.
But another reference from the book of Abraham sheds light on spiritual inequality. Consider the noble and great ones referred to in verse 22. The phrase alone indicates at least three degrees of glory among Father’s children: 1) those who are great; 2) those who are noble; and 3) those who have not reached either status. The first and second groups are at least 4th estate beings or higher. The third group are young or inexperienced spirits who have not had sufficient experience and testing to consider them noble or great, and are second and third estate beings. In the same account we read of the Savior’s greatness, as well as Lucifer’s elevated but declining spiritual status from among their spirit siblings.
Brigham Young made a curious comment concerning wives who are grieved by their husbands in this world. But it also sheds light on the differing glory among Father’s children, and man’s tendency to revere those of an elevated spiritual status:
“Instead of despising him she would feel like worshipping him, he is so holy, so pure, so perfect and so filled with God in his resurrected body.” (Conference Reports, October 8, 1861; reported by George D. Watt)
This comment suggests that when you are in the presence of a being of greater light and glory there is an instinctive tendency to worship that being. Examples of this principle are scattered throughout scripture when human beings felt to worship ministering angels who tended to them.
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| A fish ladder serves as a metaphor for Isaiah’s Ascension |
In a non-canonical book, and yet what I consider to be sacred and inspired scripture regrettably left out of the bible, Isaiah describes the progression from earth to the seventh heaven where God dwells and the differing glories and beings that dwell in each heaven. Interestingly, each heaven is governed by a throne of one particular glory, angels to the right of a lesser glory, and angels to the left of a lesser glory still – a pattern that carried through each respective advancement through the seven heavens.
I’ve found that Father loves this pattern of allowing beings of varying degrees of glory to dwell among each other. It seems to be His process for lifting and exalting His children. It is in fact, condescension in action, and is the very reason He sent His holiest and most exalted child to dwell among men. I am a witness to Christ’s great enabling and lifting power through His eternal atonement. I am also a witness to the lifting power of those bright stars in our lives, who were sent to lift us – my wife is one such star in my life.
I’ve seen the same pattern in families, where one or two of the children have more light and righteous tendencies than that of their siblings or even their parents. We should be careful not to only view parents and teachers as those who condescend, or were meant to lift – it may very well be that our children, or those of the next generation, are advanced in their eternal progression beyond ourselves, and have in fact become more exalted, and condescended to help lift us, if we will humbly accept their lifting.
Lastly, as I’ve mentioned the Savior, another point may be worth mentioning. How is it that He became the Savior? Was there something in His spiritual DNA that qualified Him? Did He earn that elevated role through obedience, work, or effort? How is it that Lucifer was so influential in premortal courts? Beneath those questions is found a sacred Terrestrial doctrine, which can be attained to the seeker of truth. It was taught among early saints of this dispensation and ceased, presumably due to the lack of faith among the Saints, and by Joseph Smith’s own words…
“…I could tell you who I am! Would to God I could tell you what I know! But you would call it blasphemy, and there are men upon this stand who would want to take my life.” (Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, p. 322.).
Who was Joseph then? What did he know that couldn’t be taught? It has been made clear to me that we live in a Telestial world, and Joseph Smith understood Terrestrial and Celestial doctrines that this world was not ready to receive. I know of these doctrines, and am a witness of heaven’s eagerness to teach them to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.
The discovery of those truths will confirm that no two stars are alike in glory, that there is an inherent tendency to worship those of a higher glory than ourselves (just not in this Telestial realm), and that there are noble and great ones among us now. Studying those doctrines will further demonstrate that Christ and our Father are mortally experienced, very old, and very exalted beings, and so are many of the noble and great ones. I worship and praise them both for their willingness to condescend and risk their exaltations for my sake.
Equality is truly an adversarial doctrine, designed to stagnate men in their progression. The only real propensity to exalt Father’s children and lead them to Godhood is in the glorious doctrine of condescension and spiritual inequality.