SEND ME
INTRODUCTION
It is about 730 years BC, Isaiah is involved in a great vision of God and his prophetic commission. An angel had taken tongs with which he took hot coals from the altar and touched Isaiah’s lips and mouth and said “thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin is purged.” Isaiah said “I heard the voice of the Lord saying. Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I. Here am I, send me.” (Isaiah 6:3-7; 2 Ne. 17:3-9)
“6:8 Whom shall I send? Isaiah answered his prophetic call from the Lord with “here am I, was responding to the Lord following an ancient pattern (Abr.6 3:37). In this setting Isaiah also became a type of Christ. Send where? Isaiah is sent to the world to bear witness of Christ and to declare his word. Here am I…. seems to have the meaning of “I am here ready to obey your commandments concerning me.” (Parry pp 86-87) Who. When and where and Why? Thirteen hundred years before in the time of Abraham they knew all the details of these expressions, some of the most poignant ever uttered. So, by Whom, When and where?
Restored Mormon Scriptures
“Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham. The intelligences that were organized before the world was and among all of these there were many of the noble and great ones; And God saw these souls that they were good…and he said unto me Abraham, thou art one of them, thou was chosen before thou wast born….there stood one among them that was like unto God…he …said we will go down, for there is space … we will make an earth whereon these may dwell…we will l prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them….they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; …and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever. And the Lord said Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man, [Christ] Here Am I, send me. And another [Lucifer] answered and said, here am I, send me. And I the Lord said, I will send the first. And the second was angry and kept not his first estate and at that day many followed after him.” (Abraham 3:22-28) Between verses 26 and 27 there is a sudden gap, it seems that some material associated with the background of verse 28 is missing. Where were they? What was happening? What got them to this point?
LUCIFER--SATAN
“Satan was one of the noble and great ones, chosen by God to be leaders on earth.” (Abraham 3:22-23) “He was “an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God,” a “son of the morning [early born] …He wanted to be God’s Son, (D&C 76:25-27) claimed he would redeem all mankind, sought to destroy human agency, and desired God’s power and honor (Moses 4:1-3). …rebelled against God and Jesus, and “sought to take the kingdom of our God and his Christ.” … Angry that he was not selected to execute the Father’s plan, (Abraham 3:27-28) Satan turned a third part of the hosts of heaven away from God and they were “thrust down” from the presence of the Father and the Son (LARGEY p. 259; D&C 29:36-37; 76:25)
Satan “is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me saying -behold, here I am, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost and surely I will do it, wherefore give me thine honor. But behold, my beloved Son which was my beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me, Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever, (Moses 4:1-4), …because that Satan rebelled against me…by the power of mine only begotten, I caused that he should be cast down. And he became Satan, yea even the devil.” (Moses 4:1-64; Ludlow p. 139)
So, “In the Grand Council in heaven, Jesus Christ, the Firstborn, was chosen to be the Savior.” (Largey p.142)
LUCIFER
“Just what authority Lucifer held before his rebellion we do not know, but he was an angel of light, his name Lucifer, meaning torchbearer… morning star… [early born], (Ludlow p. 379) who was proud and ambitious, rebelled against the father when his plan for the salvation of fallen man was rejected… This angel was a mighty personage, without doubt…he occupied a very high position, that he was thought a great deal of and that he was mighty in his sphere so much so that when the matter was debated concerning the earth and the plan of salvation, he was of sufficient importance to have a plan by which he proposed as the plan by which this earth should be peopled and the inhabitants thereof redeemed. His plan, however, was not accepted but it was so plausible and so attractive that of the whole hosts of heaven one-third accepted his plan and were willing to cast their lot with him. The contention in heaven was---Jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved, and the devil said he could save them all, and laid his plans before the grand council, who gave their vote in favor of Jesus Christ. The devil rose up in rebellion against God, and was cast down, with all who put up their heads for him.” (Peterson pp 139-142)
SEND ME FATHER
The NAASSENES are mentioned only in Hippolytus in his Refutatia V, Known to scholars as the Naassenes Sermon, from a Naassene psalm we get: “First-Born Nous [the truly divine and eternal] (Runes p. 215) was the law that engendered all, [The law of redemption] (Ibid). Next… to the first-born was the out poured chaos, [Lucifer] Thirdly the soul] [mankind] received a law [the gospel] as it worked [? as it was made, lived]. Hence clad in the form of a stag (?) [clad in animal skins, “garments made by God for Adam and Eve].” (Patan p. 147) It [mankind] labours, captive, as a spoil for death. Now with royal (honour) it sees the light. Now cast out into misery, it weeps. Now it is wept for, it rejoices, Now it weeps, it is judged, Now it is judged, it dies.… and without escape the wretched (soul) [mankind] enters a labyrinth of evils in its wanderings. [living]” But Jesus said, “Father, behold: Pursued by evils here upon the earth There roams the (work) of thine own breath; It [mankind] seeks to escape the bitter chaos But knows not how it shall win through. Therefore send me, Father; Bearing the seals [washings, annointings, cermonies, sealings, names] I will descend, [go to earth] I will pass through [by] All of the Aeons, [“subordinate heavenly power”] (Runes p. 5)” I will disclose all mysteries [ordinances) I will show the forms of the Gods And the Hidden things of the holy way, [ascent ceremonies], Awaking knowledge (gnosis), I will impart. [provide].” (Foerester p. 282)
This is a condensed effort by the Naassenes to pass on their doctrine. It retains the keywords and thoughts but is on the way to being philosophically obliterated.
PREMORTAL LIFE AND MORTAL LIFE
A lengthy Nag Hammadi text, the Great Seth, “begins in the spiritual world…the realm of the supreme God and the Mother. The speaker, to be identified with Jesus Christ, asserts that he originates from this celestial region and that he is the revealer…he brings forth the “word” …calls together the heavenly church and presents … [the] plan; he is to come forth to reveal “the glory…to those on earth who are kin to the celestial beings…the heavenly church then gives its approval to the plan.” (Gibbons p. 243) “… Willingly did I come forth to reveal the glory to my kindred and my fellow spirits …the speaker descends into the cosmos…by taking on an earthly body.” (Gibbons pp. 246-247) …. Christ identified as the speaker …he brings forth the word of revelation…he is from above … he does the will of the Father or the heavenly church.” (Gibbons p. 249-250)
These references clearly espouse the doctrine of a Pre-mortal existence. Well organized, confirming that a spirit existence, life and activity was going on in the world of spirits and was following a divine Plan, involving Christ, with a definite redeeming plan, which Joseph Smith restored through the new scriptures of the Book of Moses and the Book of Abraham, and other revelations he received. “The first estate is thus the premortal probationary period, while the second estate is one’s mortal life on earth.” (Millet 2011, p. 218) Joseph explained that “spirits are eternal. At the first organization in heaven [world of spirits] we were all present and saw the Savior chosen and appointed. And the plan of salvation made and we sanctioned it. We came to this earth that we might have a body.” (Gee pp, 168-169) When Christ appeared to the waiting gathering in waiting America, Father introduced the Christ who was now the redeemer, when they heard the voice “a third time they did understand… and it said unto them Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name--hear ye him.” (3 Ne. 11:3-8) Lucifer saw and heard also. An infinite agony must have overwhelmed him. Christ had accomplished the redemption of man. Christ was getting the acceptance and praise of the Father, which he had once wanted so desperately. The redemption did not apply to him, for him there was no body to resurrect, as an unembodied spirit he would forever be subject to the rule of Cain.” Because Cain had a resurrected body. (Ludlow p. 391; Moses 5:23, 16-31; Millet 2011 p. 87)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
GEE, John, An Introduction to the Book of Abraham, Deseret Book Co., Salt Lake City, Utah. 2017
FOERSTER, Werner, Gnosis Vol. 1, Patristic Evidence, Oxford, at the Clarendon Press, 1972
HOWICK, E. Keith, The Mission of Jesus the Messiah, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1990
LARGEY, Dennis L. G. Ed., Pearl of Great Price Reference Companion, Deseret Book Co., Salt Lake City, Utah, 2017
LUDLOW, Daniel H., Ed., Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Macmillan Publishing Co., New York, 1992
MILLET, Robert L., Precept Upon Precept, Joseph Smith and the restoration of Doctrine, Deseret Book Co., Salt Lake City, Utah. 2016
…………………………., 2011, Camille Fronk. Andrew C. Skinner, Brent Top, LDS Beliefs, Deseret Book Store, Salt Lake City, Utah., 2011
…………………………..Sel. The Redeemer, Deseret Book Co., Salt Lake City, Utah, 2000
PARRY. W. Donald., Jay A. Parry, Tina M. Peterson, Understanding Isaiah, Deseret Book Company, Salt Laker City, Utah, 1999
PETERSON, H. Donl, The Pearl of Great Price a History and Commentary, Deseret Book Co., Salt Lake City, Utah, 1987
RUNES, Dagobert D., The Dictionary of Philosophy, Philosophyical Library, New York, 1950