ANCIENT DOCUMENT6S AND THE RESTORED GOSPEL N0. 1
INTRODUCTION
“In 1945-46 some fellahin near Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt found thirteen papyrus codices in an earthenware jar at the foot of the Gebel-et Tarif, eleven of them in their leather binding. After passing through several hands, these twelve and a half codices finally arrived in 1952 in the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo, and the remaining half in the same year at the Jung Institute in Zurich… an original total of about 1400 pages we still possess around 1,150 pages in varying different states of preservation.” (Forester p. 2; Robinson, James M., p. 1) “… Of the 53 documents, two are considered to be non-Christian, Gnostic documents, “the Epistle of Eugnostus and the Apocalypse of Adam,” [These are ancient documents and will be referred to.] (Foerster p. 11)
In The Apocalypse of Adam we read that “Adam relates his and Eve’s’ former ‘paradisiac’ state and their fall. Originally both were like great eternal angels, and were superior to the God who [claimed he] had created them.” (Foerster p. 13) “This archon who was weak had three names…the third is Samael [the blind god] …he was ungodly in his ignorance” …he said: “I am God and there is no other God but me…he was ignorant of …the place from which he came… therefore he called himself “God”. But he was not obedient to that place from which he came.” (Giverson pp. 67-69) This reference to Luciifer is obvious.
In the Pearl of Great Price, “In Enoch’s the vision of Judgement, he saw the resurrected Saints crowned at the right hand of The Son of Man and the righteous spirits …stood on the right hand of God.” (Moses 7:56-57: Largey p. 253) “Jesus Christ came to be known as the Son of Man. [and] Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man.” (Moses 56:57: Millet p. 593)
THE THREE MEN
The Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 9 and 10 tells of the early activity of the Christ and twelve others who came down and went forth upon the face of the earth and taught Adam. (1 Nephi 1:9-11) In the Apocalypse of Adam from the Nag Hammadi discovery we read: “Adam and Eve fell into ignorance, [forgetfulness] were instructed…and served the Creator [an entity who calls himself ‘the God of this World’] in fear and slavery…for their deliverance came three men, who called upon Adam to rise from the sleep of death and submit to instruction concerning …the seed of his son Seth. The creator, [a being calling himself ‘God of this World’] however, sought to prevent their deliverance. When Adam and Eve had heard the words of these three men and groaned, the Creator …[or impersonator] who caused a darkness to come over their eyes, which did away with their knowledge…since they had fallen under the dominion of death…[these three men show up a number of times in this document, sometimes they come in glory and sometimes just as ordinary men, and ignore the ‘Creator’ who is Lucifer who keeps appearing and calling himself God of this earth,.] Adam reports their revelation, it deals with the future destiny of the descendants of Seth and of Noah.” (Foerster pp. 13-14) The Nag Hammadi document continues: “…The Illuminator [Christ] comes and delivers them from death …the descendants of Ham and Japheth who think in their hearts the knowledge of the Eternal God [Elohim]… will call all those who have known God …because they will live eternally and not be destroyed. These are the revelations of Adam for his son Seth, who related them to his seed… [This document originated] in the first or second century, but was later revised in a gnostic sence.” (Foerster p. 14-15)
Again from the Apocalypse of Adam we get “The revelation which Adam taught to his son Seth…Hear my words, my son Seth. When God had created me from, the earth (see Gen 2:7) with your mother Eve. I Walked with her in (to) glory which she had seen in word of a knowledge of God the eternal. And we were like the great eternal angels [which they were] …After these days the eternal knowledge of the God of Truth was far from me and your mother Eve. From that time we received instruction concerning dead things as men…for I saw three men before me whose appearance I could not recognize, since they were not of the powers of the God who had [said he had] created us since in their nature [appearance] they surpassed those whom I had seen. [previously the three men had appeared looking like ordinary men, but this time they appeared in glory {brightness} (1 Nephi 1:10) surpassing how Lucifer or his minions looked] They came to me and appeared to me and saying to me ‘Arise Adam out of the sleep of death. And hear about the aeon and the seed of that great man [Jesus Christ] to whom life has come, who came forth [born] from you and from Eve your consort.’ Then when I heard these words from these great men who stood by me we groaned I and Eve in our hearts. And the Lord God who had created us stood before us and said to us: ’Adam why do you groan in your hearts? Do you not know that I am [the true] God who created you? And I have breathed into you a breath of life for a living soul. (Gen. 2:7) Then a darkness came over our eyes, Then the God who created us …said: I am God and there is no other (Isa 45:5; 40:90) But you are earth and will become earth again with Eve your wife (Gen. 3:19)…Then the flower of our eternal knowledge perished within us. And a weakness overtook us. Because of this the days of our life became few. For I came to know that I had fallen under the dominion of death. But now my son Seth, I will reveal to you what those men revealed to me, whom I saw before me earlier.” (Foerster p. 17)
“The words of God of the Aeons, which have been preserved were not set down in the book nor were they written, but angelic bengs will bring them, whom all generations of men shall not know. For they (to) shall be on a high mountain…those who know (the) eternal God in a wisdom of knowledge and a doctrine of angels for ever; for he knows all things… These are the revelations which Adam revealed to his son Seth, and his son taught them to his seed. This is the hidden knowledge of Adam which he gave to his son Seth—which is the baptism of those who know the eternal knowledge through the logos-born and the imperishable illuminators who came from the holy seed.This document did not originate in pre-Christian times, but probably in the first or second century, and was later revised in a gnostic sense.” (Forester p. 17-23)
THE LETTER OF EUGNOSTUS
Our next document “…is The Letter of Eugnostus [from the books discovered at Nag Hammadi - see my Lecture CD on Nag Hammadi] contained both in Codex III…as well as Codex V…The text is preserved complete. [It is a] treatise about the God of Truth in the form of a letter…every nature [everything] has its origin in the true and indescribable God…He is called the ”Father of the all.” In him are the grandeurs and the powers…he is all Nous, thought, reflection, Prudence, reason, and Power…He rules over all creatures…and is called God of the Gods…his whole kingdom rejoice in eternal jubilation…there originates from him a being … called Son of Man. He too, like his father from whom he receives the power …who are called the Church of the saints …. In the kingdom of the Son of Man also exultation and joy prevail [his name] is Saviour, Creator of all things.” (Foerster pp. 24-25)
SON OF MAN JESUS CHRIST
In the Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses, Joseph Smith revealed:” Moses 6:57….all men, must repent …or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence ; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is His name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous judge who shall come in the Meridian of time.” (Moses 6:57) “Behold I am God; Man of Holiness is my name; Man of Council is my name; and Endless and Eternal is my name, also. (Moses 7:35)
From ancient sources we also get: Speaking of God: “…Some positive attributes and metaphors do apply to him: Life, Spirit, FATHER, the Good,-- but not Creator, Ruler, Judge. [Which most of the time are attributes reserved for Jesus Christ] Significantly, in some systems one of his secret names Is ‘Man.’”(Jonas p. 368) “The supreme and transmundane God himself often called ‘Man.’” (Jonas p. 369) In the above, it is quite evident that the expression ‘Son of Man’ refers to the Son who is ‘Jesus ‘Christ’ and his Father, Man, [ a name known for FATHER, anciently and re-revealed to Joseph Smith as a name] “of Father, the FATHER of the son.” (Foerster pp. 24-39) “Whom do men say that I the Son of God am? for that God who is his father is a Holy Man.” (McConkie p. 742) For two thousand years it has been debated who the Son of Man really is, the restored gospel answers it precisely. “The Son of Man will be seen in heaven. Jesus says that the Son of Man will appear in his glorified role.” (Borwsch p. 353). He will be Jesus Christ
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BORSCH, Fredrich Houk, The Son of Man in Myth and History, The Westminster Press, Philadelphia. 1967
ROBINSON, James M., The Coptic Gnostic Library, a Complete Edition of the Nag Hammadi Codices 111…as well as Codex V. Brill, Lieden, 2000,
GIVERSON, Soren, Apocryphon Johannis, Prostant Apud Munksgaard, Copenhaen, 1963
JONAS, Hans, Philosophical Essays, from ancient Creed, Prentice Hall Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. 1974
FOERSTER, Werner, GNOSIS Vol. 11, A Selection of Gnostic Texts, Coptic and Mandean Sources, Oxford. At the Clarendon Press, 1974
LARGEY, Dennis L., Pearl of Great Price Reference Companion, Deseret Book Co., Salt Lake City, Utah, 2017
McCONKIE, Bruce R., Mormon Doctrine, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1966
MILLET, Robert l., Camille Fronk Olson, Andrew C. Skinner & Brent L. Top, LDS Beliefs, A Doctrinal Reference Deseret Book, Salt Lake City, Utah 2011