Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon

[Tuly]

Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon by Jeffrey R. Holland. I find this an important resource book and loved this book. Like Elder Holland says - "It is not a scholarly book in the traditional sense of voluminous source material and exhaustive documentation." Indeed Holland quotes mainly from the Book of Mormon. I enjoyed Holland's Appendix sections specially Appendix C - The Father and The Son: A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and The Twelve. I found a copy of it in the Ensign 2002 - https://www.lds.org/ensign/2002/04/the- ... g=eng&_r=1

In the early 1900s, some discussion arose among Church members about the roles of God the Father and Jesus Christ. The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued the following in 1916 to clarify the meaning of certain scriptures where Jesus Christ, or Jehovah, is designated as the Father. It is thought that a printing of this statement will be helpful to members as they study the Old Testament this year.

The scriptures plainly and repeatedly affirm that God is the Creator of the earth and the heavens and all things that in them are. In the sense so expressed, the Creator is an Organizer. God created the earth as an organized sphere; but He certainly did not create, in the sense of bringing into primal existence, the ultimate elements of the materials of which the earth consists, for “the elements are eternal” (D&C 93:33).

So also life is eternal, and not created; but life, or the vital force, may be infused into organized matter, though the details of the process have not been revealed unto man. (For illustrative instances see Gen. 2:7; Moses 3:7; Abr. 5:7.) Each of these scriptures states that God breathed into the body of man the breath of life. See further Moses 3:19 for the statement that God breathed the breath of life into the bodies of the beasts and birds. God showed unto Abraham “the intelligences that were organized before the world was”; and by “intelligences” we are to understand personal “spirits” (see Abr. 3:22–23); nevertheless, we are expressly told that “Intelligence,” that is, “the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be” (D&C 93:29).

The term “Father” as applied to Deity occurs in sacred writ with plainly different meanings. Each of the four significations specified in the following treatment should be carefully segregated.
1. “Father” as Literal Parent

2. “Father” as Creator

3. Jesus Christ the “Father” of Those Who Abide in His Gospel

4. Jesus Christ the “Father” by Divine Investiture of Authority

[Steve]

Thanks! The exposition is a helpful reference for all men when considering the true nature of "fatherhood."