Moses 2

Creation by the Only Begotten

And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I reveal unto you concerning this heaven, and this earth; write the words which I speak. I am the Beginning and the End, the Almighty God; by mine Only Begotten I created these things; yea, in the beginning I created the heaven, and the earth upon which thou standest. Moses 2:1

Before telling the Creation story, the Father makes clear that He created the heaven and the earth through His Only Begotten Son. Jesus Christ is the Creator of this earth.

How we know: the verse itself names Him · a footnote points to Him · a Church study aid lists it

• the same event in Moses 1:33 — "By the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten."
• alludes to John 1:3 — "All things were made by him."
• alludes to Colossians 1:16 — By Him were all things created in heaven and earth.
• a parallel account in Genesis 1:1 — The same Creation account without the Only Begotten named.

The Beginning and the End

The Beginning and the End — eternal, the first and the last

And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I reveal unto you concerning this heaven, and this earth; write the words which I speak. I am the Beginning and the End, the Almighty God; by mine Only Begotten I created these things; yea, in the beginning I created the heaven, and the earth upon which thou standest. Moses 2:1

Here the Father uses the title "the Beginning and the End." Elsewhere Jesus Christ uses the very same title of Himself, showing the oneness of the Father and the Son.

How we know: the verse itself names Him · a footnote points to Him · a Church study aid lists it

• the same title in Revelation 22:13 — Christ: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end."
• the same title in D&C 19:1 — "I am Alpha and Omega, Christ the Lord... the Beginning and the End."

The Word of my power

The Word of my power — the Only Begotten Son (Moses 1:32)

And I, God, called the light Day; and the darkness, I called Night; and this I did by the word of my power, and it was done as I spake; and the evening and the morning were the first day. Moses 2:5

Moses 1:32 has already explained that "the word of my power" is the Only Begotten Son. So when God creates day and night "by the word of my power," He is working through Christ.

• interpreted by Moses 1:32 — "The word of my power... which is mine Only Begotten Son."
• alludes to John 1:1-3 — The Word by whom all things were made.

Only Begotten, with the Father from the beginning

Only Begotten — the only child of the Father in the flesh

And I, God, said unto mine Only Begotten, which was with me from the beginning: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and it was so. And I, God, said: Let them have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Moses 2:26

This answers who "us" is in "Let us make man": the Father speaks to His Only Begotten, who was with Him from the beginning. Christ was a full partner in creating mankind.

How we know: the verse itself names Him · a footnote points to Him · a Church study aid lists it

• a parallel account in Genesis 1:26 — "Let us make man in our image" without naming the one addressed.
• alludes to John 1:1-2 — "The same was in the beginning with God."
• a parallel account in Abraham 4:26 — The Gods take counsel to form man in their image.

Man created in the image of the Only Begotten

And I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them. Moses 2:27

Mankind was created in the image of both the Father and His Only Begotten Son. Every person bears the likeness of Jesus Christ.

How we know: the verse itself names Him · a Church study aid lists it

• a parallel account in Genesis 1:27 — "In the image of God created he him."
• alludes to Ether 3:15-16 — The premortal Christ shows the brother of Jared that man was created after the body of His spirit.