Jesus & Satan as Brothers per LDS
Doctrine Through the Years
Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,
selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith, p.357
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. So
the devil rose up in rebellion against God, and was cast down, with all who put
up their heads for him. (Book of Moses-Pearl of Great Price, Chap. 4:1-4; Book
of Abraham, Chap. 3:23-28.)
George Laub's Nauvoo Journal (June 6, 1846) Edited by
Eugene England , BYU Studies, vol. 18 (1977-1978), Number 2 - Winter 1978, p.171
Now concerning Spirits, First of all or in the begining the great Eloheam,
in the Hebrew meaning the God of all gods, called a grand council & and they
councild together to form this planet on which we are now, or do dwell at
present. They Spake and Earth from cayus [chaos] Sprang by their workmanship,
cayus being mature mater, Element, the Law till time should be no more, and they
spake concerning the Redemption of this world and formed Limited Sircumstances
concerning the redemption, Jesus Christ being the greater light or of more
Inteligence for he loved rituousness and hated[in[i]quity. He being the elder
Brother Presented himself for to come and redeem this world as it was his
right by inheritance. He stated he could save all those who did not sin against
the Holy Ghost & they would obey the code of laws that was given. But their
sircumstances ware that all who would sin against the Holy Ghost Should have noe
forgiveness neither in this world nor in the world to come. For they had strove
aganst light and knowledg after they had tasted of the good things of the world
to come. They should not have any parden in the world to come because they had a
knowledge of the world to come and ware not willing to abide the law. Therefore
they can have noe[fo[r]giveness there but must be most miserable of all and
never can be renewed again. Refered to 6 Chapter of Hebrews . But Saten or
Lucifer being the next heir and had alotet to him great power and authority,
even prince of the Eir. He spake emediatly and boasted of himself Saying Send me
I can save all Even those who Sined against the Holy Ghost and he accused his
brethren and was[h[u]rled from the council for striving to breake the law
emediately and there was a warfare with Saten and the gods and they hurld Satan
out of his place and all them that would not keep the law of the councill. But
he himself being one of the council would not keep his or their first[Estat[e]
for he was one of the Sons of perdition and concequently all the Sons of
perdition became devils, etc.
Journal of Discourses, 26 vols., 6:, p.208 (Joseph Young -
October 11, 1857)
Who is it that is at the head of this? It is the Devil, the mighty
Lucifer, the great prince of the angels, and the brother of Jesus. He left
the province of his Father, and took with him a third part of his Father's
kingdom, and there was no other alternative but to banish him. God would have
saved him if he could; but he could not. Lucifer and all his host went away to
themselves, and they are our foes; they are after us, and they are after this
whole people; and I tell you they are as thick as I want them. Perhaps the air
is clearer here than in any other place; but perhaps I am wrong. There may be
more devils here than in any other country, and we are certainly more free from
their power than any other people under heaven. Be this as it may, I know that
there is a victory to be gained, and we have to gain that victory.
Journal of Discourses, 26 vols., 13:, p. 283 (Brigham
Young - October 30, 1870)
Look at the Christian world! How many times it was said to me, in my early
career: "Oh, if the Lord had spoken to such a man, to such a divine that we have
all confidence in; if the Lord had revealed His will to that man, we could have
believed the whole thing." The Lord Almighty could not do it. Do you know the
reason why? I do. I was acquainted with some of the best reformers that ever
walked on the American continent, as good to all appearance as lived. They would
say: "We have prayed, we have fasted, we have sought, we have believed, we have
had faith that God was about to reveal something from the heavens, but He has
not revealed it to us." That was the trouble. They had their way marked out
before them, and if the Lord would not walk in that path they would not have
anything to do with Him, and their conduct proved it. When men say: "O Lord, we
are the clay, you are the potter! Fashion, shape and make us, and do with us as
seems good in Thy sight, only let us know Thy will, we are here to perform
whatever Thou requirest," it makes me think of that second person that came
forth in the heavens when the voice went forth: "Who will redeem the earth, who
will go forth and make the sacrifice for the earth and all things it contains?"
The eldest son said: "Here am I;" but he did not say "send me." But the
second one, which was "Lucifer, son of the morning," said, "Lord, here am I,
send me, I will redeem every son and daughter of Adam and Eve that lives on the
earth, or that ever goes on the earth." "But," says the Father, "that will not
answer at all. I give each and every individual his agency; all must use that in
order to gain exaltation in my kingdom; inasmuch as they have the power of
choice they must exercise that power. They are my children; the attributes which
you see in me are in my children and they must use their agency. If you
undertake to save all, you must save them in unrighteousness and corruption. You
will be the man that will say to the thief on the cross, to the murderer on the
gallows, and to him who has killed his father, mother, brothers, and sisters and
little ones, "Now, if you will say, I repent and believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, or on the Savior of the world, you shall be saved." This is what all the
religious sects of the day are saying now, but Jesus did not say any such thing.
Milton R. Hunter, The Gospel through the Ages 1945,
p.15-16
The appointment of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was contested by
one of the other sons of God. He was called Lucifer, son of the morning.
Haughty, ambitious, and covetous of power and glory, this spirit-brother of
Jesus desperately tried to become the Savior of mankind. At the great council he
proposed a new plan of salvation, event, the Lord revealed the following to
Moses: [Lucifer] came before me, saying, "Behold-here am I, 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."
Elder Joseph F. Merrill, Conference Report, April 1949,
First DayMorning Session, p.27
Now there is another personality of which I desire to speak, one that the
world calls by a name, but in whose reality as a personal Being it does not
believe and that person is Satan, the Devil. But according to our understanding
and teaching. Satan is a person with a spirit body, in form like that of all
other men. He is a spirit brother of ours and of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
is our Elder Brother in the spirit world. The earth was in course of
development for the abode of man in mortality. A Redeemer was to be sent down
and make it possible for the Father's children to return to him. Lucifer, a son
of the morning, a bright and certainly very ambitious individual, said to the
Father:
. . . here I am, send me. . . and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall
not be lost. . . ; wherefore give me time honor [power].
Lucifer's offer was rejected; it involved taking from man his God-given free
agency which is granted to everyone born into mortality. Jesus said to the
Father, send me,
. . . thy will be done and the glory be thine forever. (Moses 4:1-2.)
And Jesus became our Redeemer. Lucifer, his name was changed to Satan, the
Devil, and his sympathizers rebelled and were cast out down to earth where they
have been ever since.
John A. Widtsoe, Evidences and Reconciliations 1960, p.209
The story of Lucifer is the most terrible example of such apostasy. Lucifer,
son of the morning, through diligent search for truth and the use of it, had
become one of the foremost in the assembly of those invited to undertake the
experiences of earth. But, in that Great Council, his personal ambition and love
of power overcame him. He pitted his own plan and will against the purposes of
God. He strove to gain the birthright of his Elder Brother, Jesus the Christ.
When his proposition was rejected, he forsook all that he had gained, would not
repent of his sin, defied truth, and of necessity lost his place among the
followers of God. He was no longer Lucifer, bearer of truth, who walked in
light, but Satan, teacher of untruth, who slunk in darkness. He became the enemy
of God and of all who try to walk according to the Lord's commandments.
One-third of the spirits present in that vast assembly supported Satan and
became enemies of the truth that they had formerly cherished. With him these
rebellious spirits lost their fellowship with the valiant sons of God. What is
more, they lost the privilege of obtaining bodies of flesh and blood, without
which they cannot gain full power over the forces of the universe. In the face
of that defeat, and that curse, they have sought from Adam to the present time
to corrupt mankind and defeat the Lord's purposes.
Milton V. Backman, Jr., American Religions and the Rise of
Mormonism 1965, p.335
The Prophet taught other distinct concepts regarding Christ when he restored
information pertaining to the causes and consequences of the War in Heaven. At a
great council held prior to man's advent on earth, Christ defended the Father's
plan that all men be permitted to choose for themselves their course through
life; and Jesus consented to take upon himself the sins of those who kept his
commandments. Our "elder brother" further promised to give all glory and honor
to the Father. Lucifer, another child of God, announced a counter
proposal designed to save all men, but his plan deprived men of their free
agency and of an opportunity to progress. Refusing to comply with the will of
the Father, Lucifer rebelled.
Bishop Robert D. Hales, The Aaronic Priesthood:Return with
Honor, Ensign (CR), May 1990, p.39
We cannot remember that we once lived with our Heavenly Father and Jesus
Christ and that we probably sat in meetings much like this, where the Fathers
plan for us was explained. We cannot remember that Lucifer, a son of God the
Father, a brother of Jesus Christ, rebelled against Gods plan and, in his
rebellion, promised he would bring us all back home. But Lucifer would have
denied us our free agency, the freedom to make decisions. We cannot remember
that his plan was not accepted by us because, without choice, there would not
have been a purpose for coming to this mortal probation. We would not have had
opposition or repentance. We would not have learned obedience.
Harold B. Lee, The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, edited by
Clyde J. Williams 1996, p.36
Who is Satan? Satan was the spiritual offspring of Deity. He was a spiritual
brother to the Chosen, the one whom we have come to know as the Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ. "Originally he belonged to the heavenly hosts and was a chief
among them. He was known as Lucifer, which means 'light-bearer'; also as the
'Son of the Morning,' or 'Morning Star.' "
Robert L. Millet, The Mormon Faith: Understanding Restored
Christianity 1998, p.57
In the long expanse of time before we were born into mortality, the spirit
sons and daughters of God developed talents, strengths, and capacities. In a
sense, no two people remained alike. Latter-day Saints teach that the greatest
in the family of God was Jehovah, who eventually took a body and became Jesus of
Nazareth, the Redeemer of mankind. Jehovah was the firstborn of the Father,
meaning the first-born spirit child, the heir, the one entitled to the
birthright of God. In this sense, the Latter-day Saints speak of Jehovah or
Jesus Christ as their "elder brother" in the premortal spirit world. Jehovah was
the advocate for the Father's plan of salvation, the one who volunteered in that
premortal existence to put into effect the terms and conditions of that divine
plan and, more specifically, to suffer and die as Savior. Another spirit
child of God offered to save mankind by an alternative plan. Lucifer stepped
forward and said, "Behold, here am I, 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."
Public Forum Letter
The Salt Lake Daily Tribune
02/16/2008
Shame on Mike Huckabee. The nerve
of the man - suggesting that the Latter-day Saint people believe that Jesus and
Satan are brothers. I talked with a Mormon bishop and he told me that, yes, it
has been revealed to their prophets that Jesus and Satan are indeed pre-mortal
spirit brothers.
Since Mormons do believe that, why do they cry foul and anti-Mormon when
someone outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints articulates,
accurately, a Mormon belief? Is it because they feel persecuted when a
non-Mormon voices a Mormon belief? Or are they ashamed of their unorthodox brand
of Christianity?
Rhett Durfee
Springville
Ballard speaks on Mormons in the media
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Standard Journal
REXBURG -- A
top LDS religious leader gave a rare unscripted fireside to Brigham Young
University-Idaho students Saturday.
Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, focused much of his remarks on how
the LDS Church is viewed by nonmembers and the media. He taught students about
conveying the message of the LDS faith.
Ballard spoke candidly about experiences with the national news media,
specifically touching on his experiences during former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt
Romney's presidential campaign. Romney is LDS.
The apostle talked about the challenge of defending and conveying LDS beliefs in
a way that could be understood by people not affiliated with the church.
"You remember Mr. (Mike) Huckabee (who was also vying to be the Republican
candidate for president), who among other things said that Mormons believe that
Jesus and the devil were brothers?" Ballard asked students. "Remember that? It
went all over the media.
"Well they are!" Ballard exclaimed to a laughing student body.
"But they (the
media and nonmembers) don't understand that, because they don't have the (LDS
gospel) restoration. They don't understand the spiritual relationship that ...
we are all sons and daughters of God, and that Lucifer was one of those and
(that) he chose to use his agency in an unrighteous way."
One question that Ballard says reporters frequently ask is "Why aren't Mormons
Christian?" He said evangelicals have criticized that church for not being a
Christian faith because the LDS Church does not consider the 4th century Nicene
Creed as religious doctrine. Rather, it believes in a modern restoration.
"(We) explain to (reporters) who our Heavenly Father is, who the Lord Jesus
Christ is and who the Holy Ghost is, as revealed to us through the restoration
of the gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith," said Ballard. "It always
bothered (reporters) when we would say that we just don't believe that the Lord
Jesus Christ was praying to himself when he often prayed to his Heavenly Father
for guidance."
However, Jesus Christ created Satan along with everything and everyone whether seen or unseen.
Colossians 1:15-18 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Accordingly, Jesus Christ has always been far superior to all angels whether holy or fallen and was never their equals.
Hebrews 1:5-14 For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son”? But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.” But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” And: “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail.” But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?