Lectures on Faith 2: 26-36

Intro | Preface
Lecture 1: 1 |  2-9 | 10-11 | 12-17 | 18-24
Lecture 2: 1-4 | 5-12 | 12-25

Continuing into paragraph 26:

"Moses also gives us an account, in the 4th of Genesis [that's Moses 5 in your Standard Works], of the transgression of Cain, and the righteousness of Abel, and of the revelations of God to them."

Revelations to them. God revealed things to both of them. While Moses didn't directly record the revelations of God to Abel, he did record two of the revelations of God to Cain.

"He [Moses] says: 'In process of time Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, an offering unto the Lord—And Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering (this, I imagine, was likely shown through a revelation, so this is the one to Abel which Moses records): but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.'" (p. 26) Why would that be? Why would God accept a sacrifice that perfectly follows His commandments, and not accept a twisted version of His commandments? (Maybe Nadab and Abihu should have looked into this chapter of Genesis before offering "strange fire" in the tabernacle)

"'Now satan knew this [that God didn't respect Cain's offering], and it pleased him. [Why? Was this his plan all along when he commanded Cain to offer a sacrifice to God?]  And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why are you angry? why is your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not well, sin lies at the door, and satan desires to have you; and except you shall hearken unto my commandments, I will deliver you up: and it shall be unto you according to his desire.'" (p. 26)

Did you catch that? Cain, who declared his disdain for God (v. 16), and only sacrificed in obedience to Satan (v. 18-19), was able to hear God's voice. Keep this in mind; it occurs again later, and Joseph Smith comments further on it.

"'And Cain went into the field and talked with his brother Abel. And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and slew him. And Cain gloried in what he had done, saying, I am free! surely the flocks of my brother will now fall into my hands.

'But the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel, your brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother's keeper? And the Lord said, What have you done? the voice of your brother's blood cries unto me from the ground. And now, you shall be cursed from the earth which has opened her mouth to receive your brother's blood, from your hand. When you till the ground, she shall not henceforth yield unto you her strength. A fugitive and a vagabond also, you shall be in the earth.

'And Cain said unto the Lord, Satan tempted me because of my brother's flocks. And I was also angry: for his offering was accepted, and mine was not: My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me out this day from the face of men, and from your face shall I be hid also; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, every one that finds me will slay me, because of my oath; for these things are not hid from the Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Therefore, whoever slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.' " (p. 27-29)

To be honest, I don't quite understand that last paragraph. I know there are a lot of theories about this--from Hugh Nibley suggesting that Cain still walks this earth, to apocryphal accounts that say Cain was killed by Lamech's son--but I personally don't understand what this verse is saying. Maybe I just need to study further into scriptures and revelations as a whole, or maybe this requires direct revelation to understand. Maybe a combination of the two? We'll see (and unless I'm commanded otherwise, I'll share some of what I learn in the blog).

However, that's extraneous, and missing a vital, applicable principle: Even after Cain's deliberate murder of his own brother, he could still hear God speaking to him. It's clearly not what Moses experienced, where he saw God and viewed an enormous vision that left him exhausted, but Cain did hear God's voice, and recognized it as Him.

God wanted to speak with Cain even after this great sin . . .

Why on earth would we think God doesn't want to speak with us?

What if He is speaking, but we, unlike Cain, don't truly recognize His voice?

What if we just aren't listening, or haven't practiced learning how to listen?

If God's words "never cease" (Moses 1: 4), and God appears silent in our lives, what needs to change?

Paragraph 30: "The object of the foregoing quotations is to show to this class the way by which mankind were first made acquainted with the existence of a God: that it was by a manifestation of God to man, and that God continued, after man's transgression to manifest himself to him and his posterity: and notwithstanding they were separated from his immediate presence, that they could not see his face, they continued to hear his voice."

This answers the question at the start of this Lecture: How did mankind receive the idea that God exists? It was through the Knowledge of the first generation of mankind, which they taught to their posterity:

"Adam thus being made acquainted with God, communicated the knowledge which he had unto his posterity; and it was through this means that the thought was first suggested to their minds that there was a God. Which laid the foundation for the exercise of their faith, through which they could obtain a knowledge of his character and also of his glory." (p. 31)

Now, Adam couldn't impart Knowledge to his posterity directly. Knowledge, in these examples throughout the Lectures, refers to directly Knowing something is true. This is more than Faith (believing God lives, and acting as though He is real), and even more than understanding (comprehending the arguments for whether God exists). This is Knowledge through experience (seeing and communicating with God as Moses and Joseph Smith did). Anciently, this was known as Gnosis, which we'll get to later. Adam literally cannot impart this kind of Knowledge to his children, because he cannot control this experience in their lives. He could only allow God into his own life, and thereby receive that Knowledge. For his children, he could testify that he Knew; he could testify that the way was open for them to Know as well; but until his children exercised Faith in his promise and acted accordingly, they could not Know.

"Not only was there a manifestation made unto Adam of the existence of a God, but Moses informs us, as before quoted, that God condescended to talk with Cain after his great transgression, in slaying his brother, and that Cain knew that it was the Lord that was talking with him: so that when he was driven out from the presence of his brethren, he carried with him the knowledge of the existence of a God: and through this means, doubtless his posterity became acquainted with the fact that such a being existed." (p. 32)

Apparently, Cain had exercised his faith enough to Know God lives, and to recognize His voice. Even though he chose to turn away from that path to God, he retained the Knowledge and experience he had obtained previously.

"From this we can see that the whole human family, in the early age of their existence, in all their different branches, had this knowledge disseminated among them; so that the existence of God became an object of faith, in the early age of the world. And the evidences which these men had of the existence of a God, was the testimony of their fathers in the first instance." (p. 33)

From here, we now have at least two main branches of humanity who shared the existence and reality of God to their posterity: Cain to his family of darkness, and Adam to all of his descendants, which was ultimately preserved through his righteous children.

"The reason why we have been thus particular on this part of our subject, is, that this class may see by what means it was that God became an object of faith among men after the fall; and what it was that stirred up the faith of multitudes to feel after him; to search after a knowledge of his character, perfections and attributes, until they became extensively acquainted with him; and not only commune with him, and behold his glory, but be partakers of his power, and stand in his presence." (p. 34)

This is how mankind began to have faith in God: the testimony of those who Knew stirred up the faith of those who didn't yet Know, and stirred them up enough to act on that faith and "feel after him" (as Nephi mentioned in 1 Ne. 17: 45). In time, this act of feeling after Him, searching out His character, perfections, and attributes, they began to commune with Him, behold His glory, and "not only" this, "but be partakers of his power, and stand in his presence."

Is there a difference between beholding God and standing in His presence? Does that require patience and preparation, feeling after Him and searching into His characteristics? Does it require growth "line upon line"?

"Let this class mark particularly that the testimony which these men had of the existence of a God, was the testimony of man." (p. 35) And what is testimony? How do we use it outside of religion? In law, it refers to "evidence given under oath by a witness" (Nolo's Plain English Law Dictionary, Testimony). So then, what is a witness? "A person who testifies under oath at a deposition or trial, providing firsthand or expert evidence" (ibid, Witness).

It's interesting that this definition of testimony--an eyewitness providing firsthand evidence--perfectly fits how Adam taught his posterity: "for previous to the time that any of Adam's posterity had obtained a manifestation of God to themselves, Adam their common father had testified unto them of the existence of God, and of his eternal power and Godhead. For instance, Abel, before he received the assurance from heaven that his offerings were acceptable unto God, had received the important information of his father, that such a being did exist, who had created, and who did uphold all things. (So this is how Adam taught Abel, which led Abel to be accepted of God. An important example of righteous parenthood, I think.) Neither can there be a doubt existing on the mind of any person, that Adam was the first who did communicate the knowledge of the existence of a God, to his posterity; and that the whole faith of the world, from that time down to the present, is in a certain degree, dependent on the knowledge first communicated to them by their common progenitor; and it has been handed down to the day and generation in which we live, as we shall show from the face of the sacred records." (p. 35-36, emphasis added)

This part we'll go into next time. For now, it's enough to say that Adam's eyewitness account which he shared with his descendants inspired great faith, which led some of them to press forward in faith, believing and acting upon what they didn't yet see, until they in fact saw for themselves, and knew for themselves. We'll see how the pattern held in the next paragraphs.