Today I read Moses 2, which is the story of the creation as was shown to Moses. It is very similar to the other 3 creation stories found in the Old Testament, the Book of Abraham and the temple. I've sometimes wondered at the order in which God did things during the creation. Now, most things make sense, why make animals before there is dry land. But the very first thing that God did during the creation was make light appear. So why does He wait until the 4th creative period, more commonly called days, before separating the light into the sun and the moon? It does not really matter, I'm just curious.
What I wanted to focus on today was verse 28, where the Lord tells Adam and Eve to be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth. I find it very interesting that in the same breath He tells them to have children, God tells the first two people to replenish the earth. To me, that is suggestive. It seems like the Lord is telling them that the earth needs the animals and people on it.
It is very suggestive that the work of the creation was not deemed complete until man and his helpmeet, were placed on the earth. This is a far cry from what most environmental nuts would have us believe. Humans are the caretakers of the animals and the earth itself. In at least one of the creation stories Adam and Eve are commanded to take good care of the Garden of Eden that God had created for them. Now, it is entirely possible that the reason the work was not complete without mankind is because humans are the only one of God's creations that are in His own image, we are unique and have the same basic abilities for abstract thought and speech that God Himself does. But I think there is more to it than that.
Each of the plants and animal species were also commanded to multiply and replenish the earth. Just for fun I looked up the word replenish and the definition I was given is to make full or complete again, as by supplying what is lacking. This shows a clear intention on God's part that the earth is not complete without animal and plant life to inhabit it. That paints a very different picture than some in our country would have us believe, doesn't it? For whatever reason, the earth needs us to fulfill the measure of its creation.
Now, there are VERY few people out there who are capable of having children who purposefully don't. But such people, from what we read today, are not fulfilling the command that God has given them. Part of our responsibility as people is to, responsibly have children, meaning to have children only in marriage with our spouse. But those who are able to have children and don't for whatever reason, in my opinion, are just as guilty as those who have children outside the bounds of marriage. And both sets will have to answer to God for their actions one day. Children don't choose to be born and they for SURE don't get to choose their own parents. It is up to us to make sure we are creating the most loving and nurturing home that we can by preparing ourselves while we search for our companion and prepare for marriage. It is up to us to try and master our emotions while we are young so that when we are finally graced with children, we are not still raising ourselves.
It is a huge responsibility to raise a child and I have the opinion that really the only true easy way, if any way can be called easy, is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To teach them from the time they can crawl that it is important to be a good person and to learn to be like Christ. That is the true responsibility of a good parent since that is the ultimate goal of each of us anyway. It is commonly said there is no manual for parenting and doing what is right, and I humbly beg to differ. There is a manual that teaches you to be a good parent, it's called the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine of Christ. It will change you into the kind of person you want to be, and by extension, the kind of parent you want to be. And it will make being a parent just that much easier. Until tomorrow.
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