Abundant Waters

In the account of the creation we read, “And I, God, said: Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl which may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”  The next verse then confirms that this took place, “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind” (Moses 1:20-21).  What strikes me as interesting is the adjective “abundantly” repeated in both verses.  This same word is repeated in both the accounts in the Pearl of Great Price as well (see Moses 2:20-21, Abraham 4:20-21).  This seems to point to the waters was an abundant source of life—and certainly we can understand that in the sense that water is an essential element for just about all life on earth.  It’s not clear from these verses whether the waters referred to here are the waters of the sea (“the great waters under the firmament”) or the water in the atmosphere (“the waters which were above the firmament”), and certainly both are every important in the creation of life (see Moses 2:7).  If we take it to mean the water in the atmosphere then there is certainly symbolism in the fact that the water comes down from “heaven” (in the form of rain) to provide life to all creation.  For really it is God in heaven who provides abundant life for all of us. 

               I wonder as well if this passage is meant to be symbolic for the Savior.  We know that He is the “living water” and as He told the woman at the well, “whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:10, 14).  In other words, He is spiritual water that, like in the story of creation, gives life abundantly.  He said on another occasion, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).  He gives all things life and makes our lives more abundant in goodness and meaning.  The scriptures testify numerous times that He is the “life of the world.”  The Nephites were told twice by Him, “I am the light and the life of the world” (3 Nephi 9:18, 11:11).  In our dispensation he likewise declared, “I am the light and the life of the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 12:9).  Abinadi taught that He is “a life which is endless”—indeed, like the water, He gives life abundantly to all those who will choose Him (Mosiah 16:9).

The Savior taught how He gives us life in this metaphor: “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24).  Just like a seed that falls into the ground and brings forth life, so too the Savior gave His life to bring forth life: through that great sacrifice He offers us the abundant life now and eternal life in the world to come.