They Were Obeyed

One of the unique aspects of the creation account in Abraham is the description of how the Lord was obeyed in the process of creating the various elements of the earth. For example we read, “And the Gods pronounced the dry land, Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, pronounced they, Great Waters; and the Gods saw that they were obeyed.” The words of God were obeyed by the elements as they organized the earth and created life thereon. After the herbs and fruit were organized to be brought forth, “the Gods saw that they were obeyed.” After they set in order the lights to rule over the night and day, “the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed.” Again after they prepared everything for the creation of the fowls and the fishes, “the Gods saw that they would be obeyed, and that their plan was good.” And then finally “the Gods organized the earth to bring forth the beasts after their kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after its kind; and the Gods saw they would obey” (Abraham 4:10, 12, 18, 21, 25). In addition to these declarations, three times we also see the phrase “and it was so, even as they ordered” (Abraham 4:7, 9, 11). In each act of creation, the elements obeyed the words of God and the creative event took place as desired. Perhaps one of the lessons here is that we should strive likewise to always do whatever the Lord commands; in fact, Mormon would later lament this fact that men “do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide.” They are “even they are less than the dust of the earth. For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God” (Helaman 12:7-8). He listed the various elements that will obey the voice of the Lord, just as they did in creation, but man often will not obey Him. As we remember the creation story we should remember that the elements always obey Him, and we must strive to do the same.

                The theme of obedience is also found in the other chapters of the book of Abraham. It starts out with the example of Abraham who was “desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God.” His obedience was contrasted with his fathers who had “turned from their righteousness, and from the holy commandments which the Lord their God had given unto them” (Abraham 1:1,5). Because of this disobedience and the danger Abraham was in, “the Lord had said unto [him]: Abraham, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house.” Abraham obeyed and departed the land of Ur, and the Lord emphasized to him the obedience of the elements: “For I am the Lord thy God; I dwell in heaven; the earth is my footstool; I stretch my hand over the sea, and it obeys my voice; I cause the wind and the fire to be my chariot; I say to the mountains—Depart hence—and behold, they are taken away by a whirlwind, in an instant, suddenly” (Abraham 2:3,7). He was obedient and was thus led by the Lord to many places. He then received a vision of the stars and learned of the premortal existence and the purpose of creation. He observed the Gods who said in counsel, “We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them” (Abraham 3:24-25). And thus to be obedient to the Lord’s commands is one of the great purposes of our life on earth. As Abraham subsequently observed, the elements obeyed the Lord in creation. Abraham’s life was an example of obedience, and as we look to him we should strive to prove, as he did, that we will do all things that the Lord will command us.