Dear Magdalene,
What does that verse mean? The serpent is referring to Satan; the woman referred to is Eve, mother of all living on this earth. Satan tells Eve she shall not surely die. But she surely did, although it took a couple hundred years.
Interesting that Satan presents himself as a serpent, or is described as a serpent. Jesus is also described as such, symbolically. This is represented when Moses held a serpent on a stick, and the children of Israel were told to look upon it and they would be saved from poisonous bites of fiery flying serpents (see 1 Ne. 17:41). Look upon a serpent, representing Christ, and be deceived by a serpent, representing Satan. It is interesting to note that in essence, Satan is telling Eve that he doesn't exist. Death, hell, and Satan himself don't exist. It does not matter what Eve does, what she eats, because there are no consequences. In essence.
I wonder how much that lie continues to be purported today. We always think of the "sinners" who are doing all sorts of catastrophic things. Murderers, those involved with whoredoms, drugs... Do we realize that one of the devil's greatest tools is telling us to think he does not exist? And if we believe that lie, what then? Do we think it doesn't matter how we treat one another? Do we think that understanding God's words don't matter? Do we twist God's words, like Satan does, to work according to our desires?
One interesting instance on this is the Word of Wisdom. God states in it that it is to be "sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom..." (D.& C. 89:2) We have twisted these words. I cannot find any place where it was revealed, "thus saith the Lord", that this is no longer simply a greeting. I cannot find where any living prophet declared this to be null and void. But now it is a required belief and adherence to this is required to partake of sacred ordinances.
In the Word of Wisdom, we are instructed to drink wine for the holy sacrament, and how to do so safely. We are an industrious people, yet we don't know how to follow the Lord's command in using it for our sacred ordinances. Wine-making was a major trade of early saints, and breweries were prolific in Utah in the late 1800's-early 1900s. Regardless, can you imagine what effect it might have, drinking red wine, representing the red blood of the Savior, during the holy ordinance? I know it "doesn't matter" what we drink - it could be kool-aid. But we're kind of lazy, aren't we? It doesn't matter to take the effort to make wine rather than water, to have a more exact replication of this, and because at some point along the way it was preferable or "revealed" that "water was ok", we no longer utilize this sacred symbolic tool, used limitlessly throughout the holy scriptures.
What makes me laugh is that in talking to the primary children the other day, asking about wine in the scriptures, one little boy exclaimed, "Wine is POISON!!!"
Yes, little man! Wine is not good! But wait.
Well, we follow the counsel of our leaders, and we are never ever led astray. I would simply like to know when the Lord revealed through revelation that this is no longer his requirement for his holy ordinances, as when we change God's ordinances, we corrupt them.
Ahh well. There is no death, and the words of God do not matter to the great Tempter, and so they likely won't matter to those who believe that variety of serpent. I hope and pray that some day our living prophets will encourage us to believe the words God has revealed, as he is the same yesterday, today and forever. I am concerned, as when I make any effort to point out scripture to any latter-day saint, they only fall back on follow the prophet, and frankly, I find that verse no where in scripture. But for today, I will keep an ear out to discern which voice I am hearing when I am told there is no death.
Love you baby,
~Mom<3
And the serpent said unto the woman: Ye shall not surely die; (Moses 4:10)This was the verse which came to mind this morning - Moses 4:10. So I go there, and I read it.
What does that verse mean? The serpent is referring to Satan; the woman referred to is Eve, mother of all living on this earth. Satan tells Eve she shall not surely die. But she surely did, although it took a couple hundred years.
Interesting that Satan presents himself as a serpent, or is described as a serpent. Jesus is also described as such, symbolically. This is represented when Moses held a serpent on a stick, and the children of Israel were told to look upon it and they would be saved from poisonous bites of fiery flying serpents (see 1 Ne. 17:41). Look upon a serpent, representing Christ, and be deceived by a serpent, representing Satan. It is interesting to note that in essence, Satan is telling Eve that he doesn't exist. Death, hell, and Satan himself don't exist. It does not matter what Eve does, what she eats, because there are no consequences. In essence.
I wonder how much that lie continues to be purported today. We always think of the "sinners" who are doing all sorts of catastrophic things. Murderers, those involved with whoredoms, drugs... Do we realize that one of the devil's greatest tools is telling us to think he does not exist? And if we believe that lie, what then? Do we think it doesn't matter how we treat one another? Do we think that understanding God's words don't matter? Do we twist God's words, like Satan does, to work according to our desires?
One interesting instance on this is the Word of Wisdom. God states in it that it is to be "sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom..." (D.& C. 89:2) We have twisted these words. I cannot find any place where it was revealed, "thus saith the Lord", that this is no longer simply a greeting. I cannot find where any living prophet declared this to be null and void. But now it is a required belief and adherence to this is required to partake of sacred ordinances.
In the Word of Wisdom, we are instructed to drink wine for the holy sacrament, and how to do so safely. We are an industrious people, yet we don't know how to follow the Lord's command in using it for our sacred ordinances. Wine-making was a major trade of early saints, and breweries were prolific in Utah in the late 1800's-early 1900s. Regardless, can you imagine what effect it might have, drinking red wine, representing the red blood of the Savior, during the holy ordinance? I know it "doesn't matter" what we drink - it could be kool-aid. But we're kind of lazy, aren't we? It doesn't matter to take the effort to make wine rather than water, to have a more exact replication of this, and because at some point along the way it was preferable or "revealed" that "water was ok", we no longer utilize this sacred symbolic tool, used limitlessly throughout the holy scriptures.
What makes me laugh is that in talking to the primary children the other day, asking about wine in the scriptures, one little boy exclaimed, "Wine is POISON!!!"
"The inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of your Father..."
Yes, little man! Wine is not good! But wait.
"...only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him. And, behold, this should be wine, yea, pure wine of the grape of the vine, or your own make." (D.& C. 89: 5-6, emphasis added)
Well, we follow the counsel of our leaders, and we are never ever led astray. I would simply like to know when the Lord revealed through revelation that this is no longer his requirement for his holy ordinances, as when we change God's ordinances, we corrupt them.
Ahh well. There is no death, and the words of God do not matter to the great Tempter, and so they likely won't matter to those who believe that variety of serpent. I hope and pray that some day our living prophets will encourage us to believe the words God has revealed, as he is the same yesterday, today and forever. I am concerned, as when I make any effort to point out scripture to any latter-day saint, they only fall back on follow the prophet, and frankly, I find that verse no where in scripture. But for today, I will keep an ear out to discern which voice I am hearing when I am told there is no death.
Love you baby,
~Mom<3
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