What is the Origin of the Race of Man?

The following comes from The Voice of the Seventh Angel.

What is the origin of the race of man? The elements were our Father and our Mother.

How did man come into being, how was he produced from the elements or by them? Through an eternal law which could not be instituted by our God or any other being.

Who is our God? He is the Most High. The first-born of the elements, constituting the race of mankind. The first man to apprehend and know the Infinite, and to understand the power by which all things are controlled and governed. The first one of all the race who could speak with the voice of God, and establish the light, and divide the waters (races) and who made the firmament, which he called heaven (the seat of government) and placed the earth next in order; gathered the waters (races) to one place and set their bounds (placed them in conditions according to the degree of development). Thus in these beautiful symbols used by Moses, is set forth in mystical language. The organization of mankind in eternity; thousands of years before Adam and Eve were placed in Eden; and in harmony with the beautiful principle of everliving nature, which is the source of all life, and all intelligent beings whether they be gods, angels, or men.

What was the first condition of the human race before God made or established the heaven and earth and seas? It was one continual round of spiritual darkness and spiritual death.

What is the second state of mankind? That of test of character, accomplished by the institution of laws; which brought about a knowledge of good and evil, compelling every individual to act. Or, in other words, men were commanded everywhere to repent, and as many as believed in the son and repented of their sins should be saved and as many as repented not and believed not should be damned; and the words went forth out of the mouth of God in a firm decree, wherefore they must be fulfilled.

And I, God, said unto mine only begotten which was with me from the beginning, let us make man in our image after our likeness and it was so. What are we to understand by these words? It is evident that there were two individuals, among all the millions of the earth, in advance, and one of these, being greater than the other, could teach the other; these two men devised the great plan of salvation, or gave laws and principles to the races that were destined to divide and separate, place and establish them in their proper orders.

One of these individuals was the Most High, the other the only begotten, being formed in the image of God; made according to the glorious pattern of light, love, and truth.

Who is the Most High? He is the first-born son of the Infinite; or, the first one of the race who had gained the knowledge of the elements and had become in harmony with those principles by which all worlds and all things are controlled.

Who is Adam? He is the second-born son of the Infinite, and the first and only begotten of the Most High, or the first man formed after the image of God.

What constitutes a man? Light, love and truth.

What constitutes a God? Knowledge of good and evil.

What constitutes a perfect man? A fulness of light, love, and truth; or, a man who has gone below all things, through all things, overcome all things, and knoweth all things and is in union with that eternal principle by which all things are governed, whether in heaven, or in the earth, or throughout the immensity of space.

What constitutes a perfect God? A perfect man, there is no being higher, there is no being greater than perfect man.

What is God? God is a spirit, or, in other words, God is light, God is love, God is truth.

What is man? Man is a spirit, and is the Son of God, because he is formed of those elements which constitute God, in the absence of these principles none could reach the standard of a man; and without a fulness of light, love, and truth, no man could ever attain to the power of a God, or be able to touch or handle that omnipotent energy and force by which all things are made and governed.

And now, I shall ask the question and call upon the revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith for the answer—he being the first and the last minister of the gospel who ever dared to answer this question—did any Being, or any God, or any Creator produce, or bring the elements into existence? No! Listen to his Immortal words. “THE ELEMENTS ARE ETERNAL:” This is an incontrovertible fact and applies to matter in every form whether as gross substance, or that which is the most subtle and refined in its manifestation. Light is an eternal element and principle. Love is also eternal, charity never fails, and truth abideth forever.

Is there any God or Creator outside or independent of the elements? No, all beings whether Gods, or men, must of necessity be a part of the elements and are dependent upon the energy, and eternal operations of nature for their individual life and subsistence.

Then the elements comprehend all things and all beings that exist? Yes.

Then is nature or the elements the great Creator of the world? No, these are the source from which all beings have come both the Creator (the organizer) and the creature (the organized) or those set in order.

Then are the elements the great infinite source of life in all its varied manifestations and forms of existence? Yes, and it was by the simple combination of these elements that all creatures were brought forth in the most perfect order; from the lowest form of life, to the highest production of nature.

Did the elements make man? No, they only brought forth the creature, in the crudest condition which was capable of becoming man.

Then how was man made? God formed man out of the dust; viz.: The Most High taught the one next to him, those principles which distinguished him from the others of the race (dust).

Then who made God or the Most High? No one. This individual was compelled to make himself; or, in other words, he was a self-made-man and also a self-made-God; and the first-formed-man who was called Adam, and who was the first graduated scholar from the high school of this self-made-man and God.

Then we shall declare and proclaim to the earth’s remotest bounds this incontrovertible fact, that the Lord God or the Most High of the Bible, is a self-made-perfect-man; and therefore, a self-existent Perfect God, possessing all power both in heaven and earth.

We shall also make a declaration of this undeniable fact, that Adam the Only begotten of the Most High, is a God—Formed—Man and the only individual who did receive the teaching and principles advanced by the Father and Maker (organizer) of all things in heaven and earth and seas.

We shall likewise declare these self-evident facts, that will shed a positive light upon the world; that the elements are the Infinite and that which is produced by them, or from them, or that which becomes individualized is the Finite. Light is our Father. The earth is our mother. Experience is our great Teacher. God is our maker. The Most High is our Elder Brother. Law is our schoolmaster. Obedience is our Redemption from the Dust and our point of Graduation. This Globe is our Heaven and our Hell. This is the day of Final Judgment and the Hour of Resurrection. Knowledge is our Eternal Life, and Ignorance is Eternal Death.

It is written, all Spirits were created innocent in the beginning. What are we to understand by this? We are to understand that mankind in their first condition were necessarily innocent, because, ignorant of good and evil, being without any divine law or order.

In what sense were the brethren of Enoch, the workmanship of the hands of God? In that he taught them the principles of truth, and gave unto them their knowledge in the day that he created them and gave them their agency.

In what sense was God the father of Enoch and his brethren? In that he had devised a plan to give them knowledge and the opportunity to choose him their Father, because he was the first flesh, the first individual who had gained the knowledge of these eternal principles of light, love, and truth, yea, even a fullness. The Infinite had not only found a tongue that could utter and tell his wondrous name and power and glory; but also a heart that could feel for his children,—eyes that could weep, and shed forth tears like the rain upon the mountains; because he saw the miseries and sufferings that would befall them. And when Enoch beheld this scene he wept also, and stretched forth his arms and his heart swelled wide as eternity, being touched by the principle of eternal love and sympathy, moved by the spirit and teachings of his Father.

Some six thousand and five years ago, a portion of eternal duration was divided off by the Most High, consisting of seven days, reaching over a period of seven thousand years and which was determined for the probation of this globe, with all the inhabitants thereof. The expiration of the six days virtually closed the probation of man and fixed his destiny forever and ever, while the remaining day of one thousand years, being the term of final judgment, will place all mankind in their proper positions for eternity, according to their works.