One Beginning, Three Creation Accounts?
One of the most fascinating aspects of Latter-day Saint scripture is that we possess not one, but three distinct accounts of the Creation. Unlike most Christian traditions that rely solely on Genesis, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints study the Creation through Genesis, the Book of Moses, and the Book of Abraham—each offering unique theological perspectives and historical contexts that enrich our understanding of this foundational narrative.
The Three Accounts at a Glance
| Aspect | Genesis (KJV) | Moses (PGP) | Abraham (PGP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creator | ”God” (Elohim) | “I, God” / “the Lord God" | "the Gods” |
| Time Unit | ”Day" | "Day" | "Time” |
| Divine Council | Implied (Gen 1:26 “Let us”) | Present (Moses 2:26) | Explicit throughout |
| Purpose Given | Minimal | ”This is my work and my glory” | To “prove them herewith” |
| Textual Origin | Masoretic Text tradition | JST/Revelation (1830) | Egyptian papyri (1835) |
| Likely Historical Source | Post-exilic Judahite scribes | Brass plates via revelation | Abraham’s own record |
Abraham’s Account: The Earliest Perspective
A Pre-Deuteronomistic Worldview
The Book of Abraham presents the most distinctive creation account, and its theological framework may reflect the earliest stratum of Israelite belief—predating the religious reforms that would reshape Judaism.
The most striking feature is Abraham’s consistent use of “the Gods” (plural) throughout the creation narrative. This is not an accident of translation but a deliberate theological statement:
The Divine Council "And then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth." (Abraham 4:1)
The Hebrew term translated as “God” in Genesis is אֱלֹהִים (Elohim)—grammatically plural, though typically treated as singular in post-exilic Jewish interpretation. Abraham’s account preserves what scholars call the Divine Council tradition—the understanding that God works with other divine beings in creation and governance.
The Deuteronomistic Reforms and Religious Centralization
To understand why Abraham’s account reads differently, we must consider the Deuteronomistic Reform under King Josiah (~622 BCE). This religious revolution:
- Centralized all worship in the Jerusalem Temple
- Eliminated competing shrines and sacred sites
- Established strict monotheistic theology
- Edited and compiled many biblical texts to reflect these reforms
Historical Context According to 2 Kings 22–23, a "book of the law" (likely an early form of Deuteronomy) was discovered in the Temple during Josiah's reign. This discovery catalyzed sweeping religious changes that shaped the Judaism we recognize today.
Abraham lived roughly 1,200 years before these reforms. His understanding of the divine realm would naturally reflect the earlier Israelite worldview that acknowledged a heavenly council of divine beings working under the direction of the Most High God.
Unique Features of Abraham’s Creation Account
| Feature | Abraham’s Account | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| ”The Gods” | Plural throughout | Pre-reform divine council theology |
| ”Times” not “Days” | Vaguer time units | Avoids literalistic reading |
| ”Watched…until they obeyed” | Creation as organizing | Emphasis on matter’s responsiveness |
| ”Their plan was good” | Single evaluation | Focus on obedience over aesthetics |
| Egyptian context | Written for Egyptian audience | Comparative ANE cosmology |
The Moses Account: Revelation Through the Brass Plates
A Prophetic Restoration
The Book of Moses presents the creation account as revealed directly to Moses on the mount, but its ultimate source may trace back to the Brass Plates—a scriptural record maintained by the tribe of Ephraim.
The Brass Plates Connection Nephi explained that "Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, wherefore he and his fathers had kept the records" (1 Nephi 5:16). The brass plates likely originated in the Northern Kingdom and preserved a distinct scriptural tradition from the Judahite sources that became our Bible.
Ephraim’s Prophetic Heritage
The brass plates contained writings not found in the Bible, including:
- Prophecies of Zenos, Zenock, and Neum (prophets of Joseph’s lineage)
- More complete records of Joseph’s prophecies (2 Nephi 3)
- A genealogical record tracing through the tribe of Joseph
Sidney B. Sperry, a prominent LDS scholar, referred to the brass plates as essentially “the official scripture of the ten tribes,” suggesting they preserved a Northern Kingdom prophetic tradition that was suppressed or lost after the Assyrian conquest (722 BCE) and Josiah’s reforms.
Distinctive Elements of Moses
The Moses account adds crucial theological elements absent from Genesis:
- Moses 1: A prologue establishing Moses’s divine commissioning
- God’s purpose: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39)
- Satan’s rebellion: Explicit narrative of Lucifer’s fall (Moses 4:1–4)
- First-person divine voice: “I, God” creates a personal, covenantal tone
The Nephite Custodianship
When Lehi’s family fled Jerusalem (600 BCE), they obtained the brass plates just before the Babylonian destruction. This timing is theologically significant—the plates were removed from the Old World before the final canonical editing that would produce the Masoretic text tradition.
flowchart TD A[Abraham's Original Writings] --> B[Josephite Scribal Tradition] B --> C[Brass Plates - Northern Kingdom] C --> D[Lehi obtains plates - 600 BCE] D --> E[Nephite Record Keeping] E --> F[Book of Mormon Quotations] G[Judahite Scribal Tradition] --> H[Deuteronomistic Reform - 622 BCE] H --> I[Babylonian Exile Editing] I --> J[Post-exilic Compilation] J --> K[Masoretic Text] K --> L[Genesis as we know it]
Genesis: The Judahite Textual Tradition
Masoretic Text vs. Septuagint
The Genesis we read today derives primarily from the Masoretic Text (MT)—a Hebrew manuscript tradition standardized by Jewish scribes between the 7th and 10th centuries CE. However, other ancient witnesses exist:
| Text Tradition | Origin | Key Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Masoretic Text (MT) | Medieval Hebrew manuscripts | Shorter genealogical ages; basis for most modern Bibles |
| Septuagint (LXX) | Greek translation (~3rd c. BCE) | Longer chronologies; used by early Christians |
| Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) | Northern Kingdom tradition | Preserves some variant readings |
Chronological Differences
The three textual traditions present dramatically different timelines from Creation to Abraham:
| Period | Masoretic | Septuagint | Samaritan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creation to Flood | ~1,656 years | ~2,242 years | ~1,307 years |
| Flood to Abraham | ~292 years | ~1,172 years | ~942 years |
| Total | ~1,948 years | ~3,414 years | ~2,249 years |
Textual Complexity Scholars continue to debate which tradition preserves numbers closer to the original. The differences arise from various factors including scribal errors, deliberate theological editing, and transmission challenges.
The Documentary Hypothesis and Genesis
Modern biblical scholarship generally recognizes multiple literary sources underlying Genesis:
- J (Yahwist): Uses YHWH; more anthropomorphic God
- E (Elohist): Uses Elohim; emphasizes dreams and visions
- P (Priestly): Structured creation account (Genesis 1); focuses on order and liturgy
- D (Deuteronomist): Emphasizes covenant fidelity
Genesis 1–2 is typically attributed to P (Priestly) source, likely composed during or after the Babylonian Exile (6th century BCE) when Jewish scribes were consolidating their religious identity.
Synthesis: Why Three Accounts Matter
Complementary Perspectives
Each account illuminates different aspects of the Creation:
mindmap root((Creation)) Abraham Divine Council Organized Matter Pre-reform Theology Egyptian Context Moses God's Purpose Covenant Relationship Satan's Opposition Restored Truth Genesis Literary Structure Sabbath Institution Imago Dei Canonical Foundation
Theological Insights Across Accounts
| Theme | Genesis | Moses | Abraham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabbath | God “rested” | God “rested from all his work” | Gods “rested…from all their work” |
| Humanity’s Origin | Created in God’s image | Created “in mine own image” | Formed after “their own image” |
| Evaluation | ”It was good” (×7) | “It was good" | "They…watched…until they obeyed” |
| Purpose | Dominion over creation | ”Immortality and eternal life” | To “prove them herewith” |
The Divine Council in Context
Understanding the divine council tradition helps resolve apparent tensions:
"Let Us Make Man" Genesis 1:26: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness"
Traditional interpretations suggest:
- Royal “we” (majesty plural)
- Trinity (Christian reading)
- Angels (rabbinic tradition)
Latter-day Saint understanding: The pre-mortal council, with Christ as the agent of creation under the Father’s direction, working with other divine beings.
Practical Application
For Scripture Study
When studying the creation accounts side-by-side, consider:
- Read Abraham 4–5 first (oldest theological perspective)
- Compare language differences between “Gods” and “God”
- Note what Moses adds that Genesis lacks
- Track the seven periods/days across all three accounts
- Identify what each account emphasizes about human identity
Discussion Questions
- Why might the Lord preserve multiple accounts rather than one “definitive” version?
- How does knowing Abraham wrote for an Egyptian audience change our reading?
- What does the brass plates tradition suggest about lost scriptural knowledge?
- How does the divine council concept affect our understanding of humanity’s divine potential?
Summary Table: The Three Creation Accounts
| Category | Genesis | Moses | Abraham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source | Masoretic/Judahite | JST Revelation | Egyptian Papyri |
| Historical Context | Post-exilic compilation | June 1830 revelation | Abraham in Egypt |
| Creator(s) | God (Elohim) | The Lord God | The Gods |
| Time Frame | Days | Days | Times |
| Key Addition | Sabbath institution | God’s work and glory | Divine council |
| Preserved By | Jewish scribes | Joseph Smith | Joseph Smith |
| Theological Emphasis | Order from chaos | Covenant purpose | Plural divine agency |
Further Reading
- Come Follow Me 2026 - Old Testament
- [[Documentary Hypothesis]]
- Brass Plates
- Divine Council
- Deuteronomistic Reform
- Masoretic Text vs Septuagint
Come Follow Me Connection As the Come Follow Me manual notes: "God can, over time, make something magnificent out of something unorganized. That's helpful to remember when life seems chaotic. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are Creators, and Their creative work with us is not finished."
The existence of three creation accounts reminds us that truth is not diminished by multiple witnesses—it is confirmed by them. Each account offers a window into eternal truths, shaped by different historical moments but pointing toward the same divine reality: that we are children of Heavenly Parents, created in Their image, with the potential to become like Them.