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JON - There seems to be some proof that man originated in Eygpt and that Adam and Eve where African. I know that all creation is of God, I know
Adam and Eve is an allegory and that creation by the Prophet Jospeh Smith said was done in periods of time not days, which makes since. But I
don't know where to find that. Considering all of that they assume God to be black. How would you handle this question?
JOEL - First of all we need to decide if we are going to trust what the scientists say(which changes with time) or are we going to trust what the
scriptures and the prophets have said? People come up with a lot of theories in an attempt to harmonize science with religion with regards to how this earth and life came about.
According to the scriptures and church leaders, the story of Adam and Eve is not just an allegory; they were real people who actually
experienced the events as described in the scriptures. The scriptures tell us that Adam and Eve were the first of the human race that are
made of physical bodies inhabited by spirits that were created by heavely parents( Moses 3: 7, 19, Abraham 5: 7, Hebrews 12:9).
The scriptures don't tell us exactly where the Garden of Eden was. It could have been somewhere in Egypt or perhaps even in Davies Co., Missouri, according to past church leaders' opinions; but nothing official from God yet on this subject.
In an attempt to reconcile science with religion some have suggested that God used evolution to create man, with the possible existence of
human-like creatures that lived before the time of Adam, commonly refered to as pre-adamites. But that is nothing but speculation.
According to Joseph Fielding Smith:
"If there were creatures on the earth before Adam, especially men, where did they obtain their mortal life? They could not be created mortal
(temporal) by our Eternal Father, for that would contradict his own word. If they were created first spiritual and partook of a fall, who
brought that fall upon them? If they were originally made mortal and subject to death, then they were not entitled to a redemption from
death, and since the Lord is not the author of death, how did they obtain it? Further, how are they entitled to a redemption and restoration
to something that they never had? The whole thing is absurd. All life comes from God and he did not create it temporally, that was achieved
through the violation of a law. There is no Redeemer other than Jesus Christ for this earth and since Adam could not have brought death on
pre-Adamite life, such life could not obtain the blessings of the resurrection. Yet the Lord has declared that through the atonement all
things partaking of the fall will be redeemed. So there were no pre-Adamites." (Man, His Origin and Destiny,Joseph Fielding Smith)
In regards to the periods or days of creation, according to the scriptures, that series of events commenced about 13,000 years ago; and
during seven creative periods of possibly 1,000 years each by man's present measurement of time, the earth was formed and life was placed
upon it:
"And the Lord said unto me, by the Urim and Thummim, that Kolob was after the manner of the Lord, according to its times and seasons in the
revolutions thereof; that one revolution was a day unto the Lord, after his manner of reckoning, it being one thousand years according to the
time appointed unto that whereon thou standest. This is the reckoning of the Lord's time, according to the reckoning of Kolob" (Abraham 3: 4, See also D&C 77:12).
The Book of Abraham calls the periods of creation as "times" rather than days.(Abr 4: 8,13,19,23,31, Abr. 5:2)
We don't know what color Adam and Eve were, but according to the movie "Bruce Almighty" God is black ;-)
The scriptures are of course silent on His exact physical appearance and color. All we know about Him is what Joseph Smith recorded:
"When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air."
(JSH 1: 17).
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