D.C. 76:25-29
25 And this we saw also, and bear record, that an aangel of
God who was in authority in the presence of God, who brebelled against
the Only Begotten cSon whom
the Father dloved and
who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God
and the Son,
26 And was called aPerdition,
for the heavens bwept over
him—he was cLucifer,
a son of the morning.
27 And we beheld, and lo, he is afallen!
is fallen, even a son of the morning!
28 And while we were yet in the Spirit, the Lord commanded us that
we should write the vision; for we beheld Satan, that old aserpent,
even the bdevil,
who rebelled against God, and sought to take the kingdom of our cGod and
his Christ—
29 Wherefore, he maketh awar with
the saints of God, and encompasseth them round about.
Lucifer was known and loved in pre-existence.
Our Eternal Parents and the angels still mourn his loss. I am sure the
Eternal Father would even now redeem Lucifer if Lucifer desired redemption.
For years I have studied John Milton’s Paradise Lost. In
the beginning, it was mostly because of my need to search out the
pre-restoration prophets. I have been convinced that God spoke to other
men before he spoke to Joseph Smith. These men laid a foundation for the
restoration. I have come to know that John Milton was one of these
pre-restoration prophets.
In Book iii beginning in line 80 God The Father and God the Son
are watching Lucifer sneak out of the place of banishment. They are
discussing why God the Father will permit Lucifer to tempt the man, Adam.
They also state why God the Son will redeem man while he cannot redeem Lucifer.
“The first sort by thir own suggestion fell,
Self-tempted, self-deprav'd: Man falls deceiv'd [ 130 ]
By the other first: Man therefore shall find grace,”
“Through all restraint broke loose he wings his way
Not farr off Heav'n, in the Precincts of light,
Directly towards the new created World,
And Man there plac't, with purpose to assay [ 90 ]
If him by force he can destroy, or worse,
By some false guile pervert; and shall pervert
For man will heark'n to his glozing lyes,
And easily transgress the sole Command,
Sole pledge of his obedience: So will fall, [ 95 ]
Hee and his faithless Progenie: whose fault?
Whose but his own? ingrate, he had of mee
All he could have; I made him just and right,
Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall.
Such I created all th' Ethereal Powers [ 100 ]
And Spirits, both them who stood and them who faild;
Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell.
Not free, what proof could they have givn sincere
Of true allegiance, constant Faith or Love,”
John Milton, in Book III, shows correctly why God permitted Lucifer
to fall and tempt man, but he does not show the deep love God the Father has
for Lucifer and why the Heavens mourned his loss. Joseph Smith may be the first person to clarify the deep love, of God the Father, for Lucifer and the significant loss to
the Heavens at Lucifer's rebellion.
Written as a final reflection for a Doctrine Covenants Class
Brigham Young University - Idaho
Spring 2021
