Moses, My Son

The LDS Pearl of Great Price contains the book of Moses, which, among other things, recounts Moses' encounter with Jesus Christ upon an exceedingly high mountain. Moses beheld God: he was taught of his relationship to the most omnipotent being,

"...Moses, my son; (and) thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth..." (Moses 1:6)

The glory of the Lord is great beyond imagination, and consequently, to converse and learn directly from the Lord, a physical change was necessary to Moses' body. In his own words,

"...Mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him." (Moses 1:11)*

In addition to the blessed face of the Lord, he beheld the "world upon which he was created; and [he] beheld the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and were created. (Moses 1:8)" Succeeding his astral experience, Satan came tempting Moses, saying, "Moses, son of man, worship me. (Moses 1:13)" Moses judged between the glory of Satan and God, and after calling upon God and receiving strength, he commanded Satan in the name of the Only Begotten to depart.

Moses Receiving the Tables of the Law (detail)
1560-62, Jacopo Tintoretto (Robusti)

Choosing to highlight only one aspect of this beautiful account, consider the following words:

son
similitude
glory
created

These words create a picturesque semantic pathway. Moses was taught his relationship to his Lord, shown the Lord's glory, and given the choice to accept his divine heritage or follow, literally, Satan. Having seen true glory as manifest in the Powerful's creations, he cast out Satan in the name of the only Begotten.

Two Hebrew words are appropriate to divine the meaning behind our Lord calling Moses His son. Both elucidate the meaning of similitude: damah, meaning resembling; and temunah, meaning something proportioned out in embodiment or manifestation (Strong's Hebrew Dictionary). Moses was a son in the physical similitude of Jesus Christ, carrying his phenomenological appearance with arms, legs, fingers, and an agency-filled mental cavity. He was also a similitude of the Omnipotent's glory- intended destiny. Moses, as each child birthed upon this mortal world, has a similitude of greatness. We are joint-heirs with Christ intended to reign over kingdoms utilizing our full creative powers. Creating those things which our Lord showed Moses- worlds, glories, peoples (family), and ourselves.

Consider on each thing you personally feel is greatness. In whatever form it holds, or in whatever capacity it forms, greatness is glory. We are intended, by being in the similitude of the Only Begotten, to ALL greatness and ALL glory. It is our promise as the children of the Lord of ancient Isreal, of the heart of Zion, and of the Christ of Redemption. Our similitude enables creative powers presented toward glory. We are the begotten of God and all that is intended in that similitude. I love the Lord, and will use my agency toward that end of glory which is befitting an heir of the Most High God. In Him shall I put all my faith and hope.



*Notice this account of Moses' vision is prophesied in Number 12:8,

"With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold..."