| − | #Doctrine and Covenants 132:19-20 lays out more of Latter-day Saint theology of marriage. According to that section, men and women’s glory as God’s consists in part in having “a fulness and a continuation of the kseeds forever and ever.” Thus, the capacity to have spiritual offspring is a necessary condition of becoming gods in Latter-day Saint theology. Doctrine and Covenants 132 teaches that only men and women joined together in marriage have this capacity. Verse 63 of the revelation teaches that men and women are sealed together in part to “bear the souls of men.” The revelation teaches a strict sexual complementarity is required in order to achieve spiritual creation.<ref>It should be noted that Joseph Smith never appears to have taught in his public sermons that human spirits were birthed by Heavenly Parents in the pre-mortal existence. Indeed, he seems to have taught in his public sermons that spirits were never created. See Kenneth W. Godfrey, “[https://rsc.byu.edu/pearl-great-price-revelations-god/history-intelligence-latter-day-saint-thought The History of Intelligence in Latter-day Saint Thought],” in ''The Pearl of Great Price: Revelations from God'', ed. H. Donl Peterson and Charles D. Tate Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1989), 213–36; Blake Ostler, “[https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V15N01_61.pdf The Idea of Pre-Existence in the Development of Mormon Thought],” ''Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought'' 15, no. 1 (Spring 1982): 59–78. Although that is true, it is also the case that his revelations teach that men and women can create spirit children and that our spirits were at one point created. The Book of Moses teaches this doctrine of spirits having a moment when they were created and the majority of Latter-day Saint scriptural exegetes have recognized this. See Elder Bruce R. McConkie, “Christ and the Creation,” in ''Studies in Scripture: Volume Two, The Pearl of Great Price'', ed. Robert L. Millet and Kent P. Jackson (Salt Lake City: Randall Book, 1985, 88; Milton R. Hunter, ''Pearl of Great Price Commentary'' (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1951), 80–86; Richard D. Draper, S. Kent Brown, and Michael D. Rhodes, ''The Pearl of Great Price: A Verse by Verse Commentary'' (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 2005), 222; H. Donl Peterson, ''The Pearl of Great Price: A History and Commentary'' (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1987), 129–30; Shon D. Hopkin, “Premortal Existence,” in ''Pearl of Great Price Reference Companion'', ed. Dennis L. Largey (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 2017), 240–41; Hyrum L. Andrus, ''Doctrinal Commentary on the Pearl of Great Price'' (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1973), 99–136; Aaron P. Schade and Matthew L. Bowen, ''The Book of Moses: From the Ancient of Days to the Latter Days'' (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 2021), 153–54n30; Book of Mormon Central and Jeffrey R. Bradshaw, “Book of Moses Essays: #54 Moses Sees the Garden of Eden (Moses 3) Spiritual Creation (Moses 3:5-7),” ''The Interpreter Foundation'', May 8, 2021, https://interpreterfoundation.org/book-of-moses-essays-054/; Terryl L. Givens, “[https://interpreterfoundation.org/conferences/2020-book-of-moses-conference/papers/givens/ The Book of Moses as a Pre–Augustinian Text: A New Look at the Pelagian Crisis],” in ''Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses: Inspired Origins, Temple Contexts, and Literary Qualities'', ed. Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, David R. Seely, John W. Welch and Scott Gordon, 2 vols. (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation; Springville, UT: Book of Mormon Central; Redding, CA: FAIR; Tooele, UT: Eborn Books, 2021), 1:293–314.</ref> | |
