The plagues in Egypt as an unraveling of creation — Part 2

Link to part 1

Before the foundation of the world

In part 1 we considered how the plagues of Egypt represent an unraveling of creation and ultimately takes us all the way back to the pre-creation state. I employed the phrase, “before the foundation of the world“, a concept previously discussed by Lord Wilmore. We find it numerous places in the scriptures, but especially in the scriptures of the restoration. The Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants emphasize repeatedly that the preisthood, its ordinances and Jesus Christ predate the foundation of the world. We do not find this idea in the Old Testament, except for the JST of Genesis 14:31, which is worth quoting:

30 For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course;
31 To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God; to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation of the world.

JST Genesis 14

Before material creation, vast potential is encapsulated in the power of God and the plan of salvation.

The seed

Lord Wilmore just wrote about the seed, which is also mentioned in the quote above and that is a fitting symbol in this context. Jonathan Pageau provides an explanation of the symbolism associated with the seed:

Now, when you hear about seed, it’s very important to understand the relationship between seed and Heaven. First of all, seeds fall from above and they fall onto the ground. Not only that, but seeds are also the pattern of a tree. If you look at a seed, you just have this little dot. But in the little dot is contained the pattern of the tree. It’s an image of a bodiless principle. Of course, a seed has physical body, but it has so little body that it becomes an image of this point, this center, the essence of something. So every time you read about a seed in the Scripture, especially in Christ’s explanations, that’s what it means: something which hasn’t yet born fruit, which is contained, which is just the idea, or just the concept, or just the center without the margin, without the laying out of everything else.

Source

I think this is a good explanation and it ties into this unravelilng of creation and new beginning image. The death of all the firstborns in Egypt removes that seed from them. Conversely, saving baby Moses from the Egyptian genocide of Israelite infants preserves the seed for Israel. We saw in the previous post that Israel through Moses get a new beginning. It is the birth of a nation and this seed gets carried all the way to the promised land where it can become a garden.

On an even more fundamental level, the seed encapsulates Christ and his atonement “before the foundation of the world” as presented in the scriptures. He is the Word that was in the beginning (and we know that the word is compared to a seed in parables by both Christ himself and Alma). This is laid out beautifully in John 1, which is basically the New Testament version of the creation account.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men...
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

John 1

I highlighted specific phrases to illustrate the recurrence of this new beginning/creation theme in 3 Nephi that parallels the Exodus.

The unraveling of creation and a new beginning in 3 Nephi

In 3 Nephi 8, there is much destruction in the land. Not exactly 10 plagues, but natural disasters nonetheless, that cause much destruction, especially among the wicked part of the Nephites. Right after the destruction, there are three days of darkness: Compare these two events in 3 Nephi and the Book of Exodus:

20 And it came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness;

3 Nephi 8

21 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

Exodus 10

Darkness is not an uncommon metaphor, but this details about a darkness that can be felt links to the Exodus and the “unraveling of creation” theme that brings us back to the primordial darkness, the “uncreation” that sets the stage for a new creation

But even though the wicked have been destroyed, a part of the people, a seed, has been preserved to be able to flourish in a Zion-like society that we later read about in 4 Nephi. Consider these themes in 3 Nephi 9 after the destruction that parallel the Christ centered creation account in John 1:

15 Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.
16 I came unto my own, and my own received me not. And the scriptures concerning my coming are fulfilled.
17 And as many as have received me, to them have I given to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as many as shall believe on my name, for behold, by me redemption cometh, and in me is the law of Moses fulfilled.
18 I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

3 Nephi 9

The parallels are striking and the new beginning/creation theme is evident. The light and the life of the world, who was with the Father from the beginning, shines in the primordial darkness. When the wicked Nephites have been destroyed like the Egyptians, there is also a new beginning for the more righteous part, just like there was for Israel.

The three days of darkness ceased at last and we know what happens in the next chapters of 3 Nephi. After the light of the world visited the Nephites, they flourished in a Zion-like society for a couple of centuries. Those familiar with gardening can probably attest to the effort required to keep it flourishing in this fallen world with thorns and thistles. The Nephite society eventually collapsed again with only a seed left in the form of golden plates buried in the ground. This new seed is flourishing again in our time, but this time to be culminating in a never ending paradisiacal garden.