And By the Way, It's True

Just to set the record straight, Mormons do, in fact, believe that Jesus and Lucifer are brothers. From the official LDS web site:

How can Jesus and Lucifer be spirit brothers when their characters and purposes are so utterly opposed?

Jess L. Christensen, “I Have a Question,” Ensign, June 1986, 25–26

Jess L. Christensen, Institute of Religion director at Utah State University, Logan, Utah. On first hearing, the doctrine that Lucifer and our Lord, Jesus Christ, are brothers may seem surprising to some—especially to those unacquainted with latter-day revelations. But both the scriptures and the prophets affirm that Jesus Christ and Lucifer are indeed offspring of our Heavenly Father and, therefore, spirit brothers. Jesus Christ was with the Father from the beginning. Lucifer, too, was an angel “who was in authority in the presence of God,” a “son of the morning.” (See Isa. 14:12; D&C 76:25–27.) Both Jesus and Lucifer were strong leaders with great knowledge and influence. But as the Firstborn of the Father, Jesus was Lucifer’s older brother. (See Col. 1:15; D&C 93:21.)

How could two such great spirits become so totally opposite? The answer lies in the principle of agency, which has existed from all eternity. (See D&C 93:30–31.) Of Lucifer, the scripture says that because of rebellion “he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies.” (Moses 4:4.) Note that he was not created evil, but became Satan by his own choice.

When our Father in Heaven presented his plan of salvation, Jesus sustained the plan and his part in it, giving the glory to God, to whom it properly belonged. Lucifer, on the other hand, sought power, honor, and glory only for himself. (See Isa. 14:13–14; Moses 4:1–2.) When his modification of the Father’s plan was rejected, he rebelled against God and was subsequently cast out of heaven with those who had sided with him. (See Rev. 12:7–9; D&C 29:36–37.)

That brothers would make dramatically different choices is not unusual. It has happened time and again, as the scriptures attest: Cain chose to serve Satan; Abel chose to serve God. (See Moses 5:16–18.) Esau “despised his birthright”; Jacob wanted to honor it. (Gen. 25:29–34.) Joseph’s brothers sought to kill him; he sought to preserve them. (Gen. 37:12–24; Gen. 45:3–11.)

It is ironic that the agency with which Lucifer rebelled is the very gift he tried to take from man. His proposal was that all be forced back into God’s presence. (See Moses 4:1, 3.) But the principle of agency is fundamental to the existence and progression of intelligent beings: as we make wise choices, we grow in light and truth. On the other hand, wrong choices—such as the one Satan made—stop progress and can even deny us blessings that we already have. (See D&C 93:30–36.)

In order for us to progress, therefore, we must have the opportunity to choose good or evil. Interestingly, Satan and his angels—those who opposed agency—have become that opposition. As the prophet Lehi taught, “Men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.” (2 Ne. 2:27.)

Although the Father has allowed Satan and his angels to tempt mankind, he has given each of us the ability to rise above temptation. (See 1 Cor. 10:13.) He has also given us the great gift of the Atonement.

When the Lord placed enmity between Eve’s children and the devil, Satan was told that he would bruise the heel of Eve’s seed, but her seed would bruise his head. (See Moses 4:21.) President Joseph Fielding Smith explained that “the ‘God of peace,’ who according to the scriptures is to bruise Satan, is Jesus Christ.” (Answers to Gospel Questions, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1957, 1:3.) Satan would bruise the Savior’s heel by leading men to crucify Him. But through his death and resurrection, Christ overcame death for all of us; and through his atonement, he offers each of us a way to escape the eternal ramifications of sin. Thus, Satan’s machinations have been frustrated and eventually he will be judged, bound, and cast into hell forever. (See Rev. 20:1–10; D&C 29:26–29.)

In Hebrew, the word bruise means “to crush or grind.” Therefore, the very heel that was bruised will crush Satan and will help us overcome the world and return to our Father. As we use our agency to choose good over evil, the atonement of Christ prepares the way for us to return to our Father in Heaven.

We can only imagine the sorrow of our Heavenly Father as he watched a loved son incite and lead a rebellion and lose his opportunity for exaltation. But we can also imagine the Father’s love and rejoicing as he welcomed back the beloved son who had valiantly and perfectly fought the battles of life and brought about the great Atonement through his suffering and death.

A Legitimate Question

Mitt Romney is upset over a question about his Mormon faith posed by rival Mike Huckabee. "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?" Huckabee asks in an upcoming New York Times article. Romney characterizes the question as an "attack" on his religion. Yet he refused to answer it, deferring instead to the home office in Salt Lake City. Huckabee is not the first to bring up this quirky Mormon doctrine. David Frum called Romney to task for obfuscating the issue after Romney's highly touted "religion" speech last week. Unlike Huckabee, however, Frum is neither a Baptist minister nor a rival candidate for president, so Romney apparently let this initial "attack" on his religion go unchallenged.

But whether coming from a political commentator or a political opponent, it is perfectly legitimate to raise the question about the Mormon belief concerning the familial relationship between Jesus and Lucifer. What Romney believes in this area says volumes about the seriousness of his commitment to his faith, and the more serious he is about that faith, the more it is bound to influence the decisions he makes should he ascend to the nation's highest office.

It is not a bad thing, of course, to allow one's faith to influence the way one governs and whether or not one agrees with the tenets of Romney's faith, that factor alone does not disqualify him from seeking or perhaps winning the presidency. Neither does Huckabee's outspoken commitment to evangelical Christianity make him more qualified than, say, Rudy Giuliani who seems not to be influenced at all by his Catholic faith in either his public or private life. One could legitimately ask Huckabee if he subscribes to the popular Southern Baptist belief in dispensational pre-millennialism, not exactly the most orthodox view of the end times. A serious Christian's view on such a subject would undoubtedly influence some very important presidential decisions concerning, for instance, Middle East policy in an age of Islamic terrorism.

Whether it is Romney's beliefs about Jesus and Lucifer or Huckabee's beliefs about eschatology, both are mere snapshots of a larger worldview which cannot be anything but highly influential in the way a candidate for the presidency would conduct business should he be chosen by the people for that responsibility. Questions about a candidate's fundamental beliefs, whether raised by a rival candidate or by the voters themselves, cannot be dismissed as "attacks" on the candidate's religion. When one claims allegiance to a particular religious faith, one should not only be willing but, indeed, eager to answer any and all questions raised about that faith. Ultimately, it is not a question of how committed a candidate is to his or her faith, but how committed the voters are to their faith and what influence it will have, first, on their making an informed decision in the voting booth and, second, after the votes are counted, on their praying God's blessing and favor upon the elected leader of their country, regardless of the faith the winning candidate professes.