In just 22 words (12 in the original Hebrew), the author of Genesis chapter 1 makes a profound claim about humanity:
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Genesis 1:27
As we’ve seen this week, Book of Mormon prophets demonstrate the richness of this passage by applying it to their own experiences. The brother of Jared sees God, who explains His appearance by quoting this verse. Abinadi uses the concept to soften the boundary between God and humanity, thereby challenging the authoritarian structures of his leaders. Jacob appeals to our shared origin to combat social stratification. And Alma reframes the concept as a transformative gift waiting to be received, as he urges his people to change.
These four lenses—experiential, political, relational, and transformational—illustrate both the breadth of interpretive possibilities of this verse and its practical applicability to a variety of situations. Human beings are created in the image of God, and therefore: (1) God is approachable and relatable, (2) Christ can reasonably live as a mortal man, (3) inequality is abhorrent to God, and (4) every human being has the opportunity to emulate Him more completely.
Alma’s use of Imago Dei raises an important question, however. If all men and women were created originally in the image of God, then why must they intentionally receive His image? To answer that question, we turn to the next event in Genesis, the Fall of Adam and Eve.
Today, I will treat the doctrine of Imago Dei as a guide for my choices and for my relationships. I will remember the richness of scripture and look for new ways to apply this principle to my unique circumstances.
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