Joshua Foster, a former Protestant and
graduate of Liberty University and who joined the Church in 2008, wrote the
following against the belief that the “image” and “likeness” in Gen 1:26 is
moral only:
Others
say that the ‘image and likeness’ of God that we were formed after is only a ‘moral
image and likeness.’ But if this were the case then why is the inherent
morality of man rebellious, weak and so often wicked? If we were created in god’s
moral image then he would be the very reason for the fall of man and pain and
suffering in existence . . . Note: Had Adam been complete, if he was
made in the balanced male/female ‘moral image’ of God as most sects believe,
then Eve would not have been necessary; yet she was. Thus the moral image claim
from these sects is contradicted by the evidence. Additionally, the term “Help
meet” means something like ‘equal compliment’. Showing that Adam’s likeness was
not complete without the equal female compliment of Eve. Here it should be
stated that equal does not mean the same; the purpose of having an equal
compliment is to have male and female balance. For analogy, the right and left
hands are not exactly the same but they are both equal and together provide a
wonderful balance in a greater purpose. (Joshua Foster, Legacy: Why I’m a
Latter-day Saint [2020], 50, 54)
Further Reading
