Chapter 4 of 1 Moses offers a mystical retelling of the creation narrative, not merely as a historical account but as a cosmic pattern, a blueprint of divine order reflected both above and below. Echoing the principle “As Above, So Below,” this chapter resonates with foundational ideas in both Kabbalistic mysticism and Latter-day Saint temple theology.
Creation in Two Worlds: Spiritual First, Physical Second
“For YHVH Elohim created all things of which have been spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon The Face of the earth.” -1 Moses 4:3
This reflects the Sefirotic structure of creation, where everything begins in the upper, invisible worlds (Atziluth and Beri’ah) before manifesting in the lower worlds (Yetzirah and Asiyah). In Mormonism, this maps closely to pre-mortal existence and the notion that all things, including souls, earth, and matter, were spiritually created before physical embodiment. This principle reaffirms the idea that mortality is a stage of unfolding rather than the beginning, Our souls descend through the veil of matter to fulfill divine purposes.
Dual Trees, Dual Powers: The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge
“And YHVH Elohim planted the Tree of Life also in the midst of the garden, and also the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.” 1 Moses 4:16
These two trees symbolize the left and right pillars of the Tree of Life—Chesed (Mercy) and Gevurah (Judgment). In Kabbalah, the integration of these two paths through Tiferet (Harmony/Beauty) is central to divine balance. Likewise, the Latter Day Saint plan of salvation holds that opposition is necessary for agency and progression (2 Nephi 1:81 [2:11a]). Here, the Tree of Life represents eternal life and divine presence, while the Tree of Knowledge introduces mortality and duality—necessary components for human agency, growth, and eventual exaltation.
Sacred Union and the Mystery of Ish and Ishshah
“And YHVH rent the veil and found Ishshah; and YHVH brought this one from the hillside, out of the world of humans; and bringing her from the lower to the upper world, closed up the veil.” 1 Moses 4:34-35
This mystical account of Adam and Ishshah (woman) echoes the Zoharic idea that Adam Kadmon (primordial man) was originally androgynous or dual-gendered, later divided into male and female aspects. The reunion of the two represents the restoration of divine unity. The veil-rending language and the emergence of Ishshah from among “the children of man” hints at temple endowment themes: veil, sleep (spiritual initiation), sealing, and the return to divine presence. It presents marriage not just as partnership, but as a symbol of cosmic reconciliation, the fusion of divine masculine and feminine. This is a key theme in both Kabbalah and exaltation theology in Mormonism, the male representing our desire to bestow and the female our will to receive.
Eden as a Template for Ascent
1 Moses Chapter 4 is not merely a story about the past, it is a divine template for personal and collective spiritual progression. Creation occurs in layers; the soul descends into matter and, through obedience and sacred union, ascends again. Through spiritual pre-existence, the duality of choice, and the unity of male and female, this chapter offers a powerful Mormon Kabbalistic map of the soul’s journey from divine conception to embodied covenant and ultimately, return to Elohim. The garden is not just Eden, it is the temple. And the work to dress and keep it is the sacred labor of the soul.
