How could Satan and the Savior be brothers?

Question

Gramps

I have a friend who has been looking into the church. He asked me a question that has really been bothering him. How can Satan and Christ be brothers? What would you say? Thanks,

Patti

Answer

Dear Patti,

As I’m sure you know, God is the Father of the spirits of all mankind. As Paul says,

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? (Hebrews 12:9)

Satan’s premortal name was Lucifer, meaning light bearer. Among the first of the sons of God, he was in a position of power and authority in the heavens. However, pride was his downfall, as he desired to usurp the glory of the Father. As we read in the Pearl of Great Price,

And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying–Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor. (Moses 4:1)

Because of his great iniquity he was cast out of heaven, together with his followers. Isaiah, in his lamentation of that great disastrous event, calls Satan a son of the morning.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (Isaiah 14:12)

And we read in the Doctrine and Covenants–the heavens wept over him–he was Lucifer, a son of the morning.

25 And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son,

 

26 And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him—he was Lucifer, a son of the morning.

 

27 And we beheld, and lo, he is fallen! is fallen, even a son of the morning!  D&C 76:25-27

As a son of the morning in the pre-mortal spirit world, whose son would he have been, other than the Father’s?

Gramps