Did God Create Everything Out of Nothing?

The Bible teaches that “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Many Latter-Day Saints believe that when God created everything he rearranged already-existing materials to form our world. Or to quote LDS.org

“He did not create the world ‘out of nothing,’ as some people believe.”

But the Bible tells us something very different.

The Bible tells us that…

Jesus created everything— both the visible and the invisible.

Colossians 1:16 says

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16)

Everything in all creation…came into existence through Jesus. This means Angels and Demons, heaven and earth, Energy and Matter, time and space…you and me, were all made by Him.

The Gospel of John says,

All things were made through Him, and without him was not anything made that was made (John 1:3).

Of all the things that “have been made”, nothing has ever been made without Jesus.

Nothing exists apart from Jesus.

God’s Word is clear about this: Jesus

“…upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3)

“…He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17).

Is it possible for anything to exist apart from God? Not according to the Bible.

God called into existence things that did not previously exist.

God is not a celestial construction worker who acquires His creation materials from a cosmic building yard. If such a yard were to exist, it would only exist because He created it! The Bible tells us that

the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3).

And that God

calls into existence the things that do not exist.” (Romans 4:17).

God is the source of all things, and did not draw from anything outside of himself to speak the universe into being.

So what?

The God of Mormonism is not the ultimate creator, but the God of the Bible is the Most High God, “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13). All thing were made by Him, nothing has ever or could ever exist apart from Him, and everything in all creation was spoken into existence by Him alone.

The God of Mormonism is not the ultimate creator, but the God of the Bible is the Most High God, “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Verse References
  • Colossians 1:16
  • John 1:3
  • Hebrews 1:3
  • Colossians 1:17
  • Hebrews 11:3
  • Romans 4:17
  • Revelation 22:13