You cannot say Genesis is clear if you yourself state it say NOTHING what so ever about what went or was before. Indeed that leaves open all sorts of ideas that truly cannot be proven, yours or ours included. HOWEVER the word is very clear, and an all powerful single God in the universe of whom it clearly says CREATED the heavens and the earth can create from nothing or anything. Given that we know from his work he is far more powerful than the "once man god" of the LDS...
If that is of such profound ignorance to the point of being completely wrong then it is a simple matter of stating where the material came from he whipped into “ordered”...
Oh and save me the disparage bilge, I mean really...
Sorry for the repost, but you’ve got to read this:
First, I don’t set the standard, God does. His Holy Bible is clear on ex nihilo creation, there is pre-Genesis matter being worked on. That doesn’t destroy the majesty, power and wonder of His creation. It just means it wasn’t, as recored in the Bible, ex nihilo.
Reading it again will help:
Here’s Genesis 1: http://bible.cc/genesis/1-1.htm and 2: http://bible.cc/genesis/1-2.htm
Young’s Literal Translation makes it clearest:
In the beginning of God’s preparing the heavens and the earth — the earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness is on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters,
That’s verse 1 and 2 from Young’s Literal. It is obvious now, no?
The Biblical text states clearly that the earth in its void/formless/empty state was there to be worked on already. It’s existance doesn’t undermine the power, authority or majesty of God.
His first act is contained in Gen. 1:3. He tames chaos/disorder by immediately declaring light. There are a lot of great scientific attributes of light that make this beginning so amazing. There are also wonderful religious metaphors for light, not the least of which is joy.
So enjoy yourself, God and His Holy Word.