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| The Temporal Creation of the Earth |
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Certainly there should be a way to comprehend both scientific discoveries and the principles of the gospel. In Brigham Young's words: "Every art and science known and studied by the children of men is comprised within the Gospel. Where did the knowledge come from which has enabled man to accomplish such great achievements in science and mechanism within the last few years? We know that knowledge is from God..." (JD 12:257). As Mormons we believe in an eternal law which provides a natural order of things. We hold that God Himself obeys these natural laws to accomplish his ends. It would be contradictory to assume that God obeyed natural laws in all cases but the creation of earth. With a theology which allows for modern theories of a universe full of matter unorganized, our position is one of strength with respect to current scientific theories. At issue is the way in which the constantly developing science should be reconciled with the story in Genesis. At issue are two points, geological time and human evolution. Let's discuss them in that order. The scientists hold that the earth's age should be measured in billions of years. Genesis appears to require that it be measured in days. The seven days of creation serve as the basis for the modern week. Other societies which have never heard the Genesis story found other numbers equally satisfactory to define a "week". Even though modern society may be satisfied with a seven day week, we are clearly uncomfortable with a seven-day creation. It is clear from the Genesis story itself that it is difficult to require that a 24-hour day be used as the measure of creation. Each creative period ends with the formulaic statement "and the evening and the morning were the first day" (Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31). This is despite the fact that there was no "evening and morning" until the fourth day: 14. And god said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15. And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth 18. And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. 19. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day (Genesis 1:14-19). If we are to read Genesis with a total literal meaning, we would have to have a day and a night before the creation of the day and the night! Since the Genesis 'day' cannot mean 24 hours, the next best attempt to provide a scriptural definition is to stretch the definition of a day to 1,000 years. There are several scriptures which would support this hypothesis. The strongest is found in the book of Abraham: 3. And the Lord said unto me: These are the governing ones; and the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near unto me, for I am the Lord thy God: I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest. 4. And the Lord said unto me, by the Urim and Thummin, that Kolob was after the manner of the Lord, according to its times and seasons in the revolutions thereof; that one revolution was a day unto the Lord, after his manner of reckoning, it being one thousand years according to the time appointed unto that whereon thou standest. This is the reckoning of the Lord's time, according to the reckoning of Kolob (Abraham 3:3-4). The correlation of a day of the Lord to a thousand years of time on earth has a long history. The psalmist indicates "For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night" (Psalms 90:4). This theme is repeated in II Peter: 8. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (II Peter 3:8). Both of the verses from the scriptures of antiquity are less adamant than that in Abraham. Both are closer to an analogy than a direct declaration. While Joseph Smith is the most recent source of the language in the Book of Abraham, it is important to see that book also in the ancient tradition, when a thousand might have been the same type of hyperbole as a 'million' might be for modern man. A better scriptural reference to understand the relationship between God's time and man's is found in the Book of Alma: 8. Now whether there is more than one time appointed for men to rise it mattereth no; for all do not die at once, and this mattereth not; all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men" (Alma 40:8, italics added). To God, all time is present before Him, whether we consider it past, present, or future. Clearly our conceptions of time are inadequate to describe God. To call it a day, or to call it a thousand years, or to call it several million years, is all irrelevant to God, for to God, "all is as one day". As Brigham Young proclaimed, "every art and science" are part of the Gospel (JD 12:257). It is true that science frequently works slowly from theory to theory, each time proclaiming the most recent to be the best, so that we in many cases our best course is to wait for consensus. On this point, however, there is clear consensus in the scientific ranks. However old they may estimate the age of the earth, it is substantially older than seven thousand years. It is known to be a firm law of geological science that the strata which form this earth are laid down in order, with the deepest being the oldest. There are no exceptions to this rule. Even when normal geologic activities lift or disrupt various layers, they nevertheless remain in order. This law of stratigraphy combined with more and more accurate dating methods clearly extends past seven thousand years. There is no reason to exclude this knowledge derived from the exercise of our mental capacities. It does not violate the intent of the scriptures. |
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| by Brant Gardner. Copyright 1998 |
The scriptures give
only the most general of outlines of the temporal creation, nevertheless, the Genesis description has become for
many a competing description of creation with that presented by the scientific community. Is there a reconciliation,
or is this a point on which the scriptures prevail?|
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