OUR EARTHLY ABODE

 

I recently read a BYU speech by President Oaks in which he pointed out 20 ways that Satan uses to attack us through our strengths, not our weaknesses. He listed our strong desire to understand everything about every principle of the gospel as Number 3. He went on to say that this desire can cause us to search mysteries to which there are no answers rather than seeking greater understanding of the gospel principles (Dallin H. Oaks, “Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall” June 7, 1992)

I have an example of this. Some years ago I did a post in which I quoted the seven days of Creation form the scriptures. I suggested the seven days were really 7,000 earthly years as 1 God’s day is our 1,000 years (Abraham 3:4; 2 Peter 3:8; Psalms 90:4). One reader called me naïve because according to the scientific evidence our planet is millions and millions of years old.

My comeback was that we don’t really know how long the creation took as time only is measured unto men (Alma 40:8) and that days of creation are really just “periods between two identifiable events – a division of eternity” (see “The Creation” by Russell M. Nelson, April 2000 GC). So because we don’t really know, I am going with what the scriptures say as a point of reference. She replied that scriptures were just symbolic and are not to be taken literally and that scientific proof cannot be ignored. I asked her if we should not then take the Atonement literally…..and I wondered by what method science can ascertain that something is 60 million years old…….she didn’t answer.

There are many theories about the age of the earth. One of them is that the earth was ‘organised’ from elements of older worlds which had come and gone (Moses 1:35). This appeals to me as the greatest explanation. The word “created” really comes from a Hebrew word which means “to organise”. The elements of everything are eternal and cannot be created out of nothing so the Lord’s power of creation is really His organising power.

And here is something important: “Apparently it was not easy for the Lord to present the creation story. It is obvious from His statements to Moses that He was conscious of the fact that the children of men do not have the present capacity to comprehend many of the eternal principles used during the creation process. To describe the creation in detail would have raised more questions than it would have answered.” (Cleon Skousen, “The First Two Thousand Years” p 19)

I tend to believe that even science creates more questions than its ‘proofs’ can answer but there will come a day when the Saviour returns and all things will be revealed to us including how the earth was made …..and then, its “purpose and the end thereof” (D&C 101:33,34)…..but we already know that, don’t we? And knowing that the purpose of the earth is OUR purpose is all we need to know for now.

But the most important revelation of all will not be how and what but it will be the magnificence of the God who created it……

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Creator by Chris Brazelton)