Earth's paradisiacal past and future
The Prophet Joseph Smith, in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, speaks of the day when earth will "resume" its paradisiacal glory (p.257). Quoting Articles of Faith 1:10, the manual further says earth will be "renewed" to paradisiacal glory (p.256). To "resume" means to begin again, or continue after interruption. To "renew" is to make new again, to restore. "Paradisiacal," in this context, describes "earth's glory in the Millennium." Just as there will be "no death" in earth's paradisiacal future, so also there was no death in earth's paradisiacal past. (D&C 101:29.)
posted by R. Gary on 12/01/2008 02:42:00 AM
7 Comments:
Your use of D&C 101:29 as support for your final statement is misleading, as that verse refers directly to the FUTURE, and not at all directly to the past.
How can you define "paradisiacal" as "earth's glory in the Millennium" and then say that the earth will "resume" such a state? In other words, how can the earth resume a millennial state when there has not yet been a millennial state? If you meant to define "paradisiacal" as "the state of the earth before the fall", that's another thing entirely. If you do go that way, what exactly about these statements says anything about the earth's state prior to whatever previous paradisiacal state it held? In other words, what about a prior paridisiacal state says anything about what the earth was like BEFORE that state; why does a previous paridisiacal state necessarily exclude death? It seems that you're really implicitly defining paridisiacal as "a prior state of the earth which excludes prior death".
But wait a second- there is currently death on the earth, and yet we know it will yet enter a paridisiacal state. So our own experience would lead us to this principle: death precedes a paradasiacal state. Following a parallelism similar to yours what would keep us from arguing thusly???:
The earth was in a paridisiacal state in the past and will enter into another paridisiacal state in the future.
Because death precedes the future paridisiacal state of the earth, death preceded the past paridisiacal state of the earth.
-Brady
I think there is some funny irony in this argument because a very similar argument was made by B.H. Roberts about the word "replenish." Unfortunately for him, the original Hebrew did not support him, if I remember correctly.
Brady,
In keeping with the Lord's instructions to say "none other things" than that which the apostles and prophets have written (D&C 52:9, 36), here are the words of Elder Bruce R. McConkie as published by the Church. Note the juxtaposition of Article of Faith Ten with D&C 101:29 in this paragraph as Elder McConkie teaches about earth's paradisiacal creation and the paradisiacal Millennium:
-------------- quote --------------
"At this point we must insert a statement from our tenth article of faith: 'We believe ... that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.' (A of F 1:10.) That is to say, when the earth was first created it was in a paradisiacal state, an Edenic state, a state in which there was no death. And when the Lord comes again, and the Millennial era is ushered in, the earth will return to its paradisiacal state and be renewed. It will be made new again; it will become a new heaven and a new earth whereon dwelleth righteousness. In that day, 'there shall be no sorrow because there is no death' as we know it. (D&C 101:29.)" (Ensign, June 1982, pp.13–14.)
-------------- end quote --------------
In his last and often quoted general conference talk, Elder McConkie testified that "all things [were] created in a paradisiacal state—without death." (Ensign, May 1985, p.11.)
Now notice how Elder Russell M. Nelson gave emphasis in general conference to the paradisiacal nature of a creation without death:
-------------- quote --------------
"The creation of a paradisiacal planet came from God. Mortality and death came into the world through the Fall of Adam.... Eventually, ' the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.' At the Second Coming of the Lord, the earth will be changed once again. It will be returned to its paradisiacal state and be made new." (Ensign, May 2000, p.84.)
-------------- end quote --------------
You, of course, may believe otherwise if you wish.
Anthony E. Larson would like NDBF readers to look at two of his blog articles (here and here).
This is a great blog. Keep up the good work! I'll be checking back and forth for updates! God bless!
Gary,
the verse you link to is followed immediately by these two verses:
30 In that day an infant shall not die until he is old; and his life shall be as the age of a tree;
31 And when he dies he shall not sleep, that is to say in the earth, but shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and shall be caught up, and his rest shall be glorious.
There will be death. It's just that the resurrection will be snappy--so quick that we really won't "taste" of it (death).
Jack
Jack:
I appreciate your views. However, it appears the Church currently teaches there will be no death during the millennium.
<< Home