.
.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

The origin and destiny of our earth and sun (part three)

In part one of this series (click here), we discussed a documentary about the death of the sun (view an abbreviated version here). In part two (click here), we considered the same subject from the point of view of international best-selling science popularizer Carl Sagan. According to both sources, our sun will eventually die, leaving earth vaporized and lifeless.

Today we learn that while scripture doesn't say much about the post-millennial sun, it clearly disagrees with science about earth's destiny. According to scripture, earth will become the celestialized eternal home of the righteous.

"[Earth is] the planet on which we live, created by God through Jesus Christ to be used by man during his mortal probation. Its final destiny is to become glorified and exalted (D&C 77:1-2; 130:8-9). The earth will become an eternal inheritance of those who have lived worthy of a celestial glory (D&C 88:14-26). They will enjoy the presence of the Father and the Son (D&C 76:62)." (Guide to the Scriptures, Earth)

Elder James E. Talmage said it this way:

"It is decreed that this earth shall become a celestialized, glorified sphere; such is the revealed world. Science has nothing to say on the matter; it can neither refute nor prove. But the Lord, even God, hath spoken it—and so shall it be! Amen." ("The Earth and Man," 1931, p.14.)

Scientific theories about the death of our earth and sun are only valid if the physical laws of nature continue to operate indefinitely just as we observe them now. Christ's Second Coming and Millennial reign with the eventual celestialization of earth marks a future point beyond which "science has nothing to say." Science can neither refute nor prove. "But the Lord, even God, hath spoken it—and so shall it be!"

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anthony E. Larson said...

The physical laws will not be suspended to accommodate the prophesied destiny of our world. But our understanding of those laws will change radically from what we believe we know now. You see, we consider ourselves more knowledgeable than the ancients who predicted these things. But we're not. Our science has ignored the truths the ancients sought to teach us about our universe and the laws of nature God employs to bring about his purposes. When the events of the last days occur, we will be forced to re-evaluate our flawed paradigms. We will see that it will all happen according to a very natural order.

6/29/2010 11:41:00 PM  
Blogger R. Gary said...

Anthony, good thoughts. I appreciate your point of view. I have also appreciated the following paragraph. What do you think of it?

-------------- quote --------------
The present condition of the earth will end when Christ comes to reign personally upon the earth, giving it again its “paradisiacal glory” (A of F 1:10). For, “as God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day he finished his work, and sanctified it ... even so, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth” (D&C 77:12). This coming sanctification of our sphere will not result from the present natural order uniformly continuing its course. Instead, that order will change drastically because of the direct intervention of its Creator and Maintainer. All living things and even the elements of the earth “shall become new, that my knowledge and glory may dwell upon all the earth” (D&C 101:24–25). (F. Kent Nielsen, Ensign, Sep 1980, p.67.)
-------------- end quote --------------

6/30/2010 12:06:00 AM  
Anonymous Anthony E. Larson said...

It is correct, as far as it goes. There is much more to those events than most suppose. Parley Pratt said, "If we had an antediluvian map, we should be able to point out the future geographical positions of the land and water as it will exist during the Millennium; or in other word, an antediluvian map would answer very well the purpose of a millennial map. For the earth is to be restored to its former condition." (The Seer, Vol. II, No. 4, April, 1854.) What's your take on that?

6/30/2010 09:20:00 AM  
Blogger R. Gary said...

Anthony, what can I say? Parley P. Pratt spoke eloquently. Five years ago, I posted a rather lengthy description of these antediluvian and millennial maps as it was published by President Joseph Fielding Smith who was quoting President John Taylor who was quoting Parley P. Pratt (click here).

6/30/2010 10:55:00 AM  
Blogger Jared* said...

Gary,

FYI, several years ago I posted on what Joseph Fielding Smith thought about the sun here.

7/01/2010 09:36:00 PM  
Blogger R. Gary said...

Jared*, Don't ya just love Joseph Fielding Smith? I do!

7/01/2010 10:24:00 PM  
Blogger Jared* said...

He died before I was born, so I never knew him. He certainly had an energetic mind, and he definitely had a feisty side.

7/03/2010 06:02:00 PM  

<< Home