Enoch, Eden, and the Beginnings of Jewish Cosmography by Annette Yoshiko Reed

Where does our world end and the otherworld begin? Can one cross the boundaries between them, whether in life or after death? Is it possible to describe, with any certainty, the spaces above and beyond the visible cosmos? Today, we are accustomed to thinking of the traditional Western answers to such questions as among the ideas bequeathed to us by Judaism and Christianity. Striking, however, is how few of these answers can be found in the Hebrew Bible. Biblical references to creation, the cosmos, and Eden (especially Genesis 2–3) have garnered a disproportionate amount of attention in the history of Christian biblical interpretation and in modern scholarship. Yet such references are surprisingly few and often quite elusive. 

Ice, the Great Deep, a Highway and the Lost Tribes By Brandt Neider

“And they who are in the north countries shall come in remembrance before the Lord; and their prophets shall hear his voice, and shall no longer stay themselves; and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence.

And an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep.”   -Doctrine and Covenants 133:26-27

God and Science By Brandt Neider

The scientific community's arguments against God have always baffled me. They seem to believe that every discovery they make is further proof that the universe exists and functions independent of a divine creator, as if a God would prefer waving wands and casting spells to the laws of physics. In an interview with the Spanish publication "El Mundo" the late Stephen Hawking said:

"Before we understand science, it is natural to believe that God created the universe. But now science offers a more convincing explanation.”

Worlds Without Number: the Astronomy of Enoch, Abraham, and Moses by R. Grant Athay

The Universe Beheld by Ancient Prophets

"Now for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed." 3 So lamented Moses in utter humility after seeing in vision the complexities of the planet Earth and her countless inhabitants. Shortly thereafter Moses was to see once again the earth and her inhabitants ". . . and there was not a particle of which he did not behold. . . and there was not a soul which he beheld not. . . . " 4 Surely this venerable old prophet must have been filled with awe and wonder. Imagine, however, his profound astonishment when, in answer to his plea for an explanation, the Lord revealed himself to Moses and told him of even more wondrous creations. "And worlds without number have I created. . . . For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man. . . . " 5

The Apocalypse of Abraham

Points of Interest (in my opinion):

The Apocalypse of Abraham is pseudepigraphal meaning it’s a text whose claimed authorship is uncertain. 

It’s Jewish in origin and held prominence into the first century A.D. 

The first English translation appeared in an 1898 edition of the LDS magazine Improvement Era

Dark Matter and Spirit By Brandt Neider

7 There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes;

8 We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter. Doctrine and Covenants 131:7-8

In general, the scientific community turns its nose up at the idea of a spiritual existence. Spirits, ghosts, or intelligent life in any form other than something resembling what we’ve already observed is the wishful thinking of the ignorant. 

Brigham Young and Planetary Migration By Brandt Neider

One of the most criticized statements made by Brigham Young was "When the earth was framed and brought into existence and man was placed upon it, it was near the throne of our Father in heaven. And when man fell the earth fell into space and took up its abode in this planetary system, and the sun became our light." The idea that a planet could migrate was insane until 4 years ago when we caught one rolling through empty space. Now we know that the planets in our galaxy do this on a regular basis. This clip is from one of my favorite documentaries "How the Universe Works" and without any exaggeration, Brigham Young was explaining this phenomenon over 100 years before the rest of the world would even consider it.

The Solar Eclipse and the New Jerusalem By Brandt Neider

It's only been a few weeks since the solar eclipse but considering all that's happened since August 21st it feels like it happened months ago. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the earthquake in Mexico, and North Korea pushing the world to the brink of nuclear war have all happened within the short time since the sun and moon aligned.

Now, I’m not promoting astrology, however, the scriptures make it clear that there is a connection between the events in heaven and earth. When the Savior was born a star appeared in the sky, after the crucifixion our sun disappeared over the new world for three days, and before the second coming the moon will turn to blood and the stars will fall from the sky. Countless other “heavenly” events have been recognized as divine acknowledgment such as the rainbow after the flood, the storms after the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, and the armies seen in the sky by Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball on the night Joseph Smith received the plates.

Astronomical Timeline Inspired by Stephen P. Maran

The Prophet's Philosophical Doctrines by Elder B.H. Roberts

THE PROPHET'S DEFINITION OF TRUTH: Undoubtedly the quest of philosophy is Truth. And again, undoubtedly, Philosophy would be greatly helped in its search for Truth if it had but a clear conception of what it was trying to find; hence the importance of a clear and accurate definition of Truth. It is at this point, however, that the greatest difficulty arises for the human intellect. It is quite generally conceded that up to the early decades of the nineteenth century no satisfactory definition of Truth had been found. When Jesus stood bound before Pilate's judgment seat, and testified that He was born to bear witness of the Truth, Pilate—whether in mockery or in earnest curiosity we may not now know—asked the question:

Joseph Smith on Modern Science by Alvin K. Benson

The Lord instructed Joseph Smith and each of us to seek both spiritual and secular knowledge, to learn of "all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for [us] to understand; of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass" (D&C 88:78-79). Therefore, we should not be hesitant to pursue knowledge in all fields of endeavor, including fields of scientific inquiry. Joseph Smith was a strong advocate for acquiring knowledge, and an excellent example of doing it. In his teachings, the Prophet stated, "A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith 217; hereafter TPJS), and "The principle of knowledge is the principle of salvation" (297). As Joseph well understood, we too must realize that all knowledge is not of equal value and "to be learned is good if [we] hearken unto the counsels of God" (2 Nephi 9:29).

Apocryphal Writings and Teachings of the Dead Sea Scrolls (on the Cosmos) by Hugh Nibley

This previously unpublished talk was given at a Long Beach, California, seminary graduation, in 1967. It has circulated under the title "Teachings from the Dead Sea Scrolls."

I shall probably bore you tonight, but the subject shouldn't, because it's a very good one. I am not going to be bored at all. I love to talk about this stuff! I will get all excited, so don't pay any attention to me! Since World War II tremendous discoveries have been made. Certain ancient libraries have been discovered: the Dead Sea Scrolls; Chenoboskion (Nag Hammadi), the earliest Christian library discovered the same year, under much the same circumstances, but a thousand miles away from the Dead Sea Scrolls; and then the Papyri Bodmer, which includes the Letters of Paul, far older than anything we have ever known about before. Then there are the Manichaean and Mandaean discoveries; and earlier than them, the Chester Beatty Papyri; and also the Odes of Solomon. We can go back to the Oxyrhynchus and the Bryennios Papyrus (the Didache), and finally to the big libraries of the nineteenth century. These sensational finds have completely changed our picture of the early Christian and Jewish world.

Treasures in the Heavens by Hugh Nibley

As Christianity has been deeschatologized and demythologized in our own day, so in the fourth century it was thoroughly dematerialized, and ever since then anything smacking of "cosmism," that is, tending to associate religion with the physical universe in any way, has been instantly condemned by Christian and Jewish clergy alike as paganism and blasphemy. Joseph Smith was taken to task for the crude literalism of his religion-not only talking with angels like regular people, but giving God the aspect attributed to him by the primitive prophets of Israel, and, strangest of all, unhesitatingly bringing other worlds and universes into the picture. Well, some of the early Christian and Jewish writers did the same thing; this weakness in them has been explained away as a Gnostic aberration, and yet today there is a marked tendency in all the churches to support the usual bloodless abstractions and stereotyped moral sermons with a touch of apocalyptic realism, which indeed now supplies the main appeal of some of the most sensationally successful evangelists.

The Nature and Order of the Cosmos by Hyrum L. Andrus

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.—PSALMS.

Revelations to Joseph Smith concerning the nature and order of the cosmos indicate that there are innumerable worlds in space populated by organized beings in varying degrees of progressive attainment. One revelation speaks of the worlds that "are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof." 1 "Worlds without number have I created," God declared; "and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten." 2 The Lord explained: "As one earth shall pass away [to an anticipated redemption and glorification], and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works neither to my words." 3

The Creation by Elder Orson Pratt

I will read the first ten verses of the 20th chapter of the Revelation given to St. John, the “beloved disciple,” while on the Isle of Patmos:

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

“And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

“And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Man is the Offspring of God by Elder Orson Pratt

I will read a few paragraphs which you will find recorded in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, commencing near the middle of the second paragraph of a revelation given December 27, 1832:

“In that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth; Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made. As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made; As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made; And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.

Other Worlds: Voices from Space By President Spencer W. Kimball

We live in a marvelous age with developments far beyond the most fantastic prognostications of a quarter century ago. Our communication lines have been extended from pony express to fast air service; transportation has been speeded from horse and buggy to globe-encircling jets for the masses and speeds running into thousands of miles per hour for the explorers. From the Vikings and Columbus, we come to the astronauts. Persistent scientists continue to explore land and sea, and now they are out in space. Man has learned much by his intellect, and has pride in his accomplishments. But little does he realize how relatively elementary are these movements and discoveries and knowledge. There is another way to discovery. Scientists have sought their knowledge through study, but prophets through faith. Astronomers have developed powerful telescopes through which they have seen much, but prophets and seers have had clearer vision at greater distances with precision instruments such as the Liahona and the Urim and Thummim, which have far exceeded the most advanced radar, radio, television, or telescopic equipment.

The Book of Abraham

A Translation of some ancient Records that have fallen into our hands from the catacombs of Egypt. The writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus

Chapter 1

Abraham seeks the blessings of the patriarchal order—He is persecuted by false priests in Chaldea—Jehovah saves him—The origins and government of Egypt are reviewed.

The Great Ones By Brandt Neider

"2 And I saw the stars, that they were very great, and that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God; and there were many great ones which were near unto it;

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." (Abraham 3:2-3)

Cosmology by Hugh Nibley

Now, the third question of Clement is cosmology, of all things. The most primitive rock carvings in the world are what you will find in the glyphs if you go out to Lincoln Beach which used to have a marvelous collection. That used to be a sacred place with splendid displays. There's a cave out there, and, of course, it has been mercilessly looted. A big industrialist from New York came out and covered it and walked away with some very valuable things. Of course, there's a law from 1906 that you are not supposed to do that. Well, if you look at these carvings, what will you find? You will find glyphs, spirals, swastikas, sun wheels, quadrates. You'll find these throughout the whole world. They are cosmic signs. They have to do with revolutions of the heavens-the sun, the moon, the cycles of the year, etc. Not all of them, but they are plainly marked and they are found by the thousands.

The Prophet's Teaching in Regard to the Extent of the Universe by Elder B.H. Roberts

Before entering into an exposition of those doctrines taught by Joseph Smith in respect to the construction of the universe, man's place in it and the Gods, it is necessary to remind the reader that the prophet was reared and spent his life in the midst of environments which utterly separated him from all possible connection with the scientific thought of the age in which he lived. The western wilds of the state of New York in the eighteen-twenties and thirties, the wilderness of Ohio, the frontiers of Missouri and Illinois were not the centres of thought on astronomy and other scientific subjects; nor was a man engaged in the great affairs of a new and struggling religious society, hunted by his enemies, often betrayed by men whom he trusted, and constantly on the move, in any condition to give his attention to scientific thought had he lived in the very centres of its agitation. Moreover, some of the things that the prophet announced as revelation concerning the universe, the movements of planetary systems and their habitability are not even yet commonly accepted by scientists. Only the most advanced of astronomers admit the possibility of these things, and that with great caution. 1

The New Astronomy by Elder John A. Widtsoe

From the dawn of written history, when the first men, watching through the nights, observed the regular motions of the moon and stars, humanity has been striving to obtain a correct understanding of the relation of the earth to the heavenly bodies.

First it was believed that the sun, moon, and stars revolved in circles around the earth (which for a time was supposed to be flat instead of spherical). The great Greek philosopher, Hipparchus, after observing the movements of the heavenly bodies, suggested that the earth was not exactly in the middle of the circles. Three hundred years later, Ptolemy discovered a number of facts concerning the movements of the sun, moon and planets, which were unknown to Hipparchus, and which led him to suggest that the sun and moon move around the earth in circles, whose centres again move around the earth. This somewhat complex theory explained very well what was known of astronomy in the days of the ancients. In fact, the views of Ptolemy were quite generally accepted for 1300 years.

Abraham's Astronomy by Elder Mark E. Petersen

The Lord seems to have taken pleasure in revealing to his ancient prophets the wonders of the heavens, the planets, and the great organizations that support them.

He unveiled his creations to Abraham, and showed them in great detail to Moses. Those early prophets knew about the movement of the sun, moon, and stars, and understood how they were controlled. The idea that the world was flat is something that never occurred to them, nor that the sun moved around the earth, which some at times have believed. They did not partake of the ignorance that characterized many other peoples.

Kolob, the Governor by President J. Reuben Clark

SCRIPTURES brought forth in this dispensation record that almost four thousand years ago the Lord revealed to Abraham certain great astronomical truths regarding our heavens. The full record recovered was made up partly by personal revelation to Abraham through the Urim and Thummim (those miracles in stone, by which the ancient seers saw the past and gazed into the future), and partly from "the records of the fathers, even the patriarchs, concerning the right of Priesthood, the Lord my God preserved in mine own hands; therefore a knowledge of the beginning of the creation, and also of the planets, and of the stars, as they were made known unto the fathers, have I kept even unto this day, and I shall endeavor to write some of these things upon this record, for the benefit of my posterity that shall come after me." (Abraham 1:31.)

The Night Before the Dawn By Brandt Neider

Of everything that is to happen before the return of the Lord, there is one event that seems nearly impossible. Isaiah, Nephi (quoting Isaiah), Joseph Smith and the Lord Himself all warn us that the "sun shall be darkened." 

10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. Isaiah 13:10

10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. 2Nephi 23:10

The King Follet Discourse

Because the wind blows very hard, it will hardly be possible for me to make you all hear unless I have your profound attention. I approach a matter of the greatest importance and the most solemn of any that can occupy our attention--that is, the subject of the dead. I have been requested to speak by friends and relatives of Brother Follett, who was crushed to death in a well; and inasmuch as there are a great many in this congregation who live in this city as well as elsewhere who have lost friends, I feel disposed to speak on the subject in general and offer you my ideas so far as I have ability and so far as I shall be inspired by the Holy Spirit to dwell on this subject.

The Big Bang: Convincing But Not Conclusive By Brandt Neider

Although the Big Bang theory works out really well on paper it has also taken several hits since it was first introduced in 1927, or 1929 depending on who you ask. But with each new problem that arises for the theory alternative explanations are sought rather than questioning the long-held explanation scientists have used to explain the origin of our universe.

One of the more recent discoveries casting a shadow on the Big Bang is the discovery of Black Holes that are billions of times more massive than our sun. This is a problem because astronomers say the universe is only 14 billion years old which is not enough time for a black hole to have consumed enough matter to grow that large. One black hole was discovered to be 12 billion times more massive than the sun when the universe was supposedly less than a billion years old.

"The Kolob Theorem" By Brandt Neider

"The Kolob Theorem" and similar books suggest that the Lord's kingdom is confined to the Milky Way galaxy and that our pre-mortal life was, and eventual kingdoms of glory will exist within its boundaries. This makes sense for a lot of reasons, but there are 3 major problems with it.

First, galaxies are known to collide and merge together in what is known as "Galactic Cannibalism" and our galaxy is currently on a collision course with the Andromeda galaxy. If kingdoms are separated into galaxies how would this cannibalistic behavior fit into our understanding of exaltation?

The Astronomy of the Restoration By Brandt Neider

The Astronomy that came through the Restoration was well ahead of its time. The science of that day understood the Milky Way Galaxy to be the entire universe. The Big Bang and theory of relativity were still nearly a hundred years away and the total number of planets that existed was 7 since Neptune and Pluto (which is no longer considered a planet) had yet to be discovered.

The universe we know today, filled with countless stars, planets, and galaxies wouldn't begin to be realized until the turn of the century when scientists like Albert Einstein and Edwin Hubble would turn everything we thought we knew about the universe upside down. It was during this time of limited knowledge that the prophet Joseph Smith was making some very conclusive statements about the Cosmos and even claiming these ideas came from God. With all that we know about our universe today, how does the astronomy of Joseph Smith stack up against today's science?

Our Creator's Cosmos by Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Elder Neal A. Maxwell

mp3 (right click and select "save link as" to download)

Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when this was published. This address was delivered at the Twenty-sixth Annual Church Educational System Religious Educators Conference on August 13, 2002, at Brigham Young University.

The religious education of our youth and young adults in our seminaries and institutes of religion, our Church schools, and colleges and universities is one of the most effective and high-yield programs of the Church!

Earth’s Magnetic Field: A Transfiguration By Brandt Neider

Without protection, the earth could not survive being in the presence of the sun. Through what are known as solar winds and flares the sun is constantly heaving the equivalent of 1 billion megatons of TNT at the earth. This can occur several times a day and without something to shield us our atmosphere would be ripped apart and earth would be scorched. 

So why has Earth survived the sun's presence when planets like Mars have not? The earth’s iron core, which is over 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, stirs its liquid outer core and when combined with the planet’s rotation, a magnetic field is generated. This field is the cause of the northern lights and the reason a compass points to the north. But more importantly, it acts as a shield against the charged particles flying at us from the sun that would rip apart our atmosphere and destroy life on earth. 

The Lights of the World By Brandt Neider

“all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth… all things bear record of me.” Moses 6:63

The image of Christ is woven into all of creation. This is why we are able to see Him through the gentleness of the lamb, the steadiness in rocks, and in the bread and water during the sacrament. But when the Lord said “I am the light of the world” it meant something more.

“This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.” "As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;" “Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space." Doctrine and Covenants 88:7-13