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:

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 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 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.

Our Creator's Cosmos by Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Elder Neal A. Maxwell

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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.

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