Restored Israel

admin July 23rd, 2010

Sections

* Introduction
* Uniformitarianism
* Evolution
* Why Science Cannot Believe
* Plate Tectonics
* Geologic Correlations
* Summary

Introduction

In our modern society science plays a vital role in education, in decision-making processes, and in helping us know of our past and future. Beginning in the early years of school, we are taught that science has the answers. As we continue through the educational process, the idea that science is the source of knowledge and truth is continuously pressed upon us. We are instructed to make science our foundation for truth. In the Book of Mormon however, we are taught something very different:

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. (Helaman 5:12 emphasis added; cf. Isaiah 22:23; Matthew 7:24–27; 1 Corinthians 3:11–15)

Those who believe in the words of Helaman to his sons should all understand that Jesus Christ, His Gospel, and His teachings are the source of truth. When trials come, only those built on the sure foundation of the Son of God will be able to stand. Often however, Church members are willing to take the scriptures as their guide in “spiritual” things, but they neglect them for the more worldly knowledge in things that they feel science has spoken on. This, however, runs contrary to what the scriptures actually teach us to do. Nephi writes,

Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. (2 Nephi 32:1–4 emphasis added cf. Moroni 10:5)

Notice that when we “feast on” the scriptures, they don’t just instruct us on what “spiritual” things we should do and believe in, they will tell us “all things [that we] should do.” Later-day Saints must do all they can to be sure that Christ, not science, is their unbending foundation during the perilous last days; for as the Savior said, “Take heed that ye be not deceived” (Luke 21:8).

From our studies we have found that the scriptures can be an unbending foundation for truth. The evidence here presented will show how scientific evidence can be reinterpreted to fit the scriptural framework.

Is this approach really necessary though? Shortly after the time of Christ the Great Apostasy, which necessitated the Restoration, began. This apostasy happened as a result of the willingness of members of the early Christian Church to adopt Greek philosophy into their religion. The concepts of God, Atonement, premortal and post mortal life all were corrupted with the Greek ideas in an attempt to make the religion more appealing to the “learned” of that day. This process is called Hellenization (see Hugh Nibley’s World and the Prophets and James E. Talmage’s Great Apostasy for more details of the process of Hellenization in the early Christian church).

Today we face similar circumstances. The Church is once again being threatened by outside ideas; this time however, it is the process of Naturalization that threatens Christ’s Church. Naturalization is a theory denying that an event or object has any divine or supernatural significance. Once again, in order to make the religion look more appealing to the so-called “learned” of our day, naturalistic ideas are being introduced into the Church. We can be assured that this time the Church will not fall into apostasy. It will, as prophesied, “roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth” (D&C 65:2). What remains to be seen though, is who will stand firm on the foundation of Christ and who will fall with the learned that trust in the arm of flesh and think they are wise (see 2 Ne. 9:28).

True science is a search for truth. Joseph Smith taught that Later-day Saints should welcome all truth–whatever it’s source (see TPJS 313; JD 1:155). How do we know which things science presents are true and which are not? Once again, the Book of Mormon provides an answer. Jacob gives us a formula for testing the philosophies of our day. When confronted by Sherem, Jacob tested his words against the scriptures, the prophets, and the witness of the Holy Ghost:

And now… there came a man among the people of Nephi, whose name was Sherem…. And he preached many things which were flattering unto the people; and this he did that he might overthrow the doctrine of Christ. And he was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil. And he had hope to shake me from the faith… And it came to pass that he came unto me, and on this wise did he speak unto me, saying: Brother Jacob, I have sought much opportunity that I might speak unto you; for I have heard and also know that thou goest about much, preaching that which ye call the gospel, or the doctrine of Christ. And now behold, I, Sherem, declare unto you that… no man knoweth of such things; for he cannot tell of things to come. And after this manner did Sherem contend against me. And I said unto him: Deniest thou the Christ who shall come? And he said: If there should be a Christ, I would not deny him; but I know that there is no Christ, neither has been, nor ever will be. And I said unto him: Believest thou the scriptures? And he said, Yea. And I said unto him: Then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ. Behold, I say unto you that none of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ. And this is not all–it has been made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no atonement made all mankind must be lost. (Jacob 7:1–12 emphasis added)

We learn from Jacob that we must:
TEST ALL THEORIES WITH
1- The Scriptures
2- The Words of the Prophets
3- The Witness of the Holy Ghost

Our studies presented here will use this formula to examine several scientific theories and find ways to interpret the scientific evidence available today on a scriptural framework.

Uniformitarianism

Any scientific survey of the history of planet Earth will naturally start with a discussion on the principle of Uniformitarianism. James Hutton developed Uniformitarianism in the late eighteenth century in direct opposition to the then current Biblical based Catastrophism as the underlying philosophy behind geology. Basically stated, Uniformitarianism is the idea that “the laws of nature do not change with time. We assume that the chemical and physical laws operating today have operated throughout all time” (Hamblin 182).

When first developed, and as usually taught in introductory geology classes, Uniformitarianism denies past short-term, earth-changing events like those found in scripture and teaches that the earth is billions of years old (as opposed to the Biblical standard 6,000). The modern view of Uniformitarianism, often called Actualism, allows for these events, but still implies a very old earth.

Scientists have developed many different methods to date materials found in the earth. Superposition is used to determine the relative ages of different rock strata. Superposition is the idea that “in an undisturbed succession of sedimentary rock layers, the oldest layer is at the bottom, and the youngest layer is at the top” (Wicander 26). From looking at the huge amounts of layers found in the earth, geologists as far back as Hutton held that the earth must be much older than previously thought.

More recently, scientists have developed so-called “absolute-dating” methods. These methods measure the decay of radioactive isotopes in rocks to determine the rock’s age (this is discussed in detail in the paper GEOLOGIC DATING METHODS). Based on these two dating methods, scientists generally believe that the earth is roughly 4.5 billion years old (Hamblin 206; Wicander 23).

Hamblin and Christiansen wrote that this number might seem “astonishing” and “not easy to deal with” (206). Indeed it is–especially when evaluated as Jacob has outlined.

The first analysis to which we will subject the idea of typical Uniformitarianism and the idea of a 4.5 billion year old earth is the test of the scriptures. In March of 1832 Joseph Smith the Prophet was engaged in translating the Book of Revelation. Not understanding many of the things he read, Joseph went to the Lord with several questions. Two of these questions refer specifically to the age of the earth. In Doctrine and Covenants 77:6–7 we read:

Q. What are we to understand by the book which John saw, which was sealed on the back with seven seals?
A. We are to understand that it contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence.
Q. What are we to understand by the seven seals with which it was sealed?
A. We are to understand that the first seal contains the things of the first thousand years, and the second also of the second thousand years, and so on until the seventh. (Emphasis added)

Here the Lord clearly taught Joseph Smith that the earth’s temporal existence, or from the time of the Fall of Adam through the completion of God’s work on earth, would be seven thousand years. Later in verse 12 we read:

Q. What are we to understand by the sounding of the trumpets, mentioned in the 8th chapter of Revelation?
A. We are to understand that as God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day he finished his work, and sanctified it, and also formed man out of the dust of the earth, even so, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man… when he shall have sealed all things, unto the end of all things… in the beginning of the seventh thousand years–the preparing of the way before the time of his coming. (Emphasis added)

Here again Joseph was taught that in the beginning of the seventh thousand-year period the earth would be sanctified or cleansed for the beginning of the Millennium. Section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants, one of the great sections concerning the last days, also supports this idea of the earth existing for seven thousand years. Verses 108-110 are as follows:

And then shall the first angel again sound his trump in the ears of all living, and reveal the secret acts of men, and the mighty works of God in the first thousand years. And then shall the second angel sound his trump, and reveal the secret acts of men, and the thoughts and intents of their hearts, and the mighty works of God in the second thousand years–And so on, until the seventh angel shall sound his trump; and he shall stand forth upon the land and upon the sea, and swear in the name of him who sitteth upon the throne, that there shall be time no longer; and Satan shall be bound, that old serpent, who is called the devil, and shall not be loosed for the space of a thousand years. (Emphasis added)

Modern revelation then makes very clear that the earth’s temporal existence will only be seven thousand years. Yet some people have tried to twist and distort these verses to mean something different (though, modern prophets are consistent in their literal interpretation of the verses). As further evidence of a straightforward interpretation are the reconstructed scriptural chronologies and genealogy tables. Often when reading the scriptures one has a tendency to skip over the genealogies and details on the timeframe of events. This first chart presents a compilation of the details of the chronology of the time from Nephi back to Adam. The charts clearly illustrate that it is currently about 6,000 years from the time of Adam. The reliability of these charts in showing the approximate time periods is very high (see the cited scriptures and notes for details). At most they could be off by about 200 years, but defiantly nowhere near a thousand or more.

The genealogy charts, compiled from the Bible, modern scripture, and other teachings of Joseph Smith, provide even more accurate evidence of the time elapsed from Adam to the present. Again, although a few hundred years could be miscounted, there is no place for a thousand.

Although not as explicate as the scriptures, modern prophets and apostles agree that the age of the earth is currently around 6,000 years. Commenting on Doctrine and Covenants 77:6, Joseph Fielding Smith wrote:

By the seven thousand years of temporal existence is meant the time of the earth’s duration from the fall of Adam to the end of time, which will come after the Millennium and “a little season” which will follow. [Sec. 29:22-23; 88:111.] (Church History and Modern Revelation, 1948, 2:64. cf. Orson F. Whitney in Saturday Night Thoughts, 1921, pp. 10-12. and Orson Pratt in Journal of Discourses, 1878, 19:290).

It is clearly established from the scriptures and the words of prophets then, that the earth’s temporal existence has only been approximately 6,000 years up to this point. The argument is often put forward that the temporal earth may only be that old, but the earth itself is much older. This may be the case, but as will be shown later more fully, science teaches that fossils of complex organisms are dated as being up to 570 million years old (Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia cv. ediacaran fauna). This idea is at variance with the teachings that the Fall of Adam (6,000 years ago) brought death into the world (see section FALL OF ADAM in this paper for more details).

We are forced to make a decision: which will we believe–the scriptures or scientific evidence as it is currently interpreted?

Scientists base Uniformitarianism, like all scientific theories, on vast amounts of observations. What could cause a misinterpretation of scientific data gathered? If events in the earth’s past were perhaps not as uniform as they currently are, Uniformitarianism–the foundation theory for all geology–would not be as accurate as it is believed to be. Many Bible–believing people think only of Noah’s Flood when considering geologic catastrophic events mentioned in scripture; however, there are at least nine major events that should be taken into consideration:

1. Fall of Adam
2. Noah’s Flood
3. Earth’s Division in the Days of Peleg
4. Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
5. Moses’ Plagues in Egypt
6. Joshua Holding the Sun Still
7. Isaiah Making the Sun Retrogress Eleven Degrees
8. The Signs at Christ’s Birth and Death
9. The Signs Which Will Proceed Christ’s Second Coming

Each of these events, and probably others, should show up somewhere in the geologic record (in fact they do, see GEOLOGIC CORRELATIONS in this paper).

As shown above, extreme Uniformitarianism is not as reliable as it first appears when tested against the scriptures and the words of prophets. Each geologic dating method also used to show a 4.5 billion year old earth stands or falls on the theory of Uniformitarianism (see GEOLOGIC DATING METHODS for a detailed examination of each method).

Uniformitarianism (and more especially Actualism) still has merits. Nowhere in scripture or in the words of prophets are we told that the laws of nature have changed. In fact, James E. Talmage of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained miracles like those we have examined as follows:

Miracles cannot be in contravention of natural law, but are wrought through the operation of laws not universally or commonly recognized. (139)

The basic premise of Uniformitarianism is true then according to Elder Talmage. Yet obviously there are many natural laws that man is not aware of and therefore is far from understanding. As has been shown, many of the assumptions currently believed about Uniformitarianism simply do not agree with the revealed word of God as found in scriptures and in the teachings of modern apostles and prophets. The final standard of Jacob’s tests for finding truth was a personal witness of the Holy Ghost. God has promised, “by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:5). Find out for yourself the truthfulness of Uniformitarianism.

Evolution

The second theory to examine on Jacob’s terms is the theory of Evolution. Monroe W. Strickberger from the University of California, Berkeley defined Evolution as the “genetic changes in populations of organisms through time that lead to differences among them” (598). Simple logic will prove this definition true to a point. Obviously Noah did not take hundreds of species of dogs, thousands of rodents and millions of insects on to the Arc. Evolution can be substantiated among species, genus and even possibly families, but once we get into orders, classes, and sub-phylums we approach shaky ground. For example, it is very conceivable that the different types of coyotes all came from the same ancestors; that coyotes and wolves both came from a common ancestors; it is even possible to conceive that foxes, coyotes and wolves all came from one common ancestor (click here for an example–picture taken from Historical Geology 120). The aspect of the theory of Evolution that we wish to examine is the idea that all life evolved from a common ancestor (picture taken from Historical Geology 113): that man descended from apes, that whales descended from mice, that birds from dinosaurs, and that ultimately all life descended from simple single-celled organisms.

Evolution depends heavily upon the ideas of Uniformitarianism. Shortly after the development of the theory of Uniformitarianism, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life and The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex in which he set forth his arguments and evidence for evolution. Darwin developed his theories while studying aboard the H.M.S. Beagle. “The voyage took five years to go around the world, spending most of its time off the coast of South America… While on the Beagle, he [Darwin] had read each of the three volumes of Lyell’s Principles of Geology as soon as they were published, and began to seen not only geology but also biology in the Lyellian uniformitarian way” (Prothero 66-67). “Essential to Darwin’s argument was a belief that the age of the earth extended beyond anything ever proposed before” (Strickberger 38). Obviously at the current stage of evolutionary progress things would have had to be developing, evolving and dieing for hundreds of millions of years prior for Darwin’s theory to hold water. Current research claims to have found fossils of bacteria from 3.4 billion years ago (Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia cv. Evolution; we won’t even try to examine the vitality of the claims to have found a fossil of a tiny organism lacking a cell wall or any other ‘hard’ substance that lived in a massive ocean almost completely alone). As shown prior, many of the principles of Uniformitarianism are in contradiction with scriptures and the words of prophets.

What of the principle of Evolution on their own? Do they stand up against Jacob’s test? We first turn again to the Fall of Adam. According to the scriptures and the apostles, Adam’s Fall initiated death on this earth. As shown previously, Adam’s Fall was defiantly within the last few thousand years. This is not way for things to be dying, making fossils, and evolving for millions of years if the scriptures are to be trusted in placing Adam about 6,000 years ago (for more information and documentation see Church Leaders on the Age of the Earth)

Most people are not aware of what the development of the theory of evolution did to Charles Darwin. Before his studies began, he was a devout Christian-he even studied to enter the ministry. With the development of his theory though, he said, “I never gave up Christianity until I was forty years of age” (Desmond 658). Christ gave us a foolproof test for just these sorts of ideas. He said simply, “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:20). Moroni elaborated upon this idea by explaining

For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. (Moroni 7:15–17)

Although some have tried to find ways to reconcile the scriptures with a belief in evolution, Darwin and many others have been unable to do so (for more information see WHY DARWINISM MATTERS).

What of all the evidence that science has found? Unfortunately because of misinterpretations (picture taken from Historical Geology 498), misrepresentations (picture taken from Historical Geology 522), and over-believe in Uniformitarianism ideas, scientists have created an impressive mirage that many mistake for the truth.

Just briefly, lets look at what we would find in the fossil record if Adam’s Fall was the means of bringing death and reproductive powers to the world. All things would begin to reproduce, fill the earth, and die. All the plants and animals would not reproduce, fill the earth, and become fossils at the same rate though. Things that could reproduce fastest (with the shortest gestation period) would naturally fill the earth the fastest. Without as many predators, the fastest reproducing-usually the least complex-organisms would rule the earth. As the more complex organisms caught up though, they would naturally begin to take over. In order to find a fossil, the organism has to die and be buried in perfect conditions. The likely hood of this happening is increased when there are more organisms dieing.

Once you overcome dating problem (see GEOLOGIC DATING METHODS) the fossil record seems not to testify of evolution, but of the Fall of Adam and the scriptures.

As has been shown here and elsewhere, the theory of Evolution is incompatible with a literal interpretation of the scriptures and with majority of the modern apostles teaching. The most convincing test though is the test of the Holy Ghost. Ask God about evolution. He’ll answer.

To summarize what we have seen so far: we have found that a strict Uniformitarian view of the earth is at variance with the God’s revealed word. We have found that Evolution of all species from a common ancestor also contradicts the Gospel message. It is interesting to see that the events written of in scripture are being fulfilled in our day. The Lord prophesied that the Gentile nations would deny Him-He according warned us not to put our trust in the precepts of men. He further stated that cultures that deny His revelations would have them taken away:

For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have. Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost. Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts! For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts. (2 Nephi 28:30–32)

Today, the scientists of the “Gentile nations” have been the fulfillment to this prophecy, as they no longer believe in:

* The Fall of Adam
* Noah’s flood
* The miracles of the Old Testament (Peleg, Moses, Joshua, Isaiah etc.)

Because the very scriptural stories they don’t believe, are the keys to correlating scientific evidence with scriptural history they have not been able to, nor ever will be able to find the true harmony between scriptural and scientific history. Because they refuse to even consider the truthfulness of scriptures concerning Noah’s flood or a literal Fall, they will not believe the true correlation when it is shown to them. Modern “science” cannot believe in these things because they are “foolishness” or “impossible.” This too has been spoken of in scripture:

1 Corinthians 2:10–14
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit… even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

3 Nephi 26:9–10
And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.

Luke 10:21
In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

As the world becomes more polarized in preparation for the destruction of the wicked and the Second Coming of Christ, each person needs to ask themselves what their foundation will be-science, or Christ’s teachings in the scriptures and through modern prophets.

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation (Helaman 5:12 emphasis added).

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