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FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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{{CreationPortal}} | {{CreationPortal}} | ||
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*The Bible dictionary says the Earth is 7,000 years old. Doctrine & Covenants say the 7 seals of the Earth represent 1,000 years. Yet scientific dating places the appearance of modern humans well before 4,000 BC. Can you explain the contradiction, if there is one? | *The Bible dictionary says the Earth is 7,000 years old. Doctrine & Covenants say the 7 seals of the Earth represent 1,000 years. Yet scientific dating places the appearance of modern humans well before 4,000 BC. Can you explain the contradiction, if there is one? | ||
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:''In these respects we differ from the Christian world, for our religion will not clash with or contradict the facts of science in any particular...whether the Lord found the earth empty and void, whether he made it out of nothing or out of the rude elements; or whether he made it in six days or in as many millions of years, is and will remain a matter of speculation in the minds of men unless he give revelation on the subject. If we understood the process of creation there would be no mystery about it, it would be all reasonable and plain, for there is no mystery except to the ignorant.'' | :''In these respects we differ from the Christian world, for our religion will not clash with or contradict the facts of science in any particular...whether the Lord found the earth empty and void, whether he made it out of nothing or out of the rude elements; or whether he made it in six days or in as many millions of years, is and will remain a matter of speculation in the minds of men unless he give revelation on the subject. If we understood the process of creation there would be no mystery about it, it would be all reasonable and plain, for there is no mystery except to the ignorant.'' | ||
:—Brigham Young, ''Journal of Discourses'' 14:166, May 14, 1871 | :—Brigham Young, ''Journal of Discourses'' 14:166, May 14, 1871 | ||
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The language in our scriptures from which such dating of the "age of the earth" is drawn is not intended to provide the kinds of scientific information that some people insist on having. The best answer to questions about the date of Adam or the age of the earth is simply that we have no revealed knowledge on the topic. It is also important to bear in mind that having or not having such information is not crucial for our salvation. | The language in our scriptures from which such dating of the "age of the earth" is drawn is not intended to provide the kinds of scientific information that some people insist on having. The best answer to questions about the date of Adam or the age of the earth is simply that we have no revealed knowledge on the topic. It is also important to bear in mind that having or not having such information is not crucial for our salvation. | ||
− | ==Endnotes== | + | =={{Endnotes label}}== |
#{{note|matthews.48}}{{Ensign1|author=Robert J. Matthews|article=Using the New Bible Dictionary in the LDS Edition|date=June 1982|start=48}}{{link|url=http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=a054aeca0ea6b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1}} | #{{note|matthews.48}}{{Ensign1|author=Robert J. Matthews|article=Using the New Bible Dictionary in the LDS Edition|date=June 1982|start=48}}{{link|url=http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=a054aeca0ea6b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1}} | ||
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#{{note|rev5-1}}The passage is referring to the book seen in {{b||Revelation|5|1}}. | #{{note|rev5-1}}The passage is referring to the book seen in {{b||Revelation|5|1}}. | ||
− | ==Further reading== | + | =={{Further reading label}}== |
− | ===FAIR wiki articles=== | + | ==={{FAIR wiki articles label}}=== |
{{evolutionwiki}} | {{evolutionwiki}} | ||
− | ===FAIR web site=== | + | ==={{FAIR web site label}}=== |
{{evolutionfair}} | {{evolutionfair}} | ||
− | ===External links=== | + | ==={{External links label}}=== |
{{evolutionlinks}} | {{evolutionlinks}} | ||
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{{evolutionprinted}} | {{evolutionprinted}} | ||
[[fr:Mormonism and science/Age of the Earth]] | [[fr:Mormonism and science/Age of the Earth]] |
This page is based on an answer to a question submitted to the FAIR web site, or a frequently asked question.
Answers portal |
Creation |
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Adam and Eve: |
Creation: |
Evolution: |
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==
Regarding the LDS Bible Dictionary, the Church has been explicit that it is not to be taken as a statement of revealed Church doctrine. The introduction to the Bible Dictionary includes the following statement:
Robert J. Matthews, who was part of the committee in the late 1970s to create the LDS editions of the scriptures, including the study aids, said:
Elder Bruce R. McConkie had this to say regarding "the Joseph Smith Translation items, the chapter headings, Topical Guide, Bible Dictionary, footnotes, the Gazetteer, and the maps":
To summarize, the entry in the Bible Dictionary is not part of the canon of scripture and is not binding upon anyone.
The placement of Adam at 4,000 BC has a rather long history. Perhaps the most famous attempt was made by the Irish Anglican Bishop of Ussher, who calculated the date as 4,004 (and even calculated it down to the month and day!). Such a dating, however, is not in our scriptures, even if a version of it has been included into our Bible Dictionary.
The Encyclopedia of Mormonism article "Earth," states unequivocally:
There are varying opinions among Latter-day Saints on the age of the earth. Some believe in a "young earth." Many Saints accept an old earth in the billions of years. Many probably have no strong opinions or thoughts one way or the other.
Doctrine and Covenants 77:6–7 contains the only canonized statement specifically identifying the age of the earth:
Like many passages in scripture, this one is open to some interpretation. A literal reading has led some to conclude that the Earth is 7,000 years old. But other take a more symbolic or figurative interpretation that the 1,000-year dispensations are figurative in the sense of "large spans of time." This follows the Hebrew use of "thousand" ('elef), which sometimes meant a literal one thousand, and other times was more generically used to indicate "a large amount."
Furthermore, the phrase "temporal existence" allows for, if not implies, an existence prior to that. The chronological extent of the earth's creative period is not detailed specifically in scripture. There could quite possibly be a transition from the creative process to temporal existence thus allowing for a new period in the earth's history and thus the 7000 years.
J. Reuben Clark |
This is one of many issues about which the Church has no official position. As President J. Reuben Clark taught under assignment from the First Presidency:
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Harold B. Lee |
Harold B. Lee was emphatic that only one person can speak for the Church:
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First Presidency |
This was recently reiterated by the First Presidency (who now approves all statements published on the Church's official website):
In response to a letter "received at the office of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" in 1912, Charles W. Penrose of the First Presidency wrote:
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References |
Notes
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== The language in our scriptures from which such dating of the "age of the earth" is drawn is not intended to provide the kinds of scientific information that some people insist on having. The best answer to questions about the date of Adam or the age of the earth is simply that we have no revealed knowledge on the topic. It is also important to bear in mind that having or not having such information is not crucial for our salvation.
== Notes ==
FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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