Question: Do the statements in the Book of Abraham regarding Kolob's revolution time make any sense?

PlanetReckoning

Criticism

"LDS doctrine regarding astronomy is permeated with references to time being measured, or 'reckoned' according to a star's or planet's rate of rotation. Furthermore, this 'reckoning of time' is a prime distinguisher in terms of 'greatness.' From the standpoint of modern cosmology, this makes no sense at all. Rates of rotation are largely arbitrary, and of little comment or concern from a fundamental point of view."

Source(s) of the criticism

• Duwayne R. Anderson, Farewell to Eden- Coming to terms with Mormonism and Science (First Books Library, 2003) 110-114.

• MormonThink, “Conflicts with Science,” mormonthink.com (accessed 3 Aug 2009).

Response

Mr. Anderson and the authors of the web page have confused rotation with revolution. Though the technical distinction is often blurred, even by astronomers in today's world, at the time of Joseph Smith, the two terms denoted technically different things. 'To rotate' means to spin on an axis, like a top or like a planet. It applies only to an extended body. 'To revolve' means to go around. This term may be applied to a point that moves around another point. The Earth rotates on its axis once per day and a point on the surface of the earth revolves about the axis at the same rate. The Moon revolves about the Earth once per month. It also rotates about its axis at the same rate. This is not a coincidence, but the result of tidal dissipation. The Book of Abraham uses the term 'revolution' and it clearly gets the term right. Abraham 3:5,9 States:

5 And the Lord said unto me: The planet which is the lesser light, lesser than that which is to rule the day, even the night, is above or greater than that upon which thou standest in point of reckoning, for it moveth in order more slow; this is in order because it standeth above the earth upon which thou standest, therefore the reckoning of its time is not so many as to its number of days, and of months, and of years.

9 And thus there shall be the reckoning of the time of one planet above another, until thou come nigh unto Kolob, which Kolob is after the reckoning of the Lord’s time; which Kolob is set nigh unto the throne of God, to govern all those planets which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest.

Conclusion

Until someone can make a convincing case that their interpretation of these things is the only reasonable one, any faith-promoting proof from Abraham’s astronomy is a flimsy house of cards and any faith-destroying attack on some straw-man interpretation is laughable. Among the laughable interpretations is the unjustified suggestion that Abraham taught that the photons leaving the surface of the sun actually came from Kolob.