Mormonism and Natural Theology
Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:39 am
I listened to a Sunstone presentation by Michael Walton today on Joseph Smith and natural theology. The presentation pointed out a couple very interesting verses in the Book of Mormon. Walton's commentary was minimal, and I think actually understates the significance of these verses. Here they are with my comments:
If you’ve read any nineteenth century natural theology, you’ll realize that the above is fairly typical of arguments from design in that period. Nineteenth-century apologists were very impressed by the orderliness of the Newtonian cosmos, which seemed to be held in regular equilibrium by invisible, supernatural forces.
A common criticism of the Bible in the post-Copernican era was that Joshua 10:12-3 had said the sun stood still. Copernicus revealed to the world that the sun was stationary all the time, and that in fact the apparent motion of the sun was due to the rotation of the earth. Bible-believers usually rejoined that Joshua was writing from an earthly perspective, and that “the sun stood still” was not to be taken as a scientific statement. Here Joseph Smith has his ancient writers pre-empt the modern critics by offering this apologetic a few thousand years in advance of the controversy.
Just in case anyone is wondering why it says "the earth goeth back," think about the moon orbiting the earth. We never see the so-called "dark side" of the moon because as it revolves around the earth, it rotates backwards at just the right rate for the same side always to be facing us. (This is called synchronous orbit.) This is basically the solution Joseph Smith is proposing to the sun-standing-still problem. Of course, what Joseph Smith didn't realize is that the earth already rotates backwards. It just rotates backwards at a very fast rate. In order to obtain the effect he wants, all he'd need is to slow down its backwards rotation. A lot. I suppose I don't have to point out that such a dramatic change in the earth's rotation would probably kill everything. (Shhh! Don't tell the Mormons!)
-Chris
Alma 30:44 reads, “But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.”
If you’ve read any nineteenth century natural theology, you’ll realize that the above is fairly typical of arguments from design in that period. Nineteenth-century apologists were very impressed by the orderliness of the Newtonian cosmos, which seemed to be held in regular equilibrium by invisible, supernatural forces.
Helaman 12:15 says, “And thus, according to his word the earth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still; yea, and behold, this is so; for surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun.”
A common criticism of the Bible in the post-Copernican era was that Joshua 10:12-3 had said the sun stood still. Copernicus revealed to the world that the sun was stationary all the time, and that in fact the apparent motion of the sun was due to the rotation of the earth. Bible-believers usually rejoined that Joshua was writing from an earthly perspective, and that “the sun stood still” was not to be taken as a scientific statement. Here Joseph Smith has his ancient writers pre-empt the modern critics by offering this apologetic a few thousand years in advance of the controversy.
Just in case anyone is wondering why it says "the earth goeth back," think about the moon orbiting the earth. We never see the so-called "dark side" of the moon because as it revolves around the earth, it rotates backwards at just the right rate for the same side always to be facing us. (This is called synchronous orbit.) This is basically the solution Joseph Smith is proposing to the sun-standing-still problem. Of course, what Joseph Smith didn't realize is that the earth already rotates backwards. It just rotates backwards at a very fast rate. In order to obtain the effect he wants, all he'd need is to slow down its backwards rotation. A lot. I suppose I don't have to point out that such a dramatic change in the earth's rotation would probably kill everything. (Shhh! Don't tell the Mormons!)
-Chris