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zerinus wrote:

Doctor CamNC4Me wrote:I'm genuinely curious what you think the earth was like before Adam's transgression.

- Doc

Your question is not as straightforward as you might think. When you say “death before Adam’s fall,” how far do you want to go back “before Adam’s fall”? You see, in Mormon theology this earth is not the only inhabited planet. There have been trillions of them before, and will continue to be after. The universe has been and will continue to be full of inhabited planets. So “death before the Fall” needs to be understood in that context. So was there “death before the Fall”? Yes there was, at least on other planets. As far as this planet specifically is concerned, again we don’t know the answer to that question if you go back far enough.

zerinus wrote:Your question is not as straightforward as you might think. When you say “death before Adam’s fall,” how far do you want to go back “before Adam’s fall”? You see, in Mormon theology this earth is not the only inhabited planet. There have been trillions of them before, and will continue to be after. The universe has been and will continue to be full of inhabited planets. So “death before the Fall” needs to be understood in that context. So was there “death before the Fall”? Yes there was, at least on other planets. As far as this planet specifically is concerned, again we don’t know the answer to that question if you go back far enough. Was this earth part of an earlier “creation cycle”? We have no way of knowing, unless it is revealed to us by God. But I think that the real question you are asking is:

1. Do I believe in the literal creation story of the Bible?
2. Do I believe in Evolution?
3. How do I explain the discovery fossils dating back millions of years?

The answer to the first question is Yes.
The answer to the second question is No.

The answer to the third question is, I don't know. There are too many unknowns to be able to answer that question without further revelation. But I believe there is no contradiction between that and my earlier statements. The existence of fossils dating back to millions of years before the chronology of creation story of the Bible does not invalidate the creation story. Other explanations for it exist which do not cause a contradiction between two.

I have a question wrote:How do you account for Labradoodles?

moksha wrote:Zerinus, do you believe that a literal interpretation of the creation story is essential in your own version of the LDS faith?

I know it is both unessential in my version . . .

. . . and that literalness actually diminishes its worth by adding a needless degree of superstition.

I want a faith that gives me both comfort and meaning . . .

. . . without resorting to pretzelized explanations.

When I take a leap of faith I want to land in clear warm water rather than on thin ice.

zerinus wrote:Your question is not as straightforward as you might think. When you say “death before Adam’s fall,” how far do you want to go back “before Adam’s fall”? You see, in Mormon theology this earth is not the only inhabited planet. There have been trillions of them before, and will continue to be after. The universe has been and will continue to be full of inhabited planets. So “death before the Fall” needs to be understood in that context. So was there “death before the Fall”? Yes there was, at least on other planets. As far as this planet specifically is concerned, again we don’t know the answer to that question if you go back far enough. Was this earth part of an earlier “creation cycle”? We have no way of knowing, unless it is revealed to us by God. But I think that the real question you are asking is:

1. Do I believe in the literal creation story of the Bible?
2. Do I believe in Evolution?
3. How do I explain the discovery fossils dating back millions of years?

The answer to the first question is Yes.
The answer to the second question is No.

The answer to the third question is, I don't know. There are too many unknowns to be able to answer that question without further revelation. But I believe there is no contradiction between that and my earlier statements. The existence of fossils dating back to millions of years before the chronology of creation story of the Bible does not invalidate the creation story. Other explanations for it exist which do not cause a contradiction between two.

zerinus wrote:

moksha wrote:Zerinus, do you believe that a literal interpretation of the creation story is essential in your own version of the LDS faith?

For the most part yes. Parts of it may be allegorical, but not all of it. The story of Eve being created out of Adam's rib is very likely allegorical, but the story of Adam and Eve itself, the Fall, and the rest is literal.