Is there any official doctrine on the age of the earth? I know you believe the KJV Bible "as long as it has been translated correctly," but in light of recent evolution and creation debates, I would like a reference saying what you officially believe.
*Note*
I am a Christian apologist, but I did not post this question to mock or debate anything. Anyone who cannot intelligently answer my question need not respond.
2007-10-01 08:29:23 · 12 answers · asked by kdanley 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
-Galactic-
Read my response again. At no time did I use the words "crazy" or "cult." If you inferred it that way, then that is your problem. You should answer questions that others have about your faith. Read I Peter 3:15.
2007-10-01 08:52:14 · update #1
I already know about the "day age" theory, gap theory and others. Just stick to my question, please.
2007-10-01 08:56:23 · update #2
None that I am aware of, but these might help.
2007-10-01 08:37:28 · answer #1 · answered by Dublin Ducky 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
My understanding is that the 6000 years began with the fall (Adam & Eve driven from the Garden). The earth existed obviously before that. I don't know how long.
In my mind, there are a couple of unaccounted for time spans that may figure into the age of the earth:
a) the time after Adam was placed in the garden and before the fall - who knows how long that was
b) (possibly more relevant) prior to Adam being on the earth, as it went through the six creative periods - they are called 'days', but I don't believe the meaning there is really 24 hours.
The creation/organization of the earth itself (in my opinion) could have been over the span of millions of years.
Another theory (there isn't much support for this one, so I don't throw much weight behind it) is that since the Earth was organized from existing matter, some of the dating we do may have relation to the age of that matter, which pre-dates the earth in its current form.
The question there is, was the earth organized from a cloud of monatomic dust, much as we suppose planets and solar systems form? or was it made up of larger particles/chunks/or even 'modules'.
I tend to believe the former, more scientific explanation.
Short answer, It makes sense to me that the earth and other planets were formed in the way that we scientifically postulate that they were formed, over millions of years, and that this time frame is referred covered in scripture as the six creative periods, or 'days'.
Note that this isn't something I remember being taught as a matter of mormon doctrine. It is just my opinion - I could be wrong...
2007-10-01 15:42:57 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
The church itself doesn't have any real "stand" on the issue, but......In the book of Abraham, the phases of creation are not called the “day” (Gen. 1:5, 8, 13) but “the second time,” “the third time” (Abr. 4:8, 13; emphasis added), and so forth. We therefore learn that periods of time for the Creation may have lasted 24 hours each, 1,000 years, or even millions of years. The periods of time are indeterminate in length; as one phase of the creation was finished, the next began. Therefore the age of the earth before Adam and Eve could have been great indeed.
Most LDS scholars indicate that there are many indeterminates involved with the length of the creation - for example, God's time vs man's time - the length of Adam and Eve's stay in the garden (and what may have been evolving outside during that time.......
edit: we don't believe in evolution per say - we do believe that things are adapting/evolving as a course of nature (proven)- but most LDS believe in intelligent design.
2007-10-01 15:35:14 · answer #3 · answered by phrog 7 · 9⤊ 1⤋
We believe the earth was created spiritually before it was created physically. The spiritual creation was in time periods called days, but we have no idea how long they really took or the definition of a 'day,' which is different on each planet.
The mortal earth was finished when Adam was created, but until Adam fell and became mortal the earth was not mortal and wasn't until Adam was cast out of the garden. That was ~6000 years ago.
The Lord gave us plenty of mysteries to keep us from getting too bored.
2007-10-01 15:46:57 · answer #4 · answered by Warren W- a Mormon engineer 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Mormon's believe the same thing christians believe when it comes to the age of the earth. Not to say that any religion has a concrete answer to the question. I have been a part of many debates on this topic and it really comes down to the enterpretation of the hebrew language. If you ask any of the elders of the church, they will tell you that only God can answer that question.
2007-10-01 15:35:11 · answer #5 · answered by RayCATNG 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
There is really no official doctrine on the age of the earth.
We believe this earth was organized, not created out of nothing. It was organized with materials already in existance. We also dont know how long Adam and Eve was actually in the garden of eden.
We dont believe in evolution. We believe that man and animals were created seperatly. But we dont exactly know how that creation took place.
2007-10-01 15:33:33 · answer #6 · answered by cadisneygirl 7 · 7⤊ 1⤋
There is no official age. The six days of creation are sometimes called 'periods of creation'.
2007-10-01 15:38:24 · answer #7 · answered by Isolde 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
In my time as a mormon, it was known as dispensations, they had it maped out in the bible to...IE, from adam to Noah, a thousand years, the first dispensation, Noah to Abraham, the second dispensation, ect about six of them or we are in the sixth one and thus the end is near.
2007-10-01 23:10:26 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Mormon's are christian. They believe the same things that christians do. They just believe that prophets can talk directly to god and that god can still give us info to live by. Methodists in compairison believe that all the info that god gave was in the bible. Thats all we get till Jesus comes back.
2007-10-01 15:32:52 · answer #9 · answered by Hoptoad City 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
no official age of the Earth.
The church focuses on the fact that God created the Earth and not one the exact science or lack there of on how it was created.
Personally I take the "timetable" in Genesis as metaphorical and not literal -- but there is no official church position.
D
2007-10-01 20:26:46 · answer #10 · answered by Dionysus 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Check out this link. It features information on LDS.ORG about this and similar topics. I think this will get you the best answer.
http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.062a5ea6a5e8d8661b622015f1e543a0?vgnextoid=84010fd41d93b010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&hideNav=1&bucket=AllChurchContent&query=The+age+of+the+earth&submit=Search
2007-10-01 15:36:10 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋