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Joseph Smith believed that "God," or "Gods," created our sun and solar system, including the earth, by pushing matter together. In the 19th century, astronomers believed, or assumed, that our sun would burn, produce heat and light, forever. They didn't know how the sun produced light and heat so they had no reason to make any other prediction. (Science is cautious.)
By the early 20th century, scientists realized that our sun produces heat and light by fusing hydrogen atoms into helium atoms. In the case of our sun, or other stars the same size, it fuses four hydrogen atoms into one helium atom. Larger stars can fuse six or eight hydrogen atoms at a time. Once science understood the mechanism for a star producing heat and light, it became obvious that the sun's supply of hydrogen would eventually run out. The sun's lifetime is measured in billions of years but it is finite.
Joseph Smith told us that "God" lives on a planet near the star Kolob. If so, Kolob, like our sun, will eventually run out of hydrogen and reach its end stage. JS assumed that stars, once formed, would last forever. It never occurred to him that his "God" would eventually have to vacate his heavenly home and look for a new one, or create a new one. It looks like LDS heavens aren't permanent.
Likewise, JS wasn't familiar with the law of entropy. According to the laws of thermodynamics, the entire universe must eventually run out of energy and run down, becoming a cold, dark, place.
Do modern Mormons ever think about this? It is clear that Joseph Smith's view of eternity was limited by what science knew, and did not know, in the early 19th century. We know more about the physical universe today. We know that the earth will not always be inhabitable, that our sun will not last forever, and even the physical universe as a whole won't last forever.
Traditional Christianity never thought that God was limited by the physical universe. The Mormon religion starts from the assumption that their God is limited by the physical universe. That limitation is a serious problem.
By the early 20th century, scientists realized that our sun produces heat and light by fusing hydrogen atoms into helium atoms. In the case of our sun, or other stars the same size, it fuses four hydrogen atoms into one helium atom. Larger stars can fuse six or eight hydrogen atoms at a time. Once science understood the mechanism for a star producing heat and light, it became obvious that the sun's supply of hydrogen would eventually run out. The sun's lifetime is measured in billions of years but it is finite.
Joseph Smith told us that "God" lives on a planet near the star Kolob. If so, Kolob, like our sun, will eventually run out of hydrogen and reach its end stage. JS assumed that stars, once formed, would last forever. It never occurred to him that his "God" would eventually have to vacate his heavenly home and look for a new one, or create a new one. It looks like LDS heavens aren't permanent.
Likewise, JS wasn't familiar with the law of entropy. According to the laws of thermodynamics, the entire universe must eventually run out of energy and run down, becoming a cold, dark, place.
Do modern Mormons ever think about this? It is clear that Joseph Smith's view of eternity was limited by what science knew, and did not know, in the early 19th century. We know more about the physical universe today. We know that the earth will not always be inhabitable, that our sun will not last forever, and even the physical universe as a whole won't last forever.
Traditional Christianity never thought that God was limited by the physical universe. The Mormon religion starts from the assumption that their God is limited by the physical universe. That limitation is a serious problem.
