Ensign, ‘In the Beginning,’ January 1998 “Modern revelation through the Prophet Joseph Smith clarifies the events described in Genesis 1–3, putting them into perspective. … Because what is recorded in Genesis is very brief in nature—…—detail is lacking. But through the blessings of additional scriptures, including the Joseph Smith Translation, and through what we learn in the temple and in the teachings of living prophets, we have answers to many fundamental questions that come to mind as one studies the Bible. …
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.” — Robert J. Woodford
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
In the ‘70’s Utah public schools loaded students on buses for the yearly field trip to Vernal, located in eastern Utah. Vernal sits 10 miles outside the popular tourist site Dinosaur National Monument, home to a quarry where archaeologists have been digging dinosaur bones out of the side of a mountain since the 1950’s.
The predominant thing I took away from attending Utah public schools was God ‘created the earth’, but it probably took him millions of years to do so. After a few months of studying the earth’s formation, we all made the ½ day trek to Vernal/Jenson, Utah. It was stressed again that evolution wasn’t the answer, but neither was the biblical account of the earth’s creation.
Looking back, I often wonder if they’re still allowed to teach such things. Be that as it may, LDS members are taught the same things from the pulpit today, and even BYU. Last week we looked at Mr. Woodford’s Ensign article where he stated Mormons were working towards godhood status. Today’s reference comes from that same article.
As a reminder, the Church considers Mr. Woodford an expert on all things Joe Smith. He’s one of the editors of the Joseph Smith Papers, and author of The Historical Development of the Doctrine and Covenants. That book stemmed from a dissertation he wrote for his PhD, and is considered one of the premiere works on the D&C.
His Ensign article is an example of what Utah kids are taught in church, and most certainly their LDS Seminary classes as well. He’s the author of many of their manuals… Not to be forgotten are the adults who are also taught these things in their weekly classes.
To that end, we’re asking Christians to pray for those who are subjected to the blasphemous doctrines the Church produces through the guise of ‘experts’ like Mr. Woodford. Members of the Church, including Mr. Woodford, are in dire need of Christian prayers on their behalf!
With Love in Christ;
Michelle
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