Astronomers Find Planet Made Of Diamond

[Avatar4321]

http://news.yahoo.com/astronomers-discover-planet-made-diamond-180427124.html

Now what does this have to do with Mormonism? Here:

8 The place where God resides is a great Urim and Thummim.

9 This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be Christ’s.

10 Then the white stone mentioned in Revelation 2:17, will become a Urim and Thummim to each individual who receives one, whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms will be made known;

11 And a white stone is given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. The new name is the key word. (D&C 130:8-11)

I just thought it was interesting to reflect on.

[smac97]

Argh! I wanted to post this first! Ah well. Here's mine:

Here (I've bolded/italicized the interesting bits):

Astronomers in Australia have discovered the densest planet outside the solar system yet, the journal Science reported today, and they're speculating that it's composed of ultradense diamond. "Lying 4,000 light years away, or around an eighth of the way toward the center of the Milky Way from the Earth, the planet is probably the remnant of a once-massive star that has lost its outer layers" to a dead neutron star, or "pulsar star," Reuters notes. Matthew Bailes, one of the authors of the study, describes the planet as "a massive diamond orbiting a neutron star every two hours in an orbit so tight it would fit inside our own Sun." The astronomers detected the planet using radio telescopes and hypothesize that a high-pressure environment caused the planet's carbon core to crystallize into diamond.

Ben Stappers of the University of Manchester tells Reuters he doesn't know what the planet would look like up close, though he adds, "I don't imagine that a picture of a very shiny object is what we're looking at here." But Travis Metcalfe of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado thinks otherwise. "It's highly speculative, but if you shine a light on it, I can't see any reason why it wouldn't sparkle like a diamond," he explains to New Scientist (so, our lead photo is either highly misleading or directionally accurate).

So why am I posting this article here? Because the imagery of a "diamond planet" in close proximity to a star seemed a wee bit familiar:

Abraham 3:2-3

2 And I saw the stars, that they were very great, and that

one of them was nearest unto the throne of God

; and there were many great ones which were near unto it;

3 And the Lord said unto me: These are the governing ones; and

the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near unto me

, for I am the Lord thy God: I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest.

...

And thus there shall be the reckoning of the time of one planet above another, until thou come nigh unto Kolob, which Kolob is after the reckoning of the Lord’s time;

which Kolob is set nigh unto the throne of God

.

D&C 130:6-9

6 The angels do not reside on a planet like this earth;

7 But

they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire

, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord.

8

The place where God resides is a great Urim and Thummim

.

9

This earth

, in its sanctified and immortal state,

will be made like unto crystal

and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be Christ’s.

Revelation 4:6 "And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal..."

D&C 77:1 "What is the sea of glass spoken of by John, 4th chapter, and 6th verse of the Revelation? It is the earth, in its sanctified, immortal, and eternal state."

Joseph Smith said that "when the earth was sanctified and became like a sea of glass, it would be one great urim and thummim, and the Saints could look in it and see as they are seen” ( History of the Church, 5:279).

Brigham Young said that "this Earth will become a celestial body—be like a sea of glass, or like a Urim and Thummim; and when you wish to know anything, you can look in this Earth and see all the eternities of God.” (Journal of Discourses, 8:200).

In all candor, the imagery of a "globe like a sea of glass and fire" referenced in close proximity to a star can understandably come across as fantastical, even science fiction-esque. And yet the news article referenced above seems to be describing something not unlike what Joseph Smith and Abraham described long ago.

No, I am not speculating that scientists have detected Kolob and the throne of God. I'm just saying that the scriptural imagery, which previously seemed fantastical, now seems a bit more like a plausible description of a real phenomenon.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

-Smac

[LeSellers]

I just thought it was interesting to reflect on.

'Tis indeed, and we are, here.

Lehi

[Nemesis]

Automatic generated message

This topic has been closed by a moderator.

Reason: Duplicate Topic

Kind regards,

Mormon Dialogue & Discussion Board Staff