Elder Holland Declares Earth's Existsnce is 6,000 Years

[Gray]

15 hours ago, JLHPROF said:

Glad to see someone understands that God knows better than man how old his creation is.

God wrote down the age of the earth in the book of planet earth for all to read. That age is about 4.5 billion years.

[Bobbieaware]

56 minutes ago, Robert F. Smith said:

"I would like to know just what it is that a man must be required to believe to be a member of this Church. Or, what it is that he is not permitted to believe, and remain a member of this Church. I would like to know just what that is. Is it evolution? I hope not, because I believe in evolution." (David O. McKay, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, p. 46)

When it comes to anything that's happened -- or is going to happen -- outside of the span of time between Adam's earthly ministry and the final celestialization of the earth, my attitude is summed up well by President McKay:

"While scientific people themselves differ in their interpretations and views of the theory, any conflicts which may seem to exist between the theory and the truths of revealed religion can well be dealt with by suspending judgment as long as may be necessary to arrive at facts and at a complete understanding of the truth."  David O. McKay, Letter from David O. McKay

Edited August 7, 2016 by Bobbieaware

[Johnnie Cake]

5 hours ago, Gray said:

Isn't a little irresponsible to quote an anonymous stranger's second-hand account from an internet forum as if it definitely happened?

Fair enough, but the comment was consistent with past Holland comments that conflict with scientific reality such as his statements on a universal flood. Granted those comments were from the last century.

Do. Not. Ever. Attribute an inflammatory statement to a church leader without supplying a reference when asked. 

[theplains]

Chapter 5 of Doctrines of Salvation, volume 1 has some discussion about this.

Age of the earth

"This earth was created on the Lord's time, which is celestial time ... Kolob ... that one 
revolution was a day unto the Lord ... it being one thousand years ... and thus shall be the 
reckoning of the time of one planet above another, until thou come nigh unto Kolob ..." 
(p. 78).

It appears the earth existed for about 7,000 years in a spiritual state. When Adam fell, 
the spiritual earth and everything on it became temporal, or mortal (p. 77).

Age of the earth since Adam

"We have evidence beyond dispute that Adam was driven out of the Garden of Eden about 6,000 
years ago ...In the Book of Revelation, chapters 5 to 10, we have the story of the opening 
of the seven seals by the Lamb, each seal representing 1,000 years of the temporal existence 
of this earth. In the Doctrines and Covenants 88:92-116, we have the confirmation of this ... 
in 77:6-15, we have more information in relation to the opening of these seals" (p. 79).

Joseph Fielding Smith did not identify the great earthquake which happened at the opening of 
the sixth seal.

Temporal existence of earth

"Here is a definite statement by revelation to us that this earth will go through 7,000 years 
of temporal existence" (p. 80).

Thanks,
Jim

[Guest]

19 hours ago, Johnnie Cake said:

At a recent Stake Conference, Elder Holland stated that the "Earth's Existence is 6,000 years."

i feel like a fool now for ever letting science deceive me into changing my belief from 6,000 to 4.5 billion years I should have just stuck with 6,000

BTW, where you there? This is the second thread you have posted about the age of man? It seems to be a topic you have trouble with, and are posting threads to create discussion or doubt; which is it? It is OK to just start a thread on the "age of man" with rap around stories...true of not. 

[Robert F. Smith]

2 hours ago, Johnnie Cake said:

Fair enough, but the comment was consistent with past Holland comments that conflict with scientific reality such as his statements on a universal flood. Granted those comments were from the last century

I don't see it as consistent with Holland's past statements, and you yourself treated it as new and different in the OP.  I agree with those who have already challenged you on this and have declared that Holland said no such thing.  The onus is on you to prove he in fact said what you claim.  You are supposed to respond to the CFR or withdraw your hasty and ill-founded claim.

[James Tunney]

Fair says:

Mormonism and science/Death before the Fall

  Elder Jeffery R. Holland notes that there was no human death on the earth prior to the Fall of Adam

Elder Jeffery R. Holland, at the April 2015 General Conference, stated,

[T]here was an actual Adam and Eve who fell from an actual Eden, with all the consequences that fall carried with it.

I do not know the details of what happened on this planet before that, but I do know these two were created under the divine hand of God, that for a time they lived alone in a paradisiacal setting where there was neither human death nor future family, and that through a sequence of choices they transgressed a commandment of God which required that they leave their garden setting but which allowed them to have children before facing physical death. ^[3]

 

I don't know if that makes him a young earth creationist but it seems he believes there was no human death prior to the fall as Fair says.

[The Nehor]

18 hours ago, Johnnie Cake said:

I did not personally hear Elder Holland make this statement but I did go back and  ask the witness. This is what he said:. Yes, he referred specifically to the six thousand years the earth has existed.

It's hearsay...accept or reject don't really care. Just thought some would like to know

Lay off this poor man. He can't help it if he is an incurable gossip and busybody.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, theplains said:

Chapter 5 of Doctrines of Salvation, volume 1 has some discussion about this.

Age of the earth

"This earth was created on the Lord's time, which is celestial time ... Kolob ... that one 
revolution was a day unto the Lord ... it being one thousand years ... and thus shall be the 
reckoning of the time of one planet above another, until thou come nigh unto Kolob ..." 
(p. 78).

It appears the earth existed for about 7,000 years in a spiritual state. When Adam fell, 
the spiritual earth and everything on it became temporal, or mortal (p. 77).

Age of the earth since Adam

"We have evidence beyond dispute that Adam was driven out of the Garden of Eden about 6,000 
years ago ...In the Book of Revelation, chapters 5 to 10, we have the story of the opening 
of the seven seals by the Lamb, each seal representing 1,000 years of the temporal existence 
of this earth. In the Doctrines and Covenants 88:92-116, we have the confirmation of this ... 
in 77:6-15, we have more information in relation to the opening of these seals" (p. 79).

Joseph Fielding Smith did not identify the great earthquake which happened at the opening of 
the sixth seal.

Temporal existence of earth

"Here is a definite statement by revelation to us that this earth will go through 7,000 years 
of temporal existence" (p. 80).

Thanks,
Jim

These comments are constant with the timeline of the Bible, which is not a history book, nor a scientific journal. They are not Elder Holland's comments. Also most of the entire religious world, and not some odd Mormon doctrine. 

[mfbukowski]

11 hours ago, Stargazer said:

This sounds like someone misreporting what was actually said.  Putting quotes around it (  "Earth's Existence is 6,000 years." ) claims that those were the exact words he used.

But let me take it at face value for a moment.  Elder Nelson surely understands what the age of the earth is.  But how old is the earth for purposes of man's present existence?  6,000 years, assuming Archbishop Ussher's estimate holds any water at all.  If Elder Nelson actually said that, then this is how I understand him.

It's a pointless exercise making hay out of it, however.

I see it as saying the CONCEPT of the "existence of earth" is 6000 years old.

All we have is concepts and thoughts anyway- so in a sense, yes "earth" as concept- did not "exist"- as a concept- before that.  As I said earlier, before that we were too worried about being chased by wolves think such thoughts or utter such phrases.

For us, concepts ARE reality- we can know no other reality than what is conceptual "in our minds"

That dating sounds about right to me!

[drums12]

3 hours ago, theplains said:

Chapter 5 of Doctrines of Salvation, volume 1 has some discussion about this.

Age of the earth

"This earth was created on the Lord's time, which is celestial time ... Kolob ... that one 
revolution was a day unto the Lord ... it being one thousand years ... and thus shall be the 
reckoning of the time of one planet above another, until thou come nigh unto Kolob ..." 
(p. 78).

It appears the earth existed for about 7,000 years in a spiritual state. When Adam fell, 
the spiritual earth and everything on it became temporal, or mortal (p. 77).

Age of the earth since Adam

"We have evidence beyond dispute that Adam was driven out of the Garden of Eden about 6,000 
years ago ...In the Book of Revelation, chapters 5 to 10, we have the story of the opening 
of the seven seals by the Lamb, each seal representing 1,000 years of the temporal existence 
of this earth. In the Doctrines and Covenants 88:92-116, we have the confirmation of this ... 
in 77:6-15, we have more information in relation to the opening of these seals" (p. 79).

Joseph Fielding Smith did not identify the great earthquake which happened at the opening of 
the sixth seal.

Temporal existence of earth

"Here is a definite statement by revelation to us that this earth will go through 7,000 years 
of temporal existence" (p. 80).

Thanks,
Jim

Joseph Fielding Smith said a lot of things that were taken as scripture when they should not have been.  In my opinion he taught his own opinions as though they were revealed truth much too often.  This unquestionably heavily influenced the absolutism of his son in law, Bruce R. McConkie.  I read both of their teachings uncritically as a teenager.  I developed a lot of dogmatic, fundamentalist assumptions that were shattered later.  While I believe both were good and sincere apostles (and eventually, in JF Smith's case, president of the Church), they were fallible men.