GEOLOGICAL TIME.
[Sidenote: The history of the world written in the rocks.]
God speaks in various ways to men. The stars, the clouds, the
mountains, the grass and the soil, are all, to him who reads aright,
forms of divine revelation. Many of the noblest attributes of God may
be learned by a study of the laws according to which Omnipotent Will
directs the universe.
Nowhere is this principle more beautifuly illustrated and confirmed
than in the rocks that constitute the crust of the earth. On them is
written in simple plainness the history of the earth almost from that
beginning, when the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Yet, for centuries, men saw the rocks, their forms and their
adaptations to each other, without understanding the message written
in them. Only, as the wonderful nineteenth century approached, did the
vision open, and the interpretation of the story of the rocks become
apparent.
[Sidenote: Water and heat among the shaping forces of the earth.]
How the earth first came into being has not yet been clearly revealed.
From the first, however, the mighty forces which act today, have
shaped and fashioned the earth and prepared it for man's habitation.
Water, entering the tiny cracks of the rocks, and expanding as, in
winter, it changed to ice, crumbled the mighty mountans; water,
falling as rain from the clouds, washed the rock fragments into the
low-lying places to form soil; the water in mighty rivers chiseled the
earth with irresistible force, as shown by the Grand Canyon of the
Colorado. The internal heat of the earth, aided by the translocation
of material by water, produced large cracks in the earth's crust,
through which oceans of molten matter flowed and spread themselves
over the land; the same heat appeared in volcanoes, through which were
spurted liquid earth, cinders and foul gases; as the earth heat was
lost, the crust cooled, contracted and great folds appeared,
recognized as mountains, and as time went on, many of the mountains
were caused to sink and the ocean beds were brought up in their stead.
Wonderful and mighty have been the changes on the earth's surface
since the Lord began its preparation for the race of men.
[Sidenote: The geological history of the earth is in many chapters.]
In the beginning, it appears that water covered the whole earth. In
that day, the living creatures of earth dwelt in the water, and it was
the great age of fishes and other aquatic animals. Soon the first land
lifted itself timidly above the surface of the ocean, and formed
inviting places for land animals and plants. Upon the land came,
first, according to the story of the rocks, a class of animals known
as amphibians, like frogs, that could live both in water and on land.
Associated with these creatures were vast forests of low orders of
plants, that cleared the atmosphere of noxious gases, and made it fit
for higher forms of life. Then followed an age in which the
predominating animals were gigantic reptiles, a step higher than the
amphibians, but a step lower than the class of Mammals to which man
belongs. During the age of these prehistoric monsters, the earth was
yet more fully prepared for higher life. Following the age of
reptiles, came the age of mammals, which still persists, though, since
the coming of man upon the earth, the geological age has been known as
the age of man.
This rapid sketch of the geological history of the earth does very
poor justice to one of the most complete, wonderful and beautiful
stories brought to the knowledge of man. The purpose of this chapter
is not, however, to discuss the past ages of the earth.
It is, of course, readily understood that such mighty changes as those
just described, and the succession of different kinds of organic life,
could not have taken place in a few years. Vast periods of time must
of necessity have been required for the initiation, rise, domination
and final extinction of each class of animals. A year is too small a
unit of measurement in geological time; a thousand years or, better, a
million years, would more nearly answer the requirements.
[Sidenote: The earth is probably millions of years old.]
It is possible in various ways to arrive at a conception of the age of
the earth since organic life came upon it. For instance, the gorge of
the Niagara Falls was begun in comparatively recent days, yet, judging
by the rate at which the falls are now receding, it must have been at
least 31,000 years since the making of the gorge was first begun, and
it may have been nearly 400,000 years.[A] Lord Kelvin, on almost
purely physical grounds, has estimated that the earth cannot be more
than 100,000,000 years old, but that it may be near that age.[B] It
need not be said, probably, that all such calculations are very
uncertain, when the actual number of years are considered; but, all
human knowledge, based upon the present appearance of the earth and
the laws that control known phenomena, agree in indicating that the
age of the earth is very great, running in all probability into
millions of years. It must have been hundreds of thousands of years
since the first life was placed upon earth.
[Footnote A: Dana's New Text Book of Geology, p. 375.]
[Footnote B: Lectures and Addresses, vol. 2, p. 10.]
[Sidenote: The war concerning the earth's age has helped theology and
science.]
When these immense periods of time were first suggested by students of
science, a great shout of opposition arose from the camp of the
theologians. The Bible story of creation had been taken literally,
that in six days did the Lord create the heavens and the earth; and it
was held to be blasphemy to believe anything else. The new revelation,
given by God in the message of the rocks, was received as a man-made
theory, that must be crushed to earth. It must be confessed likewise
that many of the men of science, exulting in the new light, ridiculed
the story told by Moses, and claimed that it was an evidence that the
writings of Moses were not inspired, but merely man-made fables.
The war between the Mosaic and the geological record of creation
became very bitter and lasted long, and it led to a merciless
dissection and scrutiny of the first chapter of Genesis, as well as of
the evidence upon which rests the geological theory of the age of the
earth. When at last the din of the battle grew faint, and the smoke
cleared away, it was quickly perceived by the unbiased on-lookers,
that the Bible and science had both gained by the conflict. Geology
had firmly established its claim, that the earth was not made in six
days of twenty-four hours each; and the first chapter of Genesis had
been shown to be a marvelously truthful record of the great events of
creation.
[Sidenote: The word day in Genesis refers to indefinite time periods.]
Moses, in the first chapter of Genesis, enumerates the order of the
events of creation. First, light was brought to the earth and was
divided from darkness, "and the evening and the morning were the first
day." Then the firmament was established in the midst of the waters,
"and the evening and the morning were the second day." After each
group of creative events, the same expression occurs, "and the evening
and the morning were the third [fourth, fifth, and sixth] days." Those
who insisted upon the literal interpretation of the language of the
Bible maintained that the word day, as used in Genesis 1, referred to
a day of twenty-four hours, and that all the events of creation were
consummated by an all-powerful God in one hundred and forty-four
earthly hours. An examination of the original Hebrew for the use of
the word translated "day" in Genesis, revealed that it refers more
frequently to periods of time of indefinite duration.[A] When this
became clear, and the records of the rocks became better known, some
theologians suggested, that as we are told that a thousand years are
as one day to God, the day of Genesis 1 refers to periods of a
thousand years each. This did not strengthen the argument. The best
opinion of today, and it is well-nigh universal, is that the Mosaic
record refers to indefinite periods of time corresponding to the great
divisions of historical geology.
[Footnote A: Compare The Mosaic Record of Creation, A. McCaul, D. D.,
p. 213.]
Even as late as the sixties and seventies of the last century this
question was still so unsettled as to warrant the publication of books
defending the Mosaic account of creation.[A]
[Footnote A: For instance Aids to Faith, containing McCaul's most able
discussion. The Origin of the World, J. W. Dawson.]
[Sidenote: Joseph Smith's teachings concerning creation found in the
Book of Abraham.]
In 1830, certain visions, given to the Jewish lawgiver Moses, were
revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith. These visions are now
incorporated with other matter in the Pearl of Great Price, under the
title, The Book of Moses. In chapter two of this book is found an
account of the creation, which is nearly identical with the account
found in Genesis 1. The slight variations which occur tend only to
make the meaning of the writer clearer. In this account, the
expression "and the evening and the morning were the first [etc.]
day," occurs just as it does in the Mosaic account in the Bible. In
1835, certain ancient records found in the catacombs of Egypt fell
into the hands of Joseph Smith, who found them to be some of the
writings of Abraham, while he was in Egypt. The translation of these
records is also found in the Pearl of Great Price, under the title,
The Book of Abraham. In the fourth and fifth chapters of the book is
found an account of the creation according to the knowledge of
Abraham. The two accounts are essentially the same, but the Abrahamic
version is so much fuller and clearer that it illumines the obscurer
parts of the Mosaic account. We shall concern ourselves here only with
the variation in the use of the word "day."
[Sidenote: The Book of Abraham conveys the idea that the creative
periods included much time.]
In Genesis 1:5 we read, "And God called the light Day, and the
darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the
fist day." The corresponding period is discussed in the Book of
Abraham 4:5 as follows: "And the Gods called the light Day, and the
darkness they called Night. And it came to pass that from the evening
until the morning they called night; and from the morning until the
evening they called day; _and this was the first, or the beginning, of
that which they called night and day."_
It is to be noted that in Abraham's version names were given to the
intervals between evening and morning, and morning and evening; but
absolutely nothing is said about a _first_ day: the statement is
simply made, that this was the beginning of the alternating periods of
light and darkness which _they,_ the Gods, had named night and day.
According to this version, the first creative period occupied an
unknown period of time.
In Genesis 1:8 it further says: "And God called the firmament Heaven.
And the evening and the morning were the second day."
The corresponding passage in the Book of Abraham 4:8, reads, "And the
Gods called the expanse Heaven. And it came to pass that it was from
evening until morning that they called night; and it came to pass that
it was from morning until evening that they called day, and this was
_the second time that they called night and day."_
Here it must be noted that nothing is said about a second day. It is
said that it was the second time that _they_ called day--which leaves
the second creative period entirely indefinite so far as time limits
are concerned.
In Genesis 1:13, it reads, "and the evening and the morning were the
third day."
In Abraham 4:13, the corresponding passage reads, "And it came to pass
that they numbered the days; from the evening until the morning they
called night; and it came to pass, from the morning until the evening
they called day; and it was the third time."
Here it is explicitly stated that the Gods numbered the days;
evidently, they counted the days that had passed during the third
creative period, and it was the third time that the numbering had been
done. Again, the third creative period is left indefinite, as to time
limits.
Gen. 1:19, reads, "And the evening and the morning were the fourth
day."
Correspondingly, in Abraham 4:19, is found, "And it came to pass that
it was from evening until morning that it was night; and it came to
pass that it was from morning until evening that it was day; and it
was the fourth time."
This quotation from Abraham, standing alone, would be somewhat
ambiguous, for it might indicate that it was the fourth time that the
periods between evening and morning, and morning and evening were
called night and day. In the light of previous passages, however, the
meaning of the passage becomes clear. Certainly there is nothing in
the verse to confine the fourth creative period within certain time
limits.
The fifth day in Genesis closes as does the fourth; and the fifth time
in Abraham closes as does the fourth. The remarks made concerning the
fourth creative period apply to the fifth.
Concerning the sixth creative period, Gen. 1:31, says, "And God saw
everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the
evening and the morning were the sixth day."
Of the same period Abraham says, "And the Gods said: We will do
everything that we have said, and organize them; and behold, they
shall be very obedient. And it came to pass that it was from morning
until evening that they called night; and it came to pass that it was
from evening until morning that they called day; and they numbered the
sixth time."
As in the previous periods, the sixth ended by the Gods numbering the
days of the creative period; the sixth period, like those preceding,
being indeterminate as to time.
Repeated reading and study of the Abrahamic account, as revealed
through Joseph Smith, make it certain beyond doubt that the intent is
to convey the idea that the creative periods included much time, and
that, at the end of each period, the measure of night and day, was
applied to the period, in order that its length might be determined.
Whether or not the different creative periods represented days to the
mighty beings concerned in the creation, we do not know, and it
matters little to the argument of this article.[A]
[Footnote A: The writer understands the creation, reported in Abraham,
4th chapter, to be spiritual in its nature; but he also believes that
this spiritual account is a perfect picture of the actual material
creation. If chapter 4 of Abraham represents the Gods planning
creation, the measuring of time becomes easily understood. It then
means, "How long will it take to accomplish the work?" All this,
however, has no bearing upon the present argument.]
Now, then, we must remember that Joseph Smith made this translation
long before the theologians of the world had consented to admit that
the Mosaic days meant long periods of time; and long before geology
had established beyond question that immense time periods had been
consumed in the preparation of the earth for man.
Joseph Smith, the humble, unlearned, despised boy, unfamiliar with
books and the theories of men, stated with clear and simple certainty,
if his works be read with the eye of candid truth, this fundamental
truth of geological science and the Bible, long before the learned of
the world had agreed upon the same truth.[A]
[Footnote A: It may be remarked that other geological doctrines were
taught by the Prophet, that science has since confirmed. One of these
was discussed by Dr. J.E. Talmage in the Improvement Era, Vol. 7, p.
481.]
Standing alone, this fact might be called a chance coincidence, a
result of blind fate. But recalling that it is one of many similar and
even more striking facts, what shall be said, Has ever impostor dared
what Joseph Smith did? Has ever false prophet lived beyond his
generation, if his prophecies were examined? Shall we of this foremost
age accept convincing, logical truth, though it run counter to our
preconceived notions? Glorious were the visions of Joseph the Prophet;
unspeakable would be our joy, should they be given to us.