---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Widtsoe, John A.
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 7
number: 5
published: 1904-03
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'John A. Widtsoe, "Joseph Smith as Scientist. V," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 5 (March 1904): 337–344.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0705unse
  transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers.
  identifier: improvementera0705unse
start_page: 337
end_page: 344
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-03)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0705unse
  publication_year: 1904
  note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1904, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Joseph Smith as Scientist. V

<!-- page:337 -->

JOSEPH 
        SMITH  
        AS 
        SCIENTIST.
BY  
        DR.  
        JOHN  
        A.  
        WIDTSOE,  
        DIRECTOR  
        OF 
        THE 
        AGRICULTURAL
EXPERIMENT  
        STATION,  
        LOGAN,  
        UTAH.
V.—
        THE 
        NEW 
        ASTRONOMY.
From 
        the 
        dawn 
        of 
        written 
        history, 
        when 
        the 
        first 
        men, 
        watch-
ing through 
        the 
        nights, 
        observed 
        the 
        regular 
        motions 
        of 
        the 
        moon
and 
        stars, 
        humanity 
        has 
        been 
        striving 
        to 
        obtain 
        a 
        correct 
        under-
standing of 
        the 
        relation 
        of 
        the 
        earth 
        to 
        the 
        heavenly 
        bodies.
First 
        it 
        was 
        believed 
        that 
        the 
        sun, 
        moon 
        and 
        stars 
        revolved 
        in
circles 
        around 
        the 
        earth 
        (which 
        for 
        a 
        time 
        was 
        supposed 
        to 
        be 
        flat
instead 
        of 
        spherical). 
        Then 
        the 
        great 
        Greek 
        philosopher, 
        Hippar-
chus, 
        after 
        observing 
        the 
        movements 
        of 
        the 
        heavenly 
        bodies, 
        sug-
gested that 
        the 
        earth 
        was 
        not 
        exactly 
        in 
        the 
        middle 
        of 
        the 
        circles.
Three 
        hundred 
        years 
        later, 
        Ptolemy 
        discovered 
        a 
        number 
        of 
        facts
concerning 
        the 
        movements 
        of 
        the 
        sun, 
        moon 
        and 
        planets, 
        which
were 
        unknown 
        to 
        Hipparchus, 
        and 
        which 
        led 
        him 
        to 
        suggest 
        that
the 
        sun 
        and 
        moon 
        move 
        in 
        circles 
        around 
        the 
        earth, 
        but 
        that 
        the
planets 
        move 
        around 
        the 
        earth 
        in 
        circles, 
        whose 
        centres 
        again 
        move
around 
        the 
        earth. 
        This 
        somewhat 
        complex 
        theorv 
        explained 
        very
well 
        what 
        was 
        known 
        of 
        astronomy 
        in 
        the 
        days 
        of 
        the 
        ancients,
and, 
        in 
        fact, 
        the 
        views 
        of 
        Ptolemy 
        were 
        quite 
        generally 
        accepted
for 
        1300 
        years.
About 
        1500, 
        A. 
        D., 
        Copernicus, 
        a 
        Dutch 
        astronomer, 
        having
still 
        more 
        facts 
        in 
        his 
        possession 
        than 
        had 
        Ptolemy, 
        concluded 
        that
the 
        simplest 
        manner 
        in 
        which 
        the 
        apparent 
        movements 
        of 
        the 
        sun,
moon, 
        and 
        planets 
        could 
        be 
        explained, 
        was 
        to 
        assume 
        that 
        the 
        sun
s 
        the 
        center 
        of 
        the 
        planetary 
        system, 
        and 
        that 
        the 
        earth, 
        with 
        the
moon 
        and 
        planets, 
        revolves 
        according 
        to 
        definite 
        laws 
        around 
        the

<!-- page:338 -->

338 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
sun. 
        This 
        theory, 
        backed 
        by 
        numerous 
        confirmatory 
        observations,
was 
        generally 
        accepted 
        by 
        astronomers, 
        and 
        really 
        did 
        explain 
        very
simply 
        and 
        clearly 
        many 
        of 
        the 
        facts 
        of 
        planetary 
        motion.
Fifty 
        years 
        after 
        the 
        death 
        of 
        Copernicus, 
        the 
        celebrated 
        as-
tronomer, Kepler, 
        proposed 
        extensions 
        and 
        improvements 
        of 
        the
Copernicus 
        doctrine, 
        which 
        made 
        the 
        theory 
        that 
        the 
        planets 
        re-
volve about 
        the 
        sun 
        more 
        probable 
        than 
        ever 
        before. 
        He 
        sug-
gested first 
        that 
        the 
        planets 
        move 
        around 
        the 
        sun 
        in 
        closed 
        curves,
resembling 
        flattened 
        circles, 
        and 
        known 
        as 
        ellipses. 
        By 
        assuming
this 
        to 
        be 
        true, 
        and 
        assisted 
        by 
        other 
        discoveries, 
        he 
        was 
        also 
        able
to 
        state 
        the 
        times 
        required 
        by 
        the 
        planets 
        for 
        their 
        revolutions
around 
        the 
        sun, 
        and 
        the 
        velocity 
        of 
        their 
        motions 
        at 
        different 
        times
of 
        the 
        year. 
        Later 
        investigations 
        have 
        proved 
        the 
        great 
        laws 
        pro-
posed by 
        Copernicus 
        and 
        Kepler 
        to 
        be 
        true; 
        and 
        from 
        their 
        days
is 
        dated 
        the 
        birth 
        of 
        modern 
        astronomy.
After 
        the 
        laws 
        of 
        the 
        motions 
        of 
        the 
        planets 
        had 
        been 
        deter-
mined, it 
        was 
        only 
        natural 
        that 
        men 
        should 
        ask 
        themselves 
        what
forces 
        were 
        concerned 
        in 
        these 
        motions. 
        The 
        ancient 
        philosophers
had 
        proposed 
        the 
        idea 
        that 
        the 
        sun 
        attracts 
        all 
        heavenly 
        bodies, 
        but
the 
        suggestion 
        had 
        not 
        been 
        accepted 
        by 
        the 
        world 
        at 
        large. 
        How-
ever, after 
        the 
        discoveries 
        of 
        Kepler, 
        the 
        English 
        philosopher,
Newton, 
        advanced 
        the 
        theory 
        that 
        there 
        is 
        in 
        the 
        universe 
        an 
        at-
tractive force 
        which 
        influences 
        all 
        matter, 
        to 
        the 
        limits 
        of 
        known
space. 
        He 
        further 
        proved 
        that 
        the 
        intensity 
        of 
        this 
        force 
        varied
directly 
        with 
        the 
        product 
        of 
        the 
        attractive 
        masses, 
        and 
        inversely,
with 
        the 
        square 
        of 
        the 
        distances 
        between 
        them
        —
        that 
        is, 
        the
greater 
        the 
        bodies, 
        the 
        greater 
        the 
        attraction; 
        the 
        greater 
        the 
        dis-
tance between 
        them, 
        the 
        smaller 
        the 
        attraction. 
        This 
        law 
        of 
        gravi-
tation has 
        been 
        verified 
        by 
        repeated 
        experiments, 
        and, 
        taken 
        in 
        con-
nection with 
        the 
        astronomical 
        theories 
        of 
        Copernicus 
        and 
        Kepler,
has 
        made 
        celestial 
        mechanics 
        what 
        they 
        are 
        today.
By 
        the 
        aid 
        of 
        the 
        law 
        of 
        gravitation, 
        many 
        astronomical 
        pre-
dictions have 
        been 
        fulfilled. 
        Among 
        the 
        most 
        famous 
        is 
        tre 
        fol-
lowing incident:
In 
        the 
        early 
        part 
        of 
        the 
        last 
        century, 
        astronomers 
        noticed 
        that
the 
        motions 
        of 
        the 
        planet 
        Uranus 
        did 
        not 
        agree 
        with 
        those 
        derived
from 
        calculations 
        based 
        upon 
        the 
        law 
        of 
        gravitation. 
        About 
        1846,
two  
        investigators,   
        M. 
        Leverrier 
        of 
        France,   
        and 
        Mr. 
        Adams 
        of

<!-- page:339 -->

JOSEPH 
        SMITH 
        AS 
        SCIENTIST. 
        339
England, 
        stated, 
        as 
        their 
        opinions, 
        that 
        the 
        discordance 
        between
theory 
        and 
        observation 
        in 
        the 
        case 
        of 
        the 
        motions 
        of 
        Uranus, 
        was
due 
        to 
        the 
        attraction 
        of 
        a 
        planet, 
        not 
        yet 
        known, 
        and 
        they 
        calcu-
lated by 
        means 
        of 
        the 
        law 
        of 
        gravitation, 
        the 
        size 
        and 
        orbit 
        of 
        the
unknown 
        planet. 
        In 
        the 
        fall 
        of 
        1846, 
        this 
        planet 
        was 
        actually 
        dis-
covered and 
        named 
        Neptune. 
        It 
        was 
        found 
        to 
        harmonize 
        with 
        the
predictions 
        made 
        by 
        the 
        astronomers 
        before 
        its 
        discovery.
During 
        the 
        days 
        of 
        Newton, 
        the 
        question 
        was 
        raised 
        if 
        the
celestial 
        bodies 
        outside 
        of 
        the 
        solar 
        system 
        obey 
        the 
        law 
        of 
        gravi-
tation. Among 
        the 
        stars, 
        then, 
        are 
        some 
        which 
        are 
        called 
        double
stars, 
        and 
        which 
        consist 
        of 
        two 
        stars 
        so 
        near 
        to 
        each 
        other 
        that
the 
        telescope 
        alone 
        can 
        separate 
        them 
        to 
        the 
        eye. 
        In 
        1803, 
        after
twenty 
        years 
        of 
        observation, 
        William 
        Herschel 
        discovered 
        that
some 
        of 
        these 
        couples 
        were 
        revolving 
        around 
        each 
        other 
        with 
        var-
ious angular 
        velocities. 
        The 
        son 
        of 
        William 
        Herschel 
        continued
this 
        work, 
        and 
        many 
        years 
        later, 
        he 
        discovered 
        that 
        the 
        laws 
        of
motion 
        of 
        these 
        double 
        stars 
        are 
        the 
        same 
        as 
        those 
        that 
        prevail 
        in
the 
        solar 
        system.* 
        This 
        result 
        indicated 
        not 
        only 
        the 
        universality
of 
        the 
        law 
        of 
        gravitation, 
        but 
        also 
        the 
        probability 
        that 
        all 
        heavenly
bodies 
        are 
        in 
        motion.
Then, 
        early 
        in 
        the 
        nineteenth 
        century, 
        a 
        new 
        method 
        of 
        re-
search began 
        to 
        be 
        developed, 
        which 
        was 
        destined 
        to 
        form 
        a 
        new
science 
        of 
        astronomy. 
        It 
        had 
        long 
        been 
        known 
        that 
        white 
        light
when 
        passed 
        through 
        a 
        glass 
        prism 
        is 
        broken 
        into 
        a 
        colored 
        spect-
rum, with 
        colors 
        similar 
        to 
        those 
        observed 
        in 
        the 
        rainbow. 
        Now 
        it
was 
        discovered 
        that 
        when 
        white 
        light 
        passes 
        through 
        vapors 
        of
certain 
        composition, 
        dark 
        lines 
        appear 
        in 
        the 
        spectrum, 
        and 
        that
the 
        position 
        of 
        the 
        lines 
        varies 
        with 
        the 
        chemical 
        composition 
        of
the 
        vapors. 
        By 
        the 
        application 
        of 
        these 
        principles, 
        it 
        was 
        shown,
towards 
        the 
        middle 
        of 
        the 
        last 
        century, 
        that 
        the 
        chemical 
        compo-
sition of 
        the 
        heavenly 
        bodies 
        may 
        be 
        determined. 
        Later, 
        it 
        was
discovered 
        that 
        by 
        noting 
        the 
        positions 
        of 
        the 
        dark 
        lines 
        in 
        the
spectrum, 
        it 
        could 
        be 
        known 
        when 
        a 
        star 
        or 
        any 
        heavenly 
        body 
        is
moving, 
        as 
        also 
        the 
        direction 
        and 
        amount 
        of 
        its 
        motion. 
        These 
        un-
expected discoveries 
        led 
        to 
        a 
        study 
        of 
        the 
        heavens 
        from 
        the 
        spect-
* 
        History 
        of 
        the 
        Inductive  
        Sciences, 
        Whewell, 
        3rd 
        ed.  
        Vol.  
        I, 
        pp
467-469.

<!-- page:340 -->

340 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
roscopic 
        point 
        of 
        view, 
        which 
        has 
        resulted 
        in 
        a 
        marvelous 
        advance
in 
        the 
        science 
        of 
        astronomy.
It 
        has 
        been 
        determined 
        that 
        all 
        heavenly 
        bodies 
        are 
        in 
        motion,
and 
        that 
        their 
        velocities 
        are 
        great 
        compared 
        with 
        our 
        ordinary
conceptions 
        of 
        motion. 
        Most 
        of 
        the 
        stars 
        move 
        at 
        the 
        rate 
        of
about 
        seven 
        miles 
        per 
        second, 
        though 
        some 
        have 
        a 
        velocity 
        of
forty-
        five 
        miles, 
        or 
        more. 
        Many 
        stars, 
        formerly 
        thought 
        to 
        be
single, 
        have 
        been 
        resolved 
        into 
        two 
        or 
        more 
        components. 
        The
rings 
        of 
        Saturn 
        have 
        been 
        proved 
        to 
        consist 
        of 
        small 
        bodies 
        revolv-
ing about 
        the 
        planet 
        in 
        obedience 
        to 
        Kepler's 
        law.* 
        Clusters 
        of
stars 
        have 
        been 
        found 
        that 
        move 
        through 
        space 
        as 
        one 
        body, 
        as
possible 
        counterparts 
        of 
        the 
        planetary 
        system.f 
        It 
        has 
        been 
        dem-
onstrated, further, 
        that 
        the 
        sun 
        itself, 
        with 
        its 
        planets, 
        is 
        moving
through 
        space 
        at 
        a 
        very 
        rapid 
        rate. 
        Professor 
        Simon 
        Newcomb,
perhaps 
        the 
        greatest 
        astronomer 
        of 
        the 
        day, 
        says, 
        "The 
        sun, 
        and
the 
        whole 
        solar 
        system 
        with 
        it, 
        have 
        been 
        speeding 
        their 
        way 
        to-
ward the 
        star 
        of 
        which 
        I 
        speak 
        (Alpha 
        Lyrse) 
        on 
        a 
        journey 
        of
which 
        we 
        know 
        neither 
        the 
        beginning 
        nor 
        the 
        end. 
        During 
        every
clock-beat 
        through 
        which 
        humanity 
        has 
        existed, 
        it 
        has 
        moved 
        on
this 
        journey 
        by 
        an 
        amount 
        which 
        we 
        cannot 
        specify 
        more 
        exactly
than 
        to 
        oay 
        that 
        it 
        is 
        probably 
        between 
        five 
        and 
        nine 
        miles 
        per 
        sec-
ond. The 
        conclusion 
        seems 
        unavoidable 
        that 
        a 
        number 
        of 
        stars 
        are
moving 
        with 
        a 
        speed 
        such 
        that 
        the 
        attraction 
        of 
        all 
        the 
        bodies 
        of
the 
        universe 
        could 
        never 
        stop 
        them."$ 
        In 
        brief, 
        the 
        new 
        astronomy
holds 
        that 
        all 
        heavenly 
        bodies 
        are 
        in 
        motion, 
        and 
        that 
        the 
        planetary
system 
        is 
        but 
        a 
        small 
        cluster 
        of 
        stars 
        among 
        the 
        host 
        of 
        heaven;
further, 
        it 
        has 
        weighed 
        the 
        stars, 
        measured 
        the 
        intensity 
        of 
        their
light, 
        and 
        determined 
        their 
        chemical 
        composition, 
        and 
        it 
        affirms
that 
        there 
        are 
        suns 
        in 
        the 
        heavens, 
        far 
        excelling 
        our 
        sun 
        in 
        size
and 
        lustre, 
        though 
        built 
        of 
        approximately 
        the 
        same 
        elements.
Sir 
        Robert 
        Ball 
        expresses 
        his 
        views 
        as 
        follows: 
        "The 
        group 
        to
which 
        our 
        sun 
        belongs 
        is 
        a 
        limited 
        one.    
        This 
        must 
        be 
        so, 
        even
* 
        See 
        C. 
        G. 
        Abbott, 
        Report 
        of 
        Smithsonian 
        Institution, 
        for 
        1901, 
        pp.
153-155.
f 
        Light 
        Science 
        for 
        Leisure 
        Hours, 
        Proctor, 
        pp. 
        42-52.
$ 
        The 
        Problems 
        of 
        Astronomy, 
        S. 
        Newcomb, 
        Science, 
        May 
        21,
1897.

<!-- page:341 -->

JOSEPH 
        SMITH 
        AS 
        SCIENTIST. 
        341
though 
        the 
        group 
        included 
        all 
        the 
        stars 
        in 
        the 
        milky 
        way. 
        This 
        un-
numbered host 
        is 
        still 
        only 
        a 
        cluster, 
        occupying, 
        comparatively
speaking, 
        an 
        expressibly 
        small 
        extent 
        in 
        the 
        ocean 
        of 
        infinite 
        space.
The 
        imagination 
        will 
        carry 
        us 
        further 
        still
        —
        it 
        will 
        show 
        us 
        that
our 
        star 
        cluster 
        may 
        be 
        but 
        a 
        unit 
        in 
        a 
        cluster 
        of 
        an 
        order 
        still
higher, 
        so 
        that 
        a 
        yet 
        higher 
        possibility 
        of 
        movement 
        is 
        suggested
for 
        our 
        astonishment."*
Another 
        eminent 
        astronomer 
        expressed 
        the 
        same 
        idea 
        briefly
but 
        eloquently: 
        "It 
        is 
        true 
        that 
        from 
        the 
        highest 
        point 
        of 
        view
the 
        sun 
        is 
        only 
        one 
        of 
        a 
        multitude
        —
        a 
        single 
        star 
        among 
        millions 
        —
thousands 
        of 
        which, 
        most 
        likely, 
        exceed 
        him 
        in 
        brightness, 
        magni-
tude, and 
        power. 
        He 
        is 
        only 
        a 
        private 
        in 
        the 
        host 
        of 
        heav-
en."f
And 
        still 
        another 
        student 
        of 
        the 
        stars 
        propounds 
        the 
        following
questions: 
        "Does 
        there 
        exist 
        a 
        central 
        sun 
        of 
        the 
        universe? 
        Do 
        the
worlds 
        of 
        Infinitude 
        gravitate 
        as 
        a 
        hierarchy 
        round 
        a 
        divine 
        focus?
Some 
        day 
        the 
        astronomers 
        of 
        the 
        planets 
        which 
        gravitate 
        in 
        the
light 
        of 
        Hercules 
        (towards 
        which 
        constellation 
        the 
        solar 
        system 
        is
moving) 
        will 
        see 
        a 
        little 
        star 
        appear 
        in 
        their 
        sky. 
        This 
        will 
        be 
        our
sun, 
        carrying 
        us 
        along 
        in 
        its 
        rays; 
        perhaps 
        at 
        this 
        very 
        moment
we 
        are 
        visible 
        dust 
        of 
        a 
        sidereal 
        hurricane, 
        in 
        a 
        milky 
        way, 
        the
transformer 
        of 
        our 
        destinies. 
        We 
        are 
        mere 
        playthings 
        in 
        the 
        im-
mensity of 
        Infinitude."!
It 
        is 
        not 
        strange 
        that 
        men 
        who 
        have 
        learned 
        to 
        look 
        at 
        the
universe 
        in 
        this 
        lofty 
        manner 
        should 
        go 
        a 
        step 
        farther, 
        beyond 
        the
actually 
        known, 
        and 
        suggest 
        that 
        some 
        of 
        these 
        countless 
        heavenly
bodies 
        must 
        be 
        inhabited 
        by 
        living, 
        thinking 
        beings. 
        Sober,
thoughtful 
        truthseekers, 
        who 
        never 
        advance 
        needlessly 
        a 
        new
theory, 
        have 
        suggested, 
        in 
        all 
        seriousness, 
        that 
        other 
        worlds 
        than
ours 
        are 
        peopled. 
        For 
        instance, 
        "What 
        sort 
        of 
        life, 
        spiritual 
        and 
        in-
tellectual, exists 
        in 
        distant 
        worlds? 
        We 
        can 
        not 
        for 
        a 
        moment 
        sup-
pose that 
        our 
        little 
        planet 
        is 
        the 
        only 
        one 
        throughout 
        the 
        whole
universe 
        on 
        which 
        may 
        be 
        found 
        the 
        fruits 
        of 
        civilization, 
        warm
* 
        The 
        Story 
        of 
        the 
        Sun, 
        R. 
        S. 
        Ball, 
        pp., 
        360,   
        361.
t 
        The 
        Sun, 
        C. 
        A. 
        Young, 
        p. 
        11.
X 
        Popular 
        Astronomy, 
        C. 
        Flammarion, 
        p. 
        309.

<!-- page:342 -->

342 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
firesides, 
        friendship, 
        the 
        desire 
        to 
        penetrate 
        the 
        mysteries 
        of 
        crea-
tion."*
Such, 
        then, 
        is 
        in 
        very 
        general 
        terms 
        the 
        view 
        of 
        modern 
        as-
tronomy with 
        reference 
        to 
        the 
        constitution 
        of 
        the 
        universe. 
        Most
of 
        the 
        information 
        upon 
        which 
        this 
        view 
        rests 
        has 
        been 
        gathered
during 
        the 
        last 
        fifty 
        years.
Joseph 
        Smith 
        was 
        doubtlessly 
        impressed 
        with 
        the 
        beauty 
        of
the 
        starry 
        heavens, 
        and, 
        in 
        common 
        with 
        all 
        men 
        of 
        poetical 
        nature,
allowed 
        his 
        thoughts 
        to 
        wander 
        into 
        the 
        immensity 
        of 
        space. 
        How-
ever, as 
        was 
        shown 
        in 
        article 
        I, 
        he 
        had 
        no 
        known 
        opportunity 
        of
studying 
        the 
        principles 
        of 
        astronomy, 
        or 
        of 
        becoming 
        familiar 
        with
the 
        astronomical 
        questions 
        that 
        were 
        agitating 
        the 
        thinkers 
        of 
        his
day. 
        Naturally, 
        very 
        little 
        is 
        said 
        in 
        his 
        writings 
        that 
        bears 
        upon
the 
        planetary 
        and 
        stellar 
        constitution 
        of 
        the 
        universe; 
        yet 
        enough
to 
        prove 
        that 
        he 
        was 
        in 
        perfect 
        harmony 
        with 
        the 
        astronomical
views 
        developed 
        since 
        his 
        day.
First, 
        he 
        believed 
        stellar 
        bodies 
        are 
        distributed 
        throughout
space. 
        "And 
        worlds 
        without 
        number 
        have 
        I 
        created."f 
        "And
there 
        are 
        many 
        kingdoms; 
        for 
        there 
        is 
        no 
        space 
        in 
        which 
        there 
        is
no 
        kingdom."! 
        He 
        is 
        further 
        in 
        harmony 
        with 
        modern 
        views 
        in
that 
        he 
        claims 
        that 
        stars 
        may 
        be 
        destroyed, 
        and 
        new 
        ones 
        formed.
"For, 
        behold, 
        there 
        are 
        many 
        worlds 
        that 
        have 
        passed 
        away 
        by 
        the
word 
        of 
        my 
        power."§ 
        "And 
        as 
        one 
        earth 
        shall 
        pass 
        away, 
        and 
        the
heavens 
        thereof, 
        even 
        so 
        shall 
        another 
        come."||
At 
        the 
        time 
        that 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        wrote, 
        there 
        was 
        considerable
discussion 
        as 
        to 
        whether 
        the 
        laws 
        of 
        the 
        solar 
        system 
        were 
        effec-
tive with 
        the 
        stars. 
        The 
        Prophet 
        had 
        no 
        doubts 
        on 
        that 
        score, 
        for
he 
        wrote, 
        "And 
        unto 
        every 
        kingdom 
        is 
        given 
        a 
        law; 
        and 
        unto 
        every
law 
        there 
        are 
        certain 
        bounds 
        also 
        and 
        conditions."**
Likewise, 
        his 
        opinions 
        concerning 
        the 
        motions 
        of 
        celestial 
        ob-
jects were 
        very 
        definite 
        and 
        clear. 
        "He 
        hath 
        given 
        a 
        law 
        unto 
        all
things 
        by 
        which 
        they 
        move 
        in 
        their 
        times 
        and 
        seasons; 
        and 
        their
courses 
        are 
        fixed; 
        even 
        the 
        courses 
        of 
        the 
        heavens 
        and 
        the 
        earth,
which 
        comprehend 
        the 
        earth 
        and 
        all 
        the 
        planets.    
        The 
        earth 
        rolls
* 
        The 
        Problems 
        of 
        Astronomy, 
        S. 
        Newcomb. 
        f 
        Book 
        of 
        Moses, 
        1
        : 
        33.
X 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        88 
        : 
        37. 
        § 
        Book 
        of 
        Moses, 
        1 
        : 
        35. 
        || 
        Ibid,
1 
        : 
        38.       
        ** 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        88 
        : 
        38.

<!-- page:343 -->

JOSEPH 
        SMITH 
        AS 
        SCIENTIST. 
        343
upon 
        her 
        wings, 
        and 
        the 
        sun 
        giveth 
        his 
        light 
        by 
        day, 
        and 
        the 
        moon
giveth 
        her 
        light 
        by 
        night, 
        and 
        the 
        stars 
        also 
        giveth 
        their 
        light, 
        as
they 
        roll 
        upon 
        their 
        wings 
        in 
        glory, 
        in 
        the 
        midst 
        of 
        the 
        power 
        of
God."*
In 
        another 
        place 
        the 
        same 
        thought 
        is 
        expressed. 
        "The 
        sun,
moon 
        or 
        stars; 
        all 
        the 
        times 
        of 
        their 
        revolutions; 
        all 
        the 
        appointed
days, 
        months, 
        and 
        years, 
        and 
        all 
        the 
        days 
        of 
        their 
        days, 
        months, 
        and
years, 
        and 
        all 
        their 
        glories, 
        laws, 
        and 
        set 
        times, 
        shall 
        be 
        revealed.
        "f
The 
        two 
        revelations 
        from 
        which 
        these 
        quotations 
        are 
        made,
were 
        given 
        to 
        the 
        Prophet 
        in 
        1832 
        and 
        1839 
        respectively, 
        many
year3 
        before 
        the 
        fact 
        that 
        all 
        celestial 
        bodies 
        are 
        in 
        motion 
        was
understood 
        and 
        accepted 
        by 
        the 
        world 
        of 
        science.
The 
        accepted 
        conception 
        that 
        groups 
        or 
        clusters 
        of 
        stars 
        form
systems 
        which 
        revolve 
        around 
        some 
        one 
        point 
        or 
        powerful 
        star, 
        was
also 
        clearly 
        understood 
        by 
        Joseph 
        Smith, 
        for 
        he 
        speaks 
        « 
        f 
        stars 
        of
different 
        orders 
        with 
        controlling 
        stars 
        for 
        each 
        order. 
        "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: 
        and 
        the 
        Lord 
        said 
        unto 
        me: 
        These 
        are
the 
        governing 
        ones; 
        and 
        the 
        name 
        of 
        the 
        great 
        one 
        is 
        Kolob 
        be-
cause it 
        is 
        near 
        unto 
        me
        —
        I 
        have 
        set 
        this 
        one 
        to 
        govern 
        all 
        those
which 
        belong 
        to 
        the 
        same 
        order 
        as 
        that 
        upon 
        which 
        thou 
        stand-
est."t 
        That 
        the 
        governing 
        star, 
        Kolob, 
        is 
        not 
        the 
        sun 
        is 
        evident,
since 
        the 
        statement 
        is 
        made 
        later 
        in 
        the 
        chapter 
        that 
        the 
        Lord
showed 
        Abraham 
        "Shinehah, 
        which 
        is 
        the 
        sun." 
        Kolob, 
        therefore,
must 
        be 
        a 
        mighty 
        star 
        governing 
        more 
        than 
        the 
        solar 
        system; 
        and
is 
        possibly 
        the 
        central 
        sun 
        around 
        which 
        the 
        sun 
        with 
        its 
        attendant
planets 
        is 
        revolving. 
        The 
        other 
        great 
        stars 
        near 
        Kolob 
        are 
        also
governing 
        stars, 
        two 
        of 
        which 
        are 
        mentioned 
        by 
        name 
        Oliblish 
        and
Enish-go-on-dosh, 
        though 
        nothing 
        is 
        said 
        of 
        the 
        order 
        of 
        stars 
        that
they 
        control. 
        The 
        reading 
        of 
        the 
        third 
        chapter 
        of 
        the 
        Book 
        of 
        Abra-
ham leaves 
        complete 
        conviction 
        that 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        taught 
        that 
        the
celestial 
        bodies 
        are 
        in 
        great 
        groups, 
        controlled 
        (under 
        gravitational
* 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        88 
        : 
        43, 
        45.
f 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        121 
        : 
        30, 
        31.
% 
        Book 
        of 
        Abraham, 
        chapter 
        3.

<!-- page:344 -->

344 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA
influence) 
        by 
        large 
        suns. 
        In 
        this 
        doctrine, 
        he 
        anticipated 
        the
world 
        of 
        science 
        by 
        many 
        years.
It 
        is 
        perhaps 
        less 
        surprising 
        to 
        find 
        that 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        be-
lieved that 
        there 
        are 
        other 
        peopled 
        worlds 
        than 
        ours. 
        For 
        instance,
"The 
        reckoning 
        of 
        God's 
        time, 
        angel's 
        time, 
        prophets' 
        time, 
        and
man's 
        time, 
        is 
        according 
        to 
        the 
        planet 
        on 
        which 
        they 
        reside,"*
which 
        distinctly 
        implies 
        that 
        other 
        planets 
        are 
        inhabited. 
        Another
passage 
        reads, 
        ''The 
        angels 
        do 
        not 
        reside 
        on 
        a 
        planet 
        like 
        this
earth, 
        but 
        they 
        reside 
        in 
        the 
        presence 
        of 
        God, 
        on 
        a 
        globe 
        like 
        a 
        sea
of 
        glass 
        and 
        fire."f
While 
        the 
        idea 
        that 
        the 
        planets 
        and 
        stars 
        may 
        be 
        inhabited 
        is
not 
        at 
        all 
        new, 
        yet 
        it 
        is 
        interesting 
        to 
        note 
        that 
        Joseph 
        Smith
taught 
        as 
        an 
        absolute 
        truth 
        that 
        such 
        is 
        the 
        case. 
        Probably 
        no
other 
        philosopher 
        has 
        gone 
        quite 
        that 
        far.
These 
        brief 
        quotations 
        serve 
        to 
        show 
        that 
        the 
        doctrines 
        of 
        the
Prophet 
        of 
        the 
        Laoter-day 
        Saints 
        are 
        in 
        full 
        accord 
        with 
        the 
        views
that 
        distinguish 
        the 
        new 
        astronomy. 
        It 
        is 
        also 
        to 
        be 
        noted 
        that 
        in
advancing 
        the 
        theories 
        of 
        universal 
        motion 
        among 
        the 
        stars, 
        and
of 
        great 
        stars 
        or 
        suns 
        governing 
        groups 
        of 
        stars, 
        he 
        anticipated 
        by
many 
        years 
        the 
        corresponding 
        theories 
        of 
        professional 
        astrono-
mers.
In 
        various 
        sermons, 
        the 
        Prophet 
        dealt 
        more 
        fully 
        with 
        the
doctrines 
        here 
        set 
        forth, 
        and 
        showed 
        more 
        strongly 
        than 
        is 
        done 
        in
his 
        doctrinal 
        writings, 
        that 
        he 
        understood 
        perfectly 
        the 
        far-reach-
ing nature 
        of 
        his 
        astronomical 
        teachings.
Did 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        teach 
        these 
        truths 
        by 
        chance? 
        Or, 
        did 
        he
receive 
        inspiration 
        from 
        a 
        higher 
        power?
* 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        130 
        : 
        4.
f 
        Loe. 
        cit, 
        v. 
        6 
        and 
        7. 
        See 
        also 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        88 
        : 
        61.