--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Sjodahl, J. M. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 31 number: 4 published: 1928-02 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "J. M. Sjodahl, “The Light and the Sun,” *Improvement Era* 31, no. 4 (February 1928): 277–279." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3104unse 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: improvementera3104unse start_page: 277 end_page: 279 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1928-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3104unse publication_year: 1928 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 1928, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Light and the Sun The Light and the Sun By Elder J. M. Sjodahl IT APPEARS that a question has arisen among the students of one of the state colleges embodying an age-old controversy on the subject of the creation of light on the first day and later the creation of the sun of our universe on the fourth day of the creation. The question is thus put to the Improvement Era: "In the first chapter of Genesis, regarding the Creation, it is written that on the first day God created light, and seeing that the light was good, divided the light from the darkness, calling the light Day, and the darkness Night; then on the third day, God created the grasses, herbs, trees, etc., and finally, on the fourth day, God created the lights in the firmament including the Sun and the Moon. Now the question is: Science has proved that no plant life can survive, or even germinate without the elements from the Sun. How is it that the plants, etc., were created before the Sun was created? Again, Light was created on the first day, the Sun was created on the fourth day, the sole purpose being to give light and life to the earth. How are we to reconcile these two statements?" In answer to the question in this letter let me say first, that the supposed difficulty pointed out has been satisfactorily explained again and again, and belongs really to controversies of the past. It is in the same class as the quibbles about where Cain found his wife and how Joshua made the sun stand still. It is only necessary to read the accounts in the Bible itself, with strict attention to the mean- ing of the words and expressions used, in order to find that the difficulties are imagined and not real. In the story of the creation in Genesis, we are told that the Creator issued the command, "Let there be light," and there was light. The earth was, at that time, "without form and void," and the Spirit of the Lord "moved upon the waters," to bring form and order out of the existing chaos. It was then that the divine command to let there be light was heard and obeyed. This light was not specifically that which emanates from the sun, but that light which is diffused throughout all space, of which the Lord, in a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith says: "Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space — the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the 278 IMPROVEMENT ERA law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things." (Doc. and Cov. 88:12, 13.) It was this light, this life-giving, governing force that, through the presence of the Holy Spirit, was brought into special operation on the formless, empty earth, to bring order and life into existence. It is not said that it was created at that time. The heavens and the earth had been created, or formed; then the light was brought in. "Let there be light." It existed already. That there is latent light, as well as heat, in matter is well known and easily demonstrated. What else is the light produced by friction, or by pressure? Or what is electricity, manifesting itself in flames, or in flaming lightnings? God, then, named the light "day" and the darkness "night;" not the period of twelve hours, or twenty-four hours, but the light itself, and the darkness itself; wherefore, in the Book of Abraham the first day is said to be "the first, or the beginning, of that which they called day and night," and the subsequent "days" are the second, the third, the fourth, etc., "time." The earth, thus being provided with the light from the presence of God, was prepared to bring forth the forms of life that appeared on the "third day." In all probability the earth at this time was surrounded by vapors, clouds and mists, and the distinction between light and dark- ness was not sufficiently marked. On the fourth creation day, therefore, the command of the Creator came: "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night." In compliance with this command two great lights were made, or appeared, the greater to rule the day, the lesser to rule the night, and also the stars, and all these lights were made "for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years." I understand this to mean that on the fourth creation day the sun, the moon and the stars became visible on the earth. The cur- tains of vapor and clouds were raised and the light of the heavenly bodies mentioned became visible on the newly created planet. They became light bearers, by which man, later, was enabled to measure his days, seasons and years, and arrange for his sacred festivals. We are not told that these heavenly bodies were created on that day, but that they were made lights, that is lamps, or candle sticks, "set in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth." That is, they were made visible from the earth. They were really created "in the beginning." We know very little about the sun, as about everything else, THE LIGHT OF THE SON 279 but some hold, that what we see of the sun is only its luminous atmosphere in which decomposition of fluids of a phosphoric nature takes place, "attended by lucid appearances, by giving out light." (Herschel, quoted by Dr. Clarke in his Commentary.) There is no contradiction between the account of the creative processes on the first day and the fourth, and this is clear when we understand that light exists independent of the luminous orbs in the firmament, and that these are really light bearers, or lamps, for the benefit of the children of God in this part of his many mansions. To Him That Believeth High is the towering mountain, Because of the depth of the vale; Broad is the valley below us, Because of the width of the trail. Warm is a raw day of winter In compare with the pinch of stern frost; Much is a dollar we saved, Because of the many we've lost. Slow are the footsteps for mortals, Because of the speed of the wing. Poor is the hut of a peasant, Compared to the palace of king. Things that are sensed are the measures By which we continue to grow; Things that give pain or give pleasure Are the powers that cause us to know. Belief is the key to all prisons, Doubt is a lock and a cell; Faith is the path unto wisdom, Doubt is the darkness of hell. Light is dispeller of darkness, Truth dealeth error defeat, Life is the hope of the spirit, Hope is the gift of belief. M. Chari.es Woods