Neal Maxwell on the Cosmos

[_Maksutov]

Someone uploaded a video illustrating this talk to a secular astronomy Facebook group I belong to. It lasted about 30 seconds before it was shouted down. Some compulsive astrosaint just had to push it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI3QAcS_y6g

Maxwell rapturizes about the Hubble Space Telescope but, in the end, it is not so impressive as rocks in a hat.

https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/study-and- ... ors-cosmos

Excerpts:

As spectacular as what science has learned about the witnessing universe so far, it is still such a small sample. Of the 1995 Hubble picture of a “deep field,” it was said that “the sampled segment—the deepest image ever taken of the heavens—covered . . . ‘a speck of the sky only about the width of a dime located 75 feet away.’” [16]

The soul trembles, brothers and sisters!

Whatever Moses’ own sample, no wonder he was overwhelmed and “fell unto the earth” saying that “man is nothing” (Moses 1:9–10).

Mercifully, though awestruck, the revelations assure us of God’s love: “Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever” (Alma 26:37).

So, brothers and sisters, the Lord is mindful of each of His vast creations. Look once more at the many “dots” in just one portion of our ordinary-sized Milky Way Galaxy...

.............

Divine determination is so reassuring, as these words in Abraham set forth: “There is nothing that the Lord thy God shall take in his heart to do but what he will do it” (Abraham 3:17). His capacity is so remarkable that two times in two verses in the Book of Mormon He courteously but pointedly reminds us that He really is “able” to do His own work (see 2 Nephi 27:20–21). Is He ever!

Furthermore, order is reflected in God’s creations!

“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 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, to govern all those planets which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest” (Abraham 3:2, 9; emphasis added).

One scientist is reported as saying of cosmic configuration, “We may be living among huge honeycomb structures or cells.” [17] Some scientists say of certain nonrandom galaxies that they “appear to be arranged in a network of strings, or filaments, surrounding large, relatively empty regions of space known as voids.” [18] Other astronomers say they have discovered an “enormous . . . wall of galaxies, . . . the largest structure yet observed in the universe.” [19] Commendably, such able scientists continue to press forward.

.....................

And so Maxwell mingles the teachings of men (Mormons pretending to cosmic knowledge) with the teachings of science.

[_DrW]

Neil Maxwell on the cosmos is about as meaningful as Donald Trump on the constitution.

[_Maksutov]

Neil Maxwell on the cosmos is about as meaningful as Donald Trump on the constitution.

I saw in it that Neal was jealous of Carl Sagan getting so much press and respect so he had to inject Elohim into the story in order that Neal and his buds could keep their cushy jobs pretending to know stuff.

[_mentalgymnast]

Someone uploaded a video illustrating this talk to a secular astronomy Facebook group I belong to. It lasted about 30 seconds before it was shouted down. Some compulsive astrosaint just had to push it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI3QAcS_y6g

Maxwell rapturizes about the Hubble Space Telescope but, in the end, it is not so impressive as rocks in a hat.

https://rsc.BYU.edu/archived/study-and- ... ors-cosmos

Excerpts:...

Here is another excerpt from the article linked to above:

The late Carl Sagan, who communicated effectively about science and the universe, perceptively observed that:

in some respects, science has far surpassed religion in delivering awe. How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, ‘This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said—grander, more subtle, more elegant. God must be even greater than we dreamed’? Instead, they say, ‘No, no, no! My god is a little god, and I want him to stay that way.’ A religion, old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the Universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths. Sooner or later, such a religion will emerge.

Carl Sagan. Inspired?

Neal Maxwell quoting Sagan. That's kind of cool. I wonder if Elder Maxwell read some of Sagan's works? Demon Haunted World right next to Screwtape Letters on his bookshelf.

Thanks for sharing the video.

Regards,
MG

[_Lemmie]

Neil Maxwell on the cosmos is about as meaningful as Donald Trump on the constitution.

You're not kidding. I'm especially puzzled by this comment at the beginning of his talk:

My special appreciation goes to Professor Eric G. Hintz of Brigham Young University, an observational astronomer, for his very helpful, substantive suggestions concerning these remarks. Through him I have been pleased to learn of the increasing numbers of Latter-day Saint students pursuing advanced astronomy and astrophysics.

Which was then followed by this disclaimer:

Of course, the Church does not align itself with the astrophysics of 2002...

[_deacon blues]

I recall Maxwell giving a similar talk at a Saturday Night Session of Stake Conference about 15-20 years ago, accompanied by a slide presentation. "Dazzling, brothers and sisters, just dazzling!"

[_Maksutov]

Neil Maxwell on the cosmos is about as meaningful as Donald Trump on the constitution.

You're not kidding. I'm especially puzzled by this comment at the beginning of his talk:

My special appreciation goes to Professor Eric G. Hintz of Brigham Young University, an observational astronomer, for his very helpful, substantive suggestions concerning these remarks. Through him I have been pleased to learn of the increasing numbers of Latter-day Saint students pursuing advanced astronomy and astrophysics.

Which was then followed by this disclaimer:

Of course, the Church does not align itself with the astrophysics of 2002...

The church is aligned with the astrophysics of a semiliterate treasure digger from early 19th century America.

[_Choyo Chagas]

The church is aligned with the astrophysics of a semiliterate treasure digger from early 19th century America.

as a barely literate reader of reader's digest from today's america

[_moksha]

Can you imagine how devastating it would be if you were a hampster running on your wheel and you heard in the Hie to Kolob song that there is no end to race?

Wish Elder Maxwell could have pointed out Kolob on one of the galaxy charts.