Earth
Shem, Ham, and Japheth
The eldest son, down through history, was usually preeminent, and got the birthright. But not always.
In the Book of Mormon Ammon was the leader among the four brothers, but I suspect that Aaron was the eldest. He was the one selected by the people from among the sons of Mosiah to be king Mosiah’s successor. That indicates that he was the firstborn.
Patriarch Timeline
PATRIARCH TIMELINE
Read MoreThe Great Ancient Civilizations
The World Book Encyclopedia says that there were four great ancient civilizations. The World Book Encyclopedia is wrong. There were five. The world is still largely unaware of the Jaredites in America. Archaeologists call them the Olmecs. This was the 5th great ancient civilization.
Read MoreThe Equinox
September 22nd, the fall equinox. I’ve positioned myself here in the middle of the road with my camera so that I can record the rising of the sun. It will come up in the east, right straight down our county road.
Read MoreWater and the Pacific Northwest
My second great grandfather, Thomas Condon, was the pioneer geologist of Oregon. He arrived in Oregon in 1853 and spent half a century exploring Oregon’s fossils and contemplating its ancient history.
Read MoreThe Creation
This I Believe
1. The earth was not created out of nothing. I believe that it was created out of existing materials brought together and organized by God, the Creator. (Abr. 3:24).
2. The earth was not created in a 24-hour day, nor in a 7-day week as we know them. One day in God’s time is as 1,000 years to man. (Abr. 3:4, 5:13). When the scriptures speak of the seven days of creation, they are symbolically referring to periods of time that might have been thousands or millions of years long.
Sunrise
I have an appointment each morning with the rising of the sun. I try to be in front of my big window as the sun slowly prepares to make its appearance.
Read MoreSunrise
June 20, 2020, the second-longest day of the year. I am up early so that I can watch the sunrise. Sunrise will happen at about 5:15 on the right hand flank of China Cap in the Wallowa Mountains. The sky is filled with a broken cloud cover. The sun is still well below the horizon. Therefore, because of the curvature of the earth, the light of the sun is able to hit the underside of the clouds in my valley. The result is spectacular. An orange, fan-shaped light source below and to the left of China Cap has turned the entire sky orange, yellow, pink, and red.
Read MoreA Lesson in Astronomy
Samuel the Lamanite made a one-of-its-kind prophecy. Matthew, half a world away, recorded the prophecy’s fulfillment. (Matthew 2). The prophecy was that at the time of Christ’s birth a new star would arise. (Helaman 14:5). The star was to be a sign that the event had happened. It was a sign looked for and anticipated by not only the Nephites, but by certain wise men who lived some-where far to the east of Jerusalem.
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