Can you explain “other worlds have come and passed away?”

Question

Gramps,

The scriptures say many worlds have come and passed away. This implies that people on these other worlds have been resurrected and the earths have received their paradisical glory. If Christ is the creator and savior for these other worlds how can this be if Christ is the first fruits of the resurrection and this happened on this earth about 2000 years ago?

Clark

Answer

Clark,

The only scripture I am aware of that says other worlds have passed away, is Moses 1:35:

But only an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you. For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them.

I can think of two ways to approach this scripture and reconcile it with the idea of Jesus being the absolute first fruits of the resurrection, not only of all God’s children on earth, but of all God’s children everywhere (which is, itself, a bit of an assumption). First, if we assume that “worlds” does indeed mean other “planets”, it may be worth pointing out that the passage contains no definitive statement that the specific worlds that have “passed away” were ever populated.

Alternately, one could suggest that the “worlds” that have passed away include, for example, previous phases of the earth’s existence–ancient geological eras in which other forms of life prevailed, which were brought to an abrupt close by some sort of natural catastrophe that paved the way for the dominion of humankind over the earth.

Gramps