Question
Gramps,
A long time ago one of my Sunday School teachers mentioned from Luke 19:40 that “even the stones would cry out”. Why exactly would that happen? Also, he interpreted it as the earth having a conscious spirit. I know the earth was created spiritually first, but is it like humans, or a conscious, living, intelligent being?
Eric
Answer
Eric,
The earth’s existence follows a path very similar to our own. It had a form of birth or creation (Genesis 1), was completely immersed in baptism (Gen 7), will one day receive a baptism by fire (Malachi 4), and will finally receive a celestial glory (D&C 130:9).
The earth is further personified in Enoch’s great vision. He sees wickedness all around him. Earth is not content just lettting him watch but speaks out, “Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face?” (Moses 7:48).
Zenos prophecied that when Jesus Christ was crucified the isles of the sea would receive a witness of it. This testimony did not come by any fleet messenger, but from the earth itself. He describes nature’s terrible tantrum – rocks rending and earth groaning – because “the God of nature suffers” (1 Nephi 19:12).
When Christ made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the masses waved their palm fronds and shouted, “Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” If this crowd were silent in their praise, the stones themselves would pick up the shout.
I’ll leave it to you to decide if these examples are merely poetic license personifying a dead rock, or a prophetic description of a living, intelligent Earth.
Gramps
