Churches view on Dinosaurs?

[Chango]

A silly question perhaps, but I am curious nonetheless. What if anything has anyone heard or been taught to understand on Dinosaurs?

If Adam was put on the earth right after it was created there is no record of them. Are they just fossil remains of species from another place and time when the Earth was organized or put together from old matter?

[mightynancy]

The Church doesn't take a stand on dinos.

There is, however, a small dino museum at BYU in their Paleontology department.

[Guest tbaird22]

Mormonism and science/Dinosaurs - FAIRMormon

[bcguy]

I pour dino juice into my fuel tank every time I fill up :)

[Chango]

I pour dino juice into my fuel tank every time I fill up :)

This is no time for jokes!? My testimony is at stake here! LOL j/k I am just interested in hearing what others may have to say on the subject (silly as it may be), just something I have been curious about, anyhow.. -

[Vort]

The Church's view is that man did not evolve from dinosaurs. Turkeys and hummingbirds did.

[Guest]

And Vort is officially back!

Okay, you know when God created light to God created man... you say it took 6 "days"... now, what does "day" mean exactly? Is it 24 hours?

LDS Teaching gives room for the creation of the earth to the creation of man spanning millions of years.

[NeuroTypical]

My personal take: If I get to heaven and discover the earth is 5433 years old, I'll still fall at the feet of the Master and wet His feet with my tears.

If I get to heaven and discover the earth is millions or billions of years old, I'll still fall at the feet of the Master and wet His feet with my tears.

:)

[mnn727]

The 'days' of creation were periods of time -- how long? no one knows and the Church does not take a stand on a time frame other than to state they were 'creative periods', but it certainly allows time for dino's rise and fall.

These scriptures suggest that the word day is used to describe periods of varying lengths. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained, “There is no revealed recitation specifying that each of the ‘six days’ involved in the Creation was of the same duration” (Ensign, June 1982, 11).

Latter-day Saints have additional information that allows a third view—that each “day” of the Creation was of unspecified duration and that the Creation of the earth took place during an unknown length of time. Abraham stresses that day is synonymous with time. For example, Abraham 4:8 summarizes the second creative period by stating that “this was the second time that they called night and day.” This usage is consistent with ancient Hebrew. The Hebrew word YOM, often translated day, can also mean “time” or “period.” In other words, the term translated day in Genesis could be appropriately read as “period.” I Have a Question - Liahona Mar. 1998

The different roles science and religion play is illustrated in a study of the dinosaurs. From the fossil record it is theorized that the dinosaurs were the dominant animals on earth between 225 and 67 million years ago. Some were meat-eating, others lived on plants. Some were small, while others were gigantic, weighing up to seventy-two metric tons and growing to lengths of more than twenty-seven meters.

The existence of these animals is unquestionable, for their remains have been found in rocks all over the world. What eternal purpose they played in the creation and early history of the world is unknown. The scriptures do not discuss the subject of dinosaurs, and it is not the purpose of science to explain why they were here. We can only conclude, as Elder Talmage did, that “The whole series of chalk deposits and many of our deep-sea limestones contain the skeletal remains of animals. These lived and died, age after age, while the earth was not ready for human habitation.”Questions and Answers - Liahona Apr. 1988

Edited May 12, 2011 by mnn727

[JudoMinja]

My personal take on the matter...

As others pointed out, there is no set definition for just how long a period a "day" was during the creation. I believe the creation of the animals and other life forms happened through the course of evolution, so by the time man was created dinosaurs would already have been long gone. OR- while evolution was working throughout the rest of the planet, dinosaurs and Adam and Eve could have been on earth at the same time. Nowhere does it say just how long Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden before they decided to partake of the fruit. It could have been... well, millions of years. Then, the "fiery sword" that blocked all entry to the Garden after they were cast out could have been the meteorite that wiped out the dinosaurs.

[FunkyTown]

The churches official stance is that Dinosaurs are FREAKING AMAZING.

Originally posted by lds.org

Did you see Jurassic Park? That scene with the Tyrannosaurus Rex? How unbelievable was that? Oh, and when the T-Rex was staring at them but they weren't moving? That was just plain amazing.

[UrbanFool]

I'm going with this:

Still others have taken the approach that the earth is very old, that there was death before the Fall, and that the dinosaurs lived and died in a era long before the story of Adam and Eve begins.

I don't think I've ever heard of dinosaur bones being dumped on our planet. That's an awfully long way to drop off your trash!

[pam]

The churches official stance is that Dinosaurs are FREAKING AMAZING.

Link please?

[Wingnut]

I'm going with this:

I don't think I've ever heard of dinosaur bones being dumped on our planet. That's an awfully long way to drop off your trash!

My husband has a few theories, one of which is that dinosaurs never existed on our planet but that God gave us fossils for fuel, and just because He has a twisted sense of humor. But so does my husband, so that explains why he likes to think that. :)

Edited May 12, 2011 by Wingnut
plants = planet

[pam]

But so does my husband, so that explains why he likes to think that. :)

Your husband has a twisted sense of humor? I find that really hard to believe. :)

[rameumptom]

One possible theory that I like, and fits into things taught by Joseph Smith, James Talmage, BH Roberts and Hugh Nibley is this:

God works in Creation/Destruction cycles. This earth has gone through a series of Creaiton/Destruction cycles. We can see it in the geological record. 250 million years ago, an asteroid wiped out 90% of all life on earth, opening the way for dinosaurs. 65 million years ago, an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs, opening the way for mammals. 15,000 years ago, a huge Ice Age wiped away many species, including Neanderthal Man, sabre toothed tigers, and Mastodons, opening the way for modern man.

Adam and Eve may not have been the only people on earth. They were the only ones in the Garden, and perhaps the only ones they knew about until later. They definitely were the first to have the fullness of the gospel (as the Book of Moses teaches us), and by then it seems there were enough people around to preach to.

So here is a theory that combines all things nicely, without having to do back flips.

[Blocky]

Adam and Eve may not have been the only people on earth. They were the only ones in the Garden, and perhaps the only ones they knew about until later. They definitely were the first to have the fullness of the gospel (as the Book of Moses teaches us), and by then it seems there were enough people around to preach to.

So here is a theory that combines all things nicely, without having to do back flips.

Oh my poor brain! All these theories, so little time. The idea that there were other people on earth, that's a new one for me.

[Backroads]

Eh, I figure dinosaurs existed in much the way paleontologists have theorized. I see no reason to believe differently.

[UrbanFool]

If you read Zacharia Sitchen's 12th Planet, he posits that the Annunaki tried several times to get mankind jump-started on Earth (with limited success), and Planet X (Nibiru) comes every 37,000 years to be close enough to dump off their dinosaur bones. It's said to be coming in 2012 to coincide with THAT Armageddon.

And I've probably spelled all of that wrong and mixed up my facts. I've loaned the book out though, so I can't check it.

[estradling75]

Oh my poor brain! All these theories, so little time. The idea that there were other people on earth, that's a new one for me.

Don't feel so bad... If the apostles can't come to agreement on the issue it hardly fair to expect anyone else to

[slamjet]

You can always read Earth: In The Beginning by Eric N. Skousen (the other Skousen). I'm not sure I agree with much of the book, still thinking about it, but he definitely got some ideas about the Dinosaur issue and then sum. Interesting read if at a minimum it gives you something to think about.

[Vort]

In all seriousness, avian evolution is a truly fascinating study. Wikipedia has a good article on avian evolution.

Birds are a much more ancient type of animal than most of us realize. They were around during the Cretaceous, the last stand of the dinosaurs. The best guess today is that birds derive from a type of dinosaur closely related to Velociraptor of Jurassic Park fame*. The feathers, hollow bones, and wing development are currently hot topics of debate in the evolution community, of which I'm not a part so I really can't tell you much more.

*Though it may seem a frighteningly accurate documentary about dinosaurs, Jurassic Park is not without its subtle flaws. For example, most of the dinosaurs featured in it weren't Jurassic dinosaurs. And most therapods were probably feathered. And Tyrannosaurs (which led violent and very injury-prone lives) likely scavenged much of their food, much like modern top predators. Plus the dialog was inane, the plot contrived, and the animation over-the-top to the point of absurdity. But other than that, great movie.

[bcguy]

See below

One possible theory that I like, and fits into things taught by Joseph Smith, James Talmage, BH Roberts and Hugh Nibley is this:

God works in Creation/Destruction cycles. This earth has gone through a series of Creaiton/Destruction cycles. We can see it in the geological record. 250 million years ago, an asteroid wiped out 90% of all life on earth, opening the way for dinosaurs. 65 million years ago, an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs, opening the way for mammals. 15,000 years ago, a huge Ice Age wiped away many species, including Neanderthal Man, sabre toothed tigers, and Mastodons, opening the way for modern man.

Try alot longer then 15,00 years ago!

Oldest Skeleton of Human Ancestor Found

Both skeletons are found in Ethiopia, ironically, where the supposed arc of the covenant is being held in secret.

Adam and Eve may not have been the only people on earth. They were the only ones in the Garden, and perhaps the only ones they knew about until later. They definitely were the first to have the fullness of the gospel (as the Book of Moses teaches us), and by then it seems there were enough people around to preach to.

So here is a theory that combines all things nicely, without having to do back flips.

[Vort]

See below

I think you misread what Ram wrote. He suggests that 15,000 years ago, the beginning of our present inter-ice-age period saw the extinction of all hominids except modern humans. He said nothing about any earliest human ancestor.

[JudoMinja]

Birds are a much more ancient type of animal than most of us realize. They were around during the Cretaceous, the last stand of the dinosaurs. The best guess today is that birds derive from a type of dinosaur closely related to Velociraptor of Jurassic Park fame*. The feathers, hollow bones, and wing development are currently hot topics of debate in the evolution community, of which I'm not a part so I really can't tell you much more.

The main running theory right now is that feathers are nothing more than specialized scales. Some believe this evolved as a gliding tool in an aboreal creature, while others believe it evolved to help a terrestrial animal that relied mainly on running as an escape from predators. This would have sped its running ability and helped it get just a little "air" to get away. It is possible that there was a co-evolution and both scenarios are correct. It's first emergence probably came as a method for hatchlings to keep warm and were shed with the first "skin" as it grew and became ready to leave the nest.

This means- since feathers are really just "scales" and bird's closest relatives are dinosaurs- that birds are actually reptiles. I've tried spreading this knowledge and have been surprised just how many teachers there are in schools that aren't even aware of it, as it was considered pretty basic knowledge going through my zoology, ornithology, and herpetology classes.