Joseph Smith and Modern Astronomy

by Richard Ingebretsen

It has taken modern science over 3,500 years, and the genius of such men as Einstein to catch up with what Abraham and Moses knew so long ago. We can only ponder how many more wonders of God may be hidden in the astounding translations of Joseph Smith.

In this book, Dr. Richard Ingebretsen, former science editor for the Ensign, a medical doctor and a PhD scientist confirms the truth of the writings and translations of Joseph Smith using advances in modern science.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Lds

55 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ingebretsen describes several modern astronomy concepts in a straightforward way. However, the links he tries to make between these topics and various scriptural texts are contrived, forcing the texts into a very literal interpretation without any evidence that the texts were meant to be interpreted that way. As an astronomer and a Latter-day Saint, I didn't find this book particularly meaningful in any way.

[Rome Rapier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection

Took the words right out of my mouth! This medical practitioner, Professor of physics and astronomy has said, with authority, what I’ve always known.

[Leisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The thoughts and concepts are really intriguing. Written by a physicist/medical doctor- I really found the perspective refreshing and thought provoking. It's pretty short and really basic- but I think had he gone any deeper a lot of people would have been lost in the scientific jargon.

The title is a little off in that the book less about Joseph Smith and more about the prophet Abraham and how revelations he had align with concepts in physics/astronomy/ and even some biology.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short and not exceptionally well written, but it's written by a doctor, so he deserves a pass. Dr. Ingebretsen was my physics professor at the University of Utah, and he's an all-around stand-up guy.

I read the book a few years ago, but it shows how Joseph Smith's translation of the Book of Abraham teaches the theory of relativity long before Einstein figured it out. Pretty fascinating.

[Austin Archibald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite disappointing. The book is more of a pamphlet or a chapter in a book. It is very elementary and barely scratches the surface. It's a misleading title; the seminal work on the correspondences between Joseph's revelations and modern astronomy still needs to be written. This didn't even come close. I did not learn very much at all.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book. It's not a large book, but it is full of some very interesting stuff. Even though I read this a long time ago, I still refer to many of the concepts discussed here when reading the scriptures and doing my personal study. It definitely gave me much to think about.

[Joshua Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

My physics professor at the U of U wrote this book. He's one of the coolest/strangest people I've ever met. It's kinda weird, very short, full of grammatical errors and really interesting.

[Ernie Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short book with some pretty technical information but worth the read.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but terribly short. I would love to read several hundred pages of this guy talking about astronomy, physics, and the Pearl of Great Price.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, though the title is a little misleading. The book is less about Joseph Smith and more about the scriptures that were revealed to him.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book about the creation. Also how science and the scriptures explain our wonderful universe.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It's short and written to be understood. I would like more of the same. (Does anyone have a recommendation?!)

[Rob Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting book to read. I enjoyed it a lot.