KnoWhy #183 - Why Did Mormon Say the Children of Men are Less than the Dust of the Earth? (Helaman 12:7)

In a chapter-long reflection on the foibles of sin, Mormon contrasted the obedience of nature with the sinful disobedience of men. As part of this sermon, Mormon declared that when God commands, the earth moves back so that it lengthens out the day for many hours. In response to this statement, many have wondered if Mormon held a modern understanding of the solar system. Yet whatever his practical beliefs of the cosmos, Mormon’s statement about the earth’s movement can be most meaningfully understood as a symbolic commentary on the need for all things to be obedient to God.