world was."[A]

[Footnote A: Doctrine and Covenants, 121:30-32.]

Those who may be inclined to believe that this doctrine was taught in a spiritual sense only, should recall that Joseph Smith taught also that spirit is only a pure form of matter,[A] so that the principles of the material world must have their counterparts in the spiritual world. Besides, in the last quotation reference is made to such material bodies as sun, moon, and stars. In other places, special mention is made of the fact that the material universe is controlled by law. For instance:

[Footnote A: Doctrine and Covenants, 131:7.]

"All kingdoms have a law given: and there are many kingdoms; * * * * and unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions. * * * * And again, verily I say unto you, he hath given a law unto all things by which they move in their times and their seasons; and their courses are fixed; even the courses of the heavens and the earth, which comprehend the earth and all the planets."[A]

[Footnote A: Doctrine and Covenants, 88:36-33, 42, 43.]

This also is a clear, concise statement of law and its nature, which is not excelled by the definitions of science. There can be no doubt from these quotations, as from many others that might be made, that Joseph Smith based his teachings upon the recognition that law pervades the universe, and that none can transcend law. In the material world or in the domain of ether or spirit, like causes produced like effects—the reign of law is supreme.

[Sidenote: "The law also maketh you free."]

Certainly the claim cannot be made that Joseph Smith anticipated the world of science in the recognition of this important principle; but it is a source of marvel that he should so clearly recognize and state it, at a time when many religious sects and philosophical creeds chose to assume that natural laws could be set aside easily by mystical methods that might be acquired by anyone. In some respects, the scientific test of the divine inspiration of Joseph Smith lies here. Ignorant and superstitious as his enemies say he was, the mystical would have attracted him greatly, and he would have played for his own interest upon the superstitious fears of his followers. Instead, he taught doctrines absolutely free from mysticism, and built a system of religion in which the invariable relation of cause and effect is the cornerstone. Instead of priding himself, to his disciples, upon his superiority to the laws of nature, he taught distinctly that "the law also maketh you free."[A] Herein he recognized another great principle—that freedom consists in the adaptation to law, not in the opposition to it.

[Footnote A: Doctrine and Covenants, 98:8.]

However, whatever else the Prophet Joseph Smith was, he most certainly was in full harmony with the scientific principle that the universe is controlled by law.

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNIVERSE.

Chapter VI.

THE NEW ASTRONOMY.

[Sidenote: The laws of the motions of the heavenly bodies have been learned very slowly.]

From the dawn of written history, when the first men, watching through the nights, observed the regular motions of the moon and stars, humanity has been striving to obtain a correct understanding of the relation of the earth to the. First it was believed that the sun, moon, and stars revolved in circles around the earth (which for a time was supposed to be flat instead of spherical). The great Greek philosopher, Hipparchus, after observing the movements of the heavenly bodies, suggested that the earth was not exactly in the middle of the circles. Three hundred years later, Ptolemy discovered a number of facts concerning the movements of the sun, moon and planets, which were unknown to Hipparchus, and which led him to suggest that the sun and moon move in circles around the earth, but that the planets move around the earth in circles, whose centres again move around the earth. This somewhat complex theory explained very well what was known of astronomy in the days of the ancients. In fact, the views of Ptolemy were quite generally accepted for 1300 years.

About 1500, A. D., Copernicus, a Dutch astronomer, having still more facts in his possession than had Ptolemy, concluded that the simplest manner in which the apparent movements of the sun, moon, and planets could be explained, was to assume that the sun is the center of the planetary system, and that the earth, with the moon and planets, revolves according to definite laws around the sun. This theory, supported by numerous confirmatory observations, was generally accepted by astronomers, and really did explain very simply and clearly many of the facts of planetary motion.

Fifty years after the death of Copernicus, the celebrated astronomer, Kepler, proposed extensions and improvements of the Copernican doctrine, which made the theory that the planets revolve about the sun more probable than ever before. He suggested first that the planets move around the sun in closed curves, resembling flattened circles, and known as ellipses. By assuming this to be true, and assisted by other discoveries, he was also able to state the times required by the planets for their revolutions around the sun, and the velocity of their motions at different times of the year. Later investigations have proved the great laws proposed by Copernicus and Kepler to be true; and from their days is dated the birth of modern astronomy.

[Sidenote: The law of gravitation is universal and explains many of the motions of celestial bodies.]

After the laws of the motions of the planets had been determined, it was only natural that men should ask themselves what forces were concerned in these motions. The ancient philosophers had proposed the idea that the sun attracts all heavenly bodies, but the suggestion had not been accepted by the world at large. However, after the discoveries of Kepler, the English, philosopher Newton advanced the theory that there is in the universe an attractive force which influences all matter, beyond the limits of known space. He further proved that the intensity of this force varies directly with the product of the attractive masses, and inversely, with the square of the distances between them—that is, the greater the bodies the greater the attraction; the greater the distance between them, the smaller the attraction. This law of gravitation has been verified by repeated experiments, and, taken in connection with the astronomical theories of Copernicus and Kepler, has made celestial mechanics what they are today.

By the aid of the law of gravitation, many astronomical predictions have been fulfilled. Among the most famous is the following incident:

In the early part of the last century, astronomers noticed that the motions of the planet Uranus did not agree with those derived from calculations based upon the law of gravitation. About 1846, two investigators, M. Leverrier, of France, and Mr. Adams of England, stated, as their opinion, that the discordance between theory and observation in the case of the motions of Uranus, was due to the attraction of a planet, not yet known, and they calculated by means of the law of gravitation, the size and orbit of the unknown planet. In the fall of 1846, this planet was actually discovered and named Neptune. It was found to harmonize with the predictions made by the astronomers before its discovery.

During the days of Newton, the question was raised if the celestial bodies outside of the solar system obey the law of gravitation. Among the stars, there are some which are called double stars, and which consist of two stars so near to each other that the