Just prior to Abraham’s arrival in Egypt, he received a vision of God’s universe by means of the Urim and Thummim. His record states: “And I, Abraham, had the Urim and Thummim, which the Lord my God had given unto me…. And I saw the stars, that they were very great” (Abraham 3:1-2).

While we do not have a Urim and Thummim available to us, this article will attempt to recreate the vision of God’s universe, as shown to Abraham, by using the information that we do have.

Abraham Facsimile #2

​The first place we should look is Abraham Facsimile #2, because it is the picture version of the vision that Abraham received. Huge Nibley said that Facsimile #2 “represent[s] the Cosmos and was presented to [Abraham] when he was carried up to heaven on the wings of a bird.”[1] Stated differently, it is a very old drawing of God’s universe.

Kolob
​
​In the center (Fig. 1) is Kolob, which represents the planet or star that is “nearest to the celestial, or the residence of God” (Explanation, Fig. 1). When Abraham saw this planet or star in vision, he recorded: “And I saw the sstars, that they were very great, and that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God…. And the Lord said unto me…the name of the great one is Kolob” (Abraham 3:2).

According to Facsimile #2, Fig. 1, Kolob is geographically located at the very center of God’s universe, which will be important to remember later on.

Other Celestial Stars

​After seeing Kolob, Abraham then saw several other celestial planets or stars which were also located near this celestial center. For example, Figures 22 and 23 represent two “stars [that] receiv[e] light from the revolutions of Kolob” (Explanation, Fig. 5), and Fig. 2 represents a planet or star which “stands next to Kolob…[and] is the next grand governing creation” (Explanation, Fig. 2).

The Sun and Earth

​After beholding all of the planets or stars in the celestial center of God’s universe, Abraham was then allowed to see our area of the universe (see Abraham 3:13). Fig. 5 represents “one of the governing planets also, and is said…to be the Sun” (Explanation, Fig. 5):

And next to our Sun is Fig. 6, which “represents this earth in its four quarters” (Explanation, Fig. 6):

What is interesting about the Sun and earth in Facsimile #2 is that they are both drawn upside down. Why is that? Although not stated in the figure explanations, it is this author’s opinion that this upside-down area of Facsimile #2 represents the fallen, or telestial realm of God’s universe. If true, then this means that according to Facsimile #2, God’s universe is divided into celestial, telestial, and terrestrial areas. For example:​

Therefore, if we were to reimagine God's universe as revealed to Abraham using imagery more familiar to our modern culture, it might resemble the following illustration:​

The Tabernacle
​
​Interestingly enough, the ancient tabernacle was also organized in a similar manner, with three distinct areas representing the celestial, terrestrial, and telestial realms respectively:

Stated differently, the tabernacle is a model of our universe. The ark of the covenant inside the Holy of Holies represents the celestial center where Kolob, or the throne of God, is located. Outside the Holy of Holies is the holy place, which is represented by the terrestrial area of God’s universe. And outside the holy place is the outer courtyard, which is represented by the telestial area of God’s universe, which is also the area where our earth and Sun currently reside.

The Altar and the Veil

If the outer courtyard represents the telestial area of God’s universe, then the altar of sacrifice, which is located in the outer courtyard, is undoubtedly a representation of our earth, for it was on our earth where the Lamb of God was offered upon the cross as a sacrifice for sin. Furthermore, similar to the veil in the temple, our galaxy also contains a very literal, physical veil—made of dust and gas—which shields our earth from beholding too much light radiating from the galactic center. LDS scientist Eric Skousen referred to this veil as “a region consisting of huge clouds of interstellar dust and gas,” which “effectively blocks visible light from the galactic center [so] that less than one trillionth of it ever reaches us.”[2] And former BYU professor Lynn Hilton even went so far as to say that this interstellar veil of dust and gas is actually shielding us from the glory of God. He said: “The radiations of God’s light, which proceed forth from His presence to fill the immensity of space (D&C 88:12) are filtered through veils of interstellar dust, which block our mortal view of the celestial kingdom.”[3]

Joseph Smith explained the reason for this heavenly veil when he said: “God has set the bounds of light lest it pass over and consume the planets.”[4] In other words, by placing this interstellar veil of dust and gas inside our galaxy, God has made it so exactly the right amount of His light reaches our earth and no more.

What is especially interesting is that at the Second Coming, “the veil of the covering of my temple, in my tabernacle, which hideth the earth, shall be taken off, and all flesh shall see me together” (D&C 101:23). At that moment—when the veil in God’s universe is removed—all mankind will suddenly come into the presence of God. The result? “All the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts” (D&C 29:9).

Now that we have a clearer understanding of how the tabernacle serves as a model of God’s universe, let’s take a closer look at the earth itself to see what clues it might offer on this subject.

The Journey of the Earth

President Brigham Young taught: “When the earth was framed and brought into existence and man was placed upon it, it was near the throne of our Father in heaven.”[5] In other words, according to Brigham Young, our earth was not created in our current Solar System; rather, it was created near the celestial center of God’s universe.

If true, how and when did our earth arrive in our Solar System? Brigham Young continued: “And when man fell the earth fell into space and took up its abode in this planetary system, and the sun became our light.”[6] In other words, it was not just Adam and Eve who fell; rather, the earth itself literally fell and was consequently relocated to the telestial area of God’s universe where it currently resides today.

But our Solar System is not the final destination of our earth. We are told that at the Second Coming, our earth will once again be relocated in God’s universe. The Lord said in Isaiah: “I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place…. And it shall be as the chased roe” (Isaiah 13:13-14; emphasis added). Of this, Daniel H. Ludlow wrote:

“One of the predicted events associated with the second coming of Jesus Christ is that ‘the stars shall fall from heaven.’ … As the earth moves through the stars of its present heaven to its new position, these stars will appear to be falling in relationship to the movement of the earth.”[7]

As a result of “the earth [being] remove[d] out of her place” at the Second Coming (Isaiah 13:13), our Solar System will be left with an empty void where our earth used to be. President Joseph Fielding Smith once spoke of this empty void when he said that God will continue his work “upon other planets, or worlds, which will take the place of this earth when it has been exalted and gone on to its celestial glory.”[8] Similarly, the Lord said to Moses: “And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works (Moses 1:38; emphasis added). This suggests that although the earth will not remain in our Solar System forever, the Sun is destined to dwell here indefinitely. It also implies that the Sun may have been used by other worlds that came before ours. In fact, as crazy as this sounds, this idea is actually supported by scientists, who estimate that the Sun has been in our solar system approximately 500 million years longer than our earth.[9]

But this begs the question: After “the earth [is] remove[d] out of her place” at the Second Coming (Isaiah 13:13), where will it be taken? Since the earth will be of a terrestrial order during the Millennium, it is this authors opinion that the earth will be relocated to somewhere in the terrestrial area of God’s universe. At the end of the Millennium, however, when the earth undergoes its death and resurrection, it will become a celestial kingdom and move even closer in proximity to the celestial center of God’s universe. Joseph Smith said: “This earth will be rolled back into the presence of God, and crowned with celestial glory.”[10] This is also what Brigham Young taught: “This is the glory the earth came from, and when it is glorified it will return again unto the presence of the Father, and it will dwell there.”[11]

In short, from creation to exaltation, the journey of the earth will look something similar to the following chiasmus:

In other words, the earth not only transitions through various stages throughout its history, but it is also physically relocated during each of these transitions. This essentially confirms that God’s universe is indeed organized into distinct celestial, terrestrial, and telestial regions.

Along those same lines, and as far as we are able to tell, the planets near the center of God’s universe seem to be larger and radiate more light and glory than those located in the lesser kingdoms. For example, Abraham describes the planets or stars in God’s universe as “one planet above another, until thou come nigh unto Kolob (Abraham 3:9). Furthermore, he describes the planets or stars next to Kolob in the celestial center of God’s universe as “great ones” (Abraham 3:2), “grand” (Explanation, Fig. 2), and “very great” (Abraham 3:2). Thus, not only do celestial planets get the privilege of being located nearer to God, but they are also larger in size and radiate more light and glory than terrestrial and telestial planets. It was for this reason that Elder Parly P. Pratt said that when the earth is relocated to the celestial center of God’s universe, “the earth will be many times larger than it is now.”[12]

Locating God’s Universe

With this information in mind, let us apply what we know about God’s universe, to the universe in which we live, and see what similarities we can find.

In his book entitled The Kolob Theorem, Lynn Hilton points out that God’s universe, as we have described it above, appears to be organized in a manner remarkably similar to Andromeda—the galaxy nearest to the Milky Way. For reference, here is an image of the Andromeda galaxy:

Hilton theorizes that that the white area of this galaxy is a celestial area, the reddish area is a terrestrial area, and the blueish area is a telestial area. The image below, taken from his book, will help to illustrate this point:​

What is interesting about this theory is that our Milky Way Galaxy is structured in a similar way. While it is difficult to capture an image of our Milky Way Galaxy (because we are located inside of it) here are a few computer simulations:

In The Kolob Theorem, Hilton suggests, and I agree, that the Milky Way Galaxy represents all of our Heavenly Father’s creations, with Kolob being located right in the center.[13] Several other LDS scholars have come to similar conclusions.[14] In other words, you could say that Abraham Facsimile #2 is a depiction of—not the universe as a whole—but of our Milky Way galaxy specifically.

We will show some of the main arguments for this belief shortly, but first, a quick Q&A to clarify a few items regarding this theory:

Q: What about Andromeda, or the millions of other galaxies which are structured similarly to ours? Are they part of our Heavenly Father’s creations also?

A: As we shall demonstrate later, it is likely that Andromeda, and all of the other galaxies in our universe, belong to other celestial beings who have previously gone on to receive their exaltation, and therefore are not part of our Heavenly Father’s creations.

Q: Is our Milky Way Galaxy large enough to fit the description given by the Lord to Moses, where he stated: “There are many worlds…and innumerable are they unto man” (Moses 1:35)?

​A: Yes, this is possible, and as we shall see, it is also very likely.

In regard to this last question, because our Heavenly Father will continue creating for eternity, His creations, at least in one sense, are endless. However, this does not mean that He has infinite creations at this point in time. The Lord made this clear when He told Moses that all of His creations “are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them” (Moses 1:35; emphasis added). This means that His creations are both finite, and yet “innumerable…unto man” (Moses 1:35) at the same time. This is possible simply because our mortal brains are not capable of comprehending the vastness of His creations.

So, does the Milky Way galaxy satisfy the demands of this verse? Well, to understand just how large our Milky Way galaxy actually is, consider this: The speed of light can travel around the earth nearly eight times in one second. If we were to travel at this speed through our Milky Way galaxy, it would take us approximately 100,000 years just to get from one end to the other. To put this into perspective, traveling at this speed for the entire duration that our earth has been in existence—from the fall of Adam until now—would only get us about 6% of the way across!

Furthermore, scientists estimate that there are somewhere between 100 and 400 billion stars in the Milky Way, and potentially a trillion or more planets as well. To illustrate how many planets this is, consider this: If each planet in the Milky Way were the size of a grain of sand, a trillion planets would be enough to fill somewhere between 5-10 dump trucks!

But perhaps the best way to describe the size of the Milky Way galaxy is not by words, but by video. Please consider watching this short, two-minute video, which will help to illustrate just how massive our Milky Way galaxy actually is:​

After watching this video, I am convinced that no matter how hard we try, our mortal brains simply cannot comprehend the vast size of the Milky Way galaxy. Without a doubt, the Milky Way galaxy fits the requirement of containing “many worlds…innumerable are they unto man; but…numbered unto [God]” (Moses 1:35).

The Telestial Region of the Milky Way

If it is true that our Milky Way galaxy does contain all of our Heavenly Father’s creations, then we should expect to find our earth and Sun residing in the telestial area of the Milky Way, which would be located some distance away from the celestial center. So where is our earth and Sun located in regard to the galactic center of the Milky Way?

According to astronomers, our Sun is located on one of its outers spiral arms called the Orion Spur, which is about 27,000 light years away from the galactic center, or approximately halfway between the galactic center and the outer edge, as shown below:

If the Milky Way galaxy corresponds to the structure of God’s universe, as we may suppose, then being situated halfway between its center and outer edge would indeed lend support to the theory that we are located in the telestial region of God’s universe.

Our Earth will Eventually Shine Like the Sun

As we have already discussed, our earth, after its resurrection, will be assigned a permanent location near the celestial center of God’s universe. If we apply this same logic to the other “worlds without number” (Moses 1:33) that God has created, we can conclude that whether they are resurrected to become celestial, terrestrial, or telestial kingdoms, each of these worlds have been—or will be— assigned a permanent location in God’s universe after their resurrections as well. The resurrected celestial worlds will be located nearer to the throne of God in the center of the Milky Way, while the resurrected terrestrial worlds will be located further away from the celestial center, and the resurrected telestial worlds further away still.

This would also mean that all of the visible stars we can see in our Milky Way galaxy are likely resurrected planets, and therefore, all kingdoms of glory. In other words, some of the stars in the Milky Way are celestial kingdoms, some are terrestrial kingdoms, and others are telestial kingdoms. Speaking of these telestial kingdoms, the Lord said: “And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world” (D&C 76:98). It is interesting to contemplate that if some of the stars that we see at night in our neighborhood of the Milky Way galaxy are actually telestial kingdoms, then the Lord may have intended this verse to be taken more literally than we may have realized.

Our Sun as a Telestial Kingdom

If it is true that the stars in our Milky Way are kingdoms of glory, then does it imply that our Sun—a star located in the telestial area of the Milky Way galaxy—is actually a telestial kingdom? Well, let’s break it down.

According to Brigham Young, “when [our earth] becomes celestialized, it will be like the sun.”[15] If it is true that our earth will eventually shine like the Sun after its resurrection, then is it also true that we can reverse engineer the Sun’s journey and conclude that our Sun was once a planet similar to ours? In other words, is our Sun simply a planet that went on to receive its resurrection? President Joseph Fielding Smith believed such to be the case. He said:​

“It is my opinion that the great stars that we see, including our sun, are celestial worlds; [or] at least worlds that have passed on to their exaltation or other final resurrected status. This is in conflict, of course, with the teachings of scientific men, who declare that the sun is losing its energy and gradually cooling off and will eventually be a dead world. I do not believe the Lord has any such thing in his plan…. President Brigham Young has said that this earth when it is celestialized will shine like the sun, and why not?”[16]

Furthermore, here is a clip from one of President Joseph Fielding Smith’s books entitled, Seek Ye Earnestly, in which he explains his view on what our Sun really is.

“In regard to earth's passing away, the Lord does not mean to place an interpretation upon the world's passing away like that which is placed upon worlds passing away by our scientific brethren, by our astronomers and others who look into the heavens and see these great bodies and tell us they are dying, that our Sun eventually will become cold, having spent its energy. I am glad to know they are beginning to change their views, some of them, on that. But that has been the doctrine. They teach that this earth will die after a certain great period of years, and will revolve through the heavens a dead, lifeless, cold, useless body.

“The Lord has told us otherwise. This earth will not have that end.

“I shall now turn to read passages of scripture, but you can turn to Section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants, and therein you will find recorded the destiny of this earth. It is going to die. Peter said it would die, as other earths have died and passed away, but it will receive a resurrection, be glorified and placed in the heavens where it belongs as a celestial body, just like other worlds have done.

“Now I am going to make a statement here in contradiction of the teaching of the philosophers and the scientists who set forth that doctrine, that the earth will become lifeless, and I am going to tell you a little incident that took place here at the summer school a few years ago, a conversation that I had with [LDS scientist] Dr. Carl Eyring….

“I said: ‘Brother Eyring, I do not have the idea that you scientists have about the sun.’

“‘Well, is that so? What is your idea?’

“I said, ‘You have never seen the sun. Neither has any other mortal man.’

“‘Why, what do you mean?’

“I said, ‘All you see when you look at the sun through smoked glasses or any way that you can look at the sun, is the cloud that surrounds it. Every eclipse of the sun shows that.’

“He said, ‘I guess that is right. Well, what is the sun?’

“‘It is not a dying world. Of course, it is full of energy. God is full of energy, and should we mortals stand in his presence, unless his spirit was upon us to protect us we would be consumed. That is how much energy there is in a celestial body.’

“I said, ‘The sun is a body that has gone on to its fulness. It has reached its glory. It is an immortal world.’ The bell rang and we had no further time for discussion, but that doctrine was taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith. I am sorry, I do not have that reference with me.

​“We look into the heavens and we see worlds that have gone on to their glory. Some of them may be terrestrial worlds, telestial, some celestial worlds, and so the Lord here says worlds after they are created will pass away. Of course they will. This earth will pass away, for God never made anything to be destroyed or come to naught, and so these worlds that pass away receive their resurrection as this earth will receive its resurrection.”[17]

Is Our Sun Inhabited by Resurrected Telestial Beings?

Since our Sun is a star in the telestial region of the Milky Way, it makes perfect sense that it is a resurrected planet, but does this also mean that our Sun is actually a kingdom of glory, populated by resurrected telestial beings? Brigham Young certainly thought so. He said: “So it is with regard to the inhabitants of the sun. Do you think it is inhabited? I rather think it is. Do you think there is any life there? No question of it; it was not made in vain. It was made to give light to those who dwell upon it, and to other planets; and so will this earth when it is celestialized.”[18]

Similarly, Orson Pratt gave it as his opinion that the Sun does not seem to be radiating enough light and glory to fit the description of a celestial kingdom, implying that it must be a lesser kingdom of glory:

“When God makes this earth immortal, he will make it glorious like the inhabitants [who] will be permitted to live upon it. They will become immortal, and be crowned with crowns of glory, light will radiate from their personages and countenances; so will the earth radiate its light, and shine forth in celestial splendor. I will not say as the splendor of our sun, for it is not a celestial body. Although the light of the sun is very glorious, it will not begin to compare with that of this earth, when it becomes celestial and eternal and is lightened by the presence of God the Father…God dwells in a world of light too glorious for mortal eyes to behold, unless aided by the Spirit of the living God.”[19]

On another occasion, Elder Pratt also said:

“Some may inquire, ‘Do you think the sun is a glorified world?’ Yes, in one sense. It is not yet fully glorified, redeemed, clothed with celestial power, and crowned with the presence of the Father in all the fullness and beauty of a celestial mansion, because it is still subject to change more or less. If it were fully glorified; if it had passed through its temporal existence and had been redeemed, glorified, and made celestial, and had become the eternal abiding place of celestial and glorified beings, it would be far more glorious than our eyes could behold, the eyes of mortality could not endure the light thereof. We can endure and rejoice in its present light and glory. It gives light and heat to the surrounding worlds, and thus renders them fit habitations for intelligent human beings. But were it [celestial]…we could not stand in the presence of its glory without being consumed. This earth, therefore, is destined to become one of the heavenly mansions.”[20]​

Based on everything we have discussed above, it stands to reason that our Sun is likely a telestial kingdom, populated by resurrected telestial beings.

With this information in mind, we now turn our attention to the galaxies outside of our Milky Way.

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey

If the Milky Way galaxy constitutes all of our Heavenly Father’s creations, then it stands to reason that the other galaxies in our universe belong to other celestial beings who have previously gone onto receive their exaltations and were given the keys to create their own galaxies as well. If true, then the video that I am about to show you will absolutely take your breath away! Here is the backstory.

In 2000, a team of astronomers from institutions around the world launched the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which became one of the most ambitious projects ever done in the history of astronomy. These astronomers were actually able to map a large section of the observable universe by collecting detailed data on millions of galaxies. Once the project was completed, the team created a computer simulation video to showcase what they had discovered.

​Before you watch this video, keep in mind that every disc you see in this video is not a star, but a galaxy with billions, even trillions of stars within its structure. We propose that each galaxy in this video belongs to a resurrected celestial being, who created these galaxies in the same way that our Father in Heaven created the Milky Way. Please consider watching this short two-minute video highlighting the end result of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey:

To this day, I cannot watch this video without feeling similar to how Moses felt after he was shown his vision: “And [Moses] said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed” (Moses 1:10). Could it be true that each of these galaxies are the organized kingdoms of previously resurrected, celestial beings? If our Milky Way Galaxy belongs to our Heavenly Father, and constitutes his organized kingdom, then it stands to reason that others who have achieved this same status have also been given the keys to create their own galaxies as well. And perhaps the most awe-inspiring thing to consider is that if we continue faithful, we too can take part in this same creation process!

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Notes:

[1] Nibley, Abraham in Egypt, p. 32.

[2] Skousen, Earth in the Beginning, pp. 232-33.

[3] Hilton, The Kolob Theorem, p. 23.

[4] Smith, Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar, under “Flos isis: Fifth degree.”

[5] Journal of Discourses, 17:143; emphasis added.

[6] Journal of Discourses, 17:143; emphasis added.

[7] Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Doctrine and Covenants, Appendix A, pp. 278-79.

[8] Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:140; emphasis added.

[9] See for example, “How Old Is the Sun?” BBC Sky at Night Magazine, March 28, 2024, located at: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/how-old-is-sun

[10] Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 181; emphasis added. See also, Journal of Discourses 9:317.

[11] Journal of Discourses 17:143

[12] Pratt, Millennial Star, February, 1841, p. 258.

[13] Hilton, The Kolob Theorem, pp. 14-21.

[14] Skousen, Earth in the Beginning, pp. 226-34; Turner, This Eternal Earth, pp. 14-15; Skousen, Isaiah Speaks to Modern Times, pp. 136-37.

[15] Journal of Discourses, 7:163

[16] Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:88-89

[17] Smith, Seek Ye Earnestly, p. 274-75.

[18] Journal of Discourses, 13:271.

[19] Journal of Discourses, 19:290-91; emphasis added.

​[20] Journal of Discourses, 14:236-37