It is not strange that men who have learned to look at the universe in this lofty manner should go a step farther, beyond the actually known, and suggest that some of these countless heavenly bodies must be inhabited by living, thinking beings. Sober, thoughtful truthseekers, who never advance needlessly a new theory, have suggested, in all seriousness, that other worlds than ours are peopled. For instance, "What sort of life, spiritual and intellectual, exists in distant worlds? We can not for a moment suppose that our little planet is the only one throughout the whole universe on which may be found the fruits of civilization, warm firesides, friendship, the desire to penetrate the mysteries of creation."[A]
[Footnote A: The Problems of Astronomy, S. Newcomb.]
Such, then, is in very general terms the view of modern astronomy with reference to the constitution of the universe. Most of the information upon which this view rests has been gathered during the last fifty years.
[Sidenote: Joseph Smith taught that all heavenly bodies are in motion.]
Joseph Smith was doubtlessly impressed with the beauty of the starry heavens, and, in common with all men of poetical nature, allowed his thoughts to wander into the immensity of space. However, he had no known opportunity of studying the principles of astronomy, or of becoming familiar with the astronomical questions that were agitating the thinkers of his day. Naturally, very little is said in his writings that bears upon the planetary and stellar constitution of the universe; yet enough to prove that he was in perfect harmony with the astronomical views developed since his day.
First, he believed that stellar bodies are distributed throughout space. "And worlds without number have I created."[A] "And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in which there is no kingdom."[B] He is further in harmony with modern views in that he claims that stars may be destroyed, and new ones formed. "For, behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power."[C] "And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof, even so shall another come."[D]
[Footnote A: Book of Moses, 1:33.]
[Footnote B: Doctrine and Covenants, 88:37.]
[Footnote C: Book of Moses, 1:35.]
[Footnote D: Doctrine and Covenants, 1:38.]