I was wondering what the morom position is on extra-terrestrial life or life on other planets? Do you believe that humans on earth are the only living beings in existence? Christianity seems to be closed to any such possibility.

Anonymous, 7/11/2009

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AllAboutMormons.com Webmaster from La Jolla, California:




Hi friend. Surprisingly, it is not true that Christianity is "closed to any such possibility." Writing in the Vatican newspaper in 2008, the astronomer Father José Gabriel Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory near Rome, said that intelligent beings created by God could exist in outer space.

Mormons do not spend much time talking about life on other planets. Most Mormons would be very skeptical of the stories of ET abductions and "encounters of the third kind" we occasionally see depicted on TV and in the movies. These kinds of stories are almost certainly fictional.

However, Mormons do believe that God's creations are not limited to this world. In the Book of Moses, a book of Mormon scripture, God reveals to the prophet Moses the grandeur of His creations. Here's Moses' account: "And he beheld many lands; and each land was called earth, and there were inhabitants on the face thereof. And it came to pass that Moses called upon God, saying: Tell me, I pray thee, why these things are so, and by what thou madest them? And behold, the glory of the Lord was upon Moses, so that Moses stood in the presence of God, and talked with him face to face. And the Lord God said unto Moses: For mine own purpose have I made these things. Here is wisdom and it remaineth in me. And by the word of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth. And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten. And the first man of all men have I called Adam, which is many. But only an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you. For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them. And it came to pass that Moses spake unto the Lord, saying: Be merciful unto thy servant, O God, and tell me concerning this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, and also the heavens, and then thy servant will be content."

There's a far better way to learn about Mormons! If you have questions, consider inviting Mormons that live in your area to visit with you in your home!

Pamela Dean from Clarenville:



Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote the followiing in an article called "The Wondrous Restoration" in the Ensign April 2003: "In June 1830 the first chapter of Moses was revealed. Joseph Smith called the first chapter of moses a 'precious morsel.' This precious morsel expanded upon the Bible's meager but still helpful verses concerning the plurality of worlds (see Gen. 1: 1; Heb. 1: 2). Our planet, we know from the revelations, is but one among “worlds without number” (Moses 1: 33), which “worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76: 24). How many planets are there with people on them? We don't know. There appear to be none in our own solar system, but we are not alone in the universe. We see the universe differently and correctly. God is not the God of only one planet! We see how the perspective we have is expanded dramatically by the revelations of the restoration.

Anonymous from Orem:


Usually this is a loaded type of question, but for the sake of simply giving an answer I will give you my opinion for what it is worth.

We learn in LDS theology that this planet isn't the only planet that God has created and peopled with his children. That said I know that God isn't a God of confusion and he keeps his planets very separate and in order. For instance any heavenly messenger that appears to this planet are only ones that has either lived on this planet, or will live on it.

As per different formed beings, so called extra terestrials, I feel that this type of creation would throw a piece of confusion on the works of God. As per the little green man, or even tall, big eyed human-like, but not really, beings being in existence, why would God create different beings and allow them to make contact with his children on one of his earths? That would throw a large measure of confusion, contention, and doubt upon a world where such may take place.

So human beings on this earth are not the only beings in existence, but God in his wisdom puts his children on planets far enough apart so that their inhabitants do not encounter each other. Just my opion, for what it's worth.
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