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{{short description|Celestial body that is "nearest unto the throne of God" in LDS theology}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2024}}
{{Pearl of Great Price}}

[[File:Fac2Fig1.jpg|right|thumb|Detail of Facsimile No. 2 (the [[Hypocephalus of Sheshonq]]). Reference numeral 1 represents Kolob according to [[Joseph Smith]]. ]]
	
'''Kolob''' ({{IPAc-en|k|oʊ|ˈ|l|ɒ|b|}} {{respell|koh|LOB}}) is a [[star]] described in the [[Book of Abraham]], a sacred text of the [[Latter Day Saint movement]], where it is described as the heavenly body nearest to the [[throne of God]]. Several [[List of denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement|Latter Day Saint denominations]] believe that the Book of Abraham was translated from an [[ancient Egyptian]] [[Joseph Smith Papyri|papyrus scroll]] by [[Joseph Smith]], the movement's founder. While the Book of Abraham calls Kolob a "star",<ref name="ReferenceA"/> it also calls planets "stars",<ref name="Gee 2006">{{harvtxt|Gee|Hamblin|Peterson|2006}} (noting "Confusion between the uses of the terms stars and planets").</ref> and therefore some Latter Day Saint commentators consider Kolob a planet.<ref>See, e.g., [[Alvin R. Dyer]], "BYU Speeches", April 7, 1964, pp. 14–15.</ref> Kolob also appears in the [[culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church), such as the [[Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1985 book)|hymn]], "If You Could Hie to Kolob."<ref name=Hymn284>{{citation |contribution= 284. If You Could Hie to Kolob |contribution-url= http://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/if-you-could-hie-to-kolob |title= Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |year= 1985 |publisher= LDS Church|title-link= Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1985 book) }}</ref>

==Doctrine and exegesis==

===Description in the Book of Abraham===
[[File:Abraham Facsimile 2.png|thumb|right|175px|[[Book of Abraham#Facsimile No. 2|Facsimile No. 2]] from the Book of Abraham, which Smith said discusses Kolob. The part Smith said refers to Kolob is numbered by a "1" in the center.]]

The first published reference to Kolob is in the Book of Abraham, first published in 1842 in ''[[Times and Seasons]]'' and now included within the [[Pearl of Great Price (Mormonism)|Pearl of Great Price]] as part of the canon of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]. The Book of Abraham 1:1–2:18 were dictated in 1835 and the remaining part in 1842 by Smith after he purchased a set of [[Egypt]]ian scrolls that accompanied a mummy exhibition. According to Smith, the scrolls described a vision of Abraham, in which Abraham:

<blockquote>saw the stars, that they were very great, and that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God; ... and the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near unto me, for I am the Lord thy God: I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Mormonverse|Abraham|3:2-3}}</ref></blockquote>

In an explanation of an Egyptian [[Joseph Smith Hypocephalus|hypocephalus]] that was part of the [[Joseph Smith Papyri]], Smith interpreted one set of hieroglyphics as representing:

<blockquote>Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to the celestial, or the residence of God. First in government, the last pertaining to the measurement of time. The measurement according to celestial time, which celestial time signifies one day to a cubit. One day in Kolob is equal to a thousand years according to the measurement of the Earth, which is called by the Egyptians Jah-oh-eh.<ref>Book of Abraham, Facsimile No. 2, explanations to Fig. 1.</ref></blockquote>

The Book of Abraham describes a hierarchy of heavenly bodies,<ref>{{Mormonverse|Abraham|3:4}}.</ref> including the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun, each with different movements and measurements of time, where at the pinnacle, the slowest-rotating body is Kolob, where one Kolob-day corresponds to 1000 Earth-years.<ref>{{Mormonverse|Abraham|3:4}}; see also Book of Abraham, Facsimile No. 2, explanations to Figs. 1 and 2.</ref> The time also applies to other celestial bodies in the vicinity of Kolob, such as [[Oliblish]], and other neighboring objects.{{sfn|Pratt|1866}} This is similar to {{bibleref||Psalm|90:4}}, which says, "For a thousand years in [God's] sight are but as yesterday when it is past" and {{bibleref|2 Peter|3:8}}, which says, "one day is with the Lord as a thousand years". Additional, similar information about Kolob is found in the [[Kirtland Egyptian Papers]], constituting manuscripts in the handwriting of Smith and his scribes.

===Mormon exegesis and speculation===
According to the traditional, literal Mormon interpretation of the Book of Abraham, Kolob is an actual star in this universe that is, or is near, the physical throne of God. According to Smith, this star was discovered by [[Methuselah]] and [[Abraham]]<ref>{{harvtxt|Smith|1835|p=34}} ("Kolob … signifies the first great grand governing fixed star which is the fartherest{{sic}} that ever has been discovered by the fathers which was discovered by Methusela and also by Abraham.")</ref> by looking through [[Urim and Thummim (Latter Day Saints)|Urim and Thummim]], a set of [[Seer stone (Latter Day Saints)|seer stones]] bound into a pair of spectacles.<ref>{{harvtxt|Smith|1835|p=24}}</ref> LDS Church leader and historian [[B. H. Roberts]] (1857–1933) interpreted Smith's statements to mean that the [[Solar System]] and its governing "planet" (the Sun) revolved around a star known as Kae-e-vanrash, which itself revolved with its own solar system around a star called Kli-flos-is-es or Hah-ko-kau-beam, which themselves revolve around Kolob, which he characterized as "the great centre of that part of the universe to which our planetary system belongs".<ref>{{Harvtxt|Roberts|1898|p=448}}.</ref> Roberts was confident that astronomers would confirm this hierarchy of stars orbiting other stars.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Roberts|1898|pp=448–49}}.</ref>

The literal interpretation of Kolob as a star or planet had significant formative impact on Mormon belief and criticism, leading to conceptions such as that the Biblical creation is a creation of the local Earth, Solar System, or galaxy, rather than the entire known physical universe.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

====Star or planet====
The Book of Abraham is unclear as to whether Kolob is a star or a planet,<ref name="Gee 2006"/> and Mormon writings have taken both positions. One part of the Book of Abraham states that Abraham "saw the stars ... and that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God; ... and the name of the great one is Kolob."<ref name="ReferenceA"/> But the book defines the word ''Kokaubeam'' (a transliteration of the Hebrew "כּוֹכָבִים" [cf., Gen. 15:5]) as meaning "all the great lights, which were in the firmament of heaven".<ref>{{Mormonverse|Abraham|3:13}}.</ref> This would appear to include planets as among the "stars",<ref>{{harvtxt|Gee|Hamblin|Peterson|2006}} (suggesting that the planets were considered to be "wandering stars" in their ancient sense).</ref> and the Book of Abraham calls Earth a star.<ref>{{Mormonverse|Abraham|3:2-3}} (referring to Earth as one of the "stars").</ref> In addition, it appears to classify Kolob among a hierarchy of "planets".<ref>{{Mormonverse|Abraham|3:9}} (referring to a hierarchy of "planets", each with a longer day than the one below it, "until thou come nigh unto Kolob, which Kolob is after the reckoning of the Lord's time").</ref> On the other hand, in the [[Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar]] paper, Kolob is classified as one of 12 "fixed stars", as distinct from 15 "moving planets".<ref>{{harvtxt|Smith|1835|p=24}}.</ref> The term "[[fixed stars]]" generally refers to the background of [[celestial object]]s that do not appear to move relative to each other in the [[night sky]], including all [[star]]s other than the [[Sun]], [[nebula]]e and other starlike objects. Though "fixed", such objects were proven to have [[proper motion]] by [[Edmund Halley]] in 1718. Apparently referring to proper motion, Smith said that Kolob moves "swifter than the rest of the twelve fixed stars".<ref>{{harvtxt|Smith|1835|p=25}}.</ref> Also, the Book of Abraham refers to "fixed planets",<ref>Book of Abraham, Facsimile No. 2, explanation to Fig. 5.</ref> thereby including planets in the set of celestial objects that may be "fixed". It also calls the [[Sun]] a "governing planet",<ref>''Book of Abraham'', Facsimile No. 2, explanation to Fig. 5 (stating that Enish-go-on-dosh "is one of the governing planets also, and is said by the Egyptians to be the Sun.")</ref> further complicating the terminology. So it is unclear whether Smith understood Kolob to be a planet or a star.

Writers in the Latter Day Saint movement have taken both positions on the issue. [[Brigham Young]], second [[President of the Church (LDS Church)|president]] of the LDS Church, spoke of Kolob as a planet,<ref>{{harvtxt|Young|1851}} (describing Kolob as "the planet nearest unto the habitation of the ''Eternal Father''"); {{harvtxt|Young|1853|p=652}} ("Why cannot we behold the inhabitants of Kolob or the inhabitants of any of those distant planets?").</ref> as did LDS Church [[apostle (Latter Day Saints)|apostles]] [[John Taylor (Mormon)|John Taylor]],<ref>{{harvtxt|Taylor|1857|pp=1001–02}} ("Thou longed, thou sighed and thou prayed to thy Father in heaven for the time to arrive when thou couldst come to this earth, which had fled and fallen from where it was first organized, near the planet Kolob.").</ref> [[Orson Pratt]] (a mathematician with an interest in astronomy),<ref>{{harvtxt|Pratt|1866|p=561}} (referring to "a certain world, called Kolob, whose diurnal rotation on its axis equals one thousand of our years"); {{harvtxt|Pratt|1873|p=317}} (referring to "a certain great world, called Kolob, placed near one of the celestial kingdoms, whose diurnal rotation takes place once in a thousand of our years").</ref> [[Orson F. Whitney]],<ref>{{harvtxt|Whitney|1907|p=48}} ("But there is a great planet called Kolob, nearest to the throne of God."); {{harvtxt|Whitney|1920|p=83}} ("Joseph Smith taught that there is a great planet named Kolob, nearest the Celestial Throne, and that it revolves once in a thousand years."); {{harvtxt|Whitney|1930|p=392}} (referring to Kolob as "a mighty governing planet nearest the Celestial Throne, a planet revolving once in a thousand years").</ref> and [[Alvin R. Dyer]].<ref>Alvin R. Dyer, "BYU Speeches", April 7, 1964, pp. 14–15 ("As yet we do not know where the planet Kolob is located, but it, as well as the throne of God, must be a tremendous distance from the earth. Any personage coming from the presence of God would need to travel a tremendous distance to reach earth.").</ref> Other Mormon theologians have also viewed Kolob as a planet,<ref name="Andrus 1968">{{harvtxt|Andrus|1968}}.</ref> but several Mormon writers have called Kolob a star, including [[B. H. Roberts]]<ref>{{harvtxt|Roberts|1923|p=434}} (referring to Kolob as "some very distant, far off central sun").</ref> and LDS Church president [[David O. McKay]].<ref>David O. McKay, "Conference Report", October 1969, ''[[Improvement Era]]'' (referring to Kolob as a great star "somewhere out in the great expanse of space").</ref>

====Birthplace for the Earth====
According to several Mormon writers (such as [[W. Cleon Skousen]] in his book ''The First 2000 Years''), the Earth was created near Kolob over a period of 6,000 years, then moved to its present position in the Solar System.<ref>{{harvtxt|Taylor|1857|pp=1001–02}} ("Thou longed, thou sighed and thou prayed to thy Father in heaven for the time to arrive when thou couldst come to this earth, which had fled and fallen from where it was first organized, near the planet Kolob.")</ref><ref>{{harvtxt|Evans|1894|p=779}} ("The earth doubtless fell also an immeasurable distance from the presence of its Maker, from the mansion or abode of Kolob.")</ref><ref>{{harvtxt|Timmins|1995}} (arguing that the Earth was originally in orbit around Kolob, and was knocked out of its orbit gravitationally, then captured by the present Solar System).</ref> This hypothesis is based on oral comments attributed to Smith.<ref name="Andrus 1968"/> The hypothesis is also based on a passage from the Book of Abraham stating that in the [[Garden of Eden]], time was measured "after the Lord's time, which was after the time of Kolob; for as yet the Gods had not appointed to Adam his reckoning".<ref>{{Mormonverse|Abraham|5:13}}.</ref> According to the hypothesis, the reason that Earth time was measured in Kolob time was that the Earth was near Kolob. As a corollary, some Mormon writers argue that at the [[Eschatology|end times]], the Earth will be plucked from the [[Solar System]] and returned to its original orbit near Kolob.<ref>{{harvtxt|Timmins|1995}}.</ref>

LDS Church apostle [[Bruce R. McConkie]] came to a different conclusion, arguing that during the first "day" of creation (not necessarily a 1,000-year "day" in Kolob time, a "day" meaning a phase of creation), Earth was formed and placed in orbit around the Sun.<ref>{{harvtxt|McConkie|1982}}.</ref>

The idea that the Earth was formed elsewhere and then migrated to orbit around the Sun does not accord with the scientific theory of Earth's formation, which is that the Earth formed in orbit around the Sun about 4.5 billion years ago by [[accretion (astrophysics)|accretion]] from a [[protoplanetary disk]], and has remained near its original orbit until the present.<ref>{{Citation |title= The Genesis of Planets |author =Douglas N. C. Lin |journal= Scientific American |issue= 5 |volume= 298 |date= May 2008 |pages= 50–59 |url= http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-genesis-of-planets |format= fee required |doi= 10.1038/scientificamerican0508-50 |doi-broken-date =July 12, 2025 |pmid= 18444325|bibcode= 2008SciAm.298e..50C |url-access= subscription }}</ref>

====Speculative astronomy====
Several Mormon authors have attempted to situate Kolob within modern [[astronomy]]. Skousen speculated that Kolob is a star at the [[Galactic Center]], [[Sagittarius A*]], of [[Milky Way|our own galaxy]].<ref>{{harvtxt|Skousen|1996|pp=230–34}}.</ref> This view also had the support of several former [[general authority|general authorities]] of the LDS Church, including [[J. Reuben Clark]]<ref>{{Harvtxt|Clark|1951}}.</ref> and [[George Reynolds (Mormon)|George Reynolds]] (with [[Janne M. Sjödahl]]).<ref>{{harvtxt|Reynolds|Sjödahl|1965|p=309}}.</ref> In the mid-19th century, early efforts to find a single "central sun" in the galaxy failed.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Jones|Boyd|1971|p=61}}.</ref>

Another Mormon author has hypothesized that Kolob exists outside the Milky Way at a place called the "metagalactic center", and that this galaxy and other galaxies rotate around it.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Cook|1981|loc=fn. 107}}.</ref> Within mainstream astronomy, the idea of a metagalactic center was once assumed,<ref>{{Harvtxt|Jones|Boyd|1971|p=62}}.</ref> but has been abandoned because on large scales, the expanding universe has no gravitational center.

Another Mormon author has speculated that Kolob is [[Polaris]].<ref>{{harvtxt|Greer|1913}}.</ref>

===Metaphorical exegesis===
In addition to the literal interpretation of Kolob as an actual heavenly body, the LDS Church has proposed that Kolob is also "a symbol of Jesus Christ", in that like Kolob, Jesus "governs" all the stars and planets similar to the Earth.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Church Education System|2000|pp=37, 39}}.</ref>

==Analysis and criticism==

===Origin===
{{see also|Criticism of the Book of Abraham#Thomas Dick's A Philosophy of a Future State}}
Some Mormon scholars have sought to link the Kolob doctrine to ancient astronomy. {{harvtxt|Gee|Hamblin|Peterson|2006}} have sought to show that this astronomy is more consistent with ancient [[geocentrism]] than with 19th-century [[Nicolaus Copernicus|Copernican]] and [[Isaac Newton|Newtonian]] astronomy, and thus carries with it the misconceptions of ancient astronomy.<ref name="GHP 2006">{{Harvtxt|Gee|Hamblin|Peterson|2006}}.</ref> For example, in their interpretation, Kolob is the highest and slowest moving of a series of concentric heavenly spheres, which are centered on Earth.<ref name="GHP 2006" /> These authors believe that Smith, in the 19th century, would not have made this geocentric mistake about Kolob, and therefore, they argue that the Book of Abraham is of ancient origin.<ref name="GHP 2006" /> John Tvedtnes suggested that "Another possible Hebrew etymology is the Hebrew KLB 'dog' originally pronounced kalb just as it is in Arabic. This is used to denote the star Regulus in Arabic while the Syriac, which is also kalb denotes the star Sirius, the brightest star in the heavens." He also suggested that the Hebraic use of "KLB" as both the word ''dog'' and an astronomical term refers to the universality of [[Sirius]] as the "Dog Star".<ref>Tvedtnes, John. [http://www.fairmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2005-John-Tvedtnes.pdf "Authentic Ancient Names and Words in the Book of Abraham and Related Kirtland Egyptian Papers"], 2005 FAIR Conference.</ref>

According to [[Fawn Brodie]], Smith's idea of Kolob may have been derived from the "throne of God" idea found in [[Thomas Dick (scientist)|Thomas Dick]]'s ''The Philosophy of a Future State'',<ref>{{harvtxt|Dick|1829|pp=241–247}}.</ref> which Brodie said Smith "had recently been reading" before dictating the Book of Abraham, and which "made a lasting impression" on him.<ref>{{harvtxt|Brodie|1971|pp=171–72}}.</ref>

==In popular culture==

==="If You Could Hie to Kolob"===
"If You Could Hie to Kolob"<ref>{{harvtxt|Phelps|1985}}.</ref> ([[wiktionary:hie|hie]], ''hurry'') is a [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hymns|Latter-day Saint hymn]] by early Mormon [[W. W. Phelps (Mormon)|W. W. Phelps]]. The music is taken from a well-known folk tune known as "[[Dives and Lazarus (ballad)|Dives and Lazarus]]". It was originally published in 1842 in ''[[Times and Seasons]]'' and is hymn number 284 in the LDS Church's [[Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1985 book)|current hymnal]].<ref name=Hymn284/> The hymn makes only one reference to Kolob, in its first line (from which the hymn's title is derived). It is the only hymn in the current hymnal that mentions Kolob.

The hymn reflects doctrines unique to Mormonism, such as the eternal nature of spirit (including man's spirit) and matter. It also conveys doctrines elaborated by Smith, the first Latter-day Saint [[Prophet, seer, and revelator|prophet]], about the [[plurality of gods]] and [[eternal progression]].

The tune was arranged by [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]] (1906) for the ''English Hymnal'' and can be found in today's hymnals under the name "Kingsfold". The tune is also used in other hymns: "O Sing a Song of Bethlehem", "I Heard the Voice of Jesus", and "We Sing the Mighty Power of God".

The tune was also arranged for use in the film ''[[Plan 10 from Outer Space]]''.

===Kolob as the inspiration for Kobol in ''Battlestar Galactica''===
Some of the elements of the two ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'' science-fiction television shows seem to be derived from the [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Mormon]] beliefs of its creator and chief producer, [[Glen A. Larson]]. In both the original series from 1978, and the 2003 [[Battlestar Galactica (re-imagining)|new series]], the planet [[Kobol]] is the ancient and distant mother world of the entire human race and the planet where life began, and the "Lords of Kobol" are sacred figures to the human race. They are treated as elders or patriarchs in the old series, and versions of the [[Twelve Olympians]] in the new series. According to academic [[Jana Riess]], this is one of many plot points Larson has borrowed from Mormonism.<ref name=Leventry2005>{{cite web |url= http://www.beliefnet.com/story/166/story_16633_2.html |title= Born-Again 'Battlestar' |last= Leventry |first= Ellen |page= 2 |publisher= [[Beliefnet]] |date=May 2005 }}</ref><ref>In 1979, Larson received an award from the Associated Latter-day Media Artists. "LDS Scene", ''[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]]'', August 1979, 80.</ref>

===Other instances===
* [[Zion National Park]] has a region known as [[Kolob Canyons]].
* The song "I Believe" from the [[The Book of Mormon (musical)|musical ''The Book of Mormon'']] includes the line "I believe that God lives on a planet called Kolob."<ref name="nprMusicalBookofMormon">{{cite web |url= https://www.npr.org/2011/03/24/134803453/on-broadway-a-mormon-swipe-at-everything |title= On Broadway, A 'Mormon' Swipe At ... Everything |first= Robert |last= Smith |date= 24 Mar 2011 |publisher= National Public Radio |access-date= 24 March 2011 |quote= There's a line where they say, 'I believe that God lives on a planet called Kolob,'" Baker says. "That is an actual Mormon belief. We do believe that. But taken out of context—or in context—you do not want anyone to know you actually believe it. }}</ref>
* The 1984 TV serial ''[[Children of the Dog Star]]'' features an alien space probe named Kolob, and "Kolob" is the title of the fifth episode.
* [[The Osmonds]] used the title Kolob on many of their albums for their record label and recording studio.

==See also==
{{Portal|Latter Day Saint movement}}
* [[Criticism of the Book of Abraham]]
* [[Kirtland Egyptian papers]]
* [[Mormon cosmology]]
* [[God in Mormonism|Godhead]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

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{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* {{citation |contribution-url= http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/EoM/id/5492 |contribution= Astronomy, Scriptural References to |page= 82 |last= Paul |first= Erich Robert |editor-last= Ludlow |editor-first= Daniel H |editor-link= Daniel H. Ludlow |year= 1992 |title= Encyclopedia of Mormonism |location= New York |publisher= [[Macmillan Publishing]] |isbn= 0-02-879602-0 |oclc= 24502140 |title-link= Encyclopedia of Mormonism }}

==External links==
{{Wikisource|1=Pearl_of_Great_Price/Abraham#3|2=Abraham 3}}
* [http://lds.about.com/library/bl/faq/blkolob.htm About.com explanation of perceptions about Kolob] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110115084850/http://lds.about.com/library/bl/faq/blkolob.htm |date=2011-01-15 }}
* [http://koloborder.blog4ever.com/blog/lirarticle-18187-100535.html Kolob, astronomy and book of Abraham]
* [https://mormonprophecy.com/ancient-planetary-history/ Anthony Larson correlates cosmology with global mythology and LDS doctrine]
* [http://bycommonconsent.com/2006/11/18/kolob-as-sirius/ Kolob as Sirius]

{{Latter Day Saint movement}}

[[Category:1842 in Christianity]]
[[Category:Latter Day Saint doctrines regarding deity]]
[[Category:Latter Day Saint terms]]
[[Category:Mormon cosmology]]
[[Category:Mormonism-related controversies]]
[[Category:Pseudoastronomy]]
[[Category:Book of Abraham]]
[[Category:Mythological places]]
[[Category:Astronomical myths]]