Stephen Hawking, the great British physicist is putting out a new book.
In The Grand Design Hawking argues that, “”It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the Universe going.”
He argues that gravity alone will always do it without any kick necessary from any Eternal power. Part of his proof is the discovery of other planets in other solar systems. To Hawking it proves that God did not create a world specifically in the perfect place for a once in an eternity chance of humanity. I am not a physicist, nor have a I read the book, but just going on what I have read in various sources here is my unscientific opinion.
I think most Mormons accept that the universe is run under laws. They are natural laws which govern all level of worlds. That is one thing that both science and our faith agree.
Hawking and others seem to see that as justification for the lack of a God like figure. I think most Mormons see it as God in everything. We see his power in how the universe is governed not under pure chaos as some feel but rather under a structure and order which is influenced by God where necessary to get the right outcomes. I would suggest that is how each of our lives work.
Give that then rather than seeing earth as an accident of one time positioning seems counter to the Mormon understanding of the universe.
Abraham 3
11 Thus I, Abraham, talked with the Lord, face to face, as one man talketh with another; and he told me of the works which his hands had made;
12 And he said unto me: My son, my son (and his hand was stretched out), behold I will show you all these. And he put his hand upon mine eyes, and I saw those things which his hands had made, which were many; and they multiplied before mine eyes, and I could not see the end thereof.
In this writing it appears that Abraham was introduced to the concept that the earth was not alone and that there were many more like them. To my mind the simple discovery of more earths does not suddenly suggest that this one is just some cosmic event ruled only by gravity. In my estimation we have known about other planets for a while now, ever since some one realized Mars and Venus were not simply stars.
I think that the big bang or the new Darwinian moment that some are spinning, much like Book of Mormon DNA everyone will go too much on both sides.
Though I think he did a great service for the Creation from Nothing crowd:
“Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist,” Hawking writes.
So there you go Creation from nothing DOES exist, or doesn’t, or something…
Personally I think that is a stretch of logic but as I say my physics ended in grade 12 so I might not be the most logical source for an opinion ;0).
Posted by Jon W 
