Mysterious Kolob – Does The Sacred Star Of The Mormons Exist?

David Tee - AncientPages.com - Kolob is an important part of Mormons’ faith. They have included its name in different hymns, called canyons and mountains after this star. Also, the Mormons name their denomination’s sub-divisions after Kolob. To them Kolob exists.

Left: A stained glass window of Joseph Smith's First Vision. Credit: Public Domain. Right: A distant star in the universe. Credit: Public Domain

Others may not be so sure. Kolob is not found in any astronomical observation, either ancient or modern. This lack of observation leads many to doubt that the star is what the Mormons say it is.

What is Kolob and how did it get its prominent position?

Why Is Kolob So Important To The Mormons?

First, Kolob’s importance comes from what is said about it in the Book of Abraham. Its first entry comes in chapter 3, verse 2 & 3 of that Mormon holy book. In that passage, Abraham describes his vision and states what he saw and heard. Abraham states that he saw that Kolob was the closest star to god’s throne.

The passage has God saying that there are greater and lesser stars, with the greater ones ruling over the latter. Then God says that Kolob is the greatest of all stars and rules them all.

Detail of Facsimile No. 2 (the Hypocephalus of Sheshonq). Reference numeral 1 represents Kolob according to Joseph Smith. Critics interpret this as an altered figure of a creator god. Credit: Public Domain

Second, the rotation and essence of time is not the same as that on Earth. Mormons claim that Kolob’s rotation is similar to God’s timing where one day equals a thousand years on Earth. The Mormon’s also say that the Garden of Eden worked on God’s time.

In their reckoning Kolob fell from the presence of the Earth when Adam sinned.

Third, Mormon’s believe that Kolob gives light to the whole universe. Because it was the first star created and is nearest the source of all light, Kolob mimics God.

Has Kolob Been Found?

If one searches the different astronomical observations that have taken place from the ancient world to the present, one would see that there has been no sighting of the Mormon star Kolob. No one has seen this star, not even Mormon astronomers.

There is some debate even in Mormon circles if the star is real or just a metaphor for Christ. There are numerous reasons put forward as to why no one can see this star. One reason is as described, it is a metaphor and not a real star.

Another is that Kolob is found in a different solar system or galaxy. Its location is hard to determine because it may have been given a scientific name instead of being identified with the Mormon belief.

A third reason is that Kolob’s location is in a different reality or realm. For example, it may be found in another dimension. It is hard to prove the existence of a star that resides in a dimension unknown to man.

Is Kolob Mentioned In The Bible?

Unfortunately for those who think Kolob actually is mentioned in the Bible, the star has no direct mentioning in Christian scriptures. What Mormons do is take passages out of context and apply it to their belief about Kolob and then declare that their star is found within the biblical pages.

Facsimile No. 2 from the Book of Abraham, which is the most interesting book in the Pearl of Great Price, which Smith said discusses Kolob. The part Smith said refers to Kolob is numbered by a "1" in the center. Credit: Public Domain

One argument for its inclusion in the Bible compares the lack of the name Jesus being mentioned in the Old Testament. The Old Testament talks about Jesus but never uses his name. The same thinking applies to Kolob. Different verses talk about Kolob but does not directly use its name.

It is a stretch of an argument which has no exegetical foundation to it. Kolob is mentioned only in Mormon sacred texts, with the book of Abraham as the key source.

Kolob In Television

There is rumor that Kolob was the inspiration behind the mother planet used in Battle Star Galactica. The creators of that show use the term Kobol but describe that planet as the origin of life

Whether that is true or not doesn’t change the status of the Mormon star. To the Mormons it is the most important star in the universe and the one nearest to God’s throne. Its existence is a question for another day as even the Mormons cannot agree if it is a physical or metaphorical location.

One thing for sure, Kolob has no association with the Bible nor the Christian faith. It is a star that is found in Mormon religious teaching alone.

Written by – David Tee - AncientPages.com Staff Writer

Updated on June 27, 2021

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