The “shortage of Mormon men”

[Sirocco]

When I overhear a woman saying that she can't find a good guy, I am always tempted to interrupt with a sarcastic comment: "Have you checked your friend zone?"

You are crazy, there are no unmarried active PH holders in our ward, but half the ward is made up of single sisters, The YSA gate crash other stake and even inter state activities to see if there are any guys around. You have become far to bitter and hateful and are no longer able to the forest from the tress, to focused on your micro universe.

Man if things don't work out with that girl I am head over heals for I should start going to church lol
(I mean I don't have much faith in myself, I did pray about hoping she would return in my life, long story, and she did... got a part two to that, lets see if that one comes).
I don't pray much, not like that anyways.
God tossed me a bone lol.

[Fiannan]

Not wanting to make this into a polygamy thread but if you read the warnings delivered from leaders during that time period about what happens to a strict monogamous (marriage) soiety you would swear they all climbed into a time machine, visited our period, and then want back to warn the people.

[gardener4life]

Maybe you could show some of the scriptures sources for that eh, Fiannan?

[Fiannan]

Maybe you could show some of the scriptures sources for that eh, Fiannan?

I said I did not want to turn this into yet another polygamy thread, but there have been quotes shared in the forum from LDS leaders of the evils of monogamy and how it tears down both genetic health and moral health of a naiton or people.

[JohnnyL]

Fiannan,

Extremely proud of you--7 pages in before you brought it up!!

[simpleton]

well beings the awful subject (pm)was brought up maybe this has a little to do with the subject at hand... was sent to me today....

"Those who speak against a plurality of wives and in their feelings will not receive it will never inherit the celestial kingdom of God, for it always has been practiced there and always will be. Thousands of women will be saved there who have been trodden under the feet of men, and what will be done with them if men did not have more than one wife? Men are the lords of creation and God will hold them responsible.
--Brigham Young, September 20, 1869, Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Midvale UT: Signature Books 1984, Vol. 6, pg. 493.

[Fiannan]

well beings the awful subject (pm)was brought up maybe this has a little to do with the subject at hand... was sent to me today....

"Those who speak against a plurality of wives and in their feelings will not receive it will never inherit the celestial kingdom of God, for it always has been practiced there and always will be. Thousands of women will be saved there who have been trodden under the feet of men, and what will be done with them if men did not have more than one wife? Men are the lords of creation and God will hold them responsible.
--Brigham Young, September 20, 1869, Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Midvale UT: Signature Books 1984, Vol. 6, pg. 493.

Let me anticipate the response: "He's just a dead white dude, just like all the past prophets." Oh wait, that would be if it was a SJW attending BYU.

[Spaced_Out]

well beings the awful subject (pm)was brought up maybe this has a little to do with the subject at hand... was sent to me today....

"Those who speak against a plurality of wives and in their feelings will not receive it will never inherit the celestial kingdom of God, for it always has been practiced there and always will be. Thousands of women will be saved there who have been trodden under the feet of men, and what will be done with them if men did not have more than one wife? Men are the lords of creation and God will hold them responsible.
--Brigham Young, September 20, 1869, Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Midvale UT: Signature Books 1984, Vol. 6, pg. 493.

I have addressed the issue about lack of men in the celestial kingdom, as more woman are likely to be saved. It is a fallacy as the majority of the celestial kingdom will be made up of people who died prior to the age of accountability. More men are born than woman.
One can inherit the celestial kingdom without even been married. Polygamy is not required.

[Gage]

Second, you have to be the kind of person they are attracted to. Unfortunately this doesn't seem to be people like me. I know a couple divorced LDS women who are actively daring, who tell me that I'm what every woman wants because I am kind, caring, respectful, and faithful. I have heard women tell me that they wish they could find a man like me, and that when my divorce is finalized I will be fighting girls off. But then I watch they. They claim that they want a nice guy, but they consistently ignore the nice guys in favor of guys who treat them like crap.

When I overhear a woman saying that she can't find a good guy, I am always tempted to interrupt with a sarcastic comment: "Have you checked your friend zone?"
[/quote]



Never ever believe a single woman that says you are going to have women all over you, I wish I could find a man like you, you are so nice, etc. If they believed you were that much of a catch they would catch you themselves. These are classic comments that "friend zoners" get. Its their subtle nice way of telling you "please never ask me out". It kinda gets them off the hook of having to worry about you chasing after them.

[Fiannan]

I have addressed the issue about lack of men in the celestial kingdom, as more woman are likely to be saved. It is a fallacy as the majority of the celestial kingdom will be made up of people who died prior to the age of accountability. More men are born than woman.
One can inherit the celestial kingdom without even been married. Polygamy is not required.

How do you know the sex ratio prior to Noah's flood? If Jesus was indicating the return as when the days were as in Noah's day then we can safely assume that in the future we will employ techniques that favor more girl babies than boys - which were probably employed in those days when, again we can assume, women controlled religion and probably the highest levels of power. And as someone said here the population at the time of the flood was possibly nearly 5 billion people.
Look, the rule of the barnyard is that you only need one healthy man to maintain the breeding of a dozen females. Males seem not to be doing so well in adapting to the new technological/information age. Also, when you have a girl baby you have a much greater chance of having grandkids because even if she never marries she can still have children. So within a generation I predict that bio-tech will be used to create a much greater number of women than men.

[Spaced_Out]

I have addressed the issue about lack of men in the celestial kingdom, as more woman are likely to be saved. It is a fallacy as the majority of the celestial kingdom will be made up of people who died prior to the age of accountability. More men are born than woman.
One can inherit the celestial kingdom without even been married. Polygamy is not required.

How do you know the sex ratio prior to Noah's flood? If Jesus was indicating the return as when the days were as in Noah's day then we can safely assume that in the future we will employ techniques that favor more girl babies than boys - which were probably employed in those days when, again we can assume, women controlled religion and probably the highest levels of power. And as someone said here the population at the time of the flood was possibly nearly 5 billion people.
Look, the rule of the barnyard is that you only need one healthy man to maintain the breeding of a dozen females. Males seem not to be doing so well in adapting to the new technological/information age. Also, when you have a girl baby you have a much greater chance of having grandkids because even if she never marries she can still have children. So within a generation I predict that bio-tech will be used to create a much greater number of women than men.

In China and India they abort female babies for males, that has been the case in developing countries since the beginning every one wants a male. 5 billion people prior to Noah - rubbish the food technology etc was not no the earth, many parts of the earth like the US were not inhabited. It is really stupid. If they had such technology then Noah would not be on top of a hill making a wooden boat and many of the people would of been able to survive the flood.
Human genetics have not changed - ratio of male to female children bourn is the same is all cultures, and on earth today we have a greater genetic diversity of people than ever before.....

[brianj]

Never ever believe a single woman that says you are going to have women all over you, I wish I could find a man like you, you are so nice, etc. If they believed you were that much of a catch they would catch you themselves. These are classic comments that "friend zoners" get. Its their subtle nice way of telling you "please never ask me out". It kinda gets them off the hook of having to worry about you chasing after them.

I've already figured this out. I would give almost anything to date then marry one of the women who said that, but I don't believe it will ever happen.

These two women seem to genuinely want to set me up with friends, but I'm going to have a hard time not believing that those women have any real interest in me and aren't just being nice and showing interest to try giving this guy their friend knows some confidence.

[Fiannan]

In China and India they abort female babies for males, that has been the case in developing countries since the beginning every one wants a male.

China outlawed sex-selection aborion quite some time ago. Now there is a growing trend for couples to want girl babies. In a technological world a girl is not only equal to a man, but in many ways better suited for it. We see it in universities from Tehran to Toronto, more female graduates. Males have a harder time with the self-discipline to focus as opposed to females. That is why futurists say that in a couple of generations most people will be female and females will form polyamorous family structures.

5 billion people prior to Noah - rubbish the food technology etc was not no the earth, many parts of the earth like the US were not inhabited. It is really stupid. If they had such technology then Noah would not be on top of a hill making a wooden boat and many of the people would of been able to survive the flood.

You realize how stupid it is to believe that a Stone-Age man dressed as an Arab nomad could build a massive boat as desribed in the Bible without technology? You try to build a rowboat WITH today's tools. Now imagine building something akin to a modern oil tanker with technology akin to the Plains Indians.

I am not sure the 5 billion figure, someone noted it here in the forums. I once saw a documentary where a Hebrew historian said the population of Noah's civilization was somewhere around 100 million. A lot was going on in those days. For instance, who were the giants trying to assasinate Noah? And if they were giants how did he protect himself, with a wooden spear? Rubbish. Also, why do extre-Biblical texts describe a society that was able to alter DNA?

Remember, there was once an expert who said that when the world reached the level of Noah's day then Jesus returns. He is not here yet.

Human genetics have not changed - ratio of male to female children bourn is the same is all cultures, and on earth today we have a greater genetic diversity of people than ever before.....

Strange how you would have such a genetic diversity if all people died but Noah and seven other people. Of course there were many survivors in more primitive areas of the world.

[Spaced_Out]

In China and India they abort female babies for males, that has been the case in developing countries since the beginning every one wants a male.

China outlawed sex-selection aborion quite some time ago. Now there is a growing trend for couples to want girl babies. In a technological world a girl is not only equal to a man, but in many ways better suited for it. We see it in universities from Tehran to Toronto, more female graduates. Males have a harder time with the self-discipline to focus as opposed to females. That is why futurists say that in a couple of generations most people will be female and females will form polyamorous family structures.

5 billion people prior to Noah - rubbish the food technology etc was not no the earth, many parts of the earth like the US were not inhabited. It is really stupid. If they had such technology then Noah would not be on top of a hill making a wooden boat and many of the people would of been able to survive the flood.

You realize how stupid it is to believe that a Stone-Age man dressed as an Arab nomad could build a massive boat as desribed in the Bible without technology? You try to build a rowboat WITH today's tools. Now imagine building something akin to a modern oil tanker with technology akin to the Plains Indians.

I am not sure the 5 billion figure, someone noted it here in the forums. I once saw a documentary where a Hebrew historian said the population of Noah's civilization was somewhere around 100 million. A lot was going on in those days. For instance, who were the giants trying to assasinate Noah? And if they were giants how did he protect himself, with a wooden spear? Rubbish. Also, why do extre-Biblical texts describe a society that was able to alter DNA?

Remember, there was once an expert who said that when the world reached the level of Noah's day then Jesus returns. He is not here yet.

Human genetics have not changed - ratio of male to female children bourn is the same is all cultures, and on earth today we have a greater genetic diversity of people than ever before.....

Strange how you would have such a genetic diversity if all people died but Noah and seven other people. Of course there were many survivors in more primitive areas of the world.

A total denial of all fact and fake sudo history. Right throughout civilisation people focused on male heirs a woman who had no male children got her head chopped off. It is only modern political correctness that preaches such things. In Africa and PNG and other developing countries their livestock have more value than the woman. Why did China have to implement laws to prevent female abortions because it is a major issue and they have massive gender disparity.

The scriptures are very clear every livening thing that had breath of life died during the flood except those on the ark.

Genesis 6:17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

During Noah’s time the earth was completely covered with water. This was the baptism of the earth and symbolized a cleansing (1 Pet. 3:20–21).

God will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh, Gen. 6:17 (Moses 7:34, 43, 50–52; 8:17, 30).

Noah flood was 2,350BC that is only like 1,000y since Adam it has now been over 4,370y since the flood - that is why there is much greater genetic diversity on the earth today, simple logic...The world starts with two people with no technology and ends up at 5 billion people in 1,000 years it is a mathematical improbability. There is no archaeological evidence of it and it is not scriptural.

How did Nephi build a boat with zero tools - he went to a mountain found some iron ore - melted it and made tools then built a ship..
Stories of giant hunting Noah is a fairy tail - watching a Disney movie will get you more truth..

[Fiannan]

Stories of giant hunting Noah is a fairy tail - watching a Disney movie will get you more truth..

Really?

For one hundred twenty years Noah tried to convince the people to repent. At that time many men who lived on the earth were so tall and powerful that they were called giants. They and others tried to kill Noah, but the Lord was with him and protected him.

https://www.lds.org/friend/1994/06/noah?lang=eng

[Fiannan]

A total denial of all fact and fake sudo history. Right throughout civilisation people focused on male heirs a woman who had no male children got her head chopped off. It is only modern political correctness that preaches such things. In Africa and PNG and other developing countries their livestock have more value than the woman. Why did China have to implement laws to prevent female abortions because it is a major issue and they have massive gender disparity.

You do realize that most Middle Eastern Pagan traditions were female-oriented in their religions, right? The status of women varied according to culture. If you are praying to a goddess I think you will have a somewhat more positive view of women. Look at the booming occult today - many women are leaving traditional religions and going for Paganism. There is a reason and I believe this will become very common as time goes on. I have no reason to believe that women did not rule over the antediluvian world. They were the ones who were lining up to get impregnated by the "Sons of God" so this sort of implies their husbands did not have much say over their sex or sexuality.

The scriptures are very clear every livening thing that had breath of life died during the flood except those on the ark.

I used to think that too until I took institute classes and learned otherwise.

Noah flood was 2,350BC that is only like 1,000y since Adam it has now been over 4,370y since the flood - that is why there is much greater genetic diversity on the earth today, simple logic...The world starts with two people with no technology and ends up at 5 billion people in 1,000 years it is a mathematical improbability. There is no archaeological evidence of it and it is not scriptural.

So you claim, I think you are wrong but let's play with it, that the Flood was 1000 years after Adam. So then there were people alive when it occured that remembered Adam, right? I mean people in that era lived to be 1000 years old. Now considering that you believe that in less than 4 1/2 thousand years we have reached nearly 8 billion people when lifespans are only less than 100, what about a population of near-immortals who were having kids left and right, even with either aliens or exalted beings? I think you could get a big population when women who were 700 years old could greet their husbands with the news that she was pregnant.
On top of that we see that this civilization was at least in an iron age (Genesis 4:22) which totally would contradict modern archeology. Seeing this fact alone suggests that they had entered an industrial age -- and if you accept the Book of Jasher they had the capability of genetic engineering.

[Spaced_Out]

A total denial of all fact and fake sudo history. Right throughout civilisation people focused on male heirs a woman who had no male children got her head chopped off. It is only modern political correctness that preaches such things. In Africa and PNG and other developing countries their livestock have more value than the woman. Why did China have to implement laws to prevent female abortions because it is a major issue and they have massive gender disparity.

You do realize that most Middle Eastern Pagan traditions were female-oriented in their religions, right? The status of women varied according to culture. If you are praying to a goddess I think you will have a somewhat more positive view of women. Look at the booming occult today - many women are leaving traditional religions and going for Paganism. There is a reason and I believe this will become very common as time goes on. I have no reason to believe that women did not rule over the antediluvian world. They were the ones who were lining up to get impregnated by the "Sons of God" so this sort of implies their husbands did not have much say over their sex or sexuality.

Woman have never had any status in any civilisation. Be it the Jews/racialists, he Egyptians, the Americas, Africa, Polynesians Mongolians, Chinese, Russian, europeans, greeks etc... etc.... etc... The middle east like the roman used woman as sex slaves in their temples if you call that a woman orientated religion!!. They used to raid the European nations for female sex slaves.
There is no documented evidence of any civilisation ruled by woman, there might be a few queens here an there but the house holds, military and status of woman were always second class.
The so called pagan religions in the Middle east where woman were reported to be able to rise to dominance were very minor sects and by no means a dominant region. Basing your teachings on a very minor sect in a very minor population of the world is king of silly...In those days teh M.East was dominated by Africa

[Spaced_Out]

So you claim, I think you are wrong but let's play with it, that the Flood was 1000 years after Adam. So then there were people alive when it occured that remembered Adam, right? I mean people in that era lived to be 1000 years old. Now considering that you believe that in less than 4 1/2 thousand years we have reached nearly 8 billion people when lifespans are only less than 100, what about a population of near-immortals who were having kids left and right, even with either aliens or exalted beings? I think you could get a big population when women who were 700 years old could greet their husbands with the news that she was pregnant.
On top of that we see that this civilization was at least in an iron age (Genesis 4:22) which totally would contradict modern archeology. Seeing this fact alone suggests that they had entered an industrial age -- and if you accept the Book of Jasher they had the capability of genetic engineering.

Modern archaeology does not accept the biblical flood and puts humans much further back in time.

A few of the early patriarchs did live to be very many years old, but that does not say they had children at those advanced ages.
When Adam and Eve were thrown out of the garden of Eden Eve's curse was pain in child bearing which includes all the things that go with it including menstrual cycles. Woman are born with all their eggs in place and when they run out they go through menopause. Additional eggs are never produced after birth. How is a 700y old woman still going to have eggs and be fertile. Again the bible only talks of a few male patriarch reaching very advanced ages.

This kind of politically correct type of pseudo insanity, thinking has no biblical or scientific probability.

[Fiannan]

Modern archaeology does not accept the biblical flood and puts humans much further back in time.

Wait, you argue basing your premise on the Bible being 100% literal and then say it is wrong?

A few of the early patriarchs did live to be very many years old, but that does not say they had children at those advanced ages.
When Adam and Eve were thrown out of the garden of Eden Eve's curse was pain in child bearing which includes all the things that go with it including menstrual cycles. Woman are born with all their eggs in place and when they run out they go through menopause. Additional eggs are never produced after birth. How is a 700y old woman still going to have eggs and be fertile. Again the bible only talks of a few male patriarch reaching very advanced ages.

Where do you get your information on human biology of that period? If the DNA was either super-advanced, or medically manipulated, why then assume certain biological features you see today were true then? So did Noah live 900 years or not? Did he reach his 70s and remain an old man for 800 years? Come on now. As for fertility a woman has 200,000+ eggs she is born with. If a woman were to live 900 years (obviously her body is different than women today) then we can assume she could continue having children even when centuries old. Lastly, where is there any evidence only special patriarchs lived for centuries?

This kind of politically correct type of pseudo insanity, thinking has no biblical or scientific probability.

Whatever, you said it was fantasy that giants tried to assasinate Noah and yet I provided an official LDS source to show it happened.

[gardener4life]

Here's an interesting point.

If you think about the ARK construction, it wouldn't be possible to build the ARK without VERY strong supports because of its weight and size. A lot of science people have pointed out that the only way for this to have occurred is if there was metalwork in the supports, or anchoring those supports together etc, and design work for holding the framework together and so on. This is entirely reasonable. The larger the boat, the stronger the hull and supports would have to be. It's also interesting too that western civilizations couldn't build ships the size of the ARK until recently...within the last hundred years.

Think....the ARK would have been immensely HEAVY! Even without the animals it would have been heavy! (And also there are references that Egyptian cubits did have a realistic more exact measurement now. People had missed this in the past thinking that people of the middle east cubit was an unknown figure...but Egyptian cubit was different. So it's very possible that people meant Egyptian cubits of a fixed length but didn't want to say Egyptian because they thought the Egyptians were sinners and whatever other rivalries they had.)

Hmm that's interesting to think about. You can't build really big ships without a whole plethora of smaller technologies that we take for granted.

This very reasonably suggests that the days of the antediluvian civilizations (there was more than one, they weren't together...Enoch was hunted by the Canaanites etc.) had very good technologies even comparable to our day.

[Spaced_Out]

Here's an interesting point.

If you think about the ARK construction, it wouldn't be possible to build the ARK without VERY strong supports because of its weight and size. A lot of science people have pointed out that the only way for this to have occurred is if there was metalwork in the supports, or anchoring those supports together etc, and design work for holding the framework together and so on. This is entirely reasonable. The larger the boat, the stronger the hull and supports would have to be. It's also interesting too that western civilizations couldn't build ships the size of the ARK until recently...within the last hundred years.

Think....the ARK would have been immensely HEAVY! Even without the animals it would have been heavy! (And also there are references that Egyptian cubits did have a realistic more exact measurement now. People had missed this in the past thinking that people of the middle east cubit was an unknown figure...but Egyptian cubit was different. So it's very possible that people meant Egyptian cubits of a fixed length but didn't want to say Egyptian because they thought the Egyptians were sinners and whatever other rivalries they had.)

Hmm that's interesting to think about. You can't build really big ships without a whole plethora of smaller technologies that we take for granted.

This very reasonably suggests that the days of the antediluvian civilizations (there was more than one, they weren't together...Enoch was hunted by the Canaanites etc.) had very good technologies even comparable to our day.

The design of the ark was dictated by God - so it was using [perfect knowledge and technology - yeah I have heard many say the same things about the boat Nephi build - could not be done with technology at the time. Yhe chinease built ships of wood much bigger than the ark cary up to 28,000 people. Image of ship in dry dock not falling apart under its own weight. Where do you guys get this silliness from....

Zheng He’s Enormous Treasure Shttp
http://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/07/zh ... ships.html

[Spaced_Out]

Where do you get your information on human biology of that period? If the DNA was either super-advanced, or medically manipulated, why then assume certain biological features you see today were true then? So did Noah live 900 years or not? Did he reach his 70s and remain an old man for 800 years? Come on now. As for fertility a woman has 200,000+ eggs she is born with. If a woman were to live 900 years (obviously her body is different than women today) then we can assume she could continue having children even when centuries old. Lastly, where is there any evidence only special patriarchs lived for centuries?

We are made in the image of God male and female or DNA has not changed from Adam - postulating that the people prior to Noah were able to manipulate their DNA and biology is out of the realms of science fiction - but are not able to survive a small flood that you propose did not even cover the earth, but primitive tribes were able to survive. Where the scriptures teach that only eight were saved.

Doctrine and Covenants 138:9
9 “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” (1 Peter 3:18–20.)


1 Peter 3:20-21
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

[Spaced_Out]

[Fiannan]

You do realize that the video thumbnail featuring the Noah movie from a couple of years ago is ironic as the movie depicted Noah using welding equipment as well as noting that the people of Cain had undergone an industrial revolution. At least the producers of the movie realized that you had to have technology to create an ark of that size and quality.

Also, making reference to the Chinese boats (you could have also referenced ancient Greek barges) leaves two things out; that being that you have hundreds of workers as well as the use of metal tools to build the ships. They also would never have stood up to the destruction of the flood of Noah's era. But hey, if you want to believe ancient prophets used magic to stay alive for hundreds of years, or that given enough time four men all well past the age you can get a senior discount at Denny's, could construct such a ship without very advanced technology then go ahead. I doubt it will affect your spirituality so believe as you wish.

[Spaced_Out]

You do realize that the video thumbnail featuring the Noah movie from a couple of years ago is ironic as the movie depicted Noah using welding equipment as well as noting that the people of Cain had undergone an industrial revolution. At least the producers of the movie realized that you had to have technology to create an ark of that size and quality.

Also, making reference to the Chinese boats (you could have also referenced ancient Greek barges) leaves two things out; that being that you have hundreds of workers as well as the use of metal tools to build the ships. They also would never have stood up to the destruction of the flood of Noah's era. But hey, if you want to believe ancient prophets used magic to stay alive for hundreds of years, or that given enough time four men all well past the age you can get a senior discount at Denny's, could construct such a ship without very advanced technology then go ahead. I doubt it will affect your spirituality so believe as you wish.

The thumb nail has nothing to do with the content of the vid, never watched that Noah Hollywood movie. Nephi, the Jaradites and Noah and his family all built ships with crude iron tools, and were shown by God how to do the construction. You don't believe God has ability to design a ship that man can build!!!.

Yes I do believe in magic (PH, and will of God) and so do the prophets and apostles of God - I will rather align myself with their truth, genetic manipulation etc... has no validity, were are all the offspring of Noah so we have his DNA in us.

The Length of the Lives of the Ancient Patriarchs https://www.lds.org/liahona/1998/03/i-h ... n?lang=eng

Response by Thomas R. Valletta
Methuselah was 969 years old when he died (see Gen. 5:27), Noah was 950 (see Gen. 9:29), and Adam was 930 (see Gen. 5:5). Why did these and other ancient patriarchs who lived before the Flood live so long?

It is important to consider three points before attempting to answer why. First, modern revelation supports the scriptural indication that many Old Testament patriarchs lived incredibly long lives (see Moses 8:1–13; D&C 107:41–53). Second, early prophets of this dispensation understood these scriptural references to be literal (see Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 12:37; Wilford Woodruff, in Messages of the First Presidency, edited by James R. Clark, 6 volumes [1965–75], 3:253). And third, early historians took these statements literally. The first-century historian Josephus tells us, for example, “Let no one, upon comparing the lives of the ancients with our lives, and with the few years which we now live, think that what we have said of them is false; or make the shortness of our lives at present an argument that neither did they attain to so long a duration of life” (Antiquities of the Jews, book 1, chapter 3, paragraph 9).

The question is not completely resolved in scripture, but several possible answers are implied. Some have interpreted 2 Nephi 2:21 [2 Ne. 2:21] as referring to those living before the Flood: “The days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh.” Others have suggested that it was righteousness that increased the length of their lives. Josephus asserted that “God afforded [the ancients] a longer time of life on account of their virtue, and the good use they made of it in astronomical and geometrical discoveries, which would not have afforded the time of foretelling [the periods of the stars] unless they had lived six hundred years” (Antiquities of the Jews, book 1, chapter 3, paragraph 9).

President Brigham Young likewise attributed the patriarchs’ longevity to their obedience to the “laws of life.” He urged the early Saints to cease “wasting their lives and the lives of their fellow-beings, and the precious time God has given us to improve our minds and bodies … , so that the longevity of the human family may begin to return” (in Journal of Discourses, 14:89). A passage in the Book of Mormon supports the idea that the Lord will “lengthen out” the days of the righteous (Hel. 7:24).

Others have suggested that the earth’s environment may have changed radically at the time of the Flood and that this accounts for the decrease in longevity immediately thereafter (see Moses 8:17).

Among other possible purposes for the prolonged life span of the ancient patriarchs was the Lord’s need to establish truth through his law of witnesses. In Lectures on Faith, we read: “It is easily to be seen, not only how the knowledge of God came into the world, but upon what principle it was preserved; that from the time it was first communicated, it was retained in the minds of righteous men, who taught not only their own posterity but the world; so that there was no need of a new revelation to man, after Adam’s creation to Noah, to give them the first idea or notion of the existence of … the true and living God” (Joseph Smith, compiler [1985], 20).

All these factors are feasible explanations. They are not mutually exclusive, nor do they exhaust the possibilities.

[illustrations] Far Left: Old Testament Prophet, by Judith Mehr; left: Noah’s Preaching Scorned, by Harry Anderson