This is the 2nd post evaluating the FOXNews.com list of 21 questions submitted to the LDS and the answers received back from the church.
Questions 5 & 6 revolve around the significance of the planet ‘Kolob’ in Mormon theology:
Q: If so, does the Church believe that God lives on a planet named Kolob?
Q: Where is the planet Kolob? What significance does the planet have to Mormons?
A: ‘Kolob’ is a term found in ancient records translated by Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith did not provide a full description or explanation of Kolob nor did he assign the idea particular significance in relation to the Church’s core doctrines.
Response: There is little or no significance in Mormon theology to the planet Kolob. Why FOXNews wasted all of our valuable time with this question is beyond me. Who came up with this one anyway?
I think that the one who formed the question was attempting to show that the Mormons believe in a God who is physical and actually lives on a distant planet named ‘Kolob’. However, that is not exactly correct.
Then the official LDS response is anything but forthcoming and again they choose to answer both questions with one trite formula statement that is half-hearted at best. This kind of response really doesn’t reflect well upon the church and lends support to the already prevailing suspicion that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds on to a number of ‘secret’ teachings which they do not want to share publicly.
Actually, there is nothing really that secret about Kolob. It is found in the Book of Abraham 3:3-9, part of the Mormon scriptural canon. Kolob is said to be a planet which is nearest to the Celestial residence of God. Their scripture seems to indicate that it is greater than earth and will outlast our Sun and planet in time.
Other than that, there really is no significance to Kolob and it is not the place where God literally lives in Mormon theology. Therefore the one who formed the question in the first place was incorrect.
As the ‘official’ answer says- Kolob doesn’t have any “…particular significance in relation to the Church’s core doctrines.”