How can you be a mormon and believe in evolution?

Question

I find many things interesting about mormonism but I really can take the rejection of scientific facts. If you are a mormon scientist, maybe you can explain to me how do you reconcile your faith with science. Do your clergy accept your belief in scientific theories?

Answer 1

I recently looked up in the topical guide the various scriptural references to "astronomy". I found several that have a more "scientific" reality than the earth is the center of the universe viewpoint of many fundamentalists.

The book of Moses says "But only an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you. For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them."

I see in this passage that the knowledge we have from scripture is intentially limited. We are supposed to learn more. What we learn should be put to good use. If I learn how another solar system came into being, it should not alter my faith. I probably can't use a current scientific point to prove or disprove eternal principles.

Answer 2

It's not too difficult. There are many people, including Mormons, that believe in God and evolution. Most theories of evolution fail to trace all the way back to the 'coming into being' of a very simple organism and there are many very intelligent scientist who believe evolution doesn't solve or dispute the theory of creation. I have provided a link to a legal article (which may be long and at times boring) that gives links/cites to scientists who believe in God and explains many of the thoughts of Christian (or Mormons) who believe in both. I agree with many ideas in this legal review article. There are a lot of things that the Mormon church doesn't dictate it's members must or must not believe, just like they don't tell it's members they must be Republican (many are Democratic), therefore Mormon leaders/clergy don't hold it against someone for being or believing a certain way about these sort of topics. Hope this answers your question.

Answer 3

Well, first of all, I will explain how you could if you insist on believing in evolution (although I do not): Who's to say that God didn't use evolution to create people. He did create the animals first.

Jenn in Spokane makes a good point as well.

Second of all, evolution is scientifically not likely. There are no so called "missing links", and there genetically it would take thousands of mutations to change so much, which mutations are rare, and more than 90% of mutations are detrimental to a species. Evolution is scientifically inconceivable. Creation is empirically evident.

Answer 4

I am Mormon and believe that 1 day in God's time could be millions of years. I dont think you can really dispute evolution, as their is so much proof. I also believe that most of the Old Testament is symbollic. I do believe that God created man, as well as the rest of the universe though. Many of my LDS friends believe what I do.

Answer 5

Don't just question the official GA's position on evolution, but everything else the church claims is true: Jewish settlers in America, the nature of the universe according to Abraham, whose papyrus is either his own hand (and somehow got to Ohio), or a common egyptian funerary 'accessory'. If anything, apply Occam's Razor: the simplist solution is normally the correct one, then compare that to anything from Hugh Nibly.
By the way, the official church position on anything odd taught by any of the early leaders or current GAs is simply brushed off as "I don't think we teach that..."

Answer 6

I am not a Mormon, but it is not a stretch to hold to evolution when God didn't create the universe out of nothing and God was a man somewhere else before coming here. That is the classic look of evolution.

Answer 7

Hi, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon is just a nickname), and I can tell you that I was taught evolution at a BYU (a private church university) biology class.

Actually the churches official stance on creation is that "God did it." but the church really leaves it to individual members to speculate exactly what His methods were and how long He took. So you'll see members all over the spectrum from young-earth creationists to old-earth creationists and a variety of theories of how it worked including evolution as a tool of God (what many, including me lean to).

Thanks

Answer 8

I'm not Mormon, but I do know many of them accept evolution. The LDS church does talk about evolution is for the most part accepts it. This is because Utah happens to have a lot of dinosaur bones.

Answer 9

I believe that there are many undeniable facts in evolution and many things that are then assumed from those facts.
Adding God to the picture does not remove those facts. Below is a statement from 1908 about The Origin of Man.

Answer 10

The church doesn't have an official position on evolution and there are a lot of members of the church who believe in it. I used to be one of those "god or evolution but not both" people, but as I've learned more about my beliefs and science I've come to have no problem with both being truth. You can search for evolution here to find out more about what the varying beliefs on the subject are: http://www.onlymormon.com/Results/?cx=002912200619586055156%3Argcnsb6amuy&cof=FORID%3A9&q=evolution#973