‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.’ Genesis 1:1
March 25 – Mormon Confusion About Evolution. Jeremiah 10:12 “He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.”
Our question today is more rhetorical than not. The LDS Church has wavered on this topic since its inception with Joseph Smith.
For years they denounced the theory of evolution, however, Smith’s own writings put that into question when he claimed the earth is eternal but contradicted it with D&C 77 where it says the earth is about 7,000 yrs. old.
As late as 2016 they also announced they have no opinion on the theory of evolution.
The three LDS references below are enough evidence to show how they’ve had a track record of confusing people.
The 3rd reference is very telling when they told members it’s a commandment to learn all you can but not to establish any theories on what the Church believes. Hmmm…
Please, pray for those who are confused and for Jesus to intervene!
Doctrines of Salvation 1:141-142 “I say most emphatically, you cannot believe in this theory of the origin of man, and at the same time accept the plan of salvation as set forth by the Lord our God. You must choose the one and reject the other, for they are in direct conflict and there is a gulf separating them which is so great that it cannot be bridged, no matter how much one may try to do so.” — Joseph Fielding Smith
New Era, ‘What Does the Church Believe About Evolution?’, October 2016 “The Church has no official position on the theory of evolution. Organic evolution, or changes to species’ inherited traits over time, is a matter for scientific study. Nothing has been revealed concerning evolution. Though the details of what happened on earth before Adam and Eve, including how their bodies were created, have not been revealed, our teachings regarding man’s origin are clear and come from revelation.”
Old Testament Student Manual: Genesis-2 Samuel, CES Religion 301, 2003, Genesis 1 – 2, The Creation “While it is interesting to note these various theories [on evolution], officially the Church has not taken a stand on the age of the Earth. Therefore, while Latter Day Saints are commanded to learn truth from many different fields of study an attempt to establish any theory as the official position of the Church is not justifiable.”
With Love in Christ –
Michelle
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