Science and the Church of Jesus Christ: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:29, 16 January 2011

FAIR Answers—back to home page

==

Questions

==

Critics claim that Mormons believe that if there is a conflict between science and religion, that the science is incorrect.
Critics claim that Mormonism reserves the right to identify scientific truth.

To see citations to the critical sources for these claims, [[../CriticalSources|click here]]

Subtopics

Alleged "discovery" of cold fusion by Utah researchers

=

Detailed Analysis

=

Is there any conflict between science and religion? There is no conflict in the mind of God, but often there is conflict in the minds of men.^[1]
—Henry Eyring, developer of the Absolute Rate Theory of chemical reactions: One of the most important developments of 20th-century chemistry.

∗ ∗ ∗

In these respects we differ from the Christian world, for our religion will not clash with or contradict the facts of science in any particular...whether the Lord found the earth empty and void, whether he made it out of nothing or out of the rude elements; or whether he made it in six days or in as many millions of years, is and will remain a matter of speculation in the minds of men unless he give revelation on the subject. If we understood the process of creation there would be no mystery about it, it would be all reasonable and plain, for there is no mystery except to the ignorant.
—Brigham Young, (May 14, 1871) Journal of Discourses 14:116.

∗ ∗ ∗ ==

Topics

== There are a variety of scientific issues which concern Latter-day Saints. The following sections summarize these issues and provide links to more detailed articles which address them.

Are Mormonism and science compatible?

Summary: Secular critics charge that Mormonism and science are incompatible, and that any Latter-day Saint who actually believes is "intellectually dishonest." In reality, however, Latter-day Saints in many ways have a more liberal view of science than some of their Christian brethren. We believe that God operates according to certain laws. If there are things that God can do which seem to contradict what we know through current science, we assume that there are scientific laws that are beyond our current understanding.

Faith versus knowledge

Summary: It is important to keep in mind the difference in purpose between science and the Gospel. The purpose of science is to examine the characteristics of the world around us in order to more fully understand it. A main purpose of the Gospel is to teach us to develop faith. Unfortunately, the acquisition of scientific knowledge is sometimes perceived to destroy faith. The purpose of faith is to help us understand spiritual things, just as science helps us to understand physical things.

Archaeology and the Book of Mormon

Burning in the bosom

Summary: Critics love to mock the "burning in the bosom" as a way to determine truth, and claim that it is simply the result of an electro-chemical process that occurs in the brain

Evolution

Summary: How does the Church reconcile the theory of evolution with the story of Adam?

Pre-Adamites

Summary: There is scientific evidence of human habitation for many thousands of years. How do we reconcile this with the idea that Adam lived approximately 6,000 years ago?

Death before the Fall

Procreation before the Fall

Global or local Flood

Summary: How do we deal with the fact that there is no scientific evidence of a worldwide flood? How can the scriptures and prophets teach of a worldwide flood, when this contradicts the evidence? The biodiversity of plants and animals on the earth could not have occurred within the span of a few thousand years. Even BYU professors teach this. How do they maintain their belief in God? Did the continents separate during the flood of Noah? Doctrine and Covenants 133:23–24 seems to imply that they did. How do we reconcile this to scientific fact? Didn't Brigham Young, John Taylor and Orson Pratt teach that the Flood was the baptism of the Earth?

Mormonism and eduation

Summary: Does the Church Educational System (CES) insists that gospel learning takes precedence over secular learning?Does the level of activity in the Church decrease as educational level increases?

Age of the Earth

Summary: o Mormons believe that the Earth is only 6,000 years old? Why does Doctrine and Covenants section 77 say that the history of the earth covers only seven thousand years?

Dinosaurs

Summary: How do dinosaurs fit into God's plan?

Book of Mormon and DNA evidence

LDS Apologists' attitudes toward science

Free will and science

General authorities statements regarding science

Summary: If General authorities' statements are treated as scripture, then what does that mean when they make statements regarding science?

- Brigham Young and moonmen—
  Brief Summary: Didn't Brigham Young preach that the sun and the moon were inhabited? (Click here for full article)
  ∗ ∗ ∗
- Joseph Fielding Smith and man on the moon—
  Brief Summary: Didn't Joseph Fielding Smith declare that man would never leave this planet? (Click here for full article)
  ∗ ∗ ∗

=

Answer

= Latter-day Saints are not required to discard science in favor of religion. Many Latter-day Saints are heavily involved in scientific research without suffering a loss of faith. Not only do we believe that science is continually being updated, but that Gospel knowledge will be updated as well. As the 9th Article of Faith states:

We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

We acknowledge that we do not understand everything regarding the manner in which God created the earth, but we have been assured through revelation that at some future time we will be allowed to understand these things. Until then, our challenge is to develop and maintain faith, even if it appears to contradict current scientific trends.

== Notes ==

[note] Henry Eyring, Reflections of a Scientist (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983), 2.
[note] Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 14:117.
[note] C. Terry Warner, "An Open Letter to Students: On Having Faith and Thinking for Yourself," New Era (Nov. 1971), 14.
[note] Henry Eyring, Reflections of a Scientist (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983), 62.
[note] Dallin H. Oaks, Fundamental Premises of Our Faith, (Talk given at Harvard Law School on 26 February 2010) off-site.

Questions

==

Critics claim that Mormons believe that if there is a conflict between science and religion, that the science is incorrect.
Critics claim that Mormonism reserves the right to identify scientific truth.

To see citations to the critical sources for these claims, [[../CriticalSources|click here]]

Subtopics

Alleged "discovery" of cold fusion by Utah researchers

=

Detailed Analysis

=

Is there any conflict between science and religion? There is no conflict in the mind of God, but often there is conflict in the minds of men.^[2]
—Henry Eyring, developer of the Absolute Rate Theory of chemical reactions: One of the most important developments of 20th-century chemistry.

∗ ∗ ∗

In these respects we differ from the Christian world, for our religion will not clash with or contradict the facts of science in any particular...whether the Lord found the earth empty and void, whether he made it out of nothing or out of the rude elements; or whether he made it in six days or in as many millions of years, is and will remain a matter of speculation in the minds of men unless he give revelation on the subject. If we understood the process of creation there would be no mystery about it, it would be all reasonable and plain, for there is no mystery except to the ignorant.
—Brigham Young, (May 14, 1871) Journal of Discourses 14:116.

∗ ∗ ∗ ==

Topics

== There are a variety of scientific issues which concern Latter-day Saints. The following sections summarize these issues and provide links to more detailed articles which address them.

Are Mormonism and science compatible?

Summary: Secular critics charge that Mormonism and science are incompatible, and that any Latter-day Saint who actually believes is "intellectually dishonest." In reality, however, Latter-day Saints in many ways have a more liberal view of science than some of their Christian brethren. We believe that God operates according to certain laws. If there are things that God can do which seem to contradict what we know through current science, we assume that there are scientific laws that are beyond our current understanding.

Faith versus knowledge

Summary: It is important to keep in mind the difference in purpose between science and the Gospel. The purpose of science is to examine the characteristics of the world around us in order to more fully understand it. A main purpose of the Gospel is to teach us to develop faith. Unfortunately, the acquisition of scientific knowledge is sometimes perceived to destroy faith. The purpose of faith is to help us understand spiritual things, just as science helps us to understand physical things.

Archaeology and the Book of Mormon

Burning in the bosom

Summary: Critics love to mock the "burning in the bosom" as a way to determine truth, and claim that it is simply the result of an electro-chemical process that occurs in the brain

Evolution

Summary: How does the Church reconcile the theory of evolution with the story of Adam?

Pre-Adamites

Summary: There is scientific evidence of human habitation for many thousands of years. How do we reconcile this with the idea that Adam lived approximately 6,000 years ago?

Death before the Fall

Procreation before the Fall

Global or local Flood

Summary: How do we deal with the fact that there is no scientific evidence of a worldwide flood? How can the scriptures and prophets teach of a worldwide flood, when this contradicts the evidence? The biodiversity of plants and animals on the earth could not have occurred within the span of a few thousand years. Even BYU professors teach this. How do they maintain their belief in God? Did the continents separate during the flood of Noah? Doctrine and Covenants 133:23–24 seems to imply that they did. How do we reconcile this to scientific fact? Didn't Brigham Young, John Taylor and Orson Pratt teach that the Flood was the baptism of the Earth?

Mormonism and eduation

Summary: Does the Church Educational System (CES) insists that gospel learning takes precedence over secular learning?Does the level of activity in the Church decrease as educational level increases?

Age of the Earth

Summary: o Mormons believe that the Earth is only 6,000 years old? Why does Doctrine and Covenants section 77 say that the history of the earth covers only seven thousand years?

Dinosaurs

Summary: How do dinosaurs fit into God's plan?

Book of Mormon and DNA evidence

LDS Apologists' attitudes toward science

Free will and science

General authorities statements regarding science

Summary: If General authorities' statements are treated as scripture, then what does that mean when they make statements regarding science?

- Brigham Young and moonmen—
  Brief Summary: Didn't Brigham Young preach that the sun and the moon were inhabited? (Click here for full article)
  ∗ ∗ ∗
- Joseph Fielding Smith and man on the moon—
  Brief Summary: Didn't Joseph Fielding Smith declare that man would never leave this planet? (Click here for full article)
  ∗ ∗ ∗

=

Answer

= Latter-day Saints are not required to discard science in favor of religion. Many Latter-day Saints are heavily involved in scientific research without suffering a loss of faith. Not only do we believe that science is continually being updated, but that Gospel knowledge will be updated as well. As the 9th Article of Faith states:

We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

We acknowledge that we do not understand everything regarding the manner in which God created the earth, but we have been assured through revelation that at some future time we will be allowed to understand these things. Until then, our challenge is to develop and maintain faith, even if it appears to contradict current scientific trends.

== Notes ==

[note] Henry Eyring, Reflections of a Scientist (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983), 2.
[note] Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 14:117.
[note] C. Terry Warner, "An Open Letter to Students: On Having Faith and Thinking for Yourself," New Era (Nov. 1971), 14.
[note] Henry Eyring, Reflections of a Scientist (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983), 62.
[note] Dallin H. Oaks, Fundamental Premises of Our Faith, (Talk given at Harvard Law School on 26 February 2010) off-site.

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 =={{Topics label}}==
+There are a variety of scientific issues which concern Latter-day Saints. The following sections summarize these issues and provide links to more detailed articles which address them.
 {{SummaryItem
@@ Line 30: / Line 31: @@
 |summary=It is important to keep in mind the difference in purpose between science and the Gospel. The purpose of science is to examine the characteristics of the world around us in order to more fully understand it. A main purpose of the Gospel is to teach us to develop faith. Unfortunately, the acquisition of scientific knowledge is sometimes perceived to destroy faith. The purpose of faith is to help us understand spiritual things, just as science helps us to understand physical things.
 }}
+{{SummaryItem
+|link=Book of Mormon/Archaeology
-==Specific scientific issues which concern Latter-day Saints==
+|subject=Archaeology and the Book of Mormon
-There are a variety of scientific issues which concern Latter-day Saints. The following sections summarize these issues and provide links to more detailed articles which address them.
+}}
+{{SummaryItem
-====Archaeology and the Book of Mormon====
+|link=Burning in the bosom
-{{Main|Book of Mormon/Archaeology|l1=Book of Mormon archaeology}}
+|subject=Burning in the bosom
+|summary=Critics love to mock the "burning in the bosom" as a way to determine truth, and claim that it is simply the result of an electro-chemical process that occurs in the brain
-====Burning in the bosom====
+}}
-{{Main|Burning in the bosom}}
+{{SummaryItem
+|link=/Evolution
-Questions:
+|subject=Evolution
-*Isn't the "burning in the bosom" simply the result of an electro-chemical process that occurs in the brain?
+|summary=How does the Church reconcile the theory of evolution with the story of Adam?
+}}
-====Biodiversity versus the flood of Noah====
+{{SummaryItem
-{{Main|/Evolution|/Pre-Adamites|/Death before the Fall|/Procreation before the Fall|l1=Evolution|l2=Pre-Adamites|l3=Death before the Fall|l4=Procreation before the Fall/Global or local Flood|l5=Global or local Flood}}
+|link=/Pre-Adamites
+|subject=Pre-Adamites
-Common questions:
+|summary=There is scientific evidence of human habitation for many thousands of years. How do we reconcile this with the idea that Adam lived approximately 6,000 years ago?
-*Why is there [[Global or local Flood|no scientific evidence of a worldwide flood]]?
+}}
-*How can the scriptures and prophets teach of a worldwide flood, when this contradicts the evidence?
+{{SummaryItem
-*The biodiversity of plants and animals on the earth could not have occurred within the span of a few thousand years. Even BYU professors teach this. How do they maintain their belief in God?
+|link=/Death before the Fall
-*Did the continents [[Global or local Flood#Doesn't the Bible say that the continents were divided immediately after the Flood?|separate during the flood of Noah?]] Doctrine and Covenants 133:23&ndash;24 seems to imply that they did. How do we reconcile this to scientific fact?
+|subject=Death before the Fall
-*Didn't Brigham Young, John Taylor and Orson Pratt teach that the Flood was the baptism of the Earth?
+}}
+{{SummaryItem
-====Church attitudes toward education====
+|link=/Procreation before the Fall
-{{Main|Mormonism and education}}
+|subject=Procreation before the Fall
-*Does the Church Educational System (CES) insists that gospel learning takes precedence over secular learning?
+}}
-*Does the level of activity in the Church decrease as educational level increases?
+{{SummaryItem
+|link=/Global or local Flood
-====The story of the creation and the age of the Earth====
+|subject=Global or local Flood
+|summary=How do we deal with the fact that there is no scientific evidence of a worldwide flood? How can the scriptures and prophets teach of a worldwide flood, when this contradicts the evidence? The biodiversity of plants and animals on the earth could not have occurred within the span of a few thousand years. Even BYU professors teach this. How do they maintain their belief in God? Did the continents separate during the flood of Noah? Doctrine and Covenants 133:23&ndash;24 seems to imply that they did. How do we reconcile this to scientific fact? Didn't Brigham Young, John Taylor and Orson Pratt teach that the Flood was the baptism of the Earth?
-{{Main|/Age of the Earth|l1=Age of the Earth}}
+}}
+{{SummaryItem
-Common questions:
+|link=Mormonism and education
-*Do Mormons believe that the Earth is only 6,000 years old?
+|subject=Mormonism and eduation
-*Why does Doctrine and Covenants section 77 say that the history of the earth covers only seven thousand years?
+|summary=Does the Church Educational System (CES) insists that gospel learning takes precedence over secular learning?Does the level of activity in the Church decrease as educational level increases?
+}}
-====Dinosaurs====
+{{SummaryItem
-{{Main|/Dinosaurs|l1=Dinosaurs}}
+|link=/Age of the Earth
+|subject=Age of the Earth
-Common questions:
+|summary=o Mormons believe that the Earth is only 6,000 years old? Why does Doctrine and Covenants section 77 say that the history of the earth covers only seven thousand years?
-*How do dinosaurs fit into God's plan?
+}}
+{{SummaryItem
-====Evolution and the origin of Man====
+|link=/Dinosaurs
-{{Main|/Evolution|/Pre-Adamites|/Death before the Fall|/Procreation before the Fall|l1=Evolution|l2=Pre-Adamites|l3=Death before the Fall|l4=Procreation before the Fall}}
+|subject=Dinosaurs
+|summary=How do dinosaurs fit into God's plan?
-Common questions:
+}}
-*How does the Church reconcile the theory of evolution with the story of Adam?
-*There is scientific evidence of human habitation for many thousands of years. How do we reconcile this with the idea that Adam lived approximately 6,000 years ago?
-*How could the diversity of humanity that we see today occur within the short span of 6,000 years?
-*Why does Doctrine and Covenants section 77 say that the history of the earth covers only seven thousand years?
-*Were there [[Pre-Adamites|people other than Adam]] on the earth before the Fall?
-*Was there [[Death before the Fall|death in the world]] before the Fall of Adam?
-*Were Adam and Eve [[Procreation before the Fall|able to have children]] before the Fall?
 {{SummaryItem
 |link=Book of Mormon/DNA evidence

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Science and the Church of Jesus Christ: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:29, 16 January 2011

Questions

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