Science and the Church of Jesus Christ

Criticism

• 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]]

Response

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.

∗       ∗       ∗

Secular critics charge that Mormonism and science are incompatible. In fact, Dr. Simon Southerton, in his book Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church devotes a full 66 pages to a section titled "The Troubled Interface between Mormonism and Science." Critics point out that elements found in the scriptures are incompatible with current scientific beliefs. Dr. Southerton would like us to believe that the Church considers science "evil," to be arbitrarily discarded whenever Church leaders speak.

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. This was certainly true of many statements made by 19th century Church leaders, which science later proved to be wrong. The state of science is constantly changing. What science declared to be "true" in the 19th century is not "true" in the 21st century. It is reasonable to expect that some things that we consider to be "true" now may be revised according to additional knowledge that is gained in the future. Brigham Young recognized this when he said,

We differ very much with Christendom in regard to the sciences of religion. Our religion embraces all truth and every fact in existence, no matter whether in heaven, earth, or hell. A fact is a fact, all truth issues forth from the Fountain of truth, and the sciences are facts as far as men have proved them.^[2]

Latter-day Saints are content to accept that they do not understand everything that God is capable of doing. The Lord has promised that these things will someday be revealed to us:

Yea, verily I say unto you, in that day when the Lord shall come, he shall reveal all things—Things which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof—Things most precious, things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven.(DC 101꞉32-34)

Issues of a perceived incompatibility between science and religion are hardly unique to Mormonism: These issues are shared by all other Christian denominations. The result of a failure to resolve scientific and religious contradictions in one's mind can bring into doubt one's very belief that there is a God. Complicating the issue for Latter-day Saints is the fact that living prophets have sometimes expressed their own views on scientific matters, thus causing some to doubt whether or not they could truly be prophets.

Faith versus knowledge

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.

The exercise of faith sometimes seems to require a direct contradiction of what we "know" to physically be true. C. Terry Warner, a professor of philosophy at Brigham Young University, expressed this issue well when he said:

Because they think of science as objectively testing its theories against evidence and because they suppose that knowledge and faith are somehow opposites, they regard faith as an attitude of clinging to theological beliefs in spite of any evidence which might be found: an attitude of closing one’s eyes to and stubbornly refusing to be swayed by the facts. Keep in mind that it is a misconception of science and knowledge that I am challenging, not science and knowledge themselves.^[3]

Faith sometimes allows us to perform tasks that are beyond the scientific knowledge of our time. The very definition of faith is that it has to do with things that we cannot know in any other manner. The confirmation of this knowledge is supposed to come after we demonstrate faith.

And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. (Ether 12꞉6)

Once we have received a confirmation of our faith, it becomes knowledge. Consider the experience of the Brother of Jared:

And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting. (Ether 3꞉19)

The problem that arises when attempting to reconcile religion and science, therefore, is that we feel that we have acquired knowledge that sometimes appears to contradict what faith would require us to believe. This knowledge "short circuits" our attempt to exercise faith. Henry Eyring explained it as follows:

Probably one of the most difficult problems in reading the scriptures is to decide what is to be taken literally and what is figurative. In this connection, it seems to me that the Creator must operate with facts and with an understanding that goes entirely outside our understanding and our experience. Because of this, when someone builds up a system of logic, however careful and painstaking, that gives a positive answer to this difficult question, I can't help but wonder about it, particularly if it seems to run counter to the Creator's revelations written in the physical world. At least I would like to move slowly in such matters.^[4]

Specific scientific issues which concern Latter-day Saints

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.

Biodiversity versus the flood of Noah

Common questions:

• Why is there 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?

The story of the creation and the age of the Earth

Common questions:

• Do 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

Common questions:

• How do dinosaurs fit into God's plan?

Evolution and the origin of Man

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 people other than Adam on the earth before the Fall?
• Was there death in the world before the Fall of Adam?
• Were Adam and Eve able to have children before the Fall?

Burning in the bosom

Questions:

• Isn't the "burning in the bosom" simply the result of an electro-chemical process that occurs in the brain?

Statements made by past prophets regarding science

• Didn't Brigham Young preach that the sun and the moon were inhabited?
• Didn't Joseph Fielding Smith declare that man would never leave this planet?

Church attitudes toward education

• 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?

Conclusion

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.

Endnotes

1. [note] Henry Eyring, Reflections of a Scientist, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983) p. 2.
2. [note] Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 14:117. off-site wiki
3. [note] C. Terry Warner, "An Open Letter to Students: On Having Faith and Thinking for Yourself," New Era (Nov. 1971), 14.
4. [note] Henry Eyring, Reflections of a Scientist, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983) p. 62.

Criticism

• 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]]

Response

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.^[5]
—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.

∗       ∗       ∗

Secular critics charge that Mormonism and science are incompatible. In fact, Dr. Simon Southerton, in his book Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church devotes a full 66 pages to a section titled "The Troubled Interface between Mormonism and Science." Critics point out that elements found in the scriptures are incompatible with current scientific beliefs. Dr. Southerton would like us to believe that the Church considers science "evil," to be arbitrarily discarded whenever Church leaders speak.

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. This was certainly true of many statements made by 19th century Church leaders, which science later proved to be wrong. The state of science is constantly changing. What science declared to be "true" in the 19th century is not "true" in the 21st century. It is reasonable to expect that some things that we consider to be "true" now may be revised according to additional knowledge that is gained in the future. Brigham Young recognized this when he said,

We differ very much with Christendom in regard to the sciences of religion. Our religion embraces all truth and every fact in existence, no matter whether in heaven, earth, or hell. A fact is a fact, all truth issues forth from the Fountain of truth, and the sciences are facts as far as men have proved them.^[6]

Latter-day Saints are content to accept that they do not understand everything that God is capable of doing. The Lord has promised that these things will someday be revealed to us:

Yea, verily I say unto you, in that day when the Lord shall come, he shall reveal all things—Things which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof—Things most precious, things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven.(DC 101꞉32-34)

Issues of a perceived incompatibility between science and religion are hardly unique to Mormonism: These issues are shared by all other Christian denominations. The result of a failure to resolve scientific and religious contradictions in one's mind can bring into doubt one's very belief that there is a God. Complicating the issue for Latter-day Saints is the fact that living prophets have sometimes expressed their own views on scientific matters, thus causing some to doubt whether or not they could truly be prophets.

Faith versus knowledge

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.

The exercise of faith sometimes seems to require a direct contradiction of what we "know" to physically be true. C. Terry Warner, a professor of philosophy at Brigham Young University, expressed this issue well when he said:

Because they think of science as objectively testing its theories against evidence and because they suppose that knowledge and faith are somehow opposites, they regard faith as an attitude of clinging to theological beliefs in spite of any evidence which might be found: an attitude of closing one’s eyes to and stubbornly refusing to be swayed by the facts. Keep in mind that it is a misconception of science and knowledge that I am challenging, not science and knowledge themselves.^[7]

Faith sometimes allows us to perform tasks that are beyond the scientific knowledge of our time. The very definition of faith is that it has to do with things that we cannot know in any other manner. The confirmation of this knowledge is supposed to come after we demonstrate faith.

And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. (Ether 12꞉6)

Once we have received a confirmation of our faith, it becomes knowledge. Consider the experience of the Brother of Jared:

And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting. (Ether 3꞉19)

The problem that arises when attempting to reconcile religion and science, therefore, is that we feel that we have acquired knowledge that sometimes appears to contradict what faith would require us to believe. This knowledge "short circuits" our attempt to exercise faith. Henry Eyring explained it as follows:

Probably one of the most difficult problems in reading the scriptures is to decide what is to be taken literally and what is figurative. In this connection, it seems to me that the Creator must operate with facts and with an understanding that goes entirely outside our understanding and our experience. Because of this, when someone builds up a system of logic, however careful and painstaking, that gives a positive answer to this difficult question, I can't help but wonder about it, particularly if it seems to run counter to the Creator's revelations written in the physical world. At least I would like to move slowly in such matters.^[8]

Specific scientific issues which concern Latter-day Saints

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.

Biodiversity versus the flood of Noah

Common questions:

• Why is there 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?

The story of the creation and the age of the Earth

Common questions:

• Do 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

Common questions:

• How do dinosaurs fit into God's plan?

Evolution and the origin of Man

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 people other than Adam on the earth before the Fall?
• Was there death in the world before the Fall of Adam?
• Were Adam and Eve able to have children before the Fall?

Burning in the bosom

Questions:

• Isn't the "burning in the bosom" simply the result of an electro-chemical process that occurs in the brain?

Statements made by past prophets regarding science

• Didn't Brigham Young preach that the sun and the moon were inhabited?
• Didn't Joseph Fielding Smith declare that man would never leave this planet?

Church attitudes toward education

• 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?

Conclusion

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.

Endnotes

1. [note] Henry Eyring, Reflections of a Scientist, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983) p. 2.
2. [note] Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 14:117. off-site wiki
3. [note] C. Terry Warner, "An Open Letter to Students: On Having Faith and Thinking for Yourself," New Era (Nov. 1971), 14.
4. [note] Henry Eyring, Reflections of a Scientist, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983) p. 62.

Further reading

Printed material

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We welcome your suggestions for improving the content of this FAIR Wiki article.

Sites we recommend: Mormon Scholars Testify: Messages of faith from scholars who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Printed material

Copyright © 2005–2024 FAIR. This is not an official Web site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The content of this page may not be copied, published, or redistributed without the prior written consent of FAIR.

We welcome your suggestions for improving the content of this FAIR Wiki article.

Sites we recommend: Mormon Scholars Testify: Messages of faith from scholars who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints