Mormonism and science

The Mormon view of "Creatio ex nihilo"

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• Question: How did the mainstream Christian view that God created the universe out of nothing originate?
• Question: What were the early Christian beliefs about the creation?
• Question: How was the doctrine of creation altered to "creatio ex nihilo"?
• Question: Does Colossians 1:16 teach that Jesus created all things out of nothing?
• Question: Does what Joseph Smith taught about the creation of spirits contradict the scriptures?
• LDS doctrine rejects Neo-Plantonic accretions, but this does not make them automatically false
• Mormons and creatio ex nihilo (creation out of nothing)
• "Smith would have held his own in debating with" Neo-Platonists, Gnostics, and early Christian theologians
• Augustine's views about matter are perhaps less coherent than Joseph Smith's
• Non-LDS Christian Stephen H. Webb: Creedal Christians can learn from LDS views about Jesus Christ and creation
• Joseph Smith's theology is not pagan—his theology is vast as the multiverse, and eliminates Neo-Platonism and Augustine

Doctrine & Covenants 77:6 refers to "this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance"

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• Question: How do we reconcile the actual age of the earth to the "seven thousand years of its continuance" mentioned in D&C 77:6?
• Brigham Young (1871): "whether the Lord...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"
• John S. Lewis: "Considering that Doctrine and Covenants 77:6 refers to “…this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence,” what led Phelps to speak of Earth as 2,555 million years old?"
• Improvement Era 1909 regards an ancient earth as consistent with scripture
• John A. Widtsoe in Improvement Era 1909 on the age of the earth
• Charles W. Penrose in Improvement Era 1909 on the age of the earth
• James E. Talmage, a geologist, spoke of the earth forming from other bodies
• Question: Was Brigham Young a "young earth creationist"?
• Question: How do dinosaurs fit into God's plan?

Mormonism and the theory of evolution

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• Statements from Church leaders on the subject of evolution
• Unofficial primary sources on evolution

Belief in a literal Adam and Eve

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• Question: Can Latter-day Saints have a non-literal view of the creation story, or have a somewhat more mythic view of the first five books of Moses given the Church's teaching of a historical Adam?
• Question: What is the Church's position on Adam and Eve?
• First Presidency statement (1931): "Leave geology, biology, archaeology and anthropology, no one of which has to do with the salvation of the souls of mankind, to scientific research"
• Question: How does the Church explain the existence of human-like beings on the earth prior to Adam?

Mormon perspectives on the concept of death on the entire earth before the Fall of Adam

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• Question: What does the Church teach on the subject of death before the Fall of Adam?
• Question: Was there no death on the entire earth before the Fall?
• Question: What was the state of things on the Earth prior to the placement of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden?
• Question: What changes have been made to the Gospel Principles manual regarding the question of death on the earth before the Fall of Adam?
• Question: Is the concept of no death before the fall on the entire earth Church doctrine?
• Question: Did procreation exist before the Fall of Adam?
• Question: How does the Church explain the existence of human-like beings on the earth prior to Adam?
• First Presidency statement (1931): "Leave geology, biology, archaeology and anthropology, no one of which has to do with the salvation of the souls of mankind, to scientific research"

Fall of Adam and Eve

Summary: If it was God's plan for Eve to eat the fruit, then why did God forbid it? Why did God not simply create Adam and Eve as mortals?

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• Question: If God intended the Fall of Adam and Eve, why did he forbid the fruit? Why did he not simply create them as mortals?
• Question: If "the wages of sin is death" as described in Romans 6:23, and the fall of Adam and Eve was a transgression rather than a sin, then why did it introduce death into the world?
• Question: How did the transgression of Adam and Eve introduce sin into the world?
• Question: If the transgression of Adam and Eve was actually a blessing for them, then why did they feel guilty and afraid when God approached them in the Garden of Eden after they committed their transgression?
• Question: If the transgression of Adam and Eve resulted in physical and spiritual death, then why are we only subject to spiritual death for eternity if we do not repent?

See also: Original sin

Astronomy and the Book of Abraham

Summary: The Book of Abraham makes several references to astronomy which draw criticism. These articles address specific issues related to Book of Abraham astronomical concepts.

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• Kolob and the Book of Abraham

Book of Mormon archaeology

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• Biblical archaeology compared to the Book of Mormon
• Thomas Stuart Ferguson and Mormon archaeology
• DNA and the Book of Mormon
• The Hill Cumorah
• Joseph Smith and the Kinderhook plates
• Question: What is the New World Archaeological Foundation? What does it have to do with the Book of Mormon?
• The potential relationship between Quetzalcoatl and Jesus Christ
• Question: Does the Smithsonian Institution send out a letter regarding the use of the Book of Mormon as a guide for archaeological research?
• "Zelph" and Book of Mormon geography
• The Flood

DNA and the Book of Mormon

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• Source:Book of Mormon and DNA Studies:Gospel Topics:Basic principles of population genetics suggest the need for a more careful approach to the data
• Questions: What are the criticisms related to the Book of Mormon and DNA?
• Question: Do Christian critics of the Book of Mormon have a double standard regarding DNA evidence?
• Question: What scriptures in the Book of Mormon affirm the presence of other people in the Book of Mormon in the New World?
• Question: What scriptures might challenge the view of a limited geography and the Nephites not being alone on the continent or other issues regarding DNA?

Latter-day Saint attitudes toward science

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• Joseph Fielding Smith's statements that men would never walk on the moon
• Brigham Young's beliefs related to science and education
• Mormonism and education: Modern perspectives
• Utah statistical claims and charges

Joseph Fielding Smith's statements that men would never walk on the moon

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• Question: Did Joseph Fielding Smith state that man would never visit the moon?
• Question: Was Joseph Fielding Smith issuing a prophecy when he said that men would never walk on the moon?
• Question: Did Joseph Fielding Smith acknowledge that he was wrong when he said that Man would never walk on the Moon?

Brigham Young's beliefs related to science and education

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• Question: Did Brigham Young actually teach that the sun and the moon were inhabited?
• Question: Did Brigham Young claim that too much education was damaging to children?

Mormonism and education: Modern perspectives

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• Question: Does increasing education among Mormons lead to decreased faith or religious practice?
• Question: Does the Church forbid the reading of "anti-Mormon" criticisms, or discourage its members from considering such matters?

Utah statistical claims and charges

Summary: This page indexes attacks and criticism of the Church based upon statistical analysis.

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• Question: Why does Utah lead the United States in subscriptions to online adult entertainment?
• Question: Is the fact that Salt Lake City has many plastic surgeons indicative of Mormon vanity and concern with appearance?
• Question: Is it true that Utah has the highest personal bankruptcy rate in the United States?
• Question: Is the suicide rate in Utah higher than the national average?
• Question: Is the rate of antidepressant use in Utah much higher among Mormons than the general population?
• Question: In Utah, are more people leaving the Church than are joining the Church?

The Flood

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• Question: Does the Church teach that the flood was a global event?
• What is genre?
• What is "concordism"?
• What is the genre of the flood story?
• What else can ancient near eastern culture teach us about the flood story?
• Does the New Testament tell us anything that can help?
• Question: Doesn't the Bible say that the continents were divided immediately after the Flood?

FAIR Answers—back to home page

Mormonism and science

Latter-day Saints believe that there are other worlds in the universe on which intelligent life exists. Further, this intelligent life looks like us. However, there are no teachings on whether or not this intelligent life has visited earth in spaceships.

The Lord told Moses, "Worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten. . . . 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. . . . And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words."^[1]

From these verses we learn that God has created many worlds, some of which have "passed away" and some of which "now stand." These worlds are referred to as an earth with heavens, which is the exact phrasing God applies to Earth.^[2] We learn from the prophet Enoch that these other worlds are like Earth: "Were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations."^[3] We learn from Joseph Smith that these other worlds have inhabitants^[4] and that these inhabitants are begotten sons and daughters unto God.^[5] Joseph Smith also taught that some individuals who lived on Earth did not die; rather, their bodies were changed so they could be "ministring Angels Unto many planets."^[6]

As summarized by President Joseph Fielding Smith, "We know that our Heavenly Father is a glorified, exalted personage who has all power, all might, and all dominion, and that he knows all things. We testify that he, through his Only Begotten Son, is the Creator of this earth and of worlds without number, all of which are peopled by his spirit children."^[7] As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, "How many planets are there in the universe with people on them? We don’t know, but we are not alone in the universe! God is not the God of only one planet!"^[8]

Astronomy research continues to advance in identifying habitable worlds. Scientist and Latter-day Saint Jani Radebaugh noted:

New details about [astronomical] bodies in the outer solar system . . . have helped open our minds to the possibilities of other worlds with life in our galaxy and in the universe. . . . Recently, the National Academy of Sciences came out with a report that suggested that there might be as many as nine billion habitable planets in our own galaxy alone. Another way of saying this is that there are more habitable planets in our galaxy than there are people on Earth. (Of course, this doesn't mean they're actually inhabited, only that they're habitable.) As Latter-day Saints, this should not surprise us too much. We should be able to look at these big numbers and say, "Well, we should have seen this coming because God already told us there were inhabited worlds without number" (see D&C 76:24; Moses 1:33).^[9]

However, the extent of our knowledge about intelligent life on other worlds is that such life exists. Elder Neal A. Maxwell noted, "We do not know where or how many other inhabited planets there are, even though we appear to be alone in our own solar system. As to the Lord's continuing role amid His vast creations, so little has been revealed."^[10]

Notes

1. ↑ Moses 1:33, 35, 38.
2. ↑ Moses 1:35–36.
3. ↑ Moses 7:30.
4. ↑ Doctrine and Covenants 88:42–47, 61.
5. ↑ Doctrine and Covenants 76:24.
6. ↑ "Instruction on Priesthood, circa 5 October 1840," page 7, josephsmithpapers.org.
7. ↑ Joseph Fielding Smith, "Out of the Darkness," April 1971 general conference.
8. ↑ Neal A. Maxwell, in "Special Witnesses of Christ," Ensign, April 2001.
9. ↑ Jani Radebaugh, "The Outer Solar System: A Window to the Creative Breadth of Divinity," in Science and Mormonism 1: Cosmos, Earth, and Man, ed. David H. Bailey, et al. (The Interpreter Foundation and Eborn Books, 2016), 314.
10. ↑ Neal A. Maxwell, "Our Creator's Cosmos," address given at the Church Educational System annual conference, 13 August 2002, in Sarah Jane Weaver, "‘Our Creator’s Cosmos’ — vast, personal," Church News, 17 August 2002.