Darwinian Evolution and Neo-Darwinism hold to the following principles:
- All life originated and diversified through chance
- All organisms are descended from a single common ancestor in the distant past
- An unguided process of natural selection has the power to produce fundamentally new forms of life through random mutations
- Uniformitarianism or the principle that the present is the key to the past should be used in understanding the earth and all things in the universe
- There is no purpose or design in the universe
Creationism holds that true scientific principles will never contradict correct interpretations of scripture and revelation. Each of the above assertions clearly contradict scripture and are therefore opposed by Creationists. Contrary to what many believe, neither Creationism nor the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are in any way anti-science or anti-scientific. The prophets of God were not anti-science as many today attest, but they held to scripture first, and knew that revelation comes from God and is without error. Creationism also starts with scripture and revelation, asserting that these sources of truth can be trusted with absolute confidence. The idea that scripture deals only with the spiritual and that the temporal and spiritual should not be combined is completely contrary to the Creationist perspective.
Related article: Science FAQ #18) CREATIONISM: How should Latter-day Saints view Creationism? Should Latter-Day Saints understand the Creation account literally?
See our collection of science videos that support the scriptures.
Recommended Resources
Creationism seeks through science to prove that the scriptures and writings of the prophets are true. The Joseph Smith Foundation recommends some resources that were created by those who are not LDS but who hold to the scriptural interpretation of science.
- The Institute for Creation Research: http://www.icr.org/
- Answers in Genesis: http://www.answersingenesis.org/
- Dr. Terry Mortenson presentation Origin of Species: Was Darwin Right? https://josephsmithfoundation.org/ziontube/origin-of-species-was-darwin-right-2006/
- Dr. Menton presentation Lucy: She’s No Lady! https://josephsmithfoundation.org/ziontube/lucy-shes-no-lady-aig/
- Creation Ministries International: http://creation.com/
- Illustra Media Productions http://illustramedia.com/
Modern Ridicule of Creationism
Those holding a Creationist perspective are often mocked and ridiculed because of there support for scripture and the writings of prophets. It is curious that even those who claim to be LDS and religious can often be found in the large and spacious building pointing their fingers at men like Joseph Fielding Smith, Ezra Taft Benson, Harold B. Lee, Joseph F. Smith and others that are well known for there positions on this matter. It brings to mind the words of the Savior:
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (John 15:18–19)
President Boyd K. Packer noted this mocking behavior has been applied to Creationists:
“For generations, the clergy of the Christian churches (including ours) have been labeled as bumbling and naive because they rejected the theory of evolution and believed in a separate creation of man. Those who have only the Bible have just enough in the Old and New Testaments about men as the children of God, about law and sin, to enforce their belief that man is accountable for his conduct, that accountability requires a special status, a special creation. Confronted by the sophisticated arguments of articulate scientists with impressive visual evidence to support the theory of organic evolution, the clergy could but quote scriptures or testify of inner feelings. This meant little or nothing to the scientist.
Do not despise those who over the years defended these doctrines in spite of intellectual mocking. Do not belittle their efforts. However foolish they may have appeared to some, there is substance to the position they have defended. I say, God bless them!1
We echo President Packer’s words, may God bless those who have withstood the taunting and continued faithful to the word of God despite the jeers of those in the great and spacious building.
Differences between LDS Theology and Creationism
Speaking of the scriptures and truth, there are some areas that although well intentioned, Creationists without modern day revelation err. Creationists, who are not Latter-day Saints, do not have the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price and writings of the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Latter-day Prophets. These are some of the areas that at times are misunderstood.
- Length of Creative process for this earth: President Joseph Fielding Smith taught that we do know the time that was involved in the Creation of this Earth.“This earth was created on the Lord’s time, which is celestial time. By revelation we know exactly the nature of that time, and just how many days of celestial time were required to create this earth. This time was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith and is contained in the Doctrine and Covenants.The Creation of our earth took 7 days of the Lord’s time or 7,000 years not 7 days on our time (D&C 77:6, 12).
- The age of the universe:Some Evangelical Creationists feel that the universe was created at approximately the same time as the earth.With Latter-day revelation, we understand that the Father has created worlds without number, and many of these are earths which are inhabited by the Father’s children (Moses 1:29–41). Joseph Smith had access to the papyri upon which Abraham had written some of his knowledge of the age of the universe.Apparently, this system of Creation (not the earth) that the Father has been Presiding in and the Son has been Organizing is 2.555 billion years old (See Bruce R. McConkie in “Other Supporting Statements in this FAQ). According to Bruce R. McConkie, we are reaching the end of this eternity or 7000 years on the Lords time of Creation. Note that One day to the Lord (Kolob time) is equal to 1,000 years of time according to this earth (Abraham 3:4 , Abraham 5:12–13 , Facsimile 2 Figure 1 Description in the Pearl of Great Price, JST 2 Peter 3:3–6, 8). Therefore, one year on the Lord’s time is 365000 of our years.Therefore 7000 years of the Lord’s time is 2.555 billion years.Again, this number comes from 1000 (Number of earth years per Kolob day) * 365 (Number of days in one year) * 7000 (Lord’s Creation Years).We do indeed live in the last days.The important points on this are first, that we know very little today compared with the knowledge that Joseph Smith, Abraham and the other ancient Prophets had on these matters.Second, the Lord Created the Heavens and the Earth to be signs.They were created with precise times and with complete order to testify of God.They were not created by randon chance.
- Nothing in the Universe was created ex nihilo or out of nothing:Joseph Smith and other prophets taught that our Heavenly Father is organizing the universe out of materials that cannot be created or destroyed.These materials include intelligence, spirit matter and course physical matter. The evolutionist rejects the existence of the majority of the elements of the universe as they suggest that there is no such thing as intelligence or spirit matter.At times even some Creationists feel that the universe was created out of nothing.This comes from a false notion that God is outside of time and space.
- There are many earths in our system and each is inhabited by the children of our Father in Heaven:At times some Creationists misunderstand scripture and feel that this earth is such a special place that it is the only inhabited planet in the universe.This earth is a very special place and was Created by our Father with conditions perfect for life.Some of these are innumerated in videos like The Privileged Planet, The Case for a Creator and Unlocking the Mystery of Life.Having said this, we know that our Father in Heaven has Created many earths and placed His children upon them
