Refuting and Correcting BYU’s False Doctrine on the Origin of Man #11 - Must we all be Scientists / Biologists?

 (by Dennis B. Horne)

            When certain scientists start pontificating on their alleged great knowledge of how God used organic evolution to create human-kind, or, how there is no God and it all happened by chance and the laws of nature, and they want to show off their great learning from their field and call it immutable truth, we can cultivate an increased gratitude for the standard works of the church and the teachings of the prophets—including their inspired interpretations of scripture. Thankfully, the truth is that all church members do not need to know biology or anthropology or geology or evolutionary science in order to be saved or exalted, and even to know some of how the true creation took place. In fact, much scientific learning may be more of a hinderance than help, depending on how far people take it. Many a professor of some science has forsaken God because of his allegedly great learning. And the scriptures predicted such would happen because of their pride and vanity.

 

President M. Russell Ballard:

            Help those with questions to realize that the Lord does not require His Saints to have advanced degrees in history and doctrine. [This applies to other fields and types of advanced education as well, such as biology and anthropology and geology. These are not the sources we are sent to for truth and understanding of the creation, fall, and atonement.]

Refuting and Correcting BYU’s False Doctrine on the Origin of Man #10 - BYU Biologists Seek to Correct the Church

 (by Dennis B. Horne)

            BYU is going so far as to hold Conferences on its campus to which faculty and administration from other Christian schools are being invited, to teach them how to carefully and cleverly teach macro-evolution to their Bible-believing students. BYU biologists have developed presentations and handouts for use in promoting evolution and weakening faith in the truth that God is our common ancestor and that we are literally His children. Some of these biologists are activists who think they are doing good while they damage the faith of their students in God as their father, in the fall, and in other fundamental doctrines. And it’s not just other universities and schools they are trying to infiltrate. It is also the Church at large. Evolutionist-activists from BYU have gone to the media with their propaganda, seeking to get publicity and attention and thereby persuade uninformed church members. (See the Introduction blog for links to these news items, or below.) The teachings found below should help faithful and believing Latter-day Saints avoid the doctrines of men and devils taught by some BYU professors (see D&C 46:7).

 

President Russell M. Nelson:

            While we are to emulate our Savior’s kindness and compassion, while we are to value the rights and feelings of all of God’s children, we cannot change His doctrine. It is not ours to change. His doctrine is ours to study, understand, and uphold.

Refuting and Correcting BYU’s False Doctrine on the Origin of Man #9 - The Deception of Evolution

(by Dennis B. Horne)

            Today we have deception cunningly making its way into the Church and attacking faithful people and families, not only in regard to false doctrine about the origin of man but also concerning LGBT practices and activism, and various other strange and seducing doctrines of men and devils (see D&C 46:7). The below comments mostly relate to evolution but can apply to other methods Satan uses to infiltrate the Church, much of it from within. BYU biologists, NAMI, and the editors of BYUSQ are tragically at great fault here, pitting their worldly learning against the revelations of God. The Brethren warn and warn again against listening to or believing these counterfeit doctrines.

 

President J. Reuben Clark Jr.:

            It seems sometimes as if the darkness that surrounds us is all but impenetrable. I can see on all sides the signs of one great evil master-mind [Satan] working for the overturning of our civilization, the destruction of religion, the reduction of men to the status of animals. This mind is working here and there and everywhere. (Conference Report, October 1935, 92; emphasis added.)

Refuting and Correcting BYU’s False Doctrine on the Origin of Man #8 - Doctrine from Approved (Correlation-Approved) Manuals

 (by Dennis B. Horne)

            The fact is that for many decades the Restored Church has produced many manuals for its formal classes (Seminary & Institute, Sunday School, Priesthood and Relief Society, etc.) that have been approved by Church Correlation. These are now available on the Church’s website, where anyone can look them up and peruse their content on the doctrine of the origin of man. These, of course, carry much greater doctrinal weight than any biology class taught at BYU, or BYUSQ. Below is some quoted material from an Old Testament manual: 

Old Testament Student Manual: 

            “The world would have you believe that Adam and Eve were primitive and superstitious, that they brought about the Fall through immorality, or even that they are imaginary, mythical persons. But as you read about them remember how the Lord views these two great souls.”

            “While it is interesting to note these various theories, officially the Church has not taken a stand on the age of the earth. For reasons best known to Himself, the Lord has not yet seen fit to formally reveal the details of the Creation. Therefore, while Latter-day Saints are commanded to learn truth from many different fields of study (see D&C 88:77–79), an attempt to establish any theory as the official position of the Church is not justifiable.” 

Refuting and Correcting BYU’s False Doctrine on the Origin of Man #7 - Examining the 2016 New Era Article on Evolution

(by Dennis B. Horne)

            From the October 2016 New Era statement: “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.”

            This statement should be read carefully and with due caution, since it could erroneously be understood to contradict other approved doctrinal teachings found in a Church Educational System manual.[1] One issue relates to the common but careless or intermingled uses of the crucial phrases “theory of evolution” versus “origin of man.” A letter from the Office of the First Presidency (of David O. McKay) noted this wording distinction (one that is easily manipulated, especially by biologists, but that I have tried to recognize herein). The letter, from a secretary to the First Presidency, said: “I have been directed to say that the enclosed statement published in the Improvement Era over the Signature of President Joseph F. Smith and his counselors express the position of the Church upon the subject of the ‘origin of man.’ I have also been directed to say that the Church has made no official statement on the subject of evolution. It is a scientific theory and is subject to and is undergoing modification from time to time. Scientific people seem to differ in their interpretation and views of the theory. . . . The authorities of the Church rely upon the revelations of the Lord for information about the creation of man. I have also been directed to say that the book to which you refer in your letter (Man, His Origin and Destiny by Joseph F[ielding] Smith) expresses the views of the author, for which he assumes full responsibility. The book was not published, approved, or authorized by the Church, nor did the author intend that it be.”[2]

Refuting and Correcting BYU’s False Doctrine on the Origin of Man #6 - Examining The 1910 Improvement Era editorial

(by Dennis B. Horne)

 

            An April 1910 Improvement Era editorial is often used by theistic evolutionists to give support to their evolution-gospel harmonization attempts. The editorial, after referencing the three main scriptural accounts found in the standard works (the books of Genesis, Moses, and Abraham), reads: “These are the authentic statements of the scriptures, ancient and modern, and it is best to rest with these, until the Lord shall see fit to give more light on the subject. Whether the mortal bodies of man evolved in natural processes to present perfection, through the direction and power of God; whether the first parents of our generations, Adam and Eve, were transplanted from another sphere, with immortal tabernacles, which became corrupted through sin and the partaking of natural foods, in the process of time; whether they were born here in mortality, as other mortals have been, are questions not fully answered in the revealed word of God.” The author of this editorial didn’t seem to know his scriptures very well.

            Only the year before (as this Improvement Era source notes) the First Presidency had already specifically given more light on the subject and indicated what “the revealed word” taught, in their declaration on “The Origin of Man,” (partially quoted below). Since then, other prophets and apostles have also shed more light on these scriptures—meaning we have access to more knowledge than just the figurative scriptural expressions describing the creation of Adam. That is, unless someone needs to use the first mentioned Improvement Era option for support of theistic evolution. These may be “questions not fully answered in the revealed word of God” but they are doctrines better answered in the revealed word than the first two options account for, and they are better clarified by many authoritative scripture expounders. None of the three options account for the doctrine of the Fall of Adam and Eve, and therefore do not harmonize with many scriptures.

Bonus Blog for this series on Refuting and Correcting BYU’s False Doctrine on the Origin of Man - Responses from Readers So Far

          Friends, contacts, and associates have sent me emails with their reactions to this blog series, still in its beginning stages. I have removed names. Also, three comments were made at the end of blog #1, the Introduction, that readers may also want to see:

 

Nice! I think the Church could save itself a lot of grief if they would simply promote/encourage teaching the doctrine in the scriptures. Yet they don’t seem to want to do this.  Why?????????   Apparently this is one of those deep doctrines that no one is supposed to really know about? Yet, there it is, stated plainly in the scriptures. When I pointed this out in a gospel doctrine class a few years ago, few if any were aware of it and it created quite a stir. Everyone seems to acknowledge the fact we are spiritually BEGOTTEN sons and daughter of God, but no seems to want to understand or acknowledge what it means to be BEGAT spiritually or in mortality. It would sure be nice if one of our modern-day prophets, seers. and revelators would address this. If they did, I think it would put to rest some of the credence people give to evolution.