Creation and Evolution; A Witness of Prophets
The following are direct printed quotes from Joseph Fielding Smith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints involving the concepts of organic evolution.
It is hoped that this information will help give insight and perspective on the teaching of evolution being done at nearly every university, college, and public high school across our nation to our most precious treasure, our children. For more detailed information presented in a historical context that provides tremendous understanding of the origins and growth of the theory of evolution and what it’s being taught means to us today and the terrible results it has already produced in this nation and around the world,
Joseph Fielding Smith
Prophet January 23, 1970 – July 2, 1972
―Organic evolution is Satan’s chief weapon in this dispensation in his attempt to destroy the divine mission of Jesus Christ. It is a contemptible plot against faith in God and to destroy the effective belief in the divine atonement of our Redeemer through which men may be saved from their sins and find place in the Kingdom of God. There is not and cannot be any compromise between the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the theories of evolution. Were evolution true, there could be no remission of sin. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Man, His Origin and Destiny, 184-185)
- Note: President Joseph Fielding Smith was opposed to organic evolution and vocalized such opposition more than any other prophet of this dispensation. In fact, President Smith wrote an entire book that
teaches against the theory, and he was asked to do so by members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Obviously, the entire book is too long to include here. This book, entitled Man, His Origin and Destiny, was highly recommended by President Ezra Taft Benson.
President Joseph Fielding Smith has been condemned and criticized for the publishing of his book and for his other writings and sermons in which he denounces the false theory of organic evolution. Some critics insinuate that President Smith went against the First Presidency in publishing his views and that he became silent when he became the president of the Church. This is demonstrably false given that he himself became the Lord‘s mouthpiece. The Lord does not call men who have a habit of disregarding counsel to preside over His Church. This also runs counter to the testimony of President David O.
McKay, who was the President of the Church at this time. His [Joseph Fielding Smith‘s] loyalty to the leadership of the Church has been
uncompromising. He has supported his brethren in every endeavor. No man has ever been more loyal to the President of the Church. (Improvement Era, July 1966, p.613) - Note that Man, His Origin and Destiny was published in 1954. President Heber J. Grant also added his feelings about Joseph Fielding Smith‘s qualifications to speak on doctrinal matters. In a letter to Elder Smith he noted.
I don’t want to flatter you, Joseph, but I want you to know that I consider you the best posted man on the scriptures of the General Authorities of the Church that we have. I want you to prolong your life, I want you to make a business of trying to take care of yourself. Your affectionate relative,
HEBER J. GRANT (Advice from a Prophet: Take Time Out, BYU Studies copyright 1976, Richard O. Cowan)
These insinuations made by President Smith‘s detractors are also proven to be false by the inspired testimony of President Smith himself in the October 1970 general conference of the Church. At that time, when he spoke as the Lord‘s mouthpiece and as president of the Church, he said:
―For more than sixty years I have preached the gospel in the stakes and missions of the Church—pleading with the Saints to keep the commandments, inviting our Father’s other children to accept the truth of salvation which has come to us by revelation in this present dispensation. All my days I have studied the scriptures and have sought the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord in coming to an understanding of their true meaning. The Lord has been good to me, and I rejoice in the knowledge he has given me and in the privilege that has been and is mine to teach his saving principles. As I ponder the principles of the gospel, I am struck forcibly by the uniform manner in which I…have taught them over the years. The truths of the gospel are everlastingly the same. Like God himself, they are the same yesterday, today, and forever. What I have taught and written in the past I would teach and write again under the same circumstances.(President Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Report, October 1970, 5.)
The following are only a few of President Smith‘s many teachings that denounce the false theory of organic evolution.
―GOD: FIRST OF THE HUMAN FAMILY.
Let me comment first upon the expression that God is the “first of the human family.” This same doctrine was taught by Joseph Smith. It is a fundamental doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to the teachings of Joseph Smith, he beheld the Father and the Son in his glorious vision, and he taught that each had a body of flesh and bones. He also taught that, literally, God is our Father; that men are of the same race—the race called humans; and that God, the Progenitor, or Creator, is the Father of the human race. “In the image of his own body, male and female, created he them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created and became living souls in the land upon the footstool of God. It is a doctrine common to the Latter-day Saints, that God, the Great Elohim, is the First, or Creator, of the human family.‖ (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, volume 1, p. 102.)
NO DEATH ON EARTH BEFORE FALL.
The Lord pronounced the earth good when it was finished. Everything upon its face was called good. There was no death in the earth before the fall of Adam. I do not care what the scientists say in regard to dinosaurs and other creatures upon the earth millions of years ago, that lived and died and fought and struggled for existence. When the earth was created and was declared good, peace was upon its face among all its creatures. Strife and wickedness were not found here, neither was there any corruption.
(Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, Volume 1, p. 108.)
―If death was always here, then Adam did not bring it, and he could not be punished for it. If Adam did not fall, there was no Christ, because the atonement of Jesus Christ is based on the fall of Adam. And so we face these problems. If there is anybody here that believes that death has always been going on, and that sin was always here, he will have a difficult time to explain Adam and the fall, or the atonement. You see from these writings what a dreadful state these men get in when they do not believe in the fall and the introduction of sin into the world. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:119-120.)
―THEORY OF EVOLUTION DENIES CHRIST.
Then Adam, and by that I mean the first man, was not capable of sin. He could not transgress, and by doing so bring death into the world; for, according to this theory, death had always been in the world. If, therefore, there was no fall, there was no need of an atonement, hence the coming into the world of the Son of God as the Savior of the world is a contradiction, a thing impossible. Are you prepared to believe such a thing as that? Do you believe that the first man was a savage? That he lacked
in the power of intelligence? That he has been on the constant road of progression? These are the teachings of such theorists. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:142.)
―CANNOT BELIEVE BOTH GOSPEL AND EVOLUTION.
I say most emphatically, you cannot believe in this theory of the origin of man, and at the same time accept the plan of salvation as set forth by the Lord our God. You must choose the one and reject the other, for they are in direct conflict and there is a gulf separating them which is so great that it cannot be bridged, no matter how much one may try to do so. If you
believe in the doctrine of the evolutionist, then you must accept the view that man has evolved through countless ages from the very lowest forms of life up through various stages of animal life, finally into the human form. The first man, according to this hypothesis known as the “cave man,” was a creature absolutely ignorant and devoid of any marked intelligence over the beasts of the field. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:141.)
―These theories [of organic evolution] taught in our schools should be taught only as theories for they can be nothing more. Unfortunately as previously said, they are presented by many instructors [Including many at Church schools] as though they were well established facts, with a positive assurance that belongs only to established truth. Between belief in God and the fact that he has directed and does direct his servants by revelation, vision, and personal visitation, and the theories based on organic evolution, there is a gulf that can never be bridged.
These theories are man-made deductions but the testimony of the prophets are actual facts, attested by sufficient witnesses, according to the decree of the Almighty, and thus it becomes incumbent upon every soul unto whom these testimonies come to carefully weigh them in the spirit of humility and prayer by which the knowledge of the truth may be received, and then accepted. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Man, His Origin and Destiny, 5.)
―IF EVOLUTION IS TRUE, THE CHURCH IS FALSE.
If life began on the earth, as advocated by Darwin, Huxley, Haeckel (who has been caught openhanded perpetrating a fraud), and others of this school, whether by chance or by some designing hand, then the doctrines of the Church are false. Then there was no Garden of Eden, no Adam and Eve,
and no fall. If there was no fall; if death did not come into the world as the scriptures declared that it did—and to be consistent, if you are an evolutionist, this view you must assume—then there was no need for a redemption, and Jesus Christ is not the Son of God, and he did not die for the transgression of Adam, nor for the sins of the world. Then there has been no resurrection from the dead! Consistently, logically, there is no other view, no alternative that can be taken. Now, my brethren and sisters, are you prepared to take this view? (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:143.)
―EVOLUTIONISTS REJECT FATHERHOOD OF GOD.
The modern world is fulfilling the scriptures which say that in the last days men would be “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Today the world has discarded the great truth concerning the Fatherhood of God and has turned to fables. It has adopted and is promulgating in textbooks and schools the debasing doctrine that man is not the offspring of God, but a natural development through countless ages from the lowest forms of physical life to his present form and intelligence. Such a doctrine is an insult to our Father in whose Image we were created, and yet in this teaching vast multitudes seem to glory. Paul saw our
day and by prophetic vision declared that such conditions would prevail in this dispensation and the Lord should ‘send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness‘. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:143.)
―These modernists, who are instructing and leading astray the people of this and other lands, reject the doctrine of the atonement of Christ; they reject the resurrection of the Son of God and consequently the resurrection of all mankind. They have discarded entirely the miracles of the scriptures and make light of the saving ordinances of the gospel which the Lord declared to be so essential to our salvation; and in the stead thereof they have accepted the theories and notions advanced by modern scientists which are evidently false, and have taken to their hearts and hugged to their bosoms the falsehoods set forth in the theories of evolution and of higher criticism of the scriptures. And why have they done this thing? Because the simple truth, which is understood by the Spirit of God and not understood and comprehended by the spirit of man, does not appeal to their reason. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:289-290.)
―Darwin…lost his religion when he lost confidence in [William] Paley’s evidences. He says: “The old argument from design in Nature, as given by Paley, which formerly seemed to me so conclusive, fails now that the law of natural selection has been discovered. We can no longer argue that, for instance, the beautiful hinge of a bivalve shell must have been made by
an intelligent being, like the hinge of a door by man.” “At the present day,” he continues, “the most usual argument for the existence of an intelligent God is drawn from the deep inward conviction and feeling which are experienced by most persons.” Formerly he was led by feelings such as those just referred to, to the firm conviction of the existence of God and
of the immortality of the soul. The grandeur of the Brazilian forest, he says, used to inspire him with religious awe. “But now the grandest scenes would not cause any such convictions and feelings to arise in my mind. It may be truly said that I am like a man who has become color-blind.” In another passage he mentions the fact that his love for poetry has gradually
disappeared—a proof of the withering effect which continual scientific investigation may exert upon the soul! His state was, however, evidently preconditioned by the original intellectualistic bent of his religious convictions, formed by his early instruction. He has a feeling of having been cheated by false theories and proofs, and therefore looks with distrust upon the entire church. This is an every-day occurrence. Consequently it is a vital question for the church to assume a proper attitude towards science. The mutual distrust existing between science and the church is fatal to her. (Introduction to Philosophy, by Dr. Friedrich Paulsen, pp. 159-160.) The quotations in relation to the loss of faith of Charles Darwin is taken from the book, Charles Darwin’s Life, by his son, Francis Darwin, page 63. One who follows the theories of Darwin, will eventually, like Darwin, lose all faith in God the Eternal Creator. A person cannot believe that bivalve shells come by chance and hinges of a door have to come by the act of an intelligent being, and be sound in his thinking. Verily, those who insistently follow the evolutionary theories, cannot at the same time accept and worship an intelligent anthropomorphic God!
“Question asked of Joseph Fielding Smith: “Since reading your book, Man: His Origin, and Destiny, I have been troubled by your difference in view of organic evolution and the age of man and the teachings of some of our most outstanding scientists who maintain that scientific evidence prove the earth and man to be much older than you claim. Your statements are contrary to what I have been taught and believe.”
President Smith’s Answer: If what I have written is in criticism of the present theories in relation to organic evolution and the age of man upon the earth, in which you believe, then I can readily see why you disagree with what I have taught. I will state frankly and positively that I am opposed to the present biological theories and the doctrine that man has been on the earth for millions of years. I am opposed to the present teachings in relation to the age of the earth which declare that the earth is millions of years old. Some modern scientists even claim that it is a billion years old. Naturally, since I believe in modern revelation, I cannot
accept these so-called scientific teachings, for I believe them to be in conflict with the simple and direct word of the Lord that has come to us by divine revelation. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 5: 112.)
―EVOLUTIONARY THEORY FALSE.
This idea that everything commenced from a small beginning, from the scum upon the surface of the sea, and has gradually developed until all
forms of life, the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, the fishes of the sea, and the plants upon the face of the earth, have all sprung from that one source, is a falsehood absolutely. There is no truth in it, for God has given us his word by which we may know, and all who are led by the Spirit of God can understand through that Holy Spirit, the truth of these things.
―Organic evolution is Satan’s chief weapon in this dispensation in his attempt to destroy the divine mission of Jesus Christ. It is a contemptible plot against faith in God and to destroy the effective belief in the divine atonement of our Redeemer through which men may be saved from their sins and find place in the Kingdom of God. There is not an cannot be any compromise between the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the theories of evolution. Were evolution true, there could be no remission of sin.
Again, as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Joseph Fielding Smith said:
―What I have taught and written in the past I would teach and write again under the same circumstances. (President Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Report, October 1970, 5.)
Please see the film “Creation and Evolution; A witness of Prophets” by Zionvision. You can now order your own copy of this amazing video
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Evolution Believers
Book of Mormon Central who are adamant believers in the Mesoamerican Geography of the Book of Mormon also share many of the theories of Organic Evolution. See the Abstract below from B.H. Roberts:
Abstract: Less than ten years before his death in 1933, B. H. Roberts, one of the most influential Mormon writers of the twentieth century, began work on “the most important book that I have yet contributed to the [LDS] Church.” A prolific and respected Mormon apologist, Roberts wanted to consolidate his theological thought into a unified whole and to reconcile science with scripture. His final manuscript, “The Truth, the Way, the Life,” synthesized doctrine into three sections: the truth about the world and revelation, the way of salvation, and Jesus’ life in shaping Christian character. He submitted his completed work to the LDS First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, which, after a series of heated meetings, rejected it. Roberts’s views on evolution, the age of the earth, the pre-earth existence, and the eternal progression of God were deemed too controversial, so his “masterwork” went unpublished. With the support of the Roberts family, editor Stan Larson has corrected this sixty-year omission from the corpus of Mormon theology. According to Leonard J. Arrington, former LDS Church Historian, “B. H. Roberts considered ‘The Truth, The Way, The Life’ to be the most important work he had written. While people may differ with him on that judgement, this ambitious treatise . . . shows a great mind grappling with great issues.”
Editor’s note
As I search the Book of Mormon Central Website for “evolution” Here is what I come up with. I want you to see both sides and then judge on your own. I believe an ape cannot become a man and a cat cannot become a dog. To me evolution means changes within a species.
Joseph Smith Foundation– James and Hannah Stoddard
I support the Joseph Smith Foundation and feel their research on Evolution to be very accurate.
“Many LDS scientists and other LDS church members who are proponents of evolutionary theory have mistakenly believed that Joseph Fielding Smith is one of the few Church leaders who was out spoken against evolution. Because of this there has been an effort by some of these proponents of evolution to disregard President Joseph Fielding Smith’s words and pass them off as having been stated when he was “speaking as a man” and not “as a prophet.” In particular, President Smith’s work, “Man: His Origin and Destiny,” has come under “fire”. The presiding church leaders, however, are unified on doctrinal issues and Joseph Fielding Smith did not stand alone in his quest against evolutionary theories. After becoming Prophet and President of the Church, he said the following in General Conference, October 1970 (italics and underlining are added):”
As I ponder the principles of the gospel, I am struck forcibly by the uniform manner in which I and all the Brethren have taught them over the years. The truths of the gospel are everlastingly the same. Like God himself, they are the same yesterday, today and forever. What I have taught and written in the past I would teach and write again under the same circumstances. And what I say of myself should be true for all the Brethren and for all the elders of the Church. We are all called to preach the gospel, to be ministers of Christ, to raise the warning voice, and to “teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom.”
Statements by President Gordon B. Hinckley such as the following have not been uncommon in conference proceedings:
I am pleased to report, my brethren, that there is harmony, there is total unity, among the General Authorities and among Church officers and leaders throughout the world wherever the work is organized. 1
A notable and powerful defense of Joseph Fielding Smith was offered by President Ezra Taft Benson in a BYU Twelve‑Stake Fireside speech where he said:
More recently one of our Church educators published what he purports to be a history of the Church’s stand on the question of organic evolution. His thesis challenges the integrity of a prophet of God. He suggests that Joseph Fielding Smith published his work “Man: His Origin and Destiny,” against the counsel of the First Presidency and his own Brethren. This writer’s interpretation is not only inaccurate, but it runs counter to the testimony of Elder Mark E. Peterson, who wrote this foreword to Elder Smith’s book, a book I would encourage all of you to read: “…Some of us [members of the Council of the Twelve] urged [Elder Joseph Fielding Smith] to write a book on the creation of the world and the origin of man… The present volume is the result. It is a most remarkable presentation of material from both sources [science and religion] under discussion. It will fill a great need in the Church and will be particularly invaluable to students who have become confused by the misapplication of information derived from scientific experimentation.” 2 When one understands that the author to which I alluded is an exponent for the theory of organic evolution, his motive in disparaging President Joseph Fielding Smith becomes apparent. To hold to a private opinion on such matters is one thing, but when one undertakes to publish his views to discredit the work of a prophet, it is a very serious matter. It is also apparent to all who have the Spirit of God in them that Joseph Fielding Smith’s writings will stand the test of time. 3” Joseph Smith Foundation. Continued here: https://josephsmithfoundation.org/doctrinal-fortifications-against-darwinian-evolution/
