Primary sources regarding Church leaders' statements about organic evolution

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This page collects the text of various statements about evolution made by a variety of Church leaders and members. These are unofficial statements, but serve to show the variety of opinions that have been expressed on the topic.

Encyclopedia of Mormonism

• "Creation, Creation accounts"
• "Earth"
• "Evolution"
• "Origin of Man"

Ensign

• "I Have A Question," 1987

Henry Eyring

(LDS chemist)

• Letter to Adam S. Benion (1954)
• Reflections of a Scientist, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983).
  • Selections: p. 53–62.

Improvement Era

• Unsigned editorial, 1910

Juvenille Instructor

• Joseph F. Smith, 1911

Harold B. Lee

Perhaps if we had the full story of the creation of the earth and man told to us in great detail, it would be more of a mystery than the simple few statements that we have contained in the Bible, because of our lack of ability to comprehend. Therefore, for reasons best known to the Lord, He has kept us in darkness. Wait until the Lord speaks, or wait until that day when He shall come, and when we shall be among the privileged either to come up out of our graves and be caught up into the clouds of heaven or shall be living upon the earth likewise to be so translated before Him. Then we shall know all things pertaining to this earth, how it was made, and all things that now as children we are groping for and trying to understand.

Let's reserve judgment as to the facts concerning the Creation until we know these things for sure.^[1]

The first great scientists were themselves devout Christians, who believed that in their scientific investigations they were but rethinking the thoughts of God. As blind as the atheist—or as the Bible calls him, the fool—is the religious man who makes his faith rest upon the question of how God created the world and how long it took. Man's major concern should not be an understanding of the ground from which he is brought forth, but the discovery of the will and purpose of the Creator. In other words, his major thoughts should not be in geology, but in theology, if he would be saved.^[2]

Bruce R. McConkie

(apostle)

• Mormon Doctrine
• [[../Seven_deadly_heresies#Heresy_two | Seven Deadly Heresies address]]

David O. McKay

(apostle and President of the Church)

• Speech 1952
• Letter 1957
• Letter 1959
• Letter 1959 from secretary
• Conference 1968

Boyd K. Packer

(apostle, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President of the Quorum of the Twelve)

President Packer's views on the subject are available in:

Boyd K. Packer, "The Law and the Light," in Jacob through Words of Mormon: to Learn with Joy: papers from the Fourth Annual Book of Mormon Symposium, edited by Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, distributed by Bookcraft, 1990), {{{pages}}} [1–31]. ISBN 0884947343. ISBN 978-0884947349. GL direct link

Then-Elder Packer expresses the strong view that evolutionary processes do not apply to human beings, while being relatively unconcerned about the application of evolutionary concepts to other living things. He argues that accepting an evolutionary model for the creation of humans leads to the conclusion that the moral law can have no legitimate claim on human action.

Elder Packer notes:

Disclaimer: Only the Standard Works and statements written under assignment of the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles are considered official declarations by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The talk which follows was given without such assignment and no such approval has been sought or given. The author alone is responsible for the views set forth therein. They do not necessarily represent the Church.(p. 1}

He also notes at the beginning of the essay that:

The article may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the author.

Out of deference to Elder Packer's request, no quotation from this article is included here, but the reader is encouraged to consult it in print form.

Stephen L Richards

(apostle and counselor in the First Presidency)

• Open letter to college students

Joseph Fielding Smith

(apostle and later President of the Church)

• Man, His Origin and Destiny, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1954).GospeLink
  • Selection: p. 360–361
  • Selection: p. 453–455

James E. Talmage

(apostle)

• "The Earth and Man"

Endnotes

1. [note]  Harold B. Lee, Teachings of Harold B. Lee (Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1996), 29.