(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.
As far as
the authorship of this editorial goes, it is unsigned and therefore only
carries such doctrinal weight as any church-sponsored magazine item of that
era, which is not a lot. Some have pointed out that President Joseph F. Smith
was the editor of the Improvement Era and therefore argue that he wrote
the editorial. For the following reasons it is highly unlikely that President
Smith wrote or approved of the editorial. It is much more likely to have been
written by someone else, such as Edward H. Anderson.
1) In his general conference talk of October 1902, President
Joseph F. Smith told the Church: “I desire to remind you too, that the brethren
have done me the honor also of electing me to be the editor of the Improvement
Era, the organ of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement association, Elder Edward
H. Anderson being actively in charge.” (Joseph F. Smith, Conference Report,
October 1902, 86.) While absolute surety eludes us, such a general
understanding of active editorial oversight leans strongly toward someone else
writing the editorial. Further, President Smith would have seen that it
contradicts the earlier First Presidency document that he and his counselors
signed and published as the formal position of the Church; why publish speculative
or opposing views? Further, in that day, the President of the Church was kept
very busy with clerical work not done by today’s church presidents, and likely
would not have had time to read and approve everything in the Era.
2) President Smith did not believe the theory of evolution
and warned members against it. Besides signing and giving to the Church the
doctrinal exposition of “The Origin of Man,” he wrote a letter to his BYU-attending
son that said, “For my sake, my son, as well as your own, eschew the [BYU
professors’] evolution and all such things.” In another editorial he wrote:
“Some of our teachers are anxious to explain how much of the theory of
evolution, in their judgment, is true, and what is false, but that only leaves
their students in an unsettled frame of mind. They are not old enough and
learned enough to discriminate, or put proper limitations upon a theory which
we believe is more or less a fallacy.”[i]
3) President Smith, as Trustee-in-trust (President),
formally published to the Church a book written by Elder Orson F. Whitney
titled The Love and the Light: An Idyl of the Westland, that ripped into
evolution, higher criticism, and other false educational philosophies that were
hurting members’ faith and causing doubt. The book is virtually unknown in the
Church today because it was a volume of poetry no longer in style.
4) President Joseph F. Smith’s responsibility as President
of the Church was to correct any false or misleading doctrine taught in general
conference. In the October 1917 general conference his son, Elder Joseph
Fielding Smith energetically denounced evolution as explanation for the origin
of man, and his father did not correct him—obviously because he agreed with
him. The plain fact is, President Smith knew the scriptures much better than
the editorial writer did.
Of course,
none of these arguments will sway evolutionists of any stripe or brand, but at
least there is further information to ponder for regular Latter-day Saints who
have not yet been brainwashed by false scientific theories.
[i]
Wilkinson, ed., Brigham Young University, 1:429.
No comments:
Post a Comment