Evolution

FAIR Answers—back to home page

V

Articles about the Holy Bible

Latter-day Saints and the Bible	The Bible as the word of God The 8th Article of Faith The King James Version The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible
Reliability of the Bible	Biblical inerrancy Textual variants in the Bible Textual criticism of the Bible Doctrinal completeness of the Bible The Documentary Hypothesis
Creation	Cosmology The Creation Age of the Earth Evolution Adam and Eve as historical figures Death before the Fall of Adam and Eve Fall of Adam and Eve
Genesis	Pre-Flood ages of prophets The Flood Peleg Tower of Babel Sodom and Gomorrah
Understanding the Bible	Scriptural interpretations Tips for studying the bible Leaders on bible interpretation Common issues in interpretation and proof-texting Alleged contradictions in scripture Jonah and the whale Authorship of New Testament books Pauline teachings
Cultural issues	Old Testament practices Violence in the scriptures Slavery in the scriptures Sexism in the scriptures Racism and the scriptures Understanding biblical numbers and stories Joseph Smith and Old Testament practices
The Bible and the Book of Mormon	Bible passages in the Book of Mormon Isaiah and the Book of Mormon KJV italicized text in the Book of Mormon KJV translation errors in the Book of Mormon Joseph Smith Translation and the Book of Mormon The New Testament and the Book of Mormon The Apocrypha and the Book of Mormon The Documentary Hypothesis and the Book of Mormon

Related articles:	Church's stance on the theory of organic evolution Summary: Church leaders have expressed a variety of positions on the theory of evolution and related issues. What is the Church's official stance?
	Unofficial primary sources on evolution Summary: 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.

⍗

Learn more about evolution and creation

Key sources	Church—official stance
FAIR links	Trent Stephens, "Evolution and Latter-day Saint Theology: The Tree of Life and DNA," Proceedings of the 2003 FAIR Conference (August 2003). link Ugo Perego, "What does the Church believe about evolution?," Proceedings of the 2017 FAIR Conference (August 2017). link Ben Spackman, "'Through a Glass, Less Darkly: The 20th Century History of Genesis and Evolution'," Proceedings of the 2021 FAIR Conference (August 2021). link Ben Spackman, "'Truth, Scripture, and Interpretation: Some Precursors to Reading Genesis'," Proceedings of the 2017 FAIR Conference (August 2017). link Ben Spackman, "A Paradoxical Preservation of Faith: LDS Creation Accounts and the Composite Nature of Revelation," Proceedings of the 2019 FAIR Conference (August 2019). link
Online	A. Kent Christiansen, webpage with letter to and from David O. McKay on subject of Church's official position. off-site Eyring-L FAQ: Evolution off-site Robert R. Bennett, "'Science vs. Mormonism: The Dangers of Dogmatism and Sloppy Reading, Review of Farewell to Eden: Coming to Terms with Mormonism and Science by Duwayne R. Anderson'," FARMS Review 18/2 (2006). [1–43] link Clayton M. White and Mark D. Thomas, "On Balancing Faith in Mormonism with Traditional Biblical Stories: The Noachian Flood," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 40 no. 3 (Fall 2007), 85–110. PDF link Duane E. Jeffery [Jeffrey in original], "Seers, Savants and Evolution: The Uncomfortable Interface," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 8 no. 3–4 (Autumn/Winter 1973), 41–69.off-site PDF link Edward L. Kimball, "A Dialogue with Henry Eyring," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 8 no. 3–4 (Autumn/Winter 1973), 99–108.off-site Jeffrey E. Keller, "Discussion Continued: The Sequel to the Roberts/Smith/Talmage Affair," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 15 no. 1 (Spring 1982), 79–98.off-site Michael R. Ash, "The Mormon Myth of Evil Evolution," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 35 no. 4 (Winter 2002), 19–38. PDF link Richard E. Sherlock and Jeffrey E. Keller, "'We Can See No Advantage to a Continuation of the Discussion': The Roberts/Smith/Talmage Affair," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 13 no. 3 (Fall 1980), 63–78.off-site Richard F. Haglund, Jr., "Science and Religion: A Symbiosis," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 8 no. 3–4 (Autumn/Winter 1973), 23–37.off-site William Lee Stokes, "An Official Position," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 12 no. 3 (Winter 1979), 90–92.off-site Morris S. Petersen, "Do we know how the earth’s history as indicated from fossils fits with the earth’s history as the scriptures present it?," Ensign (September 1987): 27.off-site Donald Q. Cannon, Larry E. Dahl, and John W. Welch, "The Restoration of Major Doctrines through Joseph Smith: The Godhead, Mankind, and the Creation," Ensign 19 (January 1989): 27. off-site James L. Farmer, "'The Clockmaker Returns, A Review of The Case for Divine Design: Cells, Complexity, and Creation by Frank Salisbury'," FARMS Review 20/1 (2008). [139–146] link David M. Belnap, "The Theory of Evolution is Compatible with Both Belief and Unbelief in a Supreme Being," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 16/12 (4 September 2015). [261–282] link David H. Bailey and Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, "Science and Mormonism," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 19/2 (4 March 2016). [17–38] link Gregory L. Smith, "'Endless Forms Most Beautiful': The uses and abuses of evolutionary biology in six works," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 6/9 (23 August 2013). [105–164] link Gregory L. Smith, "Endless Forms Most Beautiful”: The uses and abuses of evolutionary biology in six works," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship6(2013): 105-163. Richard Sherlock, "A Turbulent Spectrum: Mormon Reactions to the Darwinist Legacy," Journal of Mormon History 5:1 (1978): 19–32.off-site Frank B. Salisbury, "Creation by Evolution? Review of Evolution and Mormonism: A Quest for Understanding by Trent D. Stephens," FARMS Review 18/1 (2006). [313–319] link Frank B. Salisbury, "'The Church and Evolution: A Brief History of Official Statements, Review of Mormonism and Evolution: The Authoritative LDS Statements by William E. Evenson and Duane E. Jeffery'," FARMS Review 18/1 (2006). [307–311] link Richard Sherlock, "Mormonism and Intelligent Design," FARMS Review 18/2 (2006). [45–81] link Michael F. Whiting, "'Lamarck, Giraffes, and the Sermon on the Mount (Review of Using the Book of Mormon to Combat Falsehoods in Organic Evolution by Clark A. Peterson)'," Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 5/1 (1993). [209–222] link
Video	Load video YouTube YouTube might collect personal data. Privacy Policy ContinueDismiss "The great flood," BH Roberts Foundation print-link.
Print	Steven Peck, Why the Lamanite-DNA Question is Irrelevant (and why this means you should believe in evolution) (Blog entry) 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 Trent D. Stephens, D. Jeffrey Meldrum, Forrest B. Peterson, Evolution and Mormonism: A Quest for Understanding (Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books, 2001), 1. ISBN 1560851422. William E. Evenson and Duane E. Jeffrey, Mormonism and Evolution: The Authoritative LDS Statements (Draper, Utah: Greg Kofford Books, 2006), 1. ISBN 1589580931. off-site Duane E. Jeffery, "Noah’s Flood: Modern Scholarship and Mormon Traditions," Sunstone no. (Issue #134) (October 2004), 27–45. off-site
Navigators	Table of contents Abuse Bible Book of Abraham Book of Mormon CES Letter Church history Church finances Doctrine and Covenants First Vision Joseph Smith Latter-day Saint temples Mountain Meadows Massacre Plural marriage Prophets and leaders Scripture Brigham Young
Sub categories	creatio ex nihilo