Science & Mormonism: Cosmos, Earth, & Man conference held on November 9, 2013, in Provo, Utah.
DNA & the Book of Mormon
Short, but clear, video on this topic:
Awesome summary video below. Key points to this discussion:
- founding Lehite population DNA uncertain
- American indigenous populations were decimated after 1492, changing the genetic composition
- descendants can’t be genetically linked to ancestors after 100s of years pass
No, DNA evidence doesn’t (and cannot) refute the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. This is worth watching!
Michael Frank Whiting is the director of the Brigham Young University (BYU) DNA Sequencing Center and an associate professor in BYU’s Department of Integrative Biology. Whiting received his bachelor’s degree from BYU and his Ph.D. from Cornell University. Dr. Whiting is a widely respected expert on DNA and genetics.
Whiting has also written on why the critics of the Book of Mormon on DNA issues have overstated their case. He gives a superb speech below:
Dr Ugo Perego speaks at the FairMormon Conference in Kungsbacka, Sweden, 18 June 2016.
Ugo is a world expert on DNA and Native Americans.
More from Ugo on DNA, the Book of Mormon, and Native American Genetics:
How Can A Scientist Believe Jesus is God?
You could just as easily ask “How can any thinking person believe in God”? Atheists and critics ask this question all the time.
It’s interesting that we know so little about such basic things. The brightest scientists can’t explain what energy is. Or consciousness. Or many other things. We should be very humble as we learn line upon line.
John Lennox is a very articulate Protestant from Northern Ireland who’s ably defended Christianity against Richard Dawkins and other new atheists. I don’t agree w/ Lennox on the Trinity, but do on so many other counts. I’m grateful for his brilliant mind and love for Jesus.
Compatibility: Science, Evolution, and LDS Thought
Does the Church take an official position on Evolution? Nope.
Let’s all remain open and humble in our pursuit of all kinds of truths. And let scientists do Science. After all, we have nothing to fear from discovery in any field.
Living the restored Gospel principles saves us. Scientific principles — even established ones — don’t exalt anyone. But it doesn’t hurt to understand truths of Science.
Further, there’s so much we don’t know. For example, the world’s best physicists don’t know what light and energy are. We are only a few hundred years from the Enlightenment. We’re all in the dark to a great degree, and thus must very much live by faith.
Science is only a method, and can ask how. God answers why.
Read this October 2016 New Era article. The first paragraph quoted below:
What does the Church believe about evolution?
“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…”
Jeff at Latter-day Saints Q & A shares insight and some history of this subject:
Ben Spackman shares valuable insight with Gospel Tangents:
Interestingly, Joseph, Hyrum, and Orson Hyde believed that people lived before Adam. Among other things, they discussed the use of the word “replenish” and that prophets existed before Adam.
The Affirmation of Pre-Adamites by Joseph and Hyrum Smith and Orson Hyde
Dr. Henry Eyring — the father of current Apostle, Pres. Henry B. Eyring — was a world-class chemist and believing Latter-day Saint. After a full career in Chemistry at Princeton, he returned to Utah Brother Eyring served on the LDS General Sunday School Board.
Pres. Eyring wrote about his world-recognized chemist father: My Father’s Formula.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM8AqUsZ2WA
A few of his thoughts below:
Some have asked me: “Is there any conflict between science and religion?” There is no conflict in the mind of God, but often there is conflict in the minds of men. . . .
A young man once inquired: “In high school we are taught such things as pre-Adamic men, and that kind of thing, but we hear another thing in Church. What should I do about it?”
I think I gave the right answer. I said, “In this Church, you only have to believe the truth. Find out what the truth is!”
Simple, but very powerful ideas.
Steven Peck is a professor and poet at BYU. Dr. Peck gave this talk at the Science & Mormonism: Cosmos, Earth, and Man conference at BYU on 11/9/13.
Why Evolution and LDS Thought are Fully Compatible: Overcoming our Suspicions of Science.
More from Steven Peck:
Episode 50: A Religion of Both Prayers and Pterodactyls – Steven Peck
You should subscribe to these LDS Perspectives Podcasts. Really, you should.
Home
Other books by Steven Peck here:
Valuable perspectives by LDS scientist, David Bailey.
Extreme and atheist scientists are the most vocal critics of religion. And the most fundamentalist Christians are hostile to science. We don’t need to take an extreme position.
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw on “Science and Genesis: A Personal View” given at the Science & Mormonism: Cosmos, Earth, & Man conference held on November 9, 2013, in Provo, Utah.
Rather than mock the Genesis stories, as many atheist scientists do, Dr. Bradshaw humbly provides his point of view.
LDS Truth Claims on the topic of Science:
Alvin Plantinga is a world-class American philosopher. Plantinga presents a non-Mormon, but traditional Christian point of view:
William Lane Craig, a non-Mormon philosopher, shares his opinion about Evolution and Christianity in several videos below:
Short answer: No, evolution doesn’t disprove theism or Christianity.
WLC’s opinion: a six-day creation model is an embarrassment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHye8EABbEc&t=2s
These next two — as the last two philosophers above — are neither LDS. Though we differ in beliefs about God, they share lots of truth and valuable perspectives!
Bill Whittle (2nd speaker) had a great line about people who say “I believe in Science.” Bill points out that those people usually have no idea what Science is.
According to Bill, saying “I believe in Science” is very much like saying this: “I believe in a hammer.”
Like a hammer, Science is a tool. A method. Not a world view.
Watch the video:
Science is awesome, but has obvious and significant limitations.
Not all scientists — especially the new atheists — tell you this.