The Ensign 17 (9): 28-29 (September 1987).
Questions of general gospel interest answered for guidance,
not as official statements of Church policy
Do we know how the earth's history as indicated from fossils
fits with the earth's history as the scriptures present it?
Morris S. Petersen, professor of geology,
There is much we do not know about the creation and early
history of the earth. The scriptural record is sketchy, and the record of
science is incomplete. Indeed, what we imagine to be true now about the history
of the earth may prove to be only partially true in the light of greater
knowledge. We are assured, however, that the day will come when the Lord
"shall reveal all things--
"Things which have passed, and hidden things
which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose
and the end thereof--
"Things most precious,
things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the
earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven." (D&C 101:32-34.)
Until that day comes, we must rely on what we are taught in
the scriptures and what we assume to be true based on the evidence gathered and examined by science.
We are, in fact, encouraged to obtain both scriptural and
secular knowledge in striving to learn about God and his creations: "Teach
ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more
perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in
all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to
understand;
"Of things both in heaven and in the earth and
under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must
shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the
wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the
land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms." (D&C
88:78-79.)
Latter-day Saints share Elder James E. Talmage's conviction
that "within the gospel of Jesus Christ there is room and place for every
truth thus far learned by man, or yet to be made
known." ("The Earth and Man,"
God is the creator of our earth and of all life on the
earth. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. . . . And
God created . . . every living creature that moveth. . . . And God saw every
thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." (Gen. 1:1, 21, 31.)
Among the life forms God created were apparently many
species now extinct. Fossil-bearing rocks are common on the earth, and these
fossils represent once-living organisms, preserved now as part of the earth's
rocky crust. Palaeontology is the branch of science that studies these fossils
to collect information about the past. But one does not need to be a palaeontologist
to find fossiliferous rocks--they are more common than most people imagine, and
almost anyone can find fossils near home. These fossils may include microscopic
invertebrate and plant remains, a myriad of fossilized sea shells, and even the
fossilized bones of large terrestrial animals, the dinosaurs. (Local and
national laws generally protect fossil deposits, and would-be-collectors should
be aware of these restrictions. People are free, however, to examine fossils in
place without removing them, thus preserving their scientific value and meeting
the intentions of the protective laws.)
As one examines the rock layers, it becomes evident that
there is a highly ordered pattern in the occurrence of fossils. As Elder James
E. Talmage, a geologist, wrote in the Deseret
News on 21 November 1931:
"Geologists say that these very simple forms of
plant and animal bodies were succeeded by others more complicated; and in the
indestructible record of the rocks they read the story of advancing life from
the simple to the more complex, from the single-celled protozoan to the highest
animals, from the marine algae to the advanced types of flowering plant--to the
apple tree, the rose and the oak."
The sequence in the occurrence of fossils repeats itself in
sedimentary rocks throughout the world. Furthermore, whether they were in
This agreement shouldn't be surprising because the God who
created this earth is the same God who inspired the prophets. A conflict arises
only when we assume that God has revealed all he is going to reveal on the
subject or forget that scientific theories change as new discoveries are made.
We also need to remember both the purposes for which the
scriptures were given and the objectives of the scientific method. Foremost,
the scriptures testify of Jesus Christ and how we may receive the blessings of
salvation and exaltation through his atonement. They reveal why (not
necessarily how) the earth was created, and what laws and principles a person
must follow to obtain eternal life. The goal of science, on the other hand, is
to learn how (not why) the world was made and to understand the laws and
principles governing the physical world.
The different roles science and religion play is illustrated
in a study of the dinosaurs. From the fossil record we learn that the dinosaurs
were the dominant animals on earth between 225 and 67 million years ago. Some
were carnivorous, others herbivorous. Some were small, while others were
gigantic, weighing up to eighty tons and growing to lengths of more than ninety
feet.
The existence of these animals is indisputable, for their
remains have been found in rocks all over the earth. What eternal purpose they
played in the creation and early history of the earth is unknown. The
scriptures do not address the question, and it is not the realm of science to
explore the issue of why they were here. We can only conclude, as Elder Talmage
did, that "the whole series of chalk deposits and many of our deep-sea limestones contain the skeletal remains of animals. These
lived and died, age after age, while the earth was yet unfit for human
habitation." ("The Earth and
Of course, the findings of science and the statements made
in the scriptures are not entirely exclusive of each other. Often, the one
augments knowledge supplied by the other. A case in point is an event in Church
history when a prominent palaeontologist through his study of fossils found on
the American continent, supported statements made in the Book of Mormon that
were disputed by some non-members. A story published by the New York Tribune
on 17 November 1873 relates a meeting in
Brigham Young sought information concerning the occurrence
of horse fossils, especially in
The Tribune article concludes with the following:
"So, while most theologians are regarding the developments of the natural
sciences with fear and trembling, the chiefs of the Mormon religion are
prepared to hail the discoveries of palaeontology as an aid in establishing
their peculiar beliefs."
The relationship between scripture and what is currently
understood in science is ever changing. Science continually learns more about
the history of life on earth, and we have every reason to believe that much
more will be learned as research continues.
The struggle to correlate a passage in scripture with a
specific portion of scientific research has been a challenge for centuries. But
experience has shown that what a person understands today will be modified by
tomorrow's discoveries. Patience and humility will eventually resolve all
questions--if not in this life, then in the next.
Fortunately, we need not know all the details of the Creation
to take advantage of the essential saving ordinances of the gospel and conform
to divine standards of progression. The scriptures and the inspired counsel of
the prophets are sufficient to lead us back to God.
But this does not mean that science has no place in our
eternal pursuit of truth. The more we learn of God's handiwork, the more we
come to know him and love his works. As a Latter-day Saint geologist, I
consider myself fortunate indeed to have the opportunity to study rocks and
fossils as evidences of God's creation of our earth. Everything I have learned
of the grandeur of the Creation has strengthened my resolve to learn more of
our Heavenly Father and live as He would have me live.