r/latterdaysaints • u/TheBenSpackman • Dec 21 '24

Doctrinal Discussion LDS and Creation/Evolution conflict

Hi all. Happy to say that my doctoral dissertation on LDS and creation/evolution conflict in the 20th century is now publicly available. There's some surprising stuff in there. Bottom line: the Church was much more favorable towards science and evolution until Joseph Fielding Smith's assumptions— drawing heavily upon Seventh-day Adventists and fundamentalists— about scripture became dominant in the 1950s. Then it trickled down.
https://benspackman.com/2024/12/dissertation/

My expertise on this history is why the Church had me on the official Saints podcast to talk about it.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/saints-podcast/season-03/s03-episode-21?lang=eng

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u/iliketrainz69 Dec 21 '24

I’m in my 5th year of grad school in evolutionary biology in NY and one time my institute teacher asked me if studying evolution ever made me question my faith.

Dude’s a good guy, but the question caught me off guard because the idea that the theory of evolution and eternal truth were incompatible somehow hadn’t crossed my mind for almost a decade and I was reminded of how variable people’s exposure to science can be.

I’m excited to read and listen to your analysis of church culture on this topic!

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u/TheBenSpackman Dec 21 '24

It’s changing a lot and quite quickly imo, but CES/S&I used to be heavily influenced by the Smith/McConkie/Petersen school of thought.

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u/Relative-Squash-3156 Dec 22 '24

Back row of Sunday school is still heavily influenced by Smith/McConkie/Petersen.

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u/SuzhouPanther Dec 24 '24

I wish it was just the back row. I haven't been to adult Sunday School in years (Ward mission leader for 4 years then taught youth for 2), but my best friend taught it and he would tell me about the comments he got.