Reconstructed red brick store in Nauvoo, 1980 by the Community of Christ (former RLDS Church), image in public domain.
Few Mormons, I think, know that May 4 is a significant day in LDS liturgical history. (This is reposted from last year.) Continue reading “May 4th is Not Just Star Wars Day…”
A brief and incomplete story, illustrating Elder Maxwell’s language fun… even in internal memos.
Continue reading “Tales from the Archives: Neal A. Maxwell and the Creationist Filmstrip”
Henry Eyring Sr. taught chemistry at the University of Utah, but also served on the general Sunday School board for the LDS Church from 1946 onwards. He frequently spoke about science and religion. Continue reading “Tales from the Archive: Henry Eyring Teaches the First Presidency about Carbon-14 Dating”
In 1950, a number of LDS teachers at the Logan Institute and BYU signed a letter to President J. Reuben Clark regarding one of their newly-hired colleagues. Continue reading “Tales from the Archive: Apostasy at the Logan Institute”
As noted in a prior post, Orson F. Whitney authored the 1909 First Presidency statement on “The Origin of Man.” He sent a letter to John Widtsoe with that draft, along with some notes. Although Whitney was strongly opposed to evolution, he acknowledge that science could play a role in clarifying earth history. Continue reading “Science as a Legitimate Contributor to our Knowledge of Creation and Earth History”
Some Latter-day Saints have touted the 1909 First Presidency statement as the definitive doctrinal repudiation of evolution for all time; Elder McConkie wanted it canonized and added to the 1978/82 scripture revisions, for example.
Continue reading “The 1909 First Presidency Statement in Its Historical Context”
Imagine coming off your mission, and later getting called back, but as Mission President. Oh, and it’s only a few years later, so… you’re a 26 yr-old Mission President. Also, your mission territory includes “China, India, Burma, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, and the Pacific Islands.” That was the experience of Grant Heaton. Continue reading “Tales from the Archives: Mission President?!”
My dissertation involves a lot of President Joseph Fielding Smith, particularly the way he interpreted scripture, his influential assumptions, and conclusions. Continue reading “Joseph Fielding Smith on Scriptural interpretation and Scientific Conflict”
In June 1965, the LDS Sunday School presidency informally began a new series on science and religion, written by LDS scientists. Continue reading “Tales from the Archives 4: Science, Interpretation, and Bad Feeling in 1965”
I recently discovered an article about “the first real confrontation of Mormonism with science” during the Utah smallpox outbreak at the turn of the 19/20th century.
Continue reading “LDS and Science: An Epidemic, a Puzzle, and new Apostle… in 1904”
