Who here believes in natural selection?

[fusnik11]

Originally Posted by stonewallperry

Look in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism and pick up a copy of the BYU packet of evolution...there's a lot in them.

And naturally you would avoid comment.

[JohnnyLingo]

Evolution, and who we are, and where we physically came from is much more important for me to know and think about, than if Johnny and Lingo can get hitched.

That's just it.... it's always all about you, isn't it? I hope one day you get the chance to sit down with the President of the Church and ask him all these questions and tell him you think the church focuses too much on unimportant things.

[fusnik11]

Originally Posted by JohnnyLingo

That's just it.... it's always all about you, isn't it? I hope one day you get the chance to sit down with the President of the Church and ask him all these questions and tell him you think the church focuses too much on unimportant things.

Who says I haven't already sat down with a member of the first presidency and asked him certain questions?

Your 'one day' scenario may have already came and passed a couple of years ago.

[Mormon Red Death]

[QUOTE=stonewallperry]Then...our ideas are very similar. I think it's entirely possible that a higher source has directed evolution, and perhaps that's how our physical bodies came to be. It's certain that God is the Father of our Spirits, but could he have possible directed evolution to the point that it would create adequate bodies? Seems plausible to me.

An interesting point you bring up the point of death before Adam and Eve...and interesting little story, which you may already know. Talmadge preached death before Adam and in the same time period Joseph Fielding (as an apostle) preached the complete opposite. JF preached first despite the First Presidency asking him not to. The First Presidency, wishing to keep the Church's position to be really no position had Talmadge give his talk to balance it out. As recently as the mid 90's the First Presidency has spoken. When the encyclopedia of Mormonism was written, two BYU professors were asked to write the Church's position on evolution for the encyclopedia. The professor that did it, compiled a huge list of leaders having spoken both for and against it. It was passed to President Hinckley for review and he returned what is know included which really leaves the question open as to what the Church's position is. More recently, the BYU packet on evolution has been accepted as a strong statement of what the Church believes...summarizing that packet which has been quotations - both pro and con, essentially two things come out of it:

1. We believe all that is demonstrated (There's certainly strong evidence of evolution)

2. We don't know where Adam's physical body came from/was created.[/QUOTE/]

Talmage was an apostle at the time as well. He thought there were pre-adamites

[stonewallperry]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

And naturally you would avoid comment.

I'm not sure what you were hoping I would comment about...here are a few statements that might help out:

"Because of my experience in preparing the evolution article for the Encyclopedia of Mormonism," I was asked by Provost Bruce Hafen to consider a packet that could be made available to students as the official and fundamental Church position on this subject."

"In line with this philosophical stance, I prepared an initial draft of the packet, which contained the First Presidency statements and all published statements
made by presidents of the Church during the time they held that office. It also included the speech given in 1931 by Elder James E. Talmage of the Quorum of the Twelve, which was reviewed and approved by the First Presidency and officially published by the Church. Finally, this draft packet
included the "Encyclopedia of Mormonism" article because of the excerpt from the First Presidency Minutes in 1931 about the Church's stance toward scientific studies of evolution and the origin of man. This packet was made entirely of materials with official status and included all of the statements
published by or with the authorization of the First Presidency."

"Our religion is not hostile to real science. That which is demonstrated, we
accept with joy; but vain philosophy, human theory and mere speculations of
men, we do not accept nor do we adopt anything contrary to divine revelation or to good common sense. But everything that tends to right conduct, that harmonizes with sound morality and increases faith in Deity, finds favor with us no matter where it may be found."
- First Presidency, December 1910

"The scriptures tell why man was created, but they do not tell how, though
the Lord has promised that he will tell that when he comes again..."
- From Encyclopedia of Mormonism, written by William Evenson, but approved as the Church's position by President Hinckley (He was the first counselor at the time)

http://whitinglab.byu.edu/PDF/Evolution%20Packet.pdf

[stonewallperry]

[QUOTE=Mormon Red Death]

Originally Posted by stonewallperry

Then...our ideas are very similar. I think it's entirely possible that a higher source has directed evolution, and perhaps that's how our physical bodies came to be. It's certain that God is the Father of our Spirits, but could he have possible directed evolution to the point that it would create adequate bodies? Seems plausible to me.

An interesting point you bring up the point of death before Adam and Eve...and interesting little story, which you may already know. Talmadge preached death before Adam and in the same time period Joseph Fielding (as an apostle) preached the complete opposite. JF preached first despite the First Presidency asking him not to. The First Presidency, wishing to keep the Church's position to be really no position had Talmadge give his talk to balance it out. As recently as the mid 90's the First Presidency has spoken. When the encyclopedia of Mormonism was written, two BYU professors were asked to write the Church's position on evolution for the encyclopedia. The professor that did it, compiled a huge list of leaders having spoken both for and against it. It was passed to President Hinckley for review and he returned what is know included which really leaves the question open as to what the Church's position is. More recently, the BYU packet on evolution has been accepted as a strong statement of what the Church believes...summarizing that packet which has been quotations - both pro and con, essentially two things come out of it:

1. We believe all that is demonstrated (There's certainly strong evidence of evolution)

2. We don't know where Adam's physical body came from/was created.[/QUOTE/]

Talmage was an apostle at the time as well. He thought there were pre-adamites

I know he was, I was just presenting to show that there was balance between pro and con speaches by the First Presidency...interesting that the First Presidency approved and published Talmage's talk.