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Ah ok, that makes a lot of sense, thanks! I was actually sort of thinking along those same lines, but you connected the dots for me. Of course it's a personal opinion as you said, but I think it's a very sound one that I will likely adopt.

Ok, I respect your opinion. How then, in your view, does the archaeological evidence of intelligent human-like creatures predating the time of Adam and Eve fit in with this truth? Are these creatures human? Did they die out before Adam and Eve? Did they even exist at all? Were the records of their existence placed on the earth by God as a test? I don't know, what do you think?

This quotation doesn't explicitly disavow the theory of evolution, it merely states that it and the idea that Adam was not the first man are the "theories of men." It then asserts that Adam was the "first man of all men," and the primal parent of our race, which I mentioned is an official position of the church at the beginning of my original post. So my question is, if a person does believe in the theory of evolution, (human evolution specifically) where do Adam and Eve fit in with their point of view? I agree that Adam and Eve are the primal parents of our race and the first of God's spirit children, but I'm also inclined to accept the theory of evolution, and I'm wondering how these are compatible. I believe they could easily be compatible, but I'm not sure exactly how, and that's what I want insight on. The purpose of my original post was to seek others input about how human evolution could theoretically be compatible with a historical Adam and Eve, not to debate the official position of the church. Thanks anyways for your comments though.

Thanks for your perspective, I think you have a very good approach to the subject! I agree with you about the idea that the creator guides the evolutionary process. Creation and evolution do not conflict in my mind either. I'm not concerned about the idea of evolution in general, I'm curious specifically about human evolution. Did modern humans evolve from lower order organisms as is the scientific consensus, and if so, where do Adam and Eve fit in? Perhaps all humans were innocent until Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden, partook of the fruit, and fell. Perhaps they were the first to become "as one of us [a God] to know good and evil" (Moses 4:28), and it is in this sense that they are the primal parents of all God's spirit children. I don't know what do you think?

As in, what's the relationship between them, and how do Adam and Eve fit in with the current scientific theories about the history of the human race? Are Adam and Eve evolutional descendants of the pre-adamites? Or are they a different species than humans entirely, despite their similarities to us? I don't know. Hopefully that explains my question more clearly.

Yes, I definitely agree with you on the "I don't know" approach! What's a better term for "pre-adamites" then? I thought it pretty clearly meant humans who lived on this earth before Adam's time.

I understand that the church has no official position on the theory of evolution, and that members are free to believe what they will on the subject. The church does however, assert that Adam and Eve were real historical persons, the first children of God on the earth, and the primal parents of the entire human race. The church's position regarding pre-adamites (humans who lived before the biblical time of Adam) is also neutral. The church neither confirms nor denies their existence. The same is true regarding the idea that there was no death on the earth prior to the fall; the church takes no official stance. Though the church is neutral on the subject, fossil and archaeological evidence overwhelmingly point to the existence of pre-adamites and death prior to the fall, and I'm inclined to accept the validity of that evidence. Keep in mind that the church neither supports nor condemns me in doing so. If you similarly choose to accept this evidence, I'm interested in how you reconcile the existence of pre-adamites with a literal, historical Adam and Eve. Perhaps Adam and Eve were the first humans only in the sense that they were the first children of God. Perhaps they were products of evolution, the apex of the pre-adamic race, and were merely the first of whom God breathed the breath of life into their nostrils. Perhaps they weren't created through the process of evolution, and the pre-adamites have no relation to them. Thoughts? Whatever the case may be, it cannot be denied that the best evidence available to us does seem to confirm the existence of pre-adamites. Please let me know what you believe on this subject and why. I would also be very interested if you are aware of any theories advanced by church leaders, or really anyone else for that matter. Thanks! EDIT: Apparently there is some disagreement on what the official doctrine of the church is on this subject. Some church leaders have expressed strong views that evolution is inconsistent with church teachings, and others have likewise expressed strong views that evolution is consistent with church teachings. I maintain that the church's official stance is neutral, which is what allows these church leaders to have their differences of opinion on the matter. Here's a source from lds.org that affirms the church's neutral position: "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." (https://www.lds.org/new-era/2016/10/to-the-point/what-does-the-church-believe-about-evolution?lang=eng) Irregardless of the official church doctrine, I intended for this thread to be centered around what you think about evolution. Let's keep the discussion civil as we express our opinions on the subject. Thanks.