Evolution Vs. Intelligent Design Vs. Creationism

[prisonchaplain]

On the gospel discussion board, a post about Intelligent Design diverted into a discussion about what a cult is. While the diversion topic is interesting, I found the original topic equally fascinating, and wanted to introduce it as a poll. Did God create the world? If so, did he use evolution? Is it possible for the creation story of Genesis to be literal, and yet ultimately mesh with science?

[DisRuptive1]

Ex Nihilo?

Just because we're LDS doesn't mean that we're automatically granted the gift of tongues.

[prisonchaplain]

Originally posted by DisRuptive1@Nov 13 2005, 08:04 PM

Ex Nihilo?

Just because we're LDS doesn't mean that we're automatically granted the gift of tongues.

←

Yes, but I've been led to believe that most LDS could look at a foreign word, and notice that right afterwards, the definition follows "or out of nothing."

[HansResponds]

Ex nihilo considers that the universe made made literally "out of nothing". Latter-Day Saints, through the restored scriptures, have never believed that the earth was created ex nihilo.

"And there stood one [Christ] among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell." (Abr. 3:24)

Our faith is the only one that has definitive scriptures on the creation this way. The matter was certainly there. Every faithful Mormon should not answer this survey, as it leaves out the very doctrine that we believe in: that God created the earth about 6,000 years ago out of material that already existed.

[john doe]

Every faithful Mormon should not answer this survey, as it leaves out the very doctrine that we believe in: that God created the earth about 6,000 years ago out of material that already existed.

Not necessarily. I haven't seen anything about how long ago the earth was created in the scriptures. The scriptures start a timeline from the time when Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden and sent out to the real world, but not necessarily how long they dwelt there before the Fall. How long did the creation actually take? How long was the Fall? Were Adam and Eve removed from the earth and then re-placed on it when the Fall had been completed? Some may even ask whether the Adam and Eve story may have been allegorical. When God said that a day of his time is 1000 years to man, was he being literal, or was he just telling us that our short time on earth is relatively short compared to the eternities? And yes, I am aware that some LDS Prophets have speculated their personal opinions on this, but I tend to think they may have just been trying to reconcile the scriptures with the known science of their day.

There has been lots of speculation, and granted, a lot of people have placed their faith in what you have stated, but that doesn't necessarily mean that all faithful Mormon believes that way. I'm still pretty open-minded about this, and to date haven't seen anything that convinces me that the whole "the earth is only 6,000 years old" idea is actually correct. I see much of science as a search for the truth, and since God is truth, eventually I think we will see religion and science unite in agreement as to how things happened. At this time, there is so much we don't know, that it is hard to make a blanket statement on how things actually occurred.

[Guest Member_Deleted]

First of all I didn't vote ... there was nothing on the list for how I believe..

Secondly... time is only alotted to men... so when God is doing His creating thing ... does He use time? Is it a factor?

Third... until we are Gods... It is God's problem and work... not ours...

I think what we have been given by God to do and know is already voluminous enough... Do we even live up to those things that are given?

It hasn't been given to us all ingeneral... it has been given to some individually... and I think God does it that way for a good reason... it is only on a need to know basis that anyone is given the truth onthis matter... all else is useless speculation...

In general principle this scripture describes speculation to me...

Jacob 4: 14

14 But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble.