Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-09-20
CREEDs AND EVOLUTION.

We have been asked to declare more
explicitly what we think OF the doctrine
OF evolution. we may take the sub
ject up at some convenient time. sufhce
It to say now that as far as we can
see. neither the proof nor the disproot
OF that theory as a whole, or an eS-
tension or Limitation of its various
claims. will have any particular bearing
upon the doctrines and beliefs OF Lat
ter-dey Saints, unless. indeed, eVolu-
ton should seem TO challenge the ia
therhood OF God in relation to the hu-
man race. or the brotherhood of man
as His children and as the objects or
His especial care. And this 1t cannot
do. For what Is the theory OF evolu-
ton but an attempt to explain the
method by which the work OF creation
was accomplished Whether God made
the worlds through a process OF evolu-
ton or through direct creative acts.
does not affect the fundamental truth
that they were organized by Him. The
evolutionists cannot get along without
God any more than the rest OF us, There
can be no evolution without an intelli-
gence setting IT in motion and directing
H. The only question. therefore. is
whether the facts Of nature, Of history,
Of experience. warrant the acceptance
OF tho evolutionary theory as the true
explanation OF the modus operandi OF
the creation.
In a posthumous paper in the Allan
tic Monthly, the writer we previously
mentioned as a reasoner on evolution,
explains that II was formerly held by
the empirical school that II we would
understand what n thing II. we must
sec what IL has come from. and we must
trace its earliest beginnings TO get It's
essential nature and meaning. When
this doctrine was applied 10 the higher
moral and spiritual conception of man.
AZ held to the claim that animal sensa-
lions. as being the earliest temporal
manifestation in human life, are the
raw material out OF which all else is
built. And then the conclusion was
drawn that religion Is essentially sub
Eliminated animaluism, and has no oc-
CASTOR 20 he proud of itself. and would
not be proud II II understood Its lowly
origin. But these good people" says
Professor Bovine. were the victims Of
picture thinking and mistaken physical
analogies. In the case Of any growing
thing, where there is a real evolution.
the true nature is never to be sought
at the beginning. but at the end Its
latest phases and products are the
truest revelation Of Its nature. Not
in the seed but in the full-grown tree
does the nature OF the tree find ade-
quate expression. The consideration
definitely sets aside all OF those sup
posed deductions Of the religious nature
from animal selhshness"
We could wish that those young SCI
entists In our midst who are troubled
about tho doctrine OF evolution, would
read Rovne's philosophy Of Theism,"
or his Metaphysics" or his Theory Of
Thought" These are books beyond
the grasp Of those unframed in logic;
hut they are probably the best contem-
norarv examples OF reasoning that
America has produced IN our day' We
do not indorse all that these essays inn
pIy. vet they serve to bring out In
clear relief and with a logic that is
irresistible. the error Of those who
have imagined that the acceptance even
in It's entirety. Of the doctrine Of evoiu-
ton would be destructive to the founda-
tons Of religion. That Il would
cause n revision Of many old creeds is
true; but that Is a process that has
been going on quite rapidly since the
Prophet Joseph was told that the re-
llgious creeds we're all wrong
The doctrine Of evolution with some
necessary limitations can be accepted, |
n IL shall be demonstrated to be true.
by the IAtter-day saints. and without |
any revision Of the creed Unfor-
tunately. however. as Prof. Bovine |
points out, in the present trend ~ evo-
lutionary and naturslistic thought. ma
ture is supposed 20 be the rival Of
God. The assumption is that nature
does a great many things and God /
does the rest. II there be any rest.