---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - P. Joseph Jensen
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 33
number: 10
published: 1930-08
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: "P. Joseph Jensen, “Theology and Evolution: From the Historical Point of View,” *Improvement Era* 33, no. 10 (August 1930): 690–692."
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3310unse
  transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers.
  identifier: improvementera3310unse
start_page: 690
end_page: 692
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1930-08)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3310unse
  publication_year: 1930
  note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1930, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Theology and Evolution: From the Historical Point of View

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Theology and Evolution — - From the Historical Point o£ View By P. JOSEPH JENSEN Teacher of History in the L. D. S. College TO the student of history, Francis Bacon stands as a helpful contributor to the modern scientific movement. In advocating it he says, "All de- pends on keeping the eye steadily fixed upon the facts of nature, and ■so receiving their images simply as they are, for God forbid that we should give out a dream of our own imagination for a pattern of the world." The above quotation goes di- rectly to the foundation of learn- ing in the light of the external world and our psychical constitu- tion and nature. Results of this method, coupled with experimenta- tion, are numerous since the days of Bacon in the inventions which have improved means of communi- cation and transportation, for ex- ample. ^THIS scientific method applied to -*■ history means, as Wilhelm Ihue states it, that an event be- comes historical when it has a wit- ness or witnesses who are willing .and able to tell the truth and with some historians,* if the event is .classed as miraculous that fact is not against its being historical but •rather in its favor because witness- es who are willing and able to tell the truth would not imagine an event and record it as the truth. The consistency of the above test rings true. Historically Charles Lyell, The- odore Schwan, Herbert Spencer, Charles Darwin and Ernest Hasckel have been prominent contributors to the doctrine of evolution. OF these several men we select a few statements from Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin, for il- lustration. The former's main thought is that all the past changes of the earth can be explained by the forces now acting. This idea formed the basis of recent geology. That is, there is evidence of a uni- formity of change, first, in refer- ence to denudation and sediment- ary deposition; secondly, in refer- ence to the living creation; and thirdly, in reference to subter- ranean movements. This last in- cludes earthquakes and an insen- sible rising and subsiding of areas of the earth's surface determined by measurement. As a typical quotation from Ly- ell, we present the following; "It is true that in the solid framework of the globe we have a chronological chain of natural records, many links of which are wanting: but a careful consideration of all the phenomena leads to the opinion that the series was originally defective — that it has been rendered still more so by time — that a great part of what remains is inaccessible to man, and even of that fraction which is accessible nine-tenths or more are to this day unexplored." * * * "It may be necessary in the present state of science to supply some part of the as- sumed course of nature hypothetically, but if so, this must be done without any viola- tion of probability, and always consist- ently with the analogy of what is known both of the past and present economy of our system." ♦Arlington Show e. g. Stanford Uni- versity 1901-2. THE AUTHOR HTHE foregoing quotations make it clear that Lyell uses observa- tion and also imagination with which to make a tentative explana- tion. Now, one hundred years after the publication of the first edition of his Principles of Geol- ogy (1830) links are still want- ing and geological data as evidence for evolution is yet in the tenta- tive explanatory stage. For illus- tration, note the following: "Asia is the seat of the oldest civiliza- tions, many indications of which, though visible as sand drifted ruins, have outlived the vaguest traditions concerning their origins. Finally, the physical and climatic condi- tions of Asia in the Tertiary era were such as the scientist must pos- tulate in his imaginings of the modus operandi of human origin from his prehuman forebears, i. e. such as would enforce descent from the trees and terrestrial adapta- tion." (Richard Swann Lull, Professor of Vertebrate Paleontol- ogy, Yale University, in Evolu- tion of Man, Yale Univ. Press 1923.) Theology gives historical evi- dence of another power to be counted among geological forces, namely, the power of God, not in- cluded in the forces enumerated by Charles Lyell. A standard opinion concerning theology among some is stated by Professor R. Flint in the Encyclopaedia Britannica as follows: "Many speak of theol- ogy as a science of religion (instead of science of God) because they disbelieve that there is any knowl- edge of God to be attained." This attitude clearly ignores the historical mission of our Lord Je- sus Christ whom Matthew under- stood to be "Emmanuel; which, being interpreted is, God with us." (Matt. 1:23.) (~^UR Lord, in his trial for his ^ life before a representative of one of the greatest governments of

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The Improvement Era for August, 1930 691 ancient history, said to Pilate: "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." (John 18:37). A few months before this he told his apostles, "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall re- move." (Matt. 17:20). And within two years after so teach- ing his disciples in Palestine a the- ological historian of the American continent writes, e. g., "According to our record, and we know our record to be true, for it was a just man who did keep the record, . . . the city of Moroni did sink into the depths of the sea and the in- habitants thereof were drowned. And the earth was carried up upon the city of Moronihah, that in the place of the city there became a great mountain." (3 Nephi 8:9, 10). The subsiding and rising of these sections of the earth as quoted was effected by the power of God and the reason for so using the power as declared by his own voice is that "the inhabitants thereof have I buried up in the depths of the earth to hide their wickedness from before my face." (3 Nephi 9:8). CHARLES DARWIN'S idea, ^ barely stated is this: "Organ- isms multiply much faster than the means of subsistence; they natural- ly vary; those variations that are best fitted to the environment sur- vive." He "theoretically showed how evolution could be possible naturally among living organisms. It has changed the whole point of view of the biological sciences. It is probably the most dominant characteristic of the thought of the last century." A typical quotation from Dar- win's writings on Natural Selec- tion reads as follows: "Can it then be thought improbable, seeing that variations useful to man have un- doubtedly occurred, that other variations useful in some way to each being in the great and com- plex battle of life, should occur in the course of many successive generations? If such do occur can we doubt (remembering that many more individuals are born than can possibly survive) that individuals having any advantage however slight, over others, would have the best chance of surviving and of procreating their kind? On the other hand, we may feel sure that any variation in the least degree injurious would be rigidly de- stroyed. This preservation of fa- vorable individual differences and variations, and the destruction of those which are injurious, I have called Natural Selection, or the Survival of the Fittest." '"THESE words of Darwin show ■*■ us that he did not observe the building force of what he calls natural selection going on but only thought it might go on in that way. Now, after practically sev- enty-five years of efforts to discov- er that force what do scientists say? Let us note the following: "Evidences of the occurrence of natural selection for many characteristics are rapidly accumulating. That mortality is not random, but differential, and that the intensity of the selective death rate is a problem open to quantitative treatment, are propositions supported by large bodies of sound scientific evidence. Nevertheless, neither the complexity of the phenomena nor the difficulties of the collection or of the analysis of the data can be under- estimated. As yet, only the surface has been touched. The results are all subject to such revision as may be rendered nec- essary by wider data and narrower analyses. "The second of these is a question of interpretation. The demonstration of the existence of a selective death rate in a given case is by no means equivalent to proof that evolutionary change is taking place in the character under consideration. Natural selection may only maintain a characteristic at the stage already attained. Or the force of natural selection may be offset by that of some other factor. Or, again, the variations dealt with may be of a kind not inherited; and without in- heritance selection is powerless to effect any change. Indeed, first-hand experience in quantitative work on organic evolution must convince any one that the problem of the methods by which it has taken place is far more recondite than biologists have i^JOME people use their heads merely as an organ with which to have headaches. This is not the cast with the author of this article. P. Joseph Jensen loves truth and has been a seeker after it all his days. In addition he finds joy in impart- ing it to others and has been engaged in\ school work for thirty-six years, having taught one year in the public schools of Sevier County, two years in the Sevier Stake Academy, six years in the B. Y. U. training school and twenty-seven years in the L. D. S. College. He holds an A. B. degree from Stanford and in addition has taken courses at the University of California, Michigan State Normal, the B. Y. Academy and the U. of U. been wont to consider it. This great com- plexity demands an attitude of extreme caution in generalization. For the present, we must be content to attempt to measure one possibile factor after another in as wide a series of organisms as possible. Having done this, we may hope in time to form a fairly trustworthy conception of the resultant of these forces as they may be combined in nature." — J. Arthur Harris, The Popular Science Monthly 1914. Again, "Unfortunately our knowledge of the causes of evolution is not very complete, but the majority of biologists agree that inherited variations, or mutations, consti- tute the building materials of evolution, while natural selection, or the elimination of the unfit, is the workman or architect that selects or rejects these materials" * * * "Mutations are the fundamental and initial steps in evolution." "Regarding the causes of mutations we know very little, but it seems logically necessary to assume that these causes are both intrinsic in the germ-plasm and extrinsic in the environment; or, in the language of Darwin, although every vari- ation is either directly or indirectly caused by some change in the surrounding con- ditions we must never forget that the nature of the organization acted upon essentially governs the results." "Mutations probably occur in response to changes in the inner of outer environ- ment."* "T URNING now to the histori- ■*■ an's writings of the biological works of our Lord. Those records contain instances in which life was restored to the daughter of Jairus, the widow of Nain's son, and Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, re- spectively. While the death force as Dr. Harris points out is selective and may be measured, the power of our Lord is greater and gives evidence of controlling the death force. Furthermore, he said pro- phetically, "I have power to lay it (his life) down, and I have power to take it ur> again." (John 10:18). The fulfillment of this prophecy is historically recorded as taking place a few months after it was made and no scientist of our own day could be more care- ful than was Thomas when he suspended his acceptance of this so- called miraculous event until the sense of touch confirmed what the eyes of his fellow apostles had be- held and also confirmed through their senses of touch. In the event of the resurrection of our Lord is recorded the truth that the force *The Evolution of Man, Chapter VI. The Trend of Evolution. Edwin Grant Conklin, Professor of Biology, Princeton University, Yale University Press, New Haven 1923.

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692 The Improvement Era for August, 1930 we call death was made inoper- ative and he became immortal. A NOTHER phase in which his ^* power was manifest concern- ing life is recorded about a fig tree as follows: "When he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow in thee hence-for- ward forever. And presently the fig tree withered away." The instance of our Lord's giv- ing sight to the man born blind may in an analogous way at least be thought of as a variation from the normal. Through his power that "variation" was rectified and that delicate sense organ, the eye, was made to see. The dark complexion of our Indians, another "variation," so to speak, is historically explained as follows: About the year 600 B. C. Lehi and his colony left Je- rusalem. In the family of Lehi and Ishmsel were boys and girls who were white and fair. In the beginning of their journey it was foretold Nephi that the attitude of Laman and Lemuel towards the Lord, if they did not repent, would bring on them a sore curse. Be- cause of their rebellious course, (1 Nephi 2:23) by about 570 B. C. "the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them." (2 Nephi 5:21). HTO sum up the main points in - the foregoing, we direct atten- tion to the forces by which it is thought that evolution has taken place. Lyell thought that the forc- es at work in erosion, and depos- iting of sediment, subterranean movements, (rising and lowering) in different sections of the earth including the earthquake explain the past changes of the earth. And furthermore that the biological re- mains give evidence of the uni- formity of change. Theology adds another "geological power" and theological historians record chang- es in parts of the earth's surface by that power, namely the power of God, and that the changes had been made because of the wicked- ness of the people of the section of the country involved. Again Darwin thought that a force he called natural selection or survival of the fittest would ac- count for evolution in the biologi- cal world. He ignored the divine power as manifested through Jesus Christ in his control of death and in the hands of the Almighty, life forces. which underlie so-called forces of Theology, therefore, presents nature, while the evolutionist pre- observed facts which were results sents thoughts which have been from the use of forces and powers suggested from forces of nature. What Should Be Taught T WANT to say here that there -^ is a wave of unbelief sweeping over the land, and we can feel the effects of it among us. The lead- ing magazines or the popular mag- azines, are filled with ideas tend- ing to unbelief, scientific hypo- theses that are designed to destroy faith in the Bible, faith in the creation of the world, faith in the origin of man, and in the existence of God. Now these doctrines are being spread very insidiously. They are being taught in all the universities and colleges, speaking generally, of the land, with but few exceptions. There is a genera- tion growing up who do not be- lieve in the cardinal principles of the Bible taught by our fathers, before the Gospel in its fulness was revealed. These doctrines are be- ing undermined and it becomes the duty of the Latter-day Saints — it is the mission of the Latter-day Saints — to uphold these old truths and doctrines that have come down to us from God through the ages, to strengthen the faith of our chil- dren in them, and, so far as we can, to neutralize the effect of these false doctrines that are being taught. And our Sunday Schools are among the greatest agencies to be used for this purpose — the teaching of our children the prin- ciples of the Gospel, and counter- acting this dreadful unbelief and darkness that is spreading over the land. I feel that this is of great importance to us. I do not know of an organization today among any other people who are in the position we are, that are so well prepared to counteract these things, because we have the books and rec- ords that God has given. We have the Bible, but not that alone. They may indulge in their 'higher criti- cism,' and tell us that those whose names are attached to the various books of the Bible were not the authors of them; but we have something more sure than all their criticism. The Book of Mormon is of divine origin, divinely trans- lated by the gift and power of God, and we know it is pure. It was not translated by man's ability, hence we have a more sure word of prophesy, something to base our faith upon. We can call upon these testimonies because we know they are impregnable and cannot be destroyed. In addition to this we have the word of God — the Book of Covenants, that has come from the Lord to us. It is the word of God to us who live now. Therefore we have three witness- es. They may assail the Bible, as they do, and endeavor to prove that the writings attributed to dif- ferent men were not written by them. We leave that to them. They can do as they please with their learning; we will cling to the Bible because we know that what- ever errors there are are errors of uninspired men who have done the translating. But they must not, and they cannot, tread uoon other ground that we have. They have assailed the Book of Mormon from an outside standpoint, and claim that it was translated, or as they say, written by some one else than Joseph Smith. But we have dis- proved that, and the Book of Mor- mon comes to us pure, having been translated by divine power, and it contains incontrovertible internal evidence to those who read it and know anything about the power and spirit of God — it comes to them with internal evidence of its divinity, and they know it is true. Therefore we have this, besides which we have the Doctrine and Covenants, and these three wit- nesses enable us to occupy a differ- ent position from any other reli- gious denomination upon the face of the earth. "We should consider and teach our children all these things and fortify them against the pernicious doctrines being circulated and be- ing taught in the institutions of learning in the land, and fortify them so that they will not imbibe the errors which will pass away, for they are not true." — President George Q. Cannon, Salt Lake Tab- ernacle, October 3, 1897.