Q: Does acceptance of evolution lead to a loss of faith, religious skepticism, an inclination to sin, or the adoption of immoral behavior?

A: The answer is no. Though it is common for sinners and skeptics to find reasons to explain or excuse their behavior, it is incorrect to view evolution as a pathway leading to immorality. There are thousands of faithful, active Latter-day Saints who accept evolution as a true principle.

In the pages above we have argued that evolutionary biology is not atheistic; there are no scientific data suggesting the absence of God, and no theoretical considerations excluding deity from the processes which generated living things. Likewise, the fundamental religious doctrines of the fall of man and redemption through the atonement of the Savior flow from our faith in man as the literal spirit offspring of God, and are not jeopardized by the evolutionary model for the generation of the physical components of life. If one accepts these premises, there is among evolutionary ideas no justification for abandoning religious faith no one's code of moral conduct.

Nevertheless there is a strong sentiment among some members of the Church to the contrary. "I cannot effectively answer the evolutionist on scientific ground . . . but I can see [that] evolutionary theory . . . is capable of eroding men's faith because it undercuts what God has revealed about the doctrine of Christ. . . . Although theistic evolution may be a compromise in an attempt to harmonize a belief in God with the claims of a scientific world, and may be comforting to some, such a position is . . . an unconscionable courtship, a shotgun marriage, a type of unlawful doctrinal cohabitation . . ." (10) Notice that this unfortunate attitude withdraws from an assessment of the scientific evidence, and resorts to the metaphor of adultery to discredit evolutionary ideas and suggest their potential harmful consequences.

I believe that, instead of providing a basis or stimulus for sinful behavior, evolution is supportive of faith to those who have a spiritual foundation for faith. A person cannot find in evolution a reason to cease activity in the Church nor disclaim its teachings, thus "Apostates will be punished for their own sins and not for Darwin's transgression." There is a quite serious point to be made here. A testimony of the truth of religious principles, particularly of the divinity of Jesus Christ, comes through the witness of the Holy Ghost. "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost" (I Cor. 12:3). This being true, how does one explain that there are individuals who cannot say that of Jesus, or who may say that He is not the Christ? The answer to this question, and a corollary to the scripture, is that the witness of the Holy Ghost is lacking; it is the absence of that testimony, not the presence of some competing idea with the alleged power to overcome faith.

Consider the following personal expressions by two university students written at the conclusion of their study of evolutionary biology:

"I have, for the most part, resolved the conflict I had with evolution and my religious beliefs. I believe God could and may have used evolutionary means to develop the organisms on the earth. I do not believe He would make the earth appear in a "zap", but rather would use scientific devices. The same goes for the organisms he created. I believe the evidence for the evolution of other creatures is valid and do not believe He would change His method to make man. The thing He did differently is to give man a soul and the ability to use free agency in order to return back to Him."

"I find the theory of evolution to be a beautiful explanation of the creative process. The idea that the organisms here on the earth, including man, have evolved from "lower forms" and are genetically related, is to me a remarkable concept - a concept that increases my belief in a Supreme Being who has governed this wonderful process. Indeed, I feel there need be no conflict between the theory of evolution and LDS theology."

Thousands of active, faithful Latter-day Saints find the evidence validating evolution to be compelling, accept it as a true principle, and view it as a support and confirmation for their religious commitment.