---
title: "Mormon views on evolution"
chunk: 8/8
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_views_on_evolution"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:31:57.700246+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

== Academic ==
The earliest instance in which science and evolution were used to support LDS doctrine occurred in a series of six published articles in 1895, "Theosophy and Mormonism" by Nels L. Nelson. These articles were published in 1904 in Scientific Aspects of Mormonism. Nelson used the ideas of evolution to consider the spiritual and physical development of God and humans. Nelson's view of evolution is spiritual with deliberate use of scientific processes by God rather than as a random, accidental process. Mormon philosopher William Henry Chamberlin's Essay on Nature (1915) and Frederick J. Pack's Science and Belief in God (1924) defended the theory of evolution; both attempted to reconcile religion and evolution. In a work, Pack states, "no warfare exists between 'Mormonism' and true science."
In 1978, dean of the College of Biology and Agriculture at BYU, A. Lester Allen, tried to present an approach to evolution from the perspective of an LDS biologist. Allen established seven doctrinal landmarks that are fundamental beliefs of the LDS Church, but considered that human's limited perspective and limited perception of reality means that humans may not very well understand the circumstances surrounding the creation of Adam and Eve and the existence of the Garden of Eden using only their mortal senses. Allen also stated that besides core doctrine of the LDS Church relating to the existence of Adam, Eve, and the Garden of Eden, all hypotheses are fair game for "responsible scientists" to consider and investigate. In 2018, BYU professor and evolutionary biologist Steven L. Peck at a Mormon studies conference at Utah Valley University explained that Mormons believe in "eternal progression" and that the universe was organized from pre-existing matter, which are ideas also held by evolutionary biologists.

== Views in the early 2000s ==
There is an ongoing discussion and questioning among members of the LDS Church concerning the religion, evolution, and the reconciliation between the two. There are a number of current Mormon-related publications with articles on evolution. According to scholar Michael R. Ash, a great number of church members read the Ensign, which generally publishes articles with unfavorable views on evolution. Other publications like BYU Studies, FARMS Review of Books, Dialogue, and Sunstone have published pro-evolution or neutral articles. The official stance of the church on evolution is neutral. Though scholar Joseph Baker argues that the church's position is rather "skeptically neutral", because the church continues to endorse their 1910 statement. There are many church members, including scientists, who accept evolution as a legitimate scientific theory.

== Surveys of LDS members ==
Multiple surveys of views on evolution by general LDS adults have been conducted. For example, in 1973, 81% of students at the church-run university BYU denied that the creation involved evolution in a survey of over 1,000 respondents. In a 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study, researchers found that 52% of Mormons believe that humans always existed in their present form while 42% believe that humans evolved over time. More specifically, 29% of Mormons believe that evolution is guided by a supreme being, while 11% believe the evolution occurred due to natural processes.
A 2017 study, the Next Mormons Survey, professor Benjamin Knoll surveyed Mormons about their beliefs in evolution. Of those surveyed, 74% responded that they were confident or had faith that God created Adam and Eve in the last 10,000 years and that Adam and Eve did not evolve from other forms of life. When asked whether evolution is the best explanation for how God brought about life on Earth, 33% of Mormons were confident or had faith that this was not true. After analyzing the results Knoll suggested that 37% of Mormons completely reject God-guided evolution. Another 37% accept God-guided evolution for life on Earth, but feel that Adam and Eve were an exception and were physically created by God. The other 26% were split between the belief that Adam and Eve may have been created through the process of evolution and the disbelief in God-guided evolution and the existence of a physical Adam and Eve. Moreover, unlike other studies conducted which have found a correlation between education level and belief in evolution, Next Mormons Survey found no correlation between education level and belief in evolution among Mormons.
In contrast, a 2018 study of American Mormons in the Journal of Contemporary Religion found that education was a defining factor of evolution acceptance. This is, however, only true when accounting for political ideology as well. The study determined that among those with moderate or liberal political ideology, the probability of accepting evolution increases with increasing education level. The correlation between evolution acceptance and education level was even higher among liberals. The probability of accepting evolution among very liberal Mormons with an 8th grade or less education was 9%, while the probability of accepting evolution among very liberal Mormons with a post-graduate degree increases to 82%. The findings were different from conservative Mormons who showed a decrease in probability of accepting evolution as their education level increased. A very conservative Mormon with an 8th grade education or less had a 35% probability of accepting evolution, whereas a very conservative Mormon with a post-graduate degree was 20% likely to accept evolution. Baker suggests that low rates of acceptance of evolution of Mormons may be related to the high rates of political conservatism among Mormons.
A 2018 study in PLOS One researched the attitudes toward evolution of Latter-day Saint undergraduates. The study revealed that there has been a recent shift of attitude towards evolution among LDS undergraduates. These attitudes have shifted from antagonistic to accepting. The researchers cited examples of more acceptance of fossil and geological records, as well as an acceptance of the old age of the earth. The researchers attributed this attitude change to several factors including primary-school exposure to evolution and a reduction in the number of anti-evolution statements from the First Presidency.

== See also ==

== Notes ==

== References ==

== Further reading ==
Bailey, David H. (Winter 2002), "Mormonism and the New Creationism" (PDF), Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, 35 (4): 53–73, doi:10.2307/45226894, JSTOR 45226894, S2CID 184128546.
Jeffrey, Duane E.; Norman, Keith E. (Winter 2002), "Thoughts on Mormonism, Evolution, and Brigham Young University" (PDF), Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, 35 (4): 15–32