Science and Scriptures

Upon reflection, we have to recognize there is a great deal of fiction in the scriptures and religious teachings. Yet, it is there for a reason. For example, what do you think about historical fiction of scriptural stories? Like many, I have watched all available episodes of The Chosen, a TV series that follows the ministry of the Savior. Historical fiction of the scriptures is not only entertaining but educational. We find fiction in… church art. Some fiction was added to the scriptures by… forgers. Jesus taught in parables. In summary, we need to recognize how fiction can bring the Gospel to life and give us perspectives we couldn’t find elsewhere.

Over the years, I have struggled with how to understand and explain what the spiritual dimension might be like. Until now, I had never found a good metaphor for understanding it. So, I am going to try to explain it – using geometrical figures and a book written in the 1800s called Flatland.

This fall, I have a new book coming out, published by Cedar Fort, entitled "Be Ye Wise as Serpents". In Matthew 10:16, Jesus was sending His apostles out on missions. He warned, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” The point of my book, as you might conclude from the title, is that we need to be more serpent-like in dealing with today’s world. This podcast is not meant to be a commercial for the book. However, I had an insight the other day that I wish to share. I really wish I’d thought of this earlier so it could’ve been included in the book. So, please let me give you a quick preview of the book – and a new example of why we need to be both doves and serpents to understand the Gospel.

Church members can be confused at what they should have faith in. Indeed, the word “faith” is misused often in our teachings. Having faith in something true or having a belief in a fantasy often look much alike, so I thought it time to review the difference. We review the Savior's healing of the crippled man in the pool of Bethesda. The man had a belief that the waters would heal him, when he should have had faith that Jesus Christ would do so. We need to put away the childish ways of believing in unproven claims, and be willing to experiment on the seed of the Gospel - and other aspects of our lives.

There are so many fictional stories of power, that stories about true power are often lost in the shuffle. It seems that many fables and movies about magical power have made mankind skeptical when we hear accounts of people who have actual power. Jesus Christ performed a number of miracles in Judea – mainly designed to get residents to listen to His teachings. He demonstrated a wide range of power, converting water into wine, making fish and bread for multitudes, and then healing cripples and lepers. Then He demonstrated the ultimate power - power over death. You’d think everyone would be so desirous of the opportunity to overcome death that churches would be packed every Sunday.

I borrow this episode’s title from Gordon B. Hinckley’s book, Standing for Something. As Pres. Hinckley puts it, "Civility covers a host of matters in how one human being relates to another with basic human kindness and goodness. Civility requires us to restrain and control ourselves, and at the same time to act with respect towards others.”

We see less civility on the roads. Profanity, certainly a mark of incivility, is increasing at alarming rates. People allowing themselves to be triggered shows a lack of self-restraint and civility towards others. We are taught to be Christ-like, but that is a confusing word. Christ was too multifaceted a person to describe Him with a single word. I suggest we seek after being civil to others. It is a high bar, but an attainable one.

In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow developed a Theory of Human Motivation which came to be called Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow’s list of human needs is often depicted as a pyramid, since you must fulfill the lower, most basic needs first and only then proceed to higher needs. You will note that, after the first two physical needs of food, drink, sleep, and shelter, needs # 3, 4, and 5 all deal with feeling good about yourself. With #3, you want to be accepted into a group. In #4, you want to feel that you are recognized by your peers and in #5, you want to feel you have self-actualized, or made a difference in the world. That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself by the way. We live in a world of over 8 billion people. We live in a day when mental discipline is in short supply. As individuals, we need to examine how Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs affects our lives. We need to realize that our vanities, feeling victimized, or refusing to apologize due to pride are the natural tendencies of our minds. Your brain never wants to admit it was wrong. Like the prodigal’s son, we must frequently “come to ourselves” to realize where we went wrong, recognize our true friends, and try to make amends.

We members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints often think we know what to expect in the Final Judgment. Each Sunday, we review commandments and why we should obey them. However, if we never link a behavior with a commandment that forbids it, we generally believe the behavior should be okay, shouldn’t it? Actually, there are many ways that conclusion is wrong. We do many little things that, with some thought, are pretty awful. Let me give you an example of such a behavior – running red lights.

Let’s follow a fictional man named… Brother Hurry. Brother Hurry drives through red lights regularly. Really, he thinks, what’s the worst that could happen? The worst thing that could happen is that one of the times Brother Hurry runs a red light, a minivan with a young mother and her three young children are approaching the same intersection as Brother Hurry from the crossing street. Exhausted from a long day of family activities, the young mom is grateful that the stoplight she is approaching turns green just before she enters the intersection. Without needing to brake, she continues into the intersection – and her minivan is T-boned by Brother Hurry’s speeding F-350 pickup truck.

Brother Hurry was willing to endanger the lives of innocent strangers, just so he could take a minute or two off his commute. With that attitude, do you think that Brother Hurry should be allowed into the celestial kingdom?

In 1930, President Heber J. Grant announced that the church was neutral in regards to evolution. Church members have been arguing ever since that statement as to what the Church really feels about evolution. In my discussions, I have come to conclude that many members reject evolution because they think that the Church rejects evolution. I propose that this conclusion is wrong. I don’t want to try to guess what church leaders really believe, Yet… I would like to venture a conclusion about what the Church organization believes.

I received an email from the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum on BYU Campus. The subject was "Celebrating 50 Years of Evolution at BYU". BYU has taught evolutionary biology for 50 years now, meaning it has spent millions of dollars on the program. It has taught evolution to more than 7500 undergraduates. It has accepted $25 million in outside funding. This is a significant investment. If church leadership did not believe in evolution but has still allowed it to be taught at BYU, it would truly be a rather devious deception. The Creation story you believe even affects your perception of God. A creation that took either six days or four billion years describe two completely different Gods.

We like to think that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is guided only by Jesus Christ. Regarding Gospel doctrine, that is true. Yet, out of necessity, the Church is also guided by society and culture. This has gotten more difficult as the Church has become a worldwide Church. Separating Church doctrine from cultural tradition is often more than difficult. Let’s look at some cultural traditions with which we are familiar and work our way forward. Discussion ensues about neckties, beards, tattoos, piercings, and rock bands in church services.