Evolution and God

Evolution and God

Evolution is often used in an effort to try and disprove the existence of God. I often feel that doing so is like trying to prove that the sun doesn't exist because of one theory or another, when the sun continues to blatantly shine.

God exists. I know he exists. Personally, I know this because he answers my prayers. The scriptures explain that he reveals himself to those who honestly seek him, sometimes in person, but more often through the Holy Ghost:

"Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Doctrine and Covenant 88:63

I once saw a post where someone tried to refute that God answer's prayers. In his post he prayed "God, if you exist, appear to me right now!" and again "God, if you exist, give me a million dollars!" and then he went on to say that God doesn't answer prayers. If this petition were to me, and assuming I had the ability to both appear to that individual, and give him a million dollars, I wouldn't do either as well. Does this mean that I don't exist? I feel there is very poor logic in that author's comments.

But God does answer prayers. He certainly has answered mine, but I think it's important to have a correct understanding of who God is, if one is hoping to get answers. If a person were to label a rock with the name of deity, and pray to it, nothing would happen. Likewise if a person, like the author I mentioned above, thinks that God is an all powerful being who is somehow also desperate and willing to do anything for our attention and approval, that simply isn't the reality of God and, again, I'm not surprised if they don't get results.

Evolution and God

How does evolution fit, knowing that God exists?

To directly answer the question: I personally don't have enough information to say whether or not God created life on this world from simple organisms that he simply left to evolve into complex ones, or if he used a different method.

The prophet Alma explained that "all things denote there is a God," (Alma 30:44) which I would assume would include evolution.

Recently I was watching a presentation by a scientist who had spent many years searching for dinosaur DNA that he could use to genetically clone a dinosaur. At length he gave up, but realized that birds, being the long time descendants of dinosaurs, do have that DNA, but that over time the genes of their dinosaur parents had ultimately been repressed. The rest of his presentation talked about targeting the right genes to begin re-expressing the dinosaur traits.

I found it interesting that using the machinery that exists in our own bodies, we are learning to create different creatures by flipping the right genetic switches.

If we are capable of doing this, then what is God capable of?

Along this train of thought, there is a possibility to reality that I don't think some people may have taken into consideration:

Consider the following: Pretend you are born in a room without windows but there is a light. The light never goes off in the room because no one ever turns it off. You yourself are unaware that the light can even be turned off. As you grow you begin to gain confidence in your surroundings. You can recognize every object in the room and begin to feel good about your knowledge and mastery of all things that you are aware exist. Then one day, someone turns the light out.

It is the singular most scary event that has ever happened to you. Your world, not to mention your perception of reality, have just been rocked.

I mention this to bring up the concept that God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours. There could very possibly be natural laws, which God works by, that we don't even comprehend but that could turn the lights out on everything we have confidence in.

Is there any evidence that such laws could exist? The following isn't evidence, but just for example: Everything we know about the universe relies strongly on the law of gravity being in effect. This is a law that we know exists, but we still don't know how it exists, we just know that it does and we can observe the effect it has.

In scripture, there have been several instances where celestial beings have apparently not been affected by this law. If this same effect were suddenly applied to the universe as a whole, and gravity were to suddenly no longer be in effect, I imagine the impact it would have on our perceptions would be very similar to having the lights turned out in the room.

So I don't rule out the possibility that God just might have used laws that are greater than our understanding when it comes to the creation.

Evolution

In closing, I still think the study of evolution is important. I have found that because of our similarities with other living beings there is a lot that can be learned about the natural man that is useful in our learning to control it.

Having What You Want

Having What You Want:

Recently I read a quote on a friend's Facebook wall, it read "It's not having what you like, but liking what you have." and I interchange 'like' with 'want.'

I used to feel a lot of conflict with quotes like this one, because there are some things that I want, and in the past I would feel guilty for wanting them.

However I don't argue with the statement "liking what you have." I love the things that I have!

But I am concerned with the statement "not having what you like." I have seen a lot of people live in self inflicted poverty over it. I think it goes hand in hand with the view that riches are a barrier to Eternal Life, in contrast to the view that riches could be, but don't have to be, a barrier.

With that said, I don't think that anyone would hesitate to say that their are some things in life that a person might want that could be potentially harmful to them. In these cases, I would venture, their wants are based on an illusion of good, and if fully understood, would no longer be wants. For example:

A baby might see a brightly colored yellow and black bug that we know to be a Bee, and the baby might want to touch it. At this point, the baby is assuming that it is living in a reality where Bee's don't sting, but through experience it would quickly learn the truth. At this point, I wouldn't expect a baby to want the yellow and black bug any longer.

In contrast, if a baby sees a favorite toy on the other side of the room, a toy that the baby knows it can trust and has several positive experiences with in the past, I say, go have that thing that you want! The baby would then crawl across the room and be rewarded with yet another great experience with the toy.

So in summary, and in my opinion, having what one wants is actually a good thing and should be sought after as long as the want is rooted firmly in reality.

Why Bad Things Happen

Why Bad Things Happen

Recently I was talking to a friend who described to me the curious effects tornados can have. Being from the midwest she had a lot more exposure to tornado disasters than myself, and she explained how at times a tornado will touch down and utterly destroy a house while leaving the neighboring houses untouched. She then mentioned that due to the utter bias of these natural disasters, it's not hard to wonder if God had intended the event to teach someone a permanent lesson.

I don't think it is uncommon for people to try and find out why things happen. For those who have gained a knowledge that God lives, and with the understanding that God does in fact have power over the elements, it is also not uncommon to then ask if not "Why did God cause this to happen?" then at least "Why did God let this happen?" Knowing that since God has the power, he could have prevented it.

So why does God let bad things happen?

I had been considering this a little while back, and at the time though I didn't have a fully satisfying answer, I knew that God loves us. The next step was to figure out how the letting bad things happen as well as His loving us fit together.

One conclusion I came to is as follows: Knowing that part of the purpose of our existence here on Earth is to learn from our own experiences, in order for any real learning to be done here there would have to be real consequences for all of our actions. This means that if I make a bad choice, bad things would follow. This also means that if I made a bad choice that involved other people they would experience the bad consequences of my actions whether they deserved it or not.

So a large sum of our purpose here on earth is to experience what it is like to live with imperfect people in an imperfect system. By doing so we can then honestly appreciate a perfect system like the one God lives in. Living in an imperfect system means that we not only are going to have to suffer the consequences of other people's bad choices, but we will also have to suffer the consequences of an imperfect world, including the occasional tornado.

In the end I can almost see a loving God saying, "For the next so many years you will be living in an imperfect world so you can get a taste for what it is like. It's important that you understand the full cause and effect of your actions so my intervention will be very minimal. Other people will be learning similar lessons so at times you will suffer the consequences of their actions. But don't worry, once you've come to understand the consequences of your actions I will be there to help you. You won't have to suffer the full consequences, it's just important that you understand them."

Providers and Consumers

Providers and Consumers: The Abundant and Scarce Lifestyles

From my experience there are two general lifestyles that people adopt:

Providers: Those that provide more than they consume.

Consumers: Those that consume more than they provide.

Note: Providers do actually consume, and Consumers can actually provide, it is the net result that is important.

The Net Result:

As one could predict, consuming less than one produces creates an abundance, while consuming more than one produces creates scarcity.

The Abundant Lifestyle: Abundance feels great! It's great to know that one has enough and to spare. Having what one needs is nice, but having what one needs and wants is nicer.

The Scarcity Lifestyle: Scarcity is horrible. Living from day to day worrying that any minute one might be deprived of all they have is a terrible feeling.

and lastly...

The Start Doesn't Matter

Whether a person is starting with nothing, or even with debt, there is still nothing quite like that feeling of coming out with more than before.

Squirrel in Tree

I found this in my front yard this morning...

Small and Simple Things

Small and Simple Things

Alma 37:6

6Now ye may suppose that this is ^afoolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by ^bsmall and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

I have found that while the small and simple things can be easy in and of themselves, putting them to use to do great things can be very difficult. For example, playing a note on a piano might be considered small, simple, and easy. However, while playing Bach like a concert pianist is still composed of small and simple things, many would consider it quite a challenge.

Great things can be difficult to do.

It appears that by mastering small and simple things, executing them with more speed, accuracy, and confidence, great things can take shape.

Near Clinton

I took this picture on my drive home from work one day.

Hoops

Hoops

Today we taught Toby how to jump through hoops.

For those trying to learn how to jump through high hoops, start jumping through low hoops until one's confidence is strong enough to jump through higher hoops. Then jump through high hoops.

Religion and Politics

Religion and Politics

Today I responded to a friend's Facebook status. His post referenced instruction given in the recent General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some of his friends didn't respond very favorably to his comment because of the Church's involvement in Proposition 8.

This lead me to this question: What is the role of religion in politics?

This is what I think:

First, I believe many have a biased opinion of religion, using the term in reference to people who believe in God. I would, however, agree with the definition that defines it as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe.

This means that every intelligent person has a religion. If a person doesn't believe in God then that is their religion, or belief concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe: that it wasn't God. And likewise a person that does believe in God has their religion.

So what role do these beliefs have in politics?

According to my understanding of society, any society is created by individuals who have agreed to live by certain standards (laws) in order to obtain the benefit that comes from living together. If one group of people in the society believed that eating other people was acceptable, chances are that those who did not find this acceptable would break away from that society.

In a similar way one's religion (beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe) affect what a person esteems to be acceptable in society. This in turn affects what standards people agree to live to. The process of agreeing on standards that a society will live by (Politics) is directly influenced by the collective beliefs of the society (Religion).

Or in other words: politics is the result of a societies beliefs, including religion.

If two religions are at conflict in politics, either one will give way to the other, or the religions will separate from the society.

The Secret to a Happy Life

The Secret to a Happy Life

I've been alive 25 years now, and this is what I've learned:

The Secret to Living a Happy Life:

Find the happiest person you know, and do what they do.

God is the happiest person I know.

The Secret to Living Like God:

Do everything you can to figure it out.

Then ask Him.