Amy Elisabeth Johnson and Dr. Alan Parrish, Religion
John A. Widtsoe, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who later became an apostle, was also one of the most renowned and respected scientists of his day. During the turn of the century and the early twentieth century, his work in scientific fields and his contributions to the church were amazing. This research project studied his opinion of evolution and how he developed that opinion by studying both his published and unpublished works and investigating the classes, teachings, professors, and other influences on his thought.
When John A. Widtsoe studied at Harvard, from 1890-1894, the theory of evolution was widely accepted and taught in the scientific world. John A. Widtsoe, a Mormon boy from Utah, was a brilliant scholar and scientist. His classes at Harvard naturally exposed him to the theory of evolution. He wrote later in life that in “the time of my college life… a man’s descent from the slum of primeval days was looked upon as an incontrovertible fact.”
Those Harvard years were a formative time for John A. Widtsoe in terms of his religion and his scholastic discipline. Widtsoe describes those years as a time of religious battles within himself. One of his greatest influences, whom he identifies in his autobiography, was his professor Josiah Parsons Cooke. Cooke, a religious man, believed that science and religion do not need to conflict and that all of nature is God’s speech. Widtsoe writes, “I must confess that in finding my way to spiritual truth, Dr. Cooke’s steady certainty of the preeminence of religion was a great help.” During his time at Harvard Widtsoe first learned to reconcile his religious beliefs with his scientific studies.
Widtsoe came to the conclusion that all pure truth, including science, is part of the gospel, and that the objective of both science and the gospel is to possess all truth. The gospel, however, is more inclusive than the sciences because it has more tools, such as spiritual gifts, to use in the search for truth. Widtsoe writes to Dr. Francis W. Kirkham, “I cannot find any lack of harmony between science and religion. Religion is the greater, the parent; science is the lesser, the child, perhaps. Truth is the end of the search whether in religion or science. How can there be any controversy between them?”
Widtsoe repeatedly distinguishes in both private letters and public lectures between fact and inference, particularly as this distinction affects the theory of evolution. Scientific theories are inferences drawn from a few facts, and therefore not infallible. The law of evolution is a fact: all living organisms are subject to change. and the theory of evolution. Widtsoe writes that under the law of evolution, man will eventually develop in intellect, understanding, and so forth until he becomes a god. In this respect, Widtsoe often calls Mormons the foremost evolutionists on earth. The theory of evolution, on the other hand, he calls an inference, merely man’s attempt to explain the changes they see in organisms. While the law does not change, the theory is constantly under revision as new facts appear.
Widtsoe found many forums to express his views regarding the relationship between science and religion. His personal letters and articles for church publications are crowded with discussions and thoughts on this relationship, especially pertaining to the age of the earth, the theory and law of evolution, the existence of pre-Adamites, and other questions that devoted Saints and modern scholars had to reconcile. Widtsoe’s love of and dedication to science, research, and secular knowledge did not interfere with his devotion to the Lord. He understood that his academic pursuits were important, relevant, and necessary but that the truths of science were not the saving truths of the gospel, that the gospel encompasses all truth. He was able to share this insight with many others during his life.
Because of Widtsoe’s special position as an apostle of the Lord and an internationally known scientist, he was able to serve the church in unique ways. He helped write the church’s statement on evolution. He wrote numerous articles for church magazines, handbooks, and books that discussed science and religion. His training in the sciences and in the gospel prepared him to serve the Lord and build the kingdom of Zion in special ways.