-by Brenda
When I was a freshman in college, I took Biology. I was in a class of at least 500 students and my professor, as part of the curriculum, had us memorize the skulls of every primate leading to the evolution of man. Our grade for the final depended on this knowledge. But the final was not the problem pressing on my mind. I was more concerned about the fact that my secular and religious studies seemed at odds.
What to do?
Even though I was only 18 years old, I had had many experiences previously where God had answered my prayers. I had all confidence that He would answer my prayers again. I truly believed that God would give me the answers to the universe. No problem.
So I knelt and prayed in my tiny little dorm room, next to my single bed which was lifted up onto cinder blocks for storage. I asked God if evolution was a true principle, and if He in fact did utilize evolution in the creation of man. Then I waited for an answer.
And I got one.
Guess what God told me?
That it was none of my business.
Apparently, the laws behind creating worlds without number are on a need to know basis, and as a freshman in college, I just didn’t need to know.
But what I did find out, was that God answers prayers. Even the far out, wild and fantastic ones. Sure, my answer wasn’t detailed or life altering. But it was an answer. I went on to get an A on that biology test. Well… really a C, but because the test was graded on curve, I ended up getting an A. Since that time I have forgotten the names and appearance of all of those ape skulls, but I haven’t forgotten the way I felt: close to God, full of faith, and loved.
——-
For more First Person essays, please click here.
I was reminded of this experience while reading a CNN newsroom blog regarding Mitt Romney. Several commenters disregarded his experience completely by commenting over and over. “How could anyone vote for someone who believes the earth is 6,000 only years old?”
Sometimes I read the comments associated with Mitt Romney’s name to see how our Church is being viewed by the blogging public. I felt that comment was an attack on LDS beliefs and not Mr. Romney’s politial platform. Which is why it rubbed me the wrong way.
I think there is plenty of space in our religion for us to be scientifically minded and have faith the God. I wanted to title this post By Intelligent Design as a play on words of a movement going on here in the United States as well as some other countries abroad. I feel that it is by Supremely Intelligent Design that there are still mysteries of the universe because that leaves room for us to seek God, to ask Him, the creator of the universe, questions like How? When? and Why?
It is quite possible, that at 18, my training and knowledge were insufficient for a technical answer. I was however, more than satisfied with the answer I got. As a result, I developed a pattern of turning to God with the tough questions from that time on.
Interesting post. Some things are definitely need to know…and we have to have the faith to accept what we don’t understand. Thanks for sharing your experience.
This is delightful. Do you know that Brigham Young, in his statement about science, which I should be able to quote here – but can’t find at the moment – in talking about the “age” of the planet – (could that be quite different than the age of the world?) that science may say one thing (which he respected profoundly) and popular religion another, but he didn’t know. He, himself, the prophet, didn’t know, and didn’t care. It didn’t matter.
And that’s always been my feeling about religion and science – I believe that God designed and built the universe, including our world and its environment and physics -= how he did it, and what tools he used? Who knows? Why does it matter? It’s fun and useful to explore the science of our physical systems; certainly it has changed the quality of our physical lives, mostly for the good. But it hasn’t changed the physical nature of man – to do war, to survive at all costs, to put survival above all things.
I believe evolution is a true principle of science – we see it around us in the world every day. There’s so much evidence that creatures have evolved since they were set her on this plant. But human beings (I don’t believe we are descended from apes, thanks – I mean, we and the apes share the planet at the present time and have very different concerns) have a job to do here beyond being part of the system. I think we are outside of the system; from the second we were self-aware, we’ve been interfering with every natural system there is.
Our business here is unique. Our power to save or destroy remarkable and also unique. That alone demands long and thoughtful consideration.