Mormonism and science/Determining truth

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Mormonism and the determination of truth

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• The compatibility of Mormonism and science
• The determination of truth through the "burning in the bosom"

The compatibility of Mormonism and science

Summary: Secular critics charge that Mormonism and science are incompatible, and that any Latter-day Saint who actually believes is "intellectually dishonest." In reality, however, Latter-day Saints in many ways have a more liberal view of science than some of their Christian brethren. We believe that God operates according to certain laws. If there are things that God can do which seem to contradict what we know through current science, we assume that there are scientific laws that are beyond our current understanding.

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• Question: Do Mormons believe that faith and scientific knowledge are incompatible?
• Henry Eyring: "Is there any conflict between science and religion? There is no conflict in the mind of God, but often there is conflict in the minds of men"
• Brigham Young (1871): "whether the Lord...made it in six days or in as many millions of years, is and will remain a matter of speculation in the minds of men"
• Question: Do Mormons believe that faith and science are mutually exclusive?
• Question: Do Mormons believe that if there is a conflict between science and religion, that the science is incorrect?
• Oaks: "We are supposed to learn by both reason and revelation, and that does not happen when we compartmentalize science and religion"

The determination of truth through the "burning in the bosom"

Summary: Critics are known to mockingly refer to the LDS imagery of a "burning in the bosom." While the phrase is used in the LDS community to express the intense feelings of receiving spiritual witnesses, some claim it is simply the result of an electro-chemical process that occurs in the brain.

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: Is a "burning in the bosom" simply a subjective, emotion-based, unreliable way to practice self-deception?
• Dallin H. Oaks (1997): "Surely, the word “burning” in this scripture signifies a feeling of comfort and serenity. That is the witness many receive. That is the way revelation works."
• Question: Why do critics of Mormonism who belong to other religions discount spiritual experiences?
• Dr. Wendy Ulrich (2005): "How do the goosebumps and tearfulness I experience when someone speaks in a testimony meeting differ from the goosebumps and tearfulness I experience when the 4:00 parade begins at Disneyland?"