David H. Bailey, creationism, and the 1931 First Presidency
In his recent Mormon Organon article, David H. Bailey claims the Church's view on evolution was made clear by the 1931 First Presidency. Actually, there was no 1931 First Presidency statement on evolution. Bailey is quoting from an internal 3,200 word memo that was distributed by the First Presidency to general authorities in 1931. The subject of the memo was a proposed priesthood manual written by Elder B. H. Roberts of the Seventy. Despite its length, the 1931 memo doesn't even mention evolution and apparently has no problem with Roberts stating that "the claims of evolution ... are contrary to all experience so far as man's knowledge extends" or his claim that "each subdivision of life ... produces after its kind, whereas evolution in all its forms destroys that thought." For two and a half years, the Twelve had urged Roberts to rewrite the chapters on reconciling creation scripture with "geology, biology, archaeology, and anthropology" while Roberts insisted that scripture should be interpreted using science. The First Presidency concluded in the 1931 memo that further discussion of the manual would lead only to "confusion, division, and misunderstanding," therefore it could not be used by the Church. The intent of the 1931 memo is not what Bailey implies. He reads "Let scientists interpret scripture using science," but the memo actually says "Don't stretch the gospel to fit scientific views."