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Evolutionary Biology and Divine Creation?

Evolutionary Biology and Divine Creation?

Last updated on: February 13, 2026 at 4:18 pm by Dan Peterson

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Evolutionary Biology and Divine Creation? 2026-02-13T16:18:08-07:00 Dan Peterson

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The “key art” poster for our new “Becoming Brigham” mini-documentary

If you can endure nearly two hours and twenty minutes of, well, me, you might be able to discern some limited value in my recent interview with Stephen Jones on his Let’s Get Real podcast. And, while we’re at it, you might also find this worth hearing; it’s only a little less than seven minutes long: “Review for new Youtube Documentary: Becoming Brigham, from the Interpreter Foundation.”

In the meantime, all three of the currently available episodes of Becoming Brigham are available at becomingbrigham.com. A fourth will appear on Monday.

And you might also enjoy this: “President Hinckley’s encounter with Brigham Young that changed the Church Growth forever. (True Story and a Must Watch).” Truth in advertising: The headline is more than a little hyperbolic: Despite the series title “Wisdom from Beyond the Veil,” I don’t think that President Hinckley was actually speaking of a literal meeting with the postmortem Brigham Young. But the first minute or so of the video is interesting, showing as it does the great respect and veneration felt by the fifteenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for its second president. And it’s a bit funny. Moreover, the counsel that President Hinckley receives from President Young in the story does really sound Brighamesque to me.

DNA’s Double Helix (Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

Today being Friday, to the surprise of nobody at all (except perhaps that of the online pseudo-prophet Bond James Bond), a new review article was published today in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. It is “Epiphanies and Reasonings: Compatibility between Evolutionary Biology and Divine Creation,” written by David M. Belnap:

Review of Samuel T. Wilkinson, Purpose: What Evolution and Human Nature Imply About the Meaning of Our Existence (New York: Pegasus Books, 2024). 338 pages. $29.95 (hardback).

Abstract: Many believers in God are troubled by assertions that the theory of evolution means life on earth is accidental and has no purpose. Additionally, some people worry that the theory’s implied selfishness and “survival of the fittest” mantra have terrible implications for human society. Samuel T. Wilkinson’s book Purpose is a thoughtful addition to the literature corroborating compatibility between creation by God and the theory of evolution. Evolution has a random component, but the critical selection step is non-random. Moreover, the process is iterative. As evidence for non-randomness, Wilkinson cites convergent evolution (where similar traits emerged in divergent organisms). Numerous examples suggest that natural selection has limited choices, not infinite or random possibilities as was once thought. Wilkinson discusses how human behavior and evolution imply that life has purpose. These purposes are compatible with teachings embraced by diverse believers in God. Behavioral studies strongly suggest human beings evolved to have both good and evil natures and to have ultimate happiness in loving family relationships. Such relationships build good lives and societies. Facilitating all of this, natural selection appears to occur at individual, kin, and group levels. When combined with the observation that we can freely choose, our dual nature suggests that this life is a test. For Wilkinson and others, [Page 34]harmony between faith in God and evolutionary theory came through epiphanies and by reasoning. These experiences increased their faith in God. Amid difficulties, persisting with faith is rewarded.

This photograph of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on 5 December 2025 was rendered obsolete by Jeffrey R. Holland’s death on 27 December. Front row, left to right: the late President Jeffrey R. Holland, the current President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Elder David A. Bednar, Elder Quentin L. Cook and Elder Neil L. Andersen. Back row, left to right: Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Elder Dale G. Renlund, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, Elder Ulisses Soares, Elder Patrick Kearon and Elder Gérald Caussé. Expect, soon, to see an updated photograph of the Quorum that will include Elder Clark G. Gilbert.

“Elder Clark G. Gilbert Is Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.” I first met Elder Gilbert when he was the president of the Deseret News. He is, among other things, a person of tremendous capability, enthusiasm, and vision. (I won’t forget that first meeting.) I like his past background in Asia (Japanese mission, Stanford M.A. in Asian studies) and I love his involvement with BYU-Pathway.

I can’t say that I expected his call but, reflecting on it, I’m not surprised and I’m happy. Over at the Peterson Obsession Board, he and I (!) are being attacked principally because he’s not Black. His call to the apostleship is supposedly proof that Latter-day Saints are white supremacists. If he were Black, though, they would attack him (and somehow me, as well) for some other reason. Already, they’re criticizing him for his servility and corruption and dishonesty and, umm, commitment to orthodoxy. What wonderful lives they lead!

Here’s a response to Elder Gilbert’s appointment from Greg Matsen, on the Cwic Show — for which I myself was recently interviewed: “Elder Gilbert Called And It’s Already Political.”

Alonso Sánchez Coello (1531-1588), who often chronicles my humble daily meals, kindly prepared this sketch of one of my typical informal lunches for use on this blog. (Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

My wife and I took our friend Lou Midgley out to dinner last night, Thursday night. (Alas, yes, that strongly suggests that I ate yet again.) Lou is ninety-four years old, and he is sometimes asking why he’s still here. A completely unexpected out-of-body experience a few months ago continues to fill him with wonder and astonishment.

Speaking of which, my attention was called a few days ago to a pair of articles that were published in 2023 in, of all places, Business Insider. You might perhaps find them worthwhile:

As I write, I’m just back from the awards luncheon — where, once more and to my everlasting shame, I ate some food — that is connected with the annual BYU Religious Education Student Symposium. The awards program and lunch were held in the Garden Court of the Wilkinson Student Center. I was there representing the Interpreter Foundation, and I directed a few invited postprandial remarks to the assembled students and faculty. Please note that no Interpreter Funds went toward paying for either my lunch or the gas that I used to attend the luncheon.

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