Thanks to Ann for pointing out this interesting site on evolution, Religious Responses to Evolution. It was done by a university biology professor and is an objective and fair compilation of denominational positions on evolution. He sounds like a compassionate biologist who is just trying to spell out the denominational positions on evolution, rather than a fire-spitting Dawkins type. There's considerably more variety to the denominational positions than one would guess from media stereotyping of the "religion versus science" issue.
The LDS Church was put in the "neutral or ambivalent to evolution" group, avoiding both the "critical of evolution" and the "more or less open to evolution" labels. Hiding in the middle of the spectrum on contentious issues is sometimes sound strategy, but here it results from being all over the map rather than from aiming for the middle. Here's a selection from the LDS summary:
The official statements are generally neutral. However the full range of views are represented in unofficial statements from Church leaders and members. Some Church leaders have been highly critical of evolution. However, articles more or less open to evolution have appeared in official church magazines . . . .Church president David O. McKay wrote in 1957 that, "on the subject of organic evolution, the Church has officially taken no position."
There were two recent and detailed discussions of the LDS position on evolution at Mormon Metaphysics, Evolution, and Evolution Again. For more official statements, go look up the evolution quotes at All About Mormons (great site, tough to navigate but worth the effort: go to Doctrines of the Gospel, then The Creation, then Evolution).
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