An Update to My Faith Crisis
In April 2015, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, gave a talk in General Conference titled Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet. In his talk, Holland talks about The Fall and Adam and Eve as literal, historical events that are essential for the need of an atonement. He says:
”Nevertheless, the simple truth is that we cannot fully comprehend the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ and we will not adequately appreciate the unique purpose of His birth or His death—in other words, there is no way to truly celebrate Christmas or Easter—without understanding that there was an actual Adam and Eve who fell from an actual Eden, with all the consequences that fall carried with it.”
There are other cases of Prophets stating similar opinions:
“If evolution is true, the church is false since if life began on Earth as advocated by Darwin … then the doctrines of the church are false. No Adam, no fall; no fall, no atonement; no atonement, no savior.”
— Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:143
However, YouTube channels like Keystone and apologists such as Ben Spackman attempt to reconcile statements made by church leaders regarding the creation in the Book of Genesis with theories of human evolution by suggesting that the creation story is most likely a myth.
In a recently released video by Keystone titled LDS historian debunks myths about Adam & Eve , I found the chapter titled “The domino effect” the most frustrating. In that chapter, Spackman presents a logically sound argument that I, too, have experienced. Namely:
If Adam and Eve weren’t real → No Fall → No need for Atonement → No need for Jesus Christ → No Christianity.
Spackman calls this logic “deeply flawed” and points out that an atheist by the name of Robert Blatchford was one of the first people to publish this idea way back when. Spackman also points out that pastors, apologists, and others immediately responded to his ideas, but never presents any of these responses. Then he goes off on a tangent that this idea began the Young Earth Creationist Movement. He talks about people who believe in evolution and Christianity at the same time and props them up as a reason for why this logic is flawed. I’m not sure why and he never explains further.
Spackman never states why Blatchford’s logic is deeply flawed. He never tries to explain how “you can have a literal historical reading of Genesis and Blatchford could still be wrong”. He just props up a bunch of believers and points to them and says “look, these people believed in evolution and Christianity. Therefore you’re wrong.”
I’ve noticed this trend in a bunch of Saints Unscripted’s and Keystone’s videos where they will seemingly side-step, deflect, or even talk down an issue without ever making a statement for or against it.
Another thing I find interesting is that the New Testament, specifically in the writings of St. Paul, also teach that The Fall and Adam and Eve are essential to The Atonement as well and provide much of the same logic Blatchford stated.
Adam as real, historical figure:
Romans 5:12
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men…”
Romans 5:18–19
“As one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”
No fall → No need for Atonement
Romans 5:8
“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
1 Corinthians 15:3
“Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.”
Adam → Death | Christ → Resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:21–22
“For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”
Was Paul also being metaphorical or symbolic here? I don’t believe so.
I don’t know if Ben Spackman is funded by the church or if these ideas are his own. But it was a frustrating watch and I feel they didn’t debunk any myths about Adam and Eve. If anything, they made the pair even more mythical.