There is a long-held belief that a Christian and an evolutionary perspective of creation are incompatible; if we accept the biblical account of creation, it would seem that the theory of evolution is untrue.
There are some conflicting accounts of whether Mormons believe in dinosaurs because some can accommodate their existence with their Biblical interpretations, while others have more complex beliefs.
Some LDS say that the Earth is created from other planets, which accounts for fossils.
How Mormons Fit Dinosaurs into Their Doctrine
If more traditional parents or leaders raised you, you might be unsure how dinosaurs integrate into the beliefs you have been told in the Church.
However, the nice thing is that it doesn’t matter whether you think dinosaurs belong to the Christian origin myth or not.
The facts of what occurred on our planet before Adam and Eve aren’t their primary doctrinal concern, according to the Church’s 2016 statement on dinosaurs.
What is important to them is that God created the planet as a part of His plan for them, and then He created Adam and Eve, who were our first parents and were responsible for causing the Fall, which allowed them to be born on Earth and take part in God’s plan.
To put it another way, while studying dinosaurs is undoubtedly fascinating, it is not necessary to save them.
How Mormons Interpret the Creation Story
It’s probably better if we refrain from making assumptions while discussing dinosaurs because we all understand what happens if we do.
Before becoming an apostle, James E. Talmage worked as a geologist.
He once remarked that the Creator had left evidence in the rocks for man to decode, but he has also spoken clearly on the critical stages of advancement through which the planet has been formed to be what it is.
One cannot fundamentally contradict the other, even though man’s perception of either narrative may be gravely flawed.
So perhaps it’s time to question the conventional understanding of Genesis, according to which the “six days” were 144 hours. Alma 40:8 informs us that all is one day with God, and time is the only unit of measurement for mortals.
If we look to science to support us, this is relatively strong proof that the conventional understanding of the “six days” is incorrect. In my opinion, it would be more appropriate to state that there were six stages of creation.
It is much more plausible how dinosaurs and humans, who science says were separated by around 65 million years, could have been produced inside the six “days” of creation if we don’t restrict the origins of our human idea of time.
Another explanation is that the Genesis narrative is not meant to be understood literally.
The descriptions of creation in the scriptures are not intended to offer a literal, scientific answer to the particular processes, times, or events involved, the Church’s website states.
This doesn’t imply that the reports aren’t accurate; it only suggests that interpreting them literally could be a stretch.
Modern Mormon Understanding of Dinosaurs
We are fortunate to have a live church where we may get the most recent information.
This implies that to make dinosaurs precisely conform to what is described in the Bible; we don’t need to put them through hoops or concoct elaborate origin myths.
According to the Church’s stance on dinosaurs, did dinosaurs exist before humans arrived on the planet and lived and died there? There have been no breakthroughs, and science supports this conclusion.
This makes many think that the answer to the question, “Do Mormons believe in dinosaurs?” is yes.
Mormons are a faith that believes in truth, and the truth is truth, whether it is discovered by examining a fossil that is 70 million years old or by the Doctrine and Covenants.
There is no truth other than that which is related to the Gospel, as Brigham Young famously remarked.
Final Thoughts
It has long been claimed that a Christian view of creation and an evolutionary one are mutually exclusive; if Mormons accept the biblical account of creation, it would appear that the theory of evolution is false.
There are differing opinions on whether Mormons accept dinosaurs since some Mormons can accept their existence according to their readings of the Bible, while others hold more nuanced beliefs.
According to some LDS, fossils may be explained by the theory that Earth was formed from other worlds.