Comments about ‘LDS leader speaks on learning, religion’

There is no reason why a solid education cannot coexist with old fashioned values such as spirituality, prayerfulness, and introspection.

With all the individualism and freedom of expression I've seen suppressed in the mormon church, with the burying of history and closing off historical documents of the mormon church, with all the talks I've heard Mormon leaders telling the faithful not to look at anything that doesn't jive with the mormon "religion" and what they are told by leaders, this has to be the silliest statement I have ever hear.

When a BYU professor did a study on the genetics of the american Indians and discovered there was no hebrew DNA among them meaning the Book of Mormon was wrong about a group of Jews settling the americas and becoming Indians, that professor shortly afterwards was threatened with excommunication and only escaped it because of bad publicity.

Members are taught that when people disagree with them and the gospel they are supposed to stop arguing, shut their minds down, and bear their testimony.

In the mormon church, religion and learning don't have to conflict...unless you're learning something their leaders don't want you to learn. Cultism is what that's called.

Hey Joke - obviously you and I do not believe the same things but why do you feel so compelled to respond to this article? Why don't you just ignore it and live your own life and stop worrying about us Mormons.

The DNA thing is a joke. The BOM is about a people that came from Hebrew herritage 2600 years ago. If you can find someone that stayed in Jerusalem with pure DNA to test that with you would have quite the find. The BOM never claims people didn't come over from the far East in fact it mentions people coming later on from other lands. So the little non-hebrew DNA thing is incredibly flawed. The Hebrews got mixed with other people and the Lamanites were mixed with other people. Any other theories? The reason the leaders say to not read negative literature isn't for cultism, it's because the gospel is about building not tearing down. Don't critize the church just to try and justify your flaws. Just because we all fall short of the ideal doesn't make it false.

Ok DNEWS pretty please with sugar on top print my comment:
The DNA thing is a joke. The BOM is about a people that came from Hebrew herritage 2600 years ago. If you can find someone that stayed in Jerusalem with pure DNA to test that with you would have quite the find. The BOM never claims people didn't come over from the far East in fact it mentions people coming later on from other lands. So the little non-hebrew DNA thing is incredibly flawed. The Hebrews got mixed with other people and the Lamanites were mixed with other people. Any other theories? The reason the leaders say to not read negative literature isn't for cultism, it's because the gospel is about building not tearing down. Don't critize the church just to try and justify your flaws. Just because we all fall short of the ideal doesn't make it false.

To: This is a joke right? Get your facts straight. You have read too many newspaper articles and believed too many stories told to you by others who dislike the Church as you do. None of wht you have said about the Church has merit. It is also full of half-truths regurgitations of statements made by uneducated people who do no research to find the truth.

"This is a joke" is not talking about the LDS Church I belong to! Education is always encouraged, and there is nothing in our history to be ashamed of when the truth is made known. It is the lies and malicious anti-Mormon tripe that those with shaky faith get tripped up on. Sincerely seeking the truth is a basic principle of Mormonism.

To: This is a joke right?
If what Pres Eyring had to say is such a joke and you have such an obvious antagonistic feeling
towards the LDS chuch and the leaders WHY did you
bother reading the article? If it doesn't apply to
you why all the flap?

BTW, the BYU professor who did the genetic study of the American Indians had OTHER issues with the church and he was NOT threatened in any way. Let's say I have FIRST hand knowledge of the situation.

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah. "Yeah, I found another way to bash the church!"
When was the last time you attacked some other religion? Can't remember? Why not? it's easy to do with any church. Strange how the wolves attack even when they were never provoked themselves. Must be afraid of something. Maybe the truth?

I have to admit. As a member of the Church and also as someone who loves to study science, it is becoming increasingly difficult to reconcile the differences. What President Eyring said is extremely difficult to accomplish. I imagine there are many in the church that just mentally compartmentalize what they've learned in academia and religion.

and I found it outside of the mormon church.

I agree. As a history graduate student you HAVE to study history objectively which includes learning about homosexuals and others the Church takes issue with. You also study primary sources which frankly, makes it hard for me to buy into revering Columbus as much as the Church does...

RE: This is a joke

Evidently @ some stage of your life there was a conflict with the Church. I'm sorry that it has now become an "axe to grind" in your life. Your freedom has been taken from you in an area that perhaps you haven't considered. The examples you cited had much more depth than you've given and unless you were directly involved in them I can't see how you have made an informed decision as to what happened. Thus your mind has been shut off to anything that perhaps is objective in regards to the Church and it's institutions and you are now searching for anything that supports this narrow mindedness you call your "intellectual freedom." The Book of Mormon does not need DNA evidence to prove it's authentic. How is there anything in today's world that can be kept secret from the members of the Church when so many are so forthright in their desires to discredit the Church and it's leaders.

be found inside and outside of the church. I've found it in both places.

The truth I found in the church is that the church is false. My life opened when I left the church and it was wonderful to be baptized a christian. I pray for the LDS people that someday you to may break from your chains and find the truth. I truly do pray for you all.

As a biology major in college (SUU), I have great respect for Pres Eyring's father. So does most of the scientific community.

To add to the "church & education" conversation here, I find some conflict with the LDS church's stress on education and getting married young and having kids asap. I know, it's not their "official" stand, but if you grew up here, you know I'm right. Gaining an education becomes more important as the world grows more crowded. So is developing a healthy relationship with the person you've chosen to spend your life (and/or eternity) with and raising a healthy, happy, family. Sometimes it's better to focus on just one of these parts of life at a time, but LDS church leaders continue to encourage kids to do both. I racked up enough debt in college single, I'd hate to think what I'd owe if I'd been juggling a husband and kids along with chem lab, only to be told at the end that I should be at home, caring for the children, just because I'm female, rather than using my hard earned education to better the world.

I found more Truth and more religion, at Utah State University in Logan, Utah than I ever found at BYU, Or should I say, University of California at Provo, Utah! Seriously, I found that USU's institute program had twice the scholars and twice the Academic and Religious freedom than ever BYU! Why?
USU is not trying to be or claim to be the Harvard of the West. By the way, Stanford is the Harvard of the West, ask President Eyring he taught there!
I would like one question answered though about BYU and its Athletes? Why do there athletes get more of a free roam than just regular students. Case in point! How does Lee Cummard of the basketball team get away with dropping F-bombs during games, and yet he is never disciplined for it? A regular Student at BYU would be put on probation for that type of public display. Yes, it was in the heat of athletic competition. But at BYU, isn't there supposed to be a raised bar? I have gone to just two games this year, At SLC, and at Vegas, and both times F-bombs by Cummard, Why? Double Standard!

Hey 'difficult task'? If you are still an active member what are your feelings about your faith with God and with the church? How can you persist living as a church member when there appears to be such fundamental conflicting issues bothering you? I'm not attaching you in any way. Just curious.

The fact that there is continuing revelation shows that even the church does not have all truth.

The fact that there are constantly new findings, studies and research going in in the scientific community shows that science does not have all the truth.

I believe that when these two things are understood there is not even a logical ground to say that there could be a conflict between science and religion.

I have great faith that the LDS church is Christs church on the earth yet I also greatly enjoy learning of the sciences.

In a revelation to Joseph Smith the Lord said to seek learning out of the best books. Many of those best books are counted as university textbooks.

A few bitter people roam this website trying to tear down the church every chance they get. I admit I have many faults. But I don't go around trying to identify the faults of others and other religions. I manage 25 people at work, and only 2 are Mormons. They don't go around ripping me and my religion. We respect each other, and are kind to each other. I treat them well, and they treat me well. I don't get all of the bitterness on this website.