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Let’s Talk about Science and Religion
Why are science and religion often pitted against each other? Do the discoveries of science undermine Latter-day Saints’ religious beliefs or inevitably cause honest inquirers to lose their faith? In Let’s Talk about Science and Religion , scientists and BYU professors Jamie L. Jensen and Seth M. Bybee tackle these questions head-on and answer the latter with an emphatic no. To imbue readers with the confidence that science and religion work together to reveal truth, the authors draw on research, data, and years of watching thousands of Latter-day Saint students navigate sometimes challenging scientific topics. The book first explores the nature of science and religion as different but complementary ways of knowing and then addresses several specific topics, including evolution, nature versus nurture, and environmental stewardship. Through the principles and examples in this book, Latter-day Saints can develop the skills and perspective necessary to navigate any issue that arises at the intersection of science and religion and, as Joseph Smith said, “to embrace all, and every item of truth.”
144 pages, Paperback
Published August 7, 2023
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95 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 9, 2025
Very disappointed in this booklet as it is little more than weak apologetics for allowing LDS Christians to "feel good" about weaving Organic Evolution principles into their religion. I found it to be a disingenuous representation of church doctrine, especially as related to the subject of man's origin, which has already been established by the doctrinal First Presidency Statement, "Origin of Man". The booklet also misrepresents members who believe in YEC as holding views based on "God of the gaps" fallacies, whereas the author's lack of research or knowledge of the religious teachings of LDS Church leaders is actually the problem.
An example of this was apparent in a discussion I had with one of the co-authors, Jamie Jensen. She and her husband came to a Book of Mormon Evidences Conference, where I asked her if she was aware of Ugo Perego's theory that man evolved to a hominid (small monkey with 40 year lifespan) and that God put the spirit of Adam into it at this stage. She said, "Oh yes, that's one of the very best possibilities, and the one that I personally subscribe to." I said, this doesn't match well with with the visions that the prophet Joseph Smith had of Adam where he said that he was tall and the best specimen of all men. I asked if she was aware that the prophet Joseph Smith had received revelation on the actual ages of Adam and most of the Patriarchs who lived before Noah. She said, "No, I've never heard that one before", as though I was making this up. I did a google search for her using "ages of Adam and the Patriarchs in the JST", and pulled up the BYU religious studies article for her to see. Rather than reading this, I opened the scriptures to D&C 107, verse 46, and had her read this to me and her husband: "Mahalaleel was 496 years and 7 days old when he was ordained by the hand of Adam who also blessed him" (Adam was 938 at the time). I asked her how she could resolve this with her belief that Adam was created as a small hominid and she said, "Well, this isn't a doctrine that is pertinent to my salvation, so I'm not going to discuss this with you anymore." And with that, she and her husband walked away. Not the answer I expected from the co-author of "Let's Talk about Science and Religion".
Another more modern teaching that prevents Organic Evolution from being accepted as the method that God used to created man is found in our current prophet's General Conference talk, "The Creation" (April 2000), where he taught: "The creation of a Paradisiacal Planet came from God. Mortality and death came into the world through the Fall of Adam."
An example of this was apparent in a discussion I had with one of the co-authors, Jamie Jensen. She and her husband came to a Book of Mormon Evidences Conference, where I asked her if she was aware of Ugo Perego's theory that man evolved to a hominid (small monkey with 40 year lifespan) and that God put the spirit of Adam into it at this stage. She said, "Oh yes, that's one of the very best possibilities, and the one that I personally subscribe to." I said, this doesn't match well with with the visions that the prophet Joseph Smith had of Adam where he said that he was tall and the best specimen of all men. I asked if she was aware that the prophet Joseph Smith had received revelation on the actual ages of Adam and most of the Patriarchs who lived before Noah. She said, "No, I've never heard that one before", as though I was making this up. I did a google search for her using "ages of Adam and the Patriarchs in the JST", and pulled up the BYU religious studies article for her to see. Rather than reading this, I opened the scriptures to D&C 107, verse 46, and had her read this to me and her husband: "Mahalaleel was 496 years and 7 days old when he was ordained by the hand of Adam who also blessed him" (Adam was 938 at the time). I asked her how she could resolve this with her belief that Adam was created as a small hominid and she said, "Well, this isn't a doctrine that is pertinent to my salvation, so I'm not going to discuss this with you anymore." And with that, she and her husband walked away. Not the answer I expected from the co-author of "Let's Talk about Science and Religion".
Another more modern teaching that prevents Organic Evolution from being accepted as the method that God used to created man is found in our current prophet's General Conference talk, "The Creation" (April 2000), where he taught: "The creation of a Paradisiacal Planet came from God. Mortality and death came into the world through the Fall of Adam."
January 1, 2026
This was probably a 4 1/2, but I liked it enough to round it up to a 5. I am not someone who has seriously struggled with reconciling science and religion; I feel like God has a greater understanding of science than we do and that many of the miracles are just things we don't understand the workings of yet. That being said, I really appreciated the author's explanations of how science and religion work together, how they don't, and how we can reconcile that without damaging our faith. They start with general principles and then dive into a few specific topics. There's even a great section about evaluating whether something is a good source. It's a quick read but very enlightening.
February 27, 2025
Thought this was very good and explains how science and religion go together.
August 22, 2023
Back when I was studying biological engineering in college, I remember one Sunday where a stake high councilor came and spoke in our ward. He based his remarks on Elder Quentin L. Cook’s talk “Lamentations of Jeremiah: Beware of Bondage”. When he discussed how “Turning from the worship of the true and living God and worshipping false gods” results in forms of “spiritual, physical, and intellectual bondage,” the high councilor decided to add his own embellishments and examples of what those types of bondage looked like. His first example of intellectual bondage was the belief that organic evolution was real. Given my field of study and life experiences, that went over like a lead balloon.
And yet, I at least understood where he came from. I can remember talking with an evangelical farmer at the edge of his property in rural Iowa on my mission and talking about evolution. The farmer was accusing Mormons of believing in evolution, which was a grievous sin in his eyes, and I was trying to convince him that because Bruce R. McConkie said that belief in evolution was wrong, Latter-day Saints were required to reject evolution (since he was sustained as a prophet, seer, and revelator), so the farmer didn’t need to feel concerned about that aspect of our religion. While I was very conflicted about rejecting evolution, at the time I was also in the camp that essentially believes that Bruce R. McConkie is our god and the only god with whom we have to do, so I felt obligated to reject it, against my better judgment.
Not long after that discussion, however, I had dinner with a member family in the area and asked the father of the family (who had graduated from the same program I was starting back home and was studying to be a doctor in Iowa City at the time) and asked him what he thought about evolution. He responded, hesitantly at first, that we read in the Book of Abraham that “the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed” (Abraham 4:18), which seemed to be describing a prolonged process of things happening before the creation was to the point that they wanted (which could very well be a description of evolution). With that simple statement, he had demonstrated to me that there were ways to reconcile evolution with our religion and that it was okay to believe in both at the same time.
I’m hopeful that Let’s Talk about Science and Religion–the latest addition to Deseret Book’s fantastic “Let’s Talk About…” series–will be able to fill a similar role for people in the Church to what this good brother did for me. Ostensibly geared towards giving parents the intellectual tools to help their children grapple with questions about perceived conflicts between our religion and science, the book is divided into two parts. The first half focuses on understanding what science is, the limitations of science, and mindsets that are helpful in approaching science with a Latter-day Saint paradigm. The second half focuses on addressing several notable topics from biology and earth sciences that have caused concerns among the students that the authors have taught. I felt that it succeeded in hitting the mark with its goal of giving tools and guidance for grappling with science and religion in a brief and accessible way.
I was particularly impressed with some of the models they shared that have been helpful for religious students studying science (and which can apply to anyone). While I am familiar with methods for evaluating sources, I hadn’t heard of the CRAAP Test specifically and appreciated being introduced to it. They also offered a Reconciliation Model that seems like it could be helpful in talking about a topic that is prone to cause cognitive dissonance. This RM consists of acknowledging the existence of the perceived conflict; addressing the differences between science and religion (i.e., their natures), address the topic from a religious perspective; discuss the cultural history that has led to the perceived conflict; and offer ways to reconcile the science with religious belief without compromising either and allowing for unknowns. I liked both of these frameworks for talking about science and religion.
Going into this book, I expressed some concerns about whether it would be able to address the topic sufficiently. My fellow blogger Ivan Wolfe did as well, noting that “it looks like it’s just a ‘grab bag’ of various scientific issues like evolution, rather than … a serious reconsideration of our assumptions, cultural conditioning, and first principles when it comes to what science really is and does and how the scriptures relate to it.” I also harbored some concerns that being a publication from the Church’s book store that the science might be compromised in an effort to bolster religious belief. I’m happy to report that it did a lot better than I expected in those areas. While it treads carefully on the side of learning through faith and religious beliefs, the science is solid, both in general concepts, and in referencing credible, data-based research about hot topics like evolution, global warming, and vaccinations. They also spend a lot of time reconsidering assumptions, cultural conditioning, etc. to help members of the Church have a helpful paradigm with which to approach science.
Given the brevity of the book, it is not a comprehensive effort to address all potential conflicts between Latter-day Saint religious beliefs and scientific thought. Rather, as already mentioned, it focuses more on developing a paradigm or tool kit for the reader and then applying it in a few key issues. I felt like the approach worked pretty well. My main concern was around their efforts to address gender and sexual identities in the space of a few brief pages. While they stressed that it is a complex topic and that members need to be accepting of all of God’s children, it’s such a sensitive and polarizing topic with so much research on various aspects of the subject that you cannot do it justice in the amount of space they had allocated to address the topic. Granted, given the nature and limitations of the book, there was no real way to really win in that area, and they did pretty well with the general goals they laid out.
Thus, Let’s Talk about Science and Religion by Jamie L. Jensen and Seth M. Bybee is an important addition to Latter-day Saint thought that I think could have some very positive impacts. It is very accessible (and affordable). It draws on the experience that both authors have gained through teaching biology at BYU through feelings of cognitive dissonance as they learn about science, without leading those students to choose between their study and their faith. The book has its limitations, but successfully achieves its core goal of providing tools and paradigms with which to accept both science and religion.
And yet, I at least understood where he came from. I can remember talking with an evangelical farmer at the edge of his property in rural Iowa on my mission and talking about evolution. The farmer was accusing Mormons of believing in evolution, which was a grievous sin in his eyes, and I was trying to convince him that because Bruce R. McConkie said that belief in evolution was wrong, Latter-day Saints were required to reject evolution (since he was sustained as a prophet, seer, and revelator), so the farmer didn’t need to feel concerned about that aspect of our religion. While I was very conflicted about rejecting evolution, at the time I was also in the camp that essentially believes that Bruce R. McConkie is our god and the only god with whom we have to do, so I felt obligated to reject it, against my better judgment.
Not long after that discussion, however, I had dinner with a member family in the area and asked the father of the family (who had graduated from the same program I was starting back home and was studying to be a doctor in Iowa City at the time) and asked him what he thought about evolution. He responded, hesitantly at first, that we read in the Book of Abraham that “the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed” (Abraham 4:18), which seemed to be describing a prolonged process of things happening before the creation was to the point that they wanted (which could very well be a description of evolution). With that simple statement, he had demonstrated to me that there were ways to reconcile evolution with our religion and that it was okay to believe in both at the same time.
I’m hopeful that Let’s Talk about Science and Religion–the latest addition to Deseret Book’s fantastic “Let’s Talk About…” series–will be able to fill a similar role for people in the Church to what this good brother did for me. Ostensibly geared towards giving parents the intellectual tools to help their children grapple with questions about perceived conflicts between our religion and science, the book is divided into two parts. The first half focuses on understanding what science is, the limitations of science, and mindsets that are helpful in approaching science with a Latter-day Saint paradigm. The second half focuses on addressing several notable topics from biology and earth sciences that have caused concerns among the students that the authors have taught. I felt that it succeeded in hitting the mark with its goal of giving tools and guidance for grappling with science and religion in a brief and accessible way.
I was particularly impressed with some of the models they shared that have been helpful for religious students studying science (and which can apply to anyone). While I am familiar with methods for evaluating sources, I hadn’t heard of the CRAAP Test specifically and appreciated being introduced to it. They also offered a Reconciliation Model that seems like it could be helpful in talking about a topic that is prone to cause cognitive dissonance. This RM consists of acknowledging the existence of the perceived conflict; addressing the differences between science and religion (i.e., their natures), address the topic from a religious perspective; discuss the cultural history that has led to the perceived conflict; and offer ways to reconcile the science with religious belief without compromising either and allowing for unknowns. I liked both of these frameworks for talking about science and religion.
Going into this book, I expressed some concerns about whether it would be able to address the topic sufficiently. My fellow blogger Ivan Wolfe did as well, noting that “it looks like it’s just a ‘grab bag’ of various scientific issues like evolution, rather than … a serious reconsideration of our assumptions, cultural conditioning, and first principles when it comes to what science really is and does and how the scriptures relate to it.” I also harbored some concerns that being a publication from the Church’s book store that the science might be compromised in an effort to bolster religious belief. I’m happy to report that it did a lot better than I expected in those areas. While it treads carefully on the side of learning through faith and religious beliefs, the science is solid, both in general concepts, and in referencing credible, data-based research about hot topics like evolution, global warming, and vaccinations. They also spend a lot of time reconsidering assumptions, cultural conditioning, etc. to help members of the Church have a helpful paradigm with which to approach science.
Given the brevity of the book, it is not a comprehensive effort to address all potential conflicts between Latter-day Saint religious beliefs and scientific thought. Rather, as already mentioned, it focuses more on developing a paradigm or tool kit for the reader and then applying it in a few key issues. I felt like the approach worked pretty well. My main concern was around their efforts to address gender and sexual identities in the space of a few brief pages. While they stressed that it is a complex topic and that members need to be accepting of all of God’s children, it’s such a sensitive and polarizing topic with so much research on various aspects of the subject that you cannot do it justice in the amount of space they had allocated to address the topic. Granted, given the nature and limitations of the book, there was no real way to really win in that area, and they did pretty well with the general goals they laid out.
Thus, Let’s Talk about Science and Religion by Jamie L. Jensen and Seth M. Bybee is an important addition to Latter-day Saint thought that I think could have some very positive impacts. It is very accessible (and affordable). It draws on the experience that both authors have gained through teaching biology at BYU through feelings of cognitive dissonance as they learn about science, without leading those students to choose between their study and their faith. The book has its limitations, but successfully achieves its core goal of providing tools and paradigms with which to accept both science and religion.
September 17, 2025
I found the book to be very disingenuous. It really did not cover in sufficient detail the so called "laws or icons of evolution" so that individuals could make their own judgements if evolution really explained the development of life. They also left out a major scientific development that calls into question everything the theory of evolution tries to explain. That development is the idea of Intelligent Design. The major problem with evolution is that it cannot explain how the specific, complex information that directs all cellular activity first developed. The information content of DNA has been compared to computer programing. Functional computer programing only comes from an intelligence that understands how to write good code. This very subject has been discussed for over 20 years by some very competent scientists. "Darwins Black Box" by Michael Behe," The Design of Life ": by William A. Dembski and Jonathan Wells and the books by Stephen Meyer "Signature in the Cell", "Darwins Doubts", and " The Return of the God Hypothesis" provide clear reasoning and examples how neo-Darwinism does not work. A good place to start if you really want to understand how life came to be.
October 16, 2023
I taught science for many years at a charter high school in Arizona. I used the term being a good steward of our planet to soothe the breach between scholars from politically far right and left families. It always felt right to train stewards.
I liked your common sense approach to creation and evolution's apparent conflict. Genesis was never intended as a "How to" create book, The Book of Abraham's wait to be obeyed, and the idea that God uses the science principles that He organized to create has put the apparent conflict to rest for me.
The creation of man has a different story, I believe. Wallace, Darwin's co-discoverer of evolution differed from Darwin on the point of human evolution. The pressures to survive on the savannahs would not have evolved man's amazing brain that can discover Quantum Theory or Calculus.
Have you read "Discourse on the Abbaton"? It has an interesting creation story of Adam. Was the dust of the earth needed to get the correct balance of minerals and early carbon chains?
I look forward to reviewing/remembering/learning the whole story of creation and the Plan. Like Einstein, I want to know God's thoughts.
I liked your common sense approach to creation and evolution's apparent conflict. Genesis was never intended as a "How to" create book, The Book of Abraham's wait to be obeyed, and the idea that God uses the science principles that He organized to create has put the apparent conflict to rest for me.
The creation of man has a different story, I believe. Wallace, Darwin's co-discoverer of evolution differed from Darwin on the point of human evolution. The pressures to survive on the savannahs would not have evolved man's amazing brain that can discover Quantum Theory or Calculus.
Have you read "Discourse on the Abbaton"? It has an interesting creation story of Adam. Was the dust of the earth needed to get the correct balance of minerals and early carbon chains?
I look forward to reviewing/remembering/learning the whole story of creation and the Plan. Like Einstein, I want to know God's thoughts.
September 12, 2023
This book did a wonderful job of marrying science and religion. As someone that has studied science for years, I have not felt the same feelings of discrepancy that others have felt. Science is a form of truth, and God encompasses all truth. However, religion is usually based on how to carry out spiritual matters in a physical world and does not frequently spend its time on trying to incorporate science. While I was reading this book, I also read an article on CS Lewis called Drawn By the Truth Made Flesh. It was a great companion to the book because it helps to understand that truth can be discovered in more than one way. You have to take into account the truth that is not physically manifested or obvious.
June 2, 2025
I was seriously disappointed in this book. There was very little content that actually tried to bring the two subjects together. It is actually just a platform to push in the box "science" that is supposedly supported by the Church. Thing is, pretty much all the quotes and actions done by the Church were done for POLICY, NOT REVELATION. That goes for the COVID Vax, as after a few years, we all see what a disaster getting the jab was. The Church officially says recommending it was policy, not revelation.
I has huge issues with other parts of the book, but I have no desire to spell them out here. There was a little section or two that I am okay with, so that saved this from getting 1 star.
I has huge issues with other parts of the book, but I have no desire to spell them out here. There was a little section or two that I am okay with, so that saved this from getting 1 star.
January 31, 2024
The first half of the book offered discussion of science and religion and offered many helpful insights. The second half was the author’s thoughts on several ‘sticky’ topics where science and religion sometimes seem at odds. Admittedly, only the section on evolution interested me here, though others might find the sections helpful (nature vs nurture, environmental stewardship, and health/medical science).
The book is probably most helpful for adults, as the text is full of technical scientific terms. But I found it an interesting read.
The book is probably most helpful for adults, as the text is full of technical scientific terms. But I found it an interesting read.
August 13, 2023
I plan on reading it again
Reserve judgment, embrace uncertainty
Overcome our reactionary responses, consider evidence more rationally
Comfort with uncertainty is key in reconciling science and religion
Child of God, child of the covenant, disciple of Jesus Christ
Steward, not owner. There is a difference.
Accountable for our actions
Environmental stewardship
Spiritual stewardship
Physical stewardship
Intellectual stewardship
Reserve judgment, embrace uncertainty
Overcome our reactionary responses, consider evidence more rationally
Comfort with uncertainty is key in reconciling science and religion
Child of God, child of the covenant, disciple of Jesus Christ
Steward, not owner. There is a difference.
Accountable for our actions
Environmental stewardship
Spiritual stewardship
Physical stewardship
Intellectual stewardship
January 14, 2024
The main thing I liked about this book is that the author was willing to address some of science and religion's biggest issues. Global warming and gender identity were two of my favorites.
There were so many good points made on all the topics. The author did a great job trying to stay in a neutral frame of mind.
There were a few things I didn't agree with, but overall I think this was a great read. Recommend.
There were so many good points made on all the topics. The author did a great job trying to stay in a neutral frame of mind.
There were a few things I didn't agree with, but overall I think this was a great read. Recommend.
September 6, 2025
Finally!!! A book I can recommend on one of my favorite topics. I think the book does a great job of demonstrating the unity of science and religion, if they are merely allowed to fulfill their ends. As Elder Ballard taught "I am a general authority, NOT an authority in general". The authors are authorities in their respective fields (I can forgive them for being biologist instead of geologists) and they bring their insights into the harmony of their faith and the enlightenment of science.
August 31, 2023
Written by biology teachers, I think they did a good job of picking some topics that might have some controversy relating science and religion together. I went through the book very quickly, it's not a hard read... discuss topics including evolution, gender and identity. Talks about learning by faith and learning with a scientific method.
September 4, 2023
Yes! Yes! Yes!
I think everyone, and I mean everyone, can read this and learn something. Science is an amazing source of knowledge, and though it might take longer than our mere mortal minds desire, most questions we have do - and will - have an answer. Be patient, have faith, trust the system.
And absolutely read this.
I think everyone, and I mean everyone, can read this and learn something. Science is an amazing source of knowledge, and though it might take longer than our mere mortal minds desire, most questions we have do - and will - have an answer. Be patient, have faith, trust the system.
And absolutely read this.
September 14, 2023
Quick summary: science and religion aren't incompatible. Science is agnostic, not atheist. Get used to ambiguity and uncertainty. Science is discovering new things all the time. The authors discuss specific scientific ideas with care and compassion.
Overall: don't get caught up in the dogma of science or religion. Be open-minded.
Overall: don't get caught up in the dogma of science or religion. Be open-minded.
October 23, 2023
Good, concise read about reconciling both faith and science. The authors address topics that are controversial to some: evolution, vaccines, and climate change, among others. This book is a strong reinforcement for those who already believe in both God and science. Question is, will the skeptics pick it up?
January 8, 2024
Kathryn and I enjoyed reading this thought-provoking book together. I highly recommend it if you are curious, open-minded, and comfortable with embracing the known and unknown in categories like climate change, evolution, genetics, etc. A great resource for all of us who want to teach well from a place of understanding.
February 7, 2024
I welcome this book and others like it, that can serve as a guide to those struggling to navigate to understand truth. My scientist husband and I have always believed that apparent dissonance between science and religion can and will eventually be resolved. This book supports that view by saying that science and religion are two ways of discovering truth.
February 11, 2024
This was a fascinating and enjoyable book. I appreciated that they went deep into scientific examples instead of only discussing them in general terms. I also really appreciated the pro-science, pro-vaccine rhetoric.
I’m enjoying this “Let’s Talk About” series by Deseret Book. I hope they publish more in the future.
I’m enjoying this “Let’s Talk About” series by Deseret Book. I hope they publish more in the future.
October 22, 2023
This book was fascinating to me and really helped me think about connections between science and religion. As a non science major, so many views and ideas were things I hadn’t thought of. I also appreciated the application of how to teach children these concepts.
December 18, 2023
This was another really good one! It brought up MANY good points that are often discussed when talking about the issues relating to science and religion. There were many quotes from general authorities to support the points that were made. I think this is a good book for everyone!
January 15, 2025
Libby. Interesting Book so much I do not know about Science I learned a lot and the perspective of Science and Religion on the same page. Encouraging each other and what we as individuals can do to help. Keep calm. Learn all the facts.
September 30, 2023
3.5 Rounded Up. I kind of feel this was more geared towards people who do not believe in science, but worth a read.
January 21, 2024
A very good and easy to understand book.
September 2, 2024
Good book! The concepts it teaches changed my perspective.
Because of this book I more fully believe that God is our loving Heavenly Father and the Master Scientist.
Because of this book I more fully believe that God is our loving Heavenly Father and the Master Scientist.
February 8, 2025
As indicated by my book list, I really like the "Let's Talk About...." book series. This one is great. I liked the first half of the book more so than the second half.
January 30, 2026
pretty good, very informative, a little dry but good information and wonderful view points.
September 10, 2025
This is a sly sale on evolution theory. It is cunning and a soft deceptive push for apes evolving to man. I would recommend this book for someone who wants to compromise their faith for faulty beliefs in humans evolving from amoebas over millions of years. God is mentioned here, don’t get me wrong, they let him take part in their unguided mechanism. They LET God use evolution. While making evolution and religion compatible sounds so inclusive. They are diametrically opposed. This is the cunning of the world entering the Church. Sad to see it sold at deseret book.
March 6, 2025
Excellent short treatment of the intersection of science and religion, from an LDS perspective.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews