Science, Religion, Mistakes, and the Atonement
Science vs. Religion
Henry Eyring, the father of Henry B. Eyring, was a scientist. By all accounts, he wasn’t just a good scientist—he was a great one. His work in chemistry gained widespread recognition, but beyond his professional achievements, he was known for his deep faith. His son, Henry B. Eyring, has spoken about him often in talks and articles, sharing personal stories and insights from his father’s remarkable mind. One of those insights has always stuck with me. I came across it again while reading a quote from an article called My Father’s Formula. (Ensign Magazine, October 1987, My Father’s Formula, by Henry B. Eyring.)
The idea challenges a common belief—that science and religion don’t mix. Not only is that belief mistaken, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. When I think about the plan of salvation, it becomes clear why. This life is meant to be a time of learning, testing, and proving. We are placed here without direct, constant proof of God’s presence. Instead, we are asked to exercise faith, follow His commandments, and discover for ourselves whether they lead to truth. This process mirrors the scientific method in many ways—testing, observing, and drawing conclusions based on experience.
I won’t say it nearly as well as Brother Eyring did, so I’ll let him speak for himself:
“For me, the essence of the gospel is the doctrine of trying. The Savior told us to try his words to see if the doctrine be true, ‘whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.’” (John 7:17)
He goes on to explain a critical point—logic alone cannot establish truth. Throughout history, some of the brightest minds have been entirely certain of ideas that turned out to be false. In the Middle Ages, for example, it was widely believed that the world was flat and the sun circled the earth. The leading scholars of the time, relying on logic and the best reasoning available, treated it as undeniable fact. But their conclusions were flawed because they were built on faulty assumptions. Eyring put it plainly:
“The point is that, in religion, in science, in everything that really matters, only correct assumptions can lead to reliable conclusions.”
In other words, truth-seeking requires more than just reasoning—it requires starting with the right foundation. Science and religion are not opposing forces. They follow the same process of discovery, both leading toward greater understanding. The search for truth—whether in a lab or a life of faith—demands humility, curiosity, and a willingness to test and learn.
Instead of seeing science and religion as enemies, we should recognize them as two paths leading to the same destination.
The Atonement Enables All Learning As Well As Removing the Effects of Our Mistakes
Dieter F. Uchtdorf reminds us that every human who has ever lived faces two insurmountable challenges. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, After All We Can Do: Embracing Hope, Grace, and Joy, Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 2024)
We all die. No matter how smart, beautiful, successful, healthy, careful, risk-averse, or reckless we are, we will all eventually become lifeless. The people we love—our friends and family—will mourn us. They cannot bring us back, no matter how much they wish they could. We cannot live forever, no matter how much we want to.
We have all sinned, messed up, and made bad choices. No matter how hard we try, we are imperfect and will hurt others and ourselves through our actions. These sins separate us from God, for “no unclean thing can enter into His kingdom” (3 Nephi 27:19).
The good news is that Jesus Christ has already paid the price for our sins. Through His Atonement, we can be made clean.
Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42)
What beautiful words. The Lord remembers them no more. As if they never happened. What an incredible gift of grace.
Elder Uchtdorf added another powerful thought:
“The Savior’s infinite Atonement completely changes the way we may view our transgressions and imperfections. Instead of dwelling on them and feeling irredeemable or hopeless, we can learn from them and feel hopeful.”
What struck me when I read this was the reminder that we can learn from them. In some way or another, isn’t everything we learn rooted in mistakes? What would we learn if no one ever made a misstep in this life? We either learn the hard way—through our own screw-ups—or the easier way—by listening to those who have gone before us and are willing to share what they learned the hard way.
I wondered: is there any other way to gain knowledge besides trial and error? Maybe a better way to think about it is friction rather than mistakes, since not all mistakes are “sins” in the usual sense. As I mentioned, even the scientific method is built around testing hypotheses—essentially a process of ruling out what isn’t true before arriving at what is. It’s not always painful, but it always involves refining our understanding through missteps, gaps, and corrections.
If all learning—whether through mistakes, refinement, or friction—requires some form of trial and error, then the Atonement transforms that process from merely painful to something redemptive. Without the Atonement, mistakes and failures might seem like dead ends, sources of despair. But because of Christ’s infinite sacrifice, they become stepping stones to growth, wisdom, and ultimately, eternal progression.
It’s easy to think of all we’ve learned from books, teachers, parents, and other sources where the only difficulty was the effort of listening or reading. In reality it’s too easy to overlook the truth behind that knowledge: someone, somewhere, at some point in history, had to struggle, make mistakes, and do the hard work of discovering it.
The Atonement ensures that learning isn’t just a cycle of endless mistakes and suffering—it gives those mistakes purpose. It turns what could be a burden into an opportunity. Instead of being trapped by failure, we can move forward, knowing that even our worst moments can be redeemed and made meaningful.
My point is that the Atonement makes all learning possible because it provides the foundation for growth without eternal condemnation. Without it, failure would be final. With it, failure is simply part of the journey.
Elder Holland expressed this in a different way, but very beautifully:
“However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.” (Ensign Magazine, April 2012, “The Laborers in the Vineyard”)
That infinite light doesn’t just forgive; it teaches, allowing every experience—even the painful ones—to refine us.
If all learning—whether through mistakes, refinement, or friction—requires some form of trial and error, then the Atonement transforms that process from merely painful to something redemptive. Without the Atonement, mistakes and failures might seem like dead ends, sources of despair. But because of Christ’s infinite sacrifice, they become steppingstones to growth, wisdom, and ultimately, eternal progression.