genetic engineering and man-made diseases

In Ralph Waldo Emerson's 1841 oration "The Method of Nature" is a statement that in our age
of genetic engineering must seem strange. "In all animal and vegetable forms, the physiologist
concedes that no chemistry, no mechanics, can account for the facts, but a mysterious principle
of life must be assumed, which not only inhabits the organ, but makes the organ."

Our present media report on genetic research in an oversimplified way suggesting that every
aspect of any life form is determined by the chemistry and mechanics of its genetic makeup,
which can be artificially altered at any point to change any aspect of the resulting life form.
Thus, what is presented in the media is a complete rejection of Emerson's 1841 observation.

One problem with these oversimplified suggestions is that there should not necessarily be a
one-to-one correspondence between genes in DNA spirals and each aspect of a mature life
form, because of necessity there must be numerous transformations in growth between the
seeds for new life forms and the attainment of maturity for reproduction. Unless artificial
changes are able to move toward mature manifestations in harmony with everything else, the
process could altogether fail.

Yet there have been many "successful" products of genetic engineering. Could those who
altered the genes have known beforehand what would happen through each stage of
development towards maturity? I tend to doubt it. I think it is more a case of "Let's see what
happens". Perhaps eventually what happens through each stage of development might be
observed. But even then, there could be no real assurance that every stage of development
could be accounted for by chemistry and mechanics.

Emerson's "mysterious principle of life" could still be an unseen driving force through the
development of life forms tampered with by genetic engineers. It may be that without the
"mysterious principle of life" no genetic engineering experiment could ever be "successful".

If anyone wonders why I have put "successful" in quotes, here are some concerns I have
about genetic engineering:

EVERY CORRUPTIBLE THING

(a letter in Acres, U.S.A., 1988, July)
Did genetic engineering bring on the destroying
flood in Noah's time? "And God looked upon the
earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had
corrupted his way upon the earth. For God said
unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before
me; for the earth is filled with violence through
them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the
earth." The gathering of animals into the ark
may have been to preserve the kinds that God
had originally made rather than all kinds then
existing. Noah was assigned to keep alive pairs
from "every living thing of all flesh" with the
stipulation that they be "after their kind."

Jesus warned, "As the days of Noah were, so
shall also the coming of the Son of man be." An
1833 prophecy of Joseph Smith concerning
conditions at the second coming of Christ states:
"The veil of the covering of my temple, in my
tabernacle, which hideth the earth, shall be taken
off, and all flesh shall see me together. And every
corruptible thing, both of man, or of the beasts of
the field, or of the fowls of heaven, or of the fish
of the sea, that dwell upon all the face of the
earth, shall be consumed; and also, that of
element shall melt with fervent heat; and all
things shall become new, that my knowledge
and glory may dwell upon all the earth. And in
that day the enmity of man, and the enmity of
beasts; yea, the enmity of all flesh shall cease
from before my face" (Community of Christ
Doctrine and Covenants 98:5). "Every corrutible
thing" may refer to the products of genetic
engineering.

I believe there are connections between spirit
and element, which no mortal adequately
understands, that are safeguarded by the
genetic codes the Creator set up. Genetic
engineering would so corrupt these connections
that things would exist that are neither man, nor
beast, nor fowl, nor fish. If the object of genetic
engineering is "better" plants, animals, and
humans, who is to decide what "better" is? The
only true goal is healthier plants, animals,
and people, which nearly everyone can
appreciate, and which can be joyfully
achieved from the soil up beginning with the
art of biological farming.

— John McDonnell, Gladstone, Missouri

MAN-MADE DISEASES

"... a desolating scourge shall go forth among
the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue
to be poured out [by genetic engineers], from
time to time, if they [the inhabitants, including
genetic engineers] repent not, until the earth
is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are
consumed away, and utterly destroyed by
the brightness of my coming. Behold, I tell
you these things even as I also told the
people of the destruction of Jerusalem, and
my word shall be verified at this time as it
hath hitherto been verified" (Community of
Christ Doctrine and Covenants 5:3g-h).

"... and there shall be men standing in that
generation that shall not pass, until they shall
see an overflowing scourge, for a desolating
sickness shall come over the land; but my
disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall
not be moved; but among the wicked, men
shall lift up their voices and curse God, and
die. And there shall be earthquakes, also, in
divers places and many desolations; yet
men will harden their hearts against me,
and they will take up the sword one against
another, and they will kill one another"
(Community of Christ Doctrine and
Covenants 45:4d-f).

When I hear those wanting to play God over
humanity saying there are too many people
and that human populations need to be
reduced now, and when I tie that attitude in
with the fact that new diseases that
bypass the human immune system began
showing up not long after genetic
engineering began to develop, what am I as
a thinking person supposed to conclude? It
certainly cannot be that those controlling
genetic engineering are pure scientists
unwilling to sell their secrets to the social
engineers who are openly saying that
they want human populations reduced.
Numerous corporations are already
investing millions of dollars in genetic
engineering projects, whose goals are not
subject to review by the general public. But
then, this is the very essence of arrogance.
They are little mortals like the rest of us
who think that an elite group of enlightened
mortals can somehow know exactly what
should be done with the rest of us.

Notes on Scriptural Prophecies