14

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=90 BGCOLOR="#CC9900" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="043005a0dwnjzk.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="EDWARD WATSONS WEBWORLD"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B> | </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>EDWARD WATS</B><B>ON'S WEBWORLD</B></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION"><U><B>SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1"><U><B>1</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id66.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2"><U><B>2</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id67.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="3"><U><B>3</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id68.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="4"><U><B>4</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="5"><U><B>5</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="6"><U><B>6</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id59.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="7"><U><B>7</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="8"><U><B>8</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="9"><U><B>9</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="10"><U><B>10</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="11"><U><B>11</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id74.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="12"><U><B>12</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="13"><U><B>13</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><B>14</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="15"><U><B>15</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="16"><U><B>16</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id79.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="17"><U><B>17</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id80.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="18"><U><B>18</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id81.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="APPENDIX"><U><B>APPENDIX</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id82.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SECTION 1: CONCLUSION"><U><B>SECTION 1: CONCLUSION</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ABBREVIATIONS"><U><B>ABBREVIATIONS</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>[MORMONISM. The Faith of the Twenty-first Century. Volume 1. Edward K. Watson. (Liahona Publications. Copyright © 1998 Edward K. Watson.) pp. 124-143. MORMONISM: Section 1, Chapter 14. All rights reserved.]</B></div> <bR> <div> <U>CHAPTER 14</U></div> <bR> <div> <B>A Tale of Two Cosmologies: Multiversal and Universal </B></div> <bR> <div>      What is the Universe? What is the Multiverse? Modern scientists' conceptions of our universe are strikingly supportive to the harmonization of two Mormon doctrines: (1) the mortal existence of God on a particular world and attaining exaltation or perfection, (2) the doctrine that God created this universe and has sole dominion over it. Since both doctrines would be contradictory if God's mortal existence was on a world in this universe, the only possible location for this world would be in an ancestral universe.</div> <div>      This chapter examines the origin of God. It demonstrates the logical nature of Mormon theology concerning our belief that Heavenly Father was once a mortal being prior to becoming “God” before creating this universe. </div> <bR> <div> <B>The Multiverse and Universe</B> </div> <bR> <div>      I believe in the  Multiverse, the infinity of universes of which our universe is only one of an infinity.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >1</FONT> I believe Jesus Christ created this universe under the direction of Heavenly Father (John  1:1-3; Rom  11:32-36; 1 Cor 8:6; Eph 3:9; Col 1:13-17; Heb  1:2; 2:10;  11:3; Rev  3:14; Mosi  5:15;  7:27; 3 Ne  9:15; D&C  38:1,3;  45:1-3;  93:10). In other words, I believe the pre-mortal Jesus was responsible for the Big Bang around 16 billion years ago.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >2</FONT></div> <div>      Despite this term and description originated from modern science, it is the most accurate description of Mormon cosmology and is gaining popularity in Mormonism because of its ease in reconciling various Mormon concepts.</div> <div>      I believe this universe is comprised of numerous dimensions far in excess of those discernable by our physical senses (height, width, depth, time). This includes “spiritual dimensions” as evidenced by Elisha and the young man, and Balaam:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BernhardMod BT" > </FONT> 2 Kng<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>6:15-17 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: <I>for they that be with us are more than they that be with them</I>. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And <I>the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. </I></div> <bR> <div>   Num <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>22:31 Then<I> the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way</I>, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.</div> <bR> <div>      This spiritual dimension is invisible to us but objects and beings within it can be discerned by the power of God.</div> <div>      I believe we humans are multidimensional creatures with our physical bodies existing in these four “normal” dimensions and our (material) spirits existing in another dimension but are somehow united with our bodies. At the moment of death, we “release” our bodies and go into the afterlife.</div> <div>      I believe “Heaven” and “Hell” (which we call the spirit world) are two other dimensions we (as spirits) go to after death to await the Final Judgement (Rev  20:13). For me, this explains the unbridgeable gap between them that Jesus mentioned (Luke  16:26),<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >3</FONT> since any distance within “united” dimensions can eventually be traversed. After the Final Judgement, the dimension of hell will be destroyed by merging with the permanent dimension which will be the final state of the wicked called “the lake of fire and brimstone” (Rev  20:14). The “heaven” we go to after death will be destroyed and a new “heaven” will be created (Rev  21:1). </div> <div>      Mormons believe in three “heavens” (2 Cor  12:2) which we call the three degrees of glory. These glories are comparable to the sun, moon and stars in magnitude. Our resurrected bodies are transformed to correspond to the respective environs (1 Cor  15:40-42) with the “sun” being the brightest and best of all places. I believe each is a separate dimension and those who are assigned to the lower glories are unable to exist in the higher ones. Their “bodies” aren't suited for existence in these environments similar to our physical bodies aren't capable of existing on the ocean floor or on the surface of Venus, or in close proximity to the intense “light” that surrounds the person of the glorious Christ (1 Tim  6:16). </div> <div>      The multiple-dimension concept of the universe is sufficient to explain the entire life and after-life of man. I believe God's “living space” isn't outside the universe but within, just as a person `dwells' within a tent (Isa  40:22). Heaven is in another dimension. It's possible the “access point” is somewhere outside the earth, which explains Jesus' actions of praying upwards to heaven (close to Kolob, perhaps?).<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >4</FONT> Of course, I don't limit God. If he wants to have it outside, who am I to say it can't be done? I just don't see the point when everything can be placed within the universe.</div> <div>      The universe is everything we can see. I believe in the  Big Bang, of the entire universe arising out of a single “event” (for lack of a better word) and is expanding like a balloon being blown which functions in the midst of the power of God [in accordance with God's laws] (D&C  88:45). All of the dimensions of our universe, both of space and time, are part of the fabric of our universe. We reside on this planet called earth, which is one planet of nine that circle this star we call the sun. Our star is only one out of at least<I> two hundred billion </I>stars that comprise this galaxy called the Milky Way. Our galaxy is only one out of at least <I>100 billion galaxies</I> that make up the universe that can be discerned by our instruments. By using our galaxy as the average, we end up with 2 x10<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >21</FONT> stars. In addition, observable mass only accounts for 1/10th of the mass galaxies must possess or else they should fly apart.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >5</FONT> This missing mass is probably comprised of black holes, un-ignited stars, dead stars, planets, stellar residue, comets, nebula, neutrinos (if they really have mass), WIMPS, MACHO and other esoteric [nonbaryonic] forms of matter that receives the moniker  “dark matter.”<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >6</FONT></div> <div>      Think of the ratio to conceptualize how massive our universe is. Currently, there's around five and a half billion people on this world. Let's simplify our figure. Let's say five billion. Consequently, for each human being upon our world, there are <I>4 trillion</I> stars or <I>20 galaxies</I> the size of our Milky Way! If each star had only one planet revolving around it, this means there are 4 trillion planets for every person! This figure will indubitably rise as we build more powerful telescopes and instruments that study our universe.</div> <div>      Furthermore, if the inflationary theory is correct, our “pocket universe” (the observable universe we see) is only a grain of sand in comparison to the “real” universe because of an exponential growth the universe experienced shortly after the Big Bang.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >7</FONT> This means an “infinite” number of universes like the one we see were created within the first fraction of a second after the Big Bang. Since I accept the general outlines of the inflationary theory, this means I believe God created an “infinite” number of pocket universes like our own (Mos  1:4,38; Abr  3:12).</div> <div>      All of this, this entire universe was created by God. In other words, everything in the universe is contingent upon him and he pre-existed the universe. This is his universe (Deut  10:14; 1 Chr  29:10-12; Ps  8:3;  119:90-91; Eccl  3:11; Dan  4:34-35). He is the one who “hung the earth in the void” (Job  26:7). The Latter-day Scriptures are very clear that God created this universe with the mind-boggling number of worlds contained therein (Mos  1:33-38;  7:30; 2 Ne  2:14; Mosi  4:9; D&C  45:1;  76:24;  93:10).</div> <div>      I wish to emphasize again that <B>the Multiverse is the concept of an </B> <B>infinite number of universes.</B> Our universe is not like a circle within a circle but can be compared with a piece of paper in a stack of paper or a sea of bubbles with each being a separate universe containing its own space and time.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >8</FONT> No matter how big each universe gets, each cannot merge with another (I am attempting to describe in three-dimensional terms a multi-dimensional concept as I understand it). Some universes can “give birth” to others.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >9</FONT> </div> <div>      The only cosmological conception found in Traditional Christianity is the <B>universal conception</B>. Mormons on the other hand utilize what is known as the <B>multiversal conception</B>. It is the belief in an infinite number of universes at various stages of development. We fully agree with our Christian brethren that this entire universe was created by God and he is the only God this universe will ever have. All of the Scriptures, all of the biblical prophets, and all of the apostles taught the universal concept. However, it is a subset of the multiverse. What did God do before he created the universe sixteen billion years ago? Nothing? A hypostasis present? An  aseity entity? Where are these theistic concepts in the Bible? Disregarding the philosophical hypostasis state which itself is innately problematic (how can a static timeless entity<I> enter</I> time?), all of the passages in the Bible that describe God as the only God are used in close proximity with the condemnation of idolatry and the creation of the universe/or earth (see Chapter 17). These are only universal concepts whereas the Mormon belief of the mortal origin of God and his parentage is based upon the Multiverse. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Why is belief in the Multiverse important? </B></div> <bR> <div>      Some Mormons have tried to explain the Mormon belief that God used to be a mortal being who resided on a world, who also has a “God” by advocating a  henotheistic universe. They envision a universe containing many “Gods” but we only worship one (i.e. Heavenly Father). </div> <div>      They face a formidable problem because the Bible and the Latter-day Scriptures repeatedly teach: (1) God created the entire universe and has sole dominion over it (2) The exclusivity of God, where God denies the existence of other gods within the universal setting (i.e., heavens and the earth) and not even knowing of the existence of any other gods. These facts <I>explicitly</I> contradict a  henotheistic universe (see Chapter 15). </div> <div>      Not only do these Mormons contradict the Bible, they also contradict the Latter-day Scriptures as well. It isn't possible for them to claim God used to be a mortal entity who lived on another world, who also has a “God” and at the same time claim God created the entire universe. <I>These are mutually exclusive concepts when placed within the same universe.</I></div> <div>      However, believing in the  Multiverse easily reconciles these two doctrines. God's mortal existence was in an ancestral universe and after he became “God” he created this universe and has sole dominion over it. </div> <div>      Belief in the  Multiverse gives many benefits to the Mormon:</div> <bR> <div> 1) It explains how God can be the creator of the universe and have sole dominion over it and have a mortal existence on a world while having a God.</div> <div> 2) It explains how God can be both “changing” and an “unchanging” God.</div> <div> 3) It explains why God can be the only God in the universe and yet other “Gods” exist elsewhere.</div> <div> 4) It partially solves the existence of evil and maintains God being all-good and all-powerful despite evil exists.</div> <div> 5) It explains how God will always be the only God in the universe despite his true followers are exalted.</div> <div> 6) It avoids the weakness of the  henotheistic universe cosmology which explicitly contradicts the Scriptures. The Scriptures are silent on the Multiverse.</div> <div> 7) It is much more intellectually satisfying than  Aristotle's “Unmoved Mover.”</div> <div> 8) It gives purpose and meaning to our existence.</div> <bR> <div>      No other explanation can even approach the ease in which the Multiverse resolves anti-Mormon objections against Mormon cosmology. This makes it “Mormon doctrine.”</div> <div> <B>Where did God come from?</B> </div> <bR> <div>      There can only be two possibilities for the origin of God; either “nothing” existed before God or “something” existed before God. These opposing possibilities are classified as:</div> <bR> <div> (1)  Aristotle's “Unmoved Mover.” (Nothing existed prior to God as God.)</div> <div> (2) Uncreated  Multiverse. (Something existed prior to God as God.)</div> <bR> <div>      If one is demonstrably erroneous, process of elimination demands whatever view is left has to be correct since there are only two possibilities.</div> <div>      Where did God come from? Traditional Theism (Judaism, non-Mormon Christianity and Islam) adopted Aristotle's “Unmoved Mover” which essentially means “nothing existed prior to God.” God was the only reality and is  aseity (self-existent). God was a <I>static</I> “entity/thing” prior to creating the universe. </div> <div>      Mormonism's view of God's origin is very different. We believe in the “Uncreated  Multiverse” which is an unending chain of universes that never had a beginning and will never have an end with each having a “God” who rules over each universe (“ Theistic Multiverse”). We are often accused of believing God was once a man who lived on a world who has a Father who in turn has a Father. This charge is actually true and makes perfect sense in a multiversal setting and by strictly adhering to logic. </div> <div>      In <I>another</I> universe, <I>before</I> creating this one, God used to be a mortal being. Can we prove it? No. Can our opponents disprove it? Impossible, since <I>all biblical passages are only within a universal setting</I>. Can't God create other universes before creating ours? Of course! He obviously had a lot of “time” on his hands before creating the universe sixteen billion years ago, and nothing would stop him from doing so. What happens to a hypostasis existence? It goes out the window.</div> <div>      Traditional Theism believes those who are “saved” will live forever (i.e., infinite future) with God while being created <I>ex nihilo</I> (non-infinite past). They believe <I>nothing</I> existed prior to God as God (non-infinite past) and that God will always exist (infinite future). This means they have a  unidirectional infinity (it only goes in one direction - into the future). Mormonism's view of infinity is quite different and  extends into the past as well as the future:</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="443" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="214"><div> <B>Traditional Theism</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="214"><div> <B>MORMONISM</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="214"><div> <B>Infinity</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="214"><div> <B>Infinity</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="214"><div> ÷</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="214"><div> ø</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>      Traditional Christians readily accept the notion of an existence “without end.” Why then do they have a problem with the notion of “without beginning”? Why should  infinity only go in one direction, into the future? Mormonism views  <I>whatever can exist for all infinity into the future must've also existed for all infinity in the past.</I></div> <div>      The Mormon view of reality is summed up as:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT><B>Whatever has a beginning has an end; whatever doesn't have a beginning doesn't have an end</B>.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >10</FONT></div> <bR> <div>      There isn't any question the idea of an infinite past (without beginning), is incredibly hard to accept. Our entire experience tells us that everything <I>must have</I> a beginning! However, such a notion is entirely reasonable when one compares it to something that doesn't have an end. Everything <I>must have</I> an end! <B>Our minds can't fathom an unending existence!</B> What is an infinite period in heaven going to be like? Conceiving infinity, whether going forward or backward, is something unattainable by the human mind. </div> <bR> <div>   The only reason why an infinite future is accepted by people in society is because we've been conditioned into accepting it despite being unable to envision it.</div> <bR> <div>      This cultural conditioning also explains why an infinite past is usually rejected out of hand by the average person. The fact we haven't been exposed to such a concept accounts for its “weirdness” when hearing it for the first time.</div> <div>      Anything that's created <I>ex nihilo</I>, will eventually be destroyed. Anything that's created or organized from <I>uncreated</I> materials will always exist in some form. The active intervention of a “God” who organizes the uncreated intelligences into superior beings prohibits a reversion back to the unorganized state.</div> <div>      Imagine the <B>uncreated intelligence</B>, the central portion of our being (see Chapter 16) is a one-dimensional straight wire that has always existed. There never was a time it didn't exist. It can't be created and neither can it be destroyed. It will always exist. </div> <div>      God organizes or “bends” this wire into an arc and makes a ring (a <B>spirit</B>). This wire is now different. It will still exist forever, but now it will perpetually exist in a different but superior form because it presently has two dimensions. </div> <div>      God “stretches” this ring and makes a spiral, or a three-dimensional spring (<B>physical body</B>). This is initially temporary but will become permanent. A permanent existence with a resurrected and glorified body is comparable to this wire existing for all eternity as a three-dimensional spring.</div> <div>      Let's go one step further. Imagine this spring is stretched into another dimension, the “God” dimension. This object is now a four-dimensional being, (a “<B>God</B>”). It is now an entity that can manipulate the other three kinds of objects and is in a state of perfection. It can never revert back to the one-dimensional state but <I>will exist into the infinite future as a four-dimensional being while it had a one-dimensional infinite past.</I></div> <div>      The uncreated intelligence can be “organized” into a superior being and maintains  infinity in both directions despite transforming into another form.</div> <div>      The difference between Traditional Theism and Mormonism on the origin of God is shown by the following table:</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="443" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="214"><div> <B>Traditional Theism</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="214"><div> <B>MORMONISM</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="214"><div> Nothing pre-existed God as God</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="214"><div> Something pre-existed God as God</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="214"><div> Nothing <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP IconicSymbolsA" >º</FONT>Something</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Something <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP IconicSymbolsA" >º</FONT>Something</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>      Mormonism doesn't follow a philosophical definition for the origin of God. It instead uses revealed revelations given to modern prophets which interestingly, can be supported by logic. If God will never have an end, then he must've never had a beginning of some sort. If there will never be a “time”<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >11</FONT> when he is not; then there never was a “time” when he didn't exist in some form. This means we follow the  Multiverse model instead of  Aristotle's “Unmoved Mover” that Traditional Theism follows. We reject the philosophical idea that “nothing” existed as <I>total reality</I> prior to God's initial thought.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >12</FONT> We furthermore reject the notion that God is an  aseity (self-existent) entity <I>as God.</I><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >13</FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="449" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="215"><div> <B>Traditional Theism</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 WIDTH="215"><div> <B>MORMONISM</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 ><NOBR><div> <B>¹</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> Infinity </B></FONT><B>¹</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B>¸</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> Infinity </B></FONT><B>¸</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B>¹</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> Infinity </B></FONT><B>¹</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B>¸</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> Infinity </B></FONT><B>¸</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=6 HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="106"><div> Nothing</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><div> God</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><div> God<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >14</FONT></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><div> God</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><div> Heaven</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><div> Heaven</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><div> Heaven</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><div> Spirits</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><div> Spirits </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><div> Spirits </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="23" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="106" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><div> “Gods”</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><div> “Gods”</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="23" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="106" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Intelligences</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Intelligences</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="23" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="106" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><div> Universes</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="106"><div> Universes</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>   <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   Mormonism believes in an unending chain of universes, with each having  a “God” that rules over them. True numerical infinity extends to the state of reality that existed prior to the creation of our universe, as well as to the state of reality after our universe ceases to exist. There are an infinite number of universes, an infinite number of Gods who rule over these universes (who have perfect unity with each other), an infinite number of uncreated intelligences, and an infinite number of heavens and spirits. </FONT></div> <div>      Lorenzo Snow said:</div> <bR> <div>   “<I>As man is, God once was</I>; as God is, man may become.”<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >15</FONT></div> <bR> <div>      Joseph Smith said:</div> <bR> <div> “<I>God himself was once as we are now</I>.”<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >16</FONT></div> <bR> <div>      Mormonism believes Heavenly Father wasn't always God. He used to be a mortal being who resided on a world in an ancestral universe. He has a God or Father.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >17</FONT>  The “God” of Heavenly Father, in turn had a mortal existence in a previous universe and also has a “God” <I>ad infinitum.</I><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >18</FONT> </div> <div>      The being we refer to as Heavenly Father then attained perfection and became “God.” After becoming “God” he created spirit beings around uncreated intelligences (see Chapter 16), the first and greatest of whom was Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father then ordered Jesus to create the universe.</div> <div>      There isn't any doubt the Mormon view of reality is startling to those who've never previously encountered it, but it is perfectly consistent with having a multiversal cosmology. After the initial shock wears off, a careful contemplation tells the thinker that Mormon cosmology makes much more scientific and logical sense than Traditional Theism's philosophical view.</div> <div>      A serious problem of Aristotle's “Unmoved Mover” is<B> a </B><I><B>static</B></I><B> timeless “God” who is the only thing that exists </B><I><B>can't</B></I><B> change into a </B><I><B>non-static</B></I><B> (creative) entity</B> since an “event” needs to occur to <I>cause</I> the initial change! An <I>event</I> is a <I>change</I> that is by definition, “non-static.”</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>  </B></FONT><B>Many non-Mormon thinkers realize Traditional Theism's employment of Aristotle's Unmoved Mover is logically unworkable because</B><I><B> God needs to be non-static in order to become non-static.</B></I><B> This means the </B><I><B>only </B></I><B>other option available to explain the origin of God and the universe is the Multiverse.</B></div> <bR> <div>      Furthermore, <B>an object at rest (static state) will forever remain at rest unless an </B><I><B>exterior</B></I><B> force intervenes to change its state.</B> A billiard ball at rest <I>can't</I> move another unless an exterior force acts upon it. However, <B>objects in motion (non-static state) will forever remain in motion unless a force intervenes to change their state.</B> If there are an<I> infinite</I> number of billiard balls that move one another, this means<I> there can never be a “first” ball that started it all</I> because one can't arrive at the very first of an infinity.</div> <div>      These facts are why this Mormon view of reality has been followed by mainstream scientists as the best explanation for the origin of the universe (i.e., there never was a beginning of universes in the Multiverse).<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >19</FONT></div> <div>      Adherence to Ockham's Razor means when we eliminate what is demonstrably erroneous, whatever remains is most probably the correct view. No matter how difficult the uncreated Multiverse is to accept, since it is the <I>only</I> alternative to Aristotle's Unmoved Mover, it<I> has</I> to be correct.</div> <div>      <B>Mormon cosmology is based upon the</B> <B> Multiverse whereas the cosmologies of Traditional Christianity/Judaism/Islam/the Bible, are based upon the Universe.</B> Every single verse in the Bible (with the possible exception of John 5:19) is based within the universe or upon a universal cosmology. All the scriptural passages that are used against the Mormon concept of God (see Chapter 17) are set within a universal setting. Consequently, <I>nothing</I> in the Bible can be used against Mormon cosmology, <I>since we place these doctrines outside our universe.</I></div> <div>      One can't accuse us of violating biblical monotheism since the Bible limits its scope to only our universe. It doesn't have a multiversal cosmology. Neither can we be charged with violating logical monotheism since we view these “Gods” who rule over the other universes to have perfect harmony and unity with each other instead of the discordant gods characterized by the Roman and Greek pantheons.</div> <div>      Since the Bible <I>doesn't</I> contain a Multiverse cosmology, passages within it that <I>apparently</I> contradict Mormon thought (that properly fits within a Multiverse cosmology)<I> can't </I>legitimately be made valid. <B>What applies within a sub-section of an object doesn't necessarily apply to the whole.</B> Just because the walls in my office are white doesn't automatically mean <I>all</I> the walls in this complex are white as well. Just because one grain of sand may be 40% gold doesn't mean all grains of sand are 40% gold.</div> <bR> <div> <B>The Universe is a subset of the Multiverse</B> </div> <bR> <div>      Mormons are quick to point out the fallacy of using Rev 22:18-19 against the Latter-day Scriptures. They rightly point out that John's prohibition is applicable to only the Book of Revelations and not the Bible as a whole, since it was a single, separate book which was added to a collection of other books, which taken in totality is called “The Bible.” This is the same problem with utilizing biblical and philosophical problems against Mormon ontology. When one realizes that the Bible talks about events and situations within our universe, and then looks at “the big picture” which is the Multiverse (the  infinite number of universes), one immediately comprehends that all the biblical statements denying the existence of other Gods, etc. must be viewed within the universe and have no application to anything outside it just as the limitations of Rev 22:18-19 is applicable to the Book of Revelations and not to anything outside it.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >20</FONT></div> <div>      To fish, the ocean is their world and they can't comprehend the existence of “dry” land. One day one of the fish, Freddy, was caught by a fisherman standing on the shore. This fish found himself in an alien world so unlike the world he was familiar with. There was a bright sun, willowy clouds, air,  and “dryness.” The fisherman threw him back in the ocean and being a quick-witted fish, he realized the ocean wasn't the entire world but was only part of it. He hastily swam back to his fellow-fish to tell them his experience and discovery. The other fish listened in disbelief as he related his experience. They ridiculed and rejected his account and new insight because it was outside everything they've ever experienced. To them, all that is, their “cosmology,” their entire universe, was the ocean. Freddy, on the other hand, tailored his “cosmology” to include the dry land and any reference to his view of the world must take into account the fundamentally different conceptualization of what “the world” meant to him and what it meant to his fellow-fish. Freddy's included planes of reality outside the fishes' immediate “Cosmos,” of which, the ocean was only a portion. </div> <div>      This is identical with the Mormon's Multiverse and the Traditional Christian's Universe. <B>The Universe is only a portion of the Multiverse.</B> The anti-Mormon biblical arguments, in reality, are based upon our finite Universe not the infinite Multiverse Mormon ontology is based upon. Whatever exists within one portion doesn't necessarily mean it also exists in the whole.</div> <div>      Here's another story to explain the difference between the Mormon's Multiverse and the anti-Mormon's Universe, which admittedly, is simplistic, but illustrates the point of having different cosmologies:</div> <div>      Laura worked in a store of a large supermarket chain, climbing up the ranks from stocker, to cashier, to assistant supervisor, to supervisor, to assistant manager. After being assistant manager for a couple of years, she was transferred to a new store. It was going to be opened within a month and she was to be its new store manager. This new store was located in a small town a distance away. </div> <div>      She managed this store for twenty-five years and finally retired when the store was closed due to down-sizing. She was well known, liked by her workers and customers in the community. She was known by everyone as <I>the </I>store manager since there was only one supermarket in town. At her retirement party, Joey, a life-long friend of hers spoke about working with Laura when they were both cashiers. People in the community were surprised since they've always thought of Laura as a store manager and not a cashier. Those who only knew of Laura from the time she was a store manager ridiculed Joey saying he was wrong since Laura was a store manager and was never a cashier. Joey also talked about Jeff and Peter who were also store managers, who were mutual friends of Laura and Joey. The people of the community were outraged that Joey said this “Jeff” and “Peter” were store managers when the only store manager they knew was Laura. </div> <div>      Were the different views of Joey and the community contradictory? No. The community only understood Laura's relationship with their own particular store whereas Joey viewed Laura's relationship with the company comprising hundreds of stores. Joey saw “the big picture” with the community's store as only one of many. The community only knew that Laura was always the store manager. There weren't any store managers <I>before</I> her and there weren't going to be any <I>after</I> her. She was there <I>before</I> the store opened and she was there<I> after</I> it closed. </div> <div>      What did Laura do <I>before</I> she became the store manager? This was a mystery to the community since they never thought to ask, always thinking of her as the store manager. </div> <div>      <I>The microcosm of one store out of a chain of hundreds is identical with the Universe being one of an infinit</I> <I>y found within the Multiverse.</I> The apparent contradiction is resolved when one “steps back” to see the town supermarket/universe is only one of many. By myopically focusing on the immediate “reality” (either the town supermarket or the Universe) and disregarding the existence of identical realities outside our immediate locale, causes us to misunderstand God's relationship with the Universe and Laura's relationship with the supermarket. </div> <div>      The relationship of the finite Universe with the infinite Multiverse explains how God can have a beginning and not have a beginning. It explains how he could be God from all eternity and not be God at some point prior to the existence of the universe; just as Laura wasn't always a store manager and was always a store manager. <B>In relation to the Universe, God </B><I><B>as God</B></I><B> never had a beginning</B> since he existed prior to its creation and created it (sorry atheists, non-directed quantum fluctuation only has a <I>possibility</I> of legitimacy since nondeity creation and random direction collapses when all the other factors are considered) just as Laura was always a store manager in relation to the town supermarket. <B>God </B><I><B>as God</B></I><B> had a beginning in relation to the infinite Multiverse</B> just as Laura wasn't always a store manager in relation to the supermarket chain.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Unbiblical does </B><I><B>not</B></I><B> mean anti-biblical</B> </div> <bR> <div>      Those who oppose Mormonism insist that God being an exalted “Man” is an unbiblical doctrine. I would readily agree that it is an unbiblical doctrine in the sense that <I>the Bible doesn't explicitly state God is an exalted “Man”</I> despite the existence of implicit passages that support such a concept. The problem with the anti-Mormon argument is an “<I>unbiblical</I> doctrine” simply means “can't be found in the Bible.” It does <I>not</I> mean “<I>anti-biblical</I>.” </div> <div>      Is 2 + 2 = 4 “unbiblical”? Do the anti-Mormons believe it despite the Bible is silent on mathematics? Is the existence of the planet known as Venus “unbiblical”? Do they believe it really exists despite the Bible's silence on astronomy? </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>  </B></FONT><B>Just because a belief is </B><I><B>absent</B></I><B> in the Bible doesn't make that belief </B><I><B>wrong. </B></I></div> <bR> <div>      There are billions of things that are “unbiblical” in the sense that the Bible is silent, but the anti-Mormons seem to be insisting that if it's not in the Bible, it has to be wrong. Their insistence that if it isn't explicitly stated in the Bible it then has to be discarded, is unworkable since I can effortlessly make the same demands on so many issues: “Is <I>sola scriptura</I> “unbiblical”? Why are they believing in it since it's absent in the Bible? What gave them the idea the “Word of God” is solely the written record found in the Bible? Isn't Jesus the “Word of God”? Isn't oral revelation spread by an authentic contemporary prophet the “Word of God”? Isn't a personal revelation in the form of an answered prayer, the “Word of God” to them? Do they believe the country of the United States of America exists? “Where in the Bible does it say God <I>never </I>was a mortal entity in an ancestral universe?” “Where in the Bible does it say God was <I>always</I> “God” ( aseity) prior to his creating the universe?” “Where in the Bible does it say the 66 books of the Protestant Bible are all mankind needs?” “Where in the Bible does it say God is nonmaterial [<I>asomatos</I>]?” “Where in the Bible does it say 2 + 8 = 10?”  Can they cite specific biblical verses that prove these things? No they can't. Why do they believe these things? They're all <I>unbiblical</I>!</div> <div>      It's obvious that adherence to this anti-Mormon methodology causes logical difficulties that discredits anyone who uses it.<I><B> Absence</B></I><B> does not mean </B><I><B>contradictory</B></I><B>! It's merely that, absence.</B> The anti-Mormon insistence that the Bible's <I>silence</I> on something is a biblical <I>rejection</I> simply can't be supported logically.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Time and the Universe </B></div> <bR> <div>      Time as we know it started when the universe was created,<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >21</FONT> (Bi g Bang) and time will end when the universe will cease to exist either when the universe will collapse again on itself [Big Crunch also known as a closed universe] or if it will expand forever, hitting a stage when no more heat is generated and change ceases [cold death also known as an open universe or Big Freeze],<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >22</FONT> where even protons decay,<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >23</FONT> and black holes evaporate.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >24</FONT> God really is without beginning (because he was before time) and without end (because he will exist after time). Any time that existed in another universe (another balloon) is not applicable to us because that is their time.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >25</FONT> “Time” is part of the universe and has no bearing on anything “outside” the “balloon” of our universe. It is one of the many dimensions our universe is comprised of and is therefore limited to it just as space is. Our “time” is different and isolated from “time” in other universes, be they simultaneous, sequential or ancestral because it is part of this universe. Our time and space are isolated from time and space in other universes. Because time is “relative,” we can't telescope one dimension of our universe into the Multiverse itself, simply for visualization while at the same time circumscribe the other dimensions of space.</div> <div>      “Time” and “notime” also exist simultaneously in our universe, as evident by objects outside and inside a black hole. If these two opposites can exist simultaneously, within our universe, there is no reason why time from other universes need find continuance within ours.</div> <div>      If the dimensions of space aren't continuous (it's not one big space within the Multiverse) why should the dimensions of time be continuous (it's not one big time)?</div> <div>      “Eternal” normally is a state of mind. It is sometimes used in reference to things that aren't literally eternal. Our minds can't conceive a cessation of time. The earth, mountains, hills, the Israelite possession of Palestine were all considered to be eternal, perpetual, everlasting, forever, etc.(Gen 17:8; 48:4; 49:26; Ex 32:13; Hab 3:6; Eph 3:21), despite the earth had a beginning (Gen 1-2) and will be destroyed (Heb 1:10-11; 2 Pet 3:10-11; Rev 20:11). “Eternal, everlasting, forever, perpetual” are time-measurements which in practical terms didn't exist before the Big Bang. Therefore, <I>anything</I> that existed before the Big Bang, that relates to us within the universe, can be called “eternal” since it existed before time. God as God is eternal (metaphor. He only appears to be since he pre-existed the creation of the universe and time but in reality he isn't from a Multiverse point of view). Good and evil are eternal (literal. Since they pre-existed God as God).</div> <div>      The duration of an event is always relative to (a) the velocity the clock is traveling and (b) the intensity of the gravitational forces influencing the clock.</div> <div>      Time is relative and is part and fabric of the universe. It is measured only to man's understanding (2 Pet 3:8; Alma 40:8; D&C 88:44; Abr 3:4). It did not exist prior to the Big Bang. Despite this apparent illogicality, the relative nature of time has been irrefutably proven and is beyond question by those familiar with the topic. Einstein has proven without a doubt that the duration or speed of time is purely relative from where the clock is.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >26</FONT> Two examples will suffice.</div> <div>      Anything traveling at a very rapid velocity experiences a slowing of time in relation to things outside the traveling object. The closer a spacecraft approaches the speed of light (<I>c</I>.=300,000 kps), the slower time moves for them. The classic example of this is the story of the proverbial twin brothers, one of whom is an astronaut who goes on a spaceship and travels at 99.99% the speed of light (.9999 <I>c</I>.) while his twin remained upon the earth. At this velocity, the astronaut experiences a seventy-one fold slowing of time,<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >27</FONT> meaning, if he traveled for a year, then returned to earth, the astronaut would only be a year older whereas seventy-one years would've passed on the earth! His twin brother and everyone else on the earth would be seventy years older than the astronaut! This phenomena has been proven to be real numerous times such as when scientists synchronized two atomic clocks and put one on a plane. When the traveling clock was compared with the other which remained on the ground, the traveling clock experienced a slowing of time.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >28</FONT></div> <div>      The second example is actually based upon the first but has an exotic twist to it. Any spaceship falling into a black hole experiences a cessation of time as it passes the event horizon because at that stage, the gravitational forces of the black hole exceeds the speed of light. Time does not exist in black holes despite it exists in regular space. Black holes rip spacetime out of the visible universe. Time and notime exists simultaneously. Despite the difficulty of envisioning the absence of time, it is real. </div> <div>      Time is always relative. There isn't a universal time. Our time at sea level is different from time at the top of Mt. Everest or the Empire State Building for that matter. Time and notime exist simultaneously, and events have different durations in different areas. If this is the case in our universe since time is a property of our universe, naturally, time can exist in sequence to each other in sequential or simultaneous universes.</div> <bR> <div> <B>God and the Universe </B></div> <bR> <div> <I>     Belief in the existence of “God” is completely logical even if one solely uses the medium of atheistic evolution. </I>We are sentient life forms who are continually improving. Our ancestors a hundred years ago were superior to our ancestors 5,000 years ago. We are more advanced than our ancestors a hundred years ago. We know more, we live longer, we are healthier than they were. Our descendants a hundred years from now will be vastly more advanced than we are. They will live a lot longer, will be a lot healthier, will know more than us, and will reap the benefits of genetic engineering, nanotechnology, computer-brain interface, and other advanced sciences. Our descendants a thousand years from now will be vastly superior to our descendants of the 22nd century in every respect. Our descendants from a million years in the future will be astonishingly advanced in comparison to our descendants of the 31<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >st</FONT> century. Our descendants a billion years from now will appear to be Gods in our eyes because of their abilities and attributes. They will also be superior to our descendants from a million years in the future.</div> <div>      Picture one of our descendants a billion years into the future, incomprehensibly advanced in comparison to us. He is immortal, all-knowing, all-good, all-powerful, and has the ability to access Plank's Energy by his will, who then creates a universe out of  quantum creation (vacuum genesis). In this baby universe he creates a world and populates it with all forms of life including sentient creatures he call his children, whom he gives the potential to become like himself.</div> <div>      What is the difference of such a being from what religious people view as “God?” Nothing. <I>Atheism that believes in the concept of evolution, when followed to its logical conclusion ends up with the existence of “God,” causing atheism to be self-defeating. </I></div> <div>      Sounds fantastic? The exponential growth of human capability and knowledge demands <I>such a scenario is plausible</I>. This being doesn't have to be descended from humans. All it takes is a sentient race <I>somewhere</I> in the infinite Multiverse that continually improves itself.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >29</FONT> Given enough time, <I>anything</I> is possible to them. <B>The mere fact the Multiverse is infinite gives certainty to the existence of God.</B> This means there's a 100% probability that a “God” exists and a 0% probability that a “God” doesn't exist.</div> <div>      God was once a  man, not necessarily <I>Homo Sapiens</I>, but a humanoid mortal who resided upon a planet in another universe. He achieved “perfection” and became what we call God. He commissioned his “Son” Jesus, who is described as “the beginning (source/origin) of the creation of God” (Rev  3:14) to create this universe. Consequently, he isn't a God of only this one planet, but of all creation (Mos  1:4,33-38;  7:30; Abr  3:12; 2 Ne  2:14; Mosi  4:9; D&C  45:1;  93:10). As a result, Jesus Christ's  Atonement encompassed all of the universe, not just one infinitesimal portion of his creation. It was an infinite sacrifice (2 Ne  9:7;  25:16; Alma  34:10-14) which makes it cover all of creation, retroactively to the beginning of time and the universe (Big Bang) until the very end of time and the universe (Big Freeze or Big Crunch).</div> <div>      This is God's universe. Such a statement doesn't preclude him making others or even having an infinity of them. Given that both space and time are properties of this universe, God isn't limited by either just as a person isn't limited by the dimensions inside a balloon when he's on the outside. Therefore, God exists “outside” of space and time since both are part of our universe. He can't be limited by either and at the same time relate to other universes (he can't be limited in two separate “balloons”). God is “the same yesterday, today and forever” because he was already what he is before creating our universe and time. He will still be what he is after the death of the universe and end of time. This is why it is correct to say he existed before time (which only began at the  Big Bang), and will continue to exist after time (which will end at the Big Crunch or Big Freeze). He is unchanging in relation to the universe (see Chapter 12).</div> <div>      God can interact at any point and at any time with his universe. God is a being who controls all forms of information transmission in this universe. Anything that travels slower than the speed of light (<I>c.</I>) experiences time flowing from the past into the future, from the   Big Bang to the end of the universe. If an astronaut in a spaceship travels slower than <I>c</I>. starting at 2 PM, after one hour of travel his watch reads 3 PM. Anything traveling at <I>c</I>. experiences no time. Anything traveling faster than <I>c</I>. experiences time flowing from the future to the past, from the end of the universe to the Big Bang. If the astronaut's watch read 2 PM at the beginning of his trip, after an hour above <I>c</I>., his watch would read 1 PM. Of course in practical terms, one can never go faster than the speed of light in a vacuum (honest Emil's selling 99% of his shares of the pyramid every time for a hundred times the previous cost) due to infinite mass (the issue of zero-mass luxons such as neutrino [?], photon and the elusive graviton<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >30</FONT> may be exempt). I hypothetically transposed the sub-atomic concept to the human level in the above example. For me, negative-mass tachyons <I>have</I> to exist to balance out the sub-<I>c</I>. “particles.”<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >31</FONT> The closer one gets to <I>c.</I> the slower time travels for him until it stops at <I>c</I>. I view <I>c</I>. as the peak between sub and supra <I>c</I>. forces. </div> <div>      I view God's  omniscience as follows: God's control over all sub-<I>c.</I> particles (tardyons) that can transmit information, causes him to know all things in the past all the way to the Big Bang. His control over all light speed particles (luxons) that can transmit information, causes him to know all things at any given moment in the universe (picture riding a photon). His control over all supra-<I>c</I>. particles (tachyons) that can transmit information (just because we currently don't know any supra-<I>c.</I> particle, much less one that can deliver information doesn't mean one doesn't exist), causes him to know all things that will happen in the future, until the very end of the universe. He's at a center where these three forms of information transmission combine (a ring where three threads meet) and this explains D&C  130:6-7:</div> <bR> <div>   D&C <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>130:6-7 The angels do not reside on a planet like this earth; But they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, <I>where all things</I> for their glory <I>are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord.</I></div> <bR> <div>      If there wasn't a  Big Bang, if the universe is in a static state and existed for an eternity without expansion, (1) Nothing would exist! All of the stars would've spent their fuel, and the entire universe would be void not even containing black holes who would've used up all their energy an eternity ago. Everything in the universe is finite and experiences a loss of energy. An infinity of time in the past means nothing that is finite can exist. (2) Since matter attracts other matter, an eternity of existence would cause all matter to coalesce into one. The only way out of this mess for those who disbelieve the Big Bang is if God continually creates new stars, galaxies, nebula, etc. <I>ex nihilo</I>,<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >32</FONT> and actively counters the gravitational attraction of matter on a large scale.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >33</FONT> This would also mean the evidences of the expansion of our universe are illusions God's playing with us humans. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Is God an exalted Man?</B> </div> <bR> <div>      Despite the absence of an explicit declaration in the Bible that states “God is an exalted “Man,” there are many suggestions that supports this Mormon belief:</div> <bR> <div>      (1) This doctrine is hinted at by Jesus Christ himself:</div> <bR> <div>   John<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can<I> do [</I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>poie</I></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" ><I>Ç</I></FONT><I>]</I> nothing of himself, but what he<I> seeth [blep</I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" ><I>Ç</I></FONT><I>]</I> the Father<I> do [poie</I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" ><I>Ç</I></FONT><I>]</I>:<I> for what things soever he doeth [poie</I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" ><I>Ç</I></FONT><I>], these also doeth [poie</I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" ><I>Ç</I></FONT><I>] the Son likewise</I> <I>[h</I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalB Roman" ><I>4</I></FONT><I>m</I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalB Roman" ><I>4</I></FONT><I>i</I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" ><I>Ç</I></FONT><I>s].</I></div> <bR> <div>       Jesus claimed to emulate what he saw (<I>blep</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" ><I>Ç</I></FONT>) the Father do (<I>poie</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman" ><I>Ç</I></FONT>), (John 3:11,32; 8:38). What did Jesus do? He lived and died on the cross on a particular planet to atone for all mankind in this universe. Thus it can be seen that the Father must have done the same thing in a previous universe if the Son emulated him. This verse is the only passage in the Bible that is the exception to the rule of it having a universal cosmology. <B>Whatever Jesus saw the Father do, Jesus </B><I><B>emulates</B></I><B>. </B>Since Jesus experienced a mortal existence, likewise the Father must've also experienced such an existence. </div> <div>      Jesus is an exact replica of the Father and to see one is to see the other (John 1:1;  12:45;  14:9; Heb 1:2-3; 1 Tim 3:16; 2 Cor  4:4; Col  1:15; Phil  2:5-6). He has a three-dimensional anthropomorphic body and is a glorified “Man.” Since he emulates the Father in all things and is the perfect copy of Heavenly Father; Heavenly Father likewise has to be a glorified “Man.” The Appendix contains studies of these identified Greek words and shows they really mean what the AV said they mean.</div> <div>      (2) The Bible doesn't contain all truth. It doesn't even claim to have all truth. There is so much truth that exists outside of the Bible. 5 x 5 =25. Is this a truth? Does the Bible teach Mathematics? Is there a continent known as Australia (Geography)? Is there a planet known as Venus (Astronomy)? Does the Bible teach that for every action there has to be an equal and opposite reaction (Physics)? And if they say that they are talking about religious truth, here are some questions that we can ask them, “If the Bible contains all religious truth, why is it that it doesn't answer very important religious questions, like: Why are we here on the earth? What is heaven like? Where is it? What are we going to do in heaven if we are to be there forever? How did the Atonement of Christ save us from our sins? How exactly did God create the earth? How old must a person be in order to be baptized? What books must the Bible comprise?” These are just some of the hundreds of questions that are religious that the Bible doesn't address hence disproving the idea that all religious truth can be found in the Bible. The Bible doesn't even claim to contain all religious truth.</div> <div>      (3) Since our critics can't claim they knew what God did before creating the cosmos, they can't prove that he wasn't a mortal being at some point before the  Big Bang. Thus, their insistence is not based on fact but is only their opinion. </div> <div>      (4) Latter-day prophets have taught the same thing (see above). In order for our critics to disprove what Joseph Smith taught, they must prove that he is a false prophet. The only real criterion for that is the status of the Book of Mormon. How do we find out if it's true? This usually occurs when one reads and prays about it. If it's true, Joseph Smith is a true prophet and his teaching of God once being a mortal humanoid in a previous universe is true.</div> <div>      (5) There are numerous biblical passages that show we are the literal offspring of God. We are mortal creatures living on a particular planet in the cosmos and have the capability to become just as God is. If we can become just like our Heavenly Father, he must have been in a similar state as we now are, at a certain point in his existence. A child has the potential to become like his surgeon father; likewise the father must have been in a similar situation with his own father. We are literally God's children and belong to the same species that he belongs to and can become like him (See MORMONISM: Section 5).</div> <div>      (6) Was Jesus a man? He most certainly was. He displayed all the characteristics of a human except he was sinless. Is Jesus, God? Absolutely. <B>The Christian critics of the LDS church honor Jesus as being both God and Man, but shudder at the idea of the Father being both God and Man.</B> Why? If the Father and Son are exactly alike and Christ did exactly what his Father has done before him (John 5:19-20;  14:9; Heb 1:3; etc.); why the hostility towards Mormonism for teaching precisely that?</div> <bR> <div>      Since the Bible doesn't talk about what God did before he created this earth, <B>it is impossible to disprove the LDS belief that God was once a</B> <B>mortal being in another universe.</B> Our critics simply can't use the Bible as a basis for discrediting us Mormons. Regardless of the very good reasons for this doctrine, it still comes down to belief. We can't <I>prove</I> God was once mortal but neither can the anti-Mormons prove he was always God before he created this universe because (1) the Bible only possesses a universe cosmology, and (2) the foundation of Traditional Theism's view is Aristotle's “Unmoved Mover” which logically collapses as unworkable. </div> <div>      We should bring this topic back to the Book of Mormon. If this book is true then our doctrines are true; if it is false, we are then false. Read it and ask God if it's true, can be the only valid answer.</div> <div>      This topic is a dead-end argument. Anyone who uses this as a reason for rejecting Mormonism is on very thin ice <I>due to the impossibility of denying such a concept</I>. They can't furnish empirical proof that God was never a mortal entity prior to becoming what he currently is, just as we can't <I>prove</I> he was mortal before attaining Godhood. We can, however, give evidences that point to the <I>probability</I> that this is indeed the case because:</div> <bR> <div> 1) It resolves the existence of evil with an all-powerful all-good God (see Chapter 16).</div> <div> 2) It adheres to the biblical description of an anthropomorphic God.</div> <div> 3) It maintains the biblical depiction that Jesus is an exact duplicate of whatever the Father is.</div> <div> 4) It is more logically satisfying than  Aristotle's “Unmoved Mover” by its fidelity to the “Uncreated  Multiverse.”</div> <bR> <div>      As for the charge we receive of being polytheists because such a belief naturally results in the belief in additional Gods, this is examined in depth in MORMONISM: Section 5. </div> <bR> <div> <B>[ENDNOTES]:</B></div> <bR> <div> 1.BB. pp. 3-4, 28, 30, 171-173, 239, 246-249.</div> <div> 2.I'm only using this value as a conceptual marker since the current controversy concerning the age of the universe hasn't been firmly resolved as of this moment. It may be anywhere from 8 billion to 18 billion years old.</div> <div> 3.Also see 4 Ez 7:36; 4 Mac 13:15; 1 En 22:9-11; OTP. 1:25,538; 2:558.</div> <div> 4.Could the Pistol Star that was discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1997 be Kolob, the greatest of all the stars [Kokaubeam- Abr   3:13] in the galaxy (Abr  3:16)? </div> <div> 5.BB. pp. 100-104; IU. p. 280.</div> <div> 6.BB. p. 106 Some conceptions are “quark nuggets” and “nuclear gremlins.”</div> <div> 7.IU. pp. 14-15, 75, 184, 186, 245-252, 254, 331.</div> <div> 8.MK. pp. 22-23.</div> <div> 9.IU. pp. 262-263, 268.</div> <div> 10.Joseph Smith's commentaries concerning the uncreated intelligences reflects this attitude: “That which had a beginning may have an end.” TPJS. p. 353. “[Those] who say that the spirit [the meaning is about our uncreated intelligence] of man had a beginning, prove that it must have an end.” TPJS. p. 354.</div> <div> 11.I'm loosely using the word “time” as an existential description within the Multiverse despite I normally limit it as a dimension of our universe. </div> <div> 12.This isn't in reference to the “nothingness” that pre-existed the universe. I believe in an <I>ex nihilo</I> creation of the universe, that is, the universe was created out of nothing.</div> <div> 13.However, we do believe all intelligences are self-existing (all are aseity entities).</div> <div> 14.God existed for all eternity in the Multiverse as uncreated “Intelligence” but not as God.</div> <div> 15.JHC. p. 4.</div> <div> 16.TPJS. p. 345.</div> <div> 17.TPJS. p. 373.</div> <div> 18.We then have a “God the Father,” “God the Grandfather,” “God the Great-Grandfather” and so forth in sequential universes that never had a beginning (the Multiverse).</div> <div> 19.Scientists who try to explain the origin of the universe and its features acknowledge that the best concept that explains its creation is the existence of the infinite Multiverse (the infinite number of universes that never had a beginning). This makes our universe just one of an infinity and it also means our universe came from an ancestral universe. Following the consequences of this view results in the existence of “Gods” who rule over these universes since the end result of biological evolution is the existence of “God.” The similarity to Mormon cosmology is obvious.</div> <div> 20.But the principle behind it is applicable.</div> <div> 21.AT. pp. 17,132.</div> <div> 22.This is why the Priesthood is said to exist from the beginning to the end (Mos  6:7) since it existed before the universe and time were made and will still exist after the universe and time ceases to be.</div> <div> 23.BB. pp. 154, 196.</div> <div> 24.BB. p. 197.</div> <div> 25.AT. pp. 231-232; MK. preface, x; p. 255.</div> <div> 26.See AE.; TUD. pp. 47-48; AT. p. 33; MK. p. 85; BHTW. pp. 37,72-78,83-84; BHT. pp. 20,32-33.</div> <div> 27.It is easy to figure out the time dilation experienced by traveling objects. Divide the velocity of the object by the speed of light and square the results. Subtract the result from one and square root it. The final result will be the amount of slowing of time of the traveling object. For example, if an astronaut on a spaceship left earth at a constant velocity of 90% the speed of light (.9<I>c</I>) to a planet 10 light-years away, his velocity would be 270,000 kps and should be divided by the speed of light (300,000 kps) which comes out to .9. Square it (.9 x .9) = .81. Subtract from one (1 - .81) = .19. Get its square root = .4359. The Time Dilation of the spaceship = .4359, meaning, for the 10 light-year trip, the astronaut only experiences 43.59% of time that people on earth would experience. For the ten light-year trip, the astronaut only experiences the duration of the trip to last 4.359 years, whereas ten years would've passed on the earth.</div> <div> 28.BB. p. 217. For example, the Hefele and Keating experiment in 1971. AT. p. 57 or the University of Michigan test in the 1960's, and JT. pp. 195-196.</div> <div> 29.cf. IU. pp. 253-256, 268-269.</div> <div> 30.FTL. p. 42.</div> <div> 31.Since objects with positive-mass exert attractive gravity, negative-mass objects should exert negative gravity (i.e., anti-gravity) which may explain certain puzzling features of the universe (e.g., why isn't the expansion of the universe slowing down?)</div> <div> 32.BB. pp. 35-37.</div> <div> 33.Possibly by means of negative-mass particles?</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="mailto:ewatson@shaw.ca" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:ewatson@shaw.ca"><U>e-mail me!</U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>