mormonsandscience

There is a philosopher whose philosophical contributions have been under recognized.  He contributed to humanity’s understanding of agency and ontology long before Aristotle (384 – 322 BC), Plato (427 – 347 BC), Socrates (469 – 399 BC), Confucius (circa 551 – 479 BC), and even Pythagoras (circa 580 - 500 BC).  We don’t hear much about his philosophical contributions because his ideas came out of the New World through a record hidden from the world for over a thousand years. 

I am talking about Lehi (circa 650 BC) of Jerusalem. 

Second Nephi, chapter 2 contains 4 major philosophical and theological truths that are worth mentioning.  They are (1) the symbiosis of good and evil, (2) the irrational implications of moral relativism, (3) the essential nature of moral agency, and (4) the symbiosis of joy and misery.

1.  The symbiosis of good and evil.  “For it must needs be that there is an opposition in all things.  If it were not so . . . righteousness could not be brought to pass. . . . Wherefore, all things must needs be compound in one.” (verse 11)

To a certain extent righteousness is defined by its opposite, evil, and evil is defined by its opposite, righteousness.  Righteousness is what it is because it is contrasted with evil, and evil is what it is because it is contrasted with righteousness.  When Lehi wrote that all things must be compounded into one, he was saying that if one ceased existing, the other would cease existing as well.  In modern day language we might say that righteousness and evil are two sides of the same coin.  One side of the coin relies on the other side for its existence.  Consider that if you removed the “heads” from a coin it would no longer be a coin, and thus the “tails” would cease to exist as well.  There are no "heads" without "tails", and there is no righteousness without evil.  

2.  The irrational implications of moral relativism.  “And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin.  If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. . . . And if there be no righteousness . . . . [then] there is no God.  And if there is no God . . . there could have been no creation . . . [and] all things must have vanished away.” (verse 13) 

Moral relativism claims that there is no divine law governing what is good and bad behavior, and thus any behavior that feels good and does not hurt others is appropriate.  Relativism also asserts that, because there is no law, there is no sin or evil.  However, as Lehi pointed out, if there is no sin then there could be no righteousness because they are opposite sides of the same coin, and without righteousness there could be no God because He is perfect and glorified.  Finally, if there were no God there could be no creation and everything would vanish into nothingness.  But the universe is not in a state of nothingness because we are here.  The reality of our existence puts moral relativism on a shaky foundation.  When carried to its logical conclusion, it is an intellectually bankrupt enterprise. 

3.  The essential nature of moral agency.  “Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.” (verse 16)

In this verse Lehi is referring to the power to choose between good and evil (moral agency).  There are two essential influences that must exist for mankind to exercise its moral agency and thus qualify for a kingdom of glory – they are the influences of good and evil.  We cannot qualify for exaltation without being enticed by evil influences (and eschewing them), and we cannot qualify for exaltation without being enticed by righteous influences (and choosing to follow them).  Evil enticements come from Satan and his followers, and righteous enticements come from the Spirit of the Lord.  Both are necessary for agency to exist.     

4.  The symbiosis of joy and misery.  “[W]herefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.” (verse 23)

This verse refers to the essentiality of the Fall of Adam.  Adam and Eve could only feel true joy after falling from the presence of God and experiencing the misery that comes with telestial, mortal existence.  And so it goes with us.  Living through mortality with all its misery and suffering is essential if we are to truly understanding the joy that comes with the Plan of Redemption.  The Plan of Redemption is sometimes called the Plan of Happiness, and for good reason.  Those who experience redemption after enduring the trials of mortality will experience immense happiness.  This concept can be extended to other areas of life, such as that we appreciate the joys of health through sickness and we appreciate the joys of success through failure.  Of course, we do not need to purposely create misery, sickness, and failure to experience their opposites, these things just seem to find us in mortal existence.

In many respects, these profound ideas are superior to contributions from more recognizable philosophers who came centuries later. I think this makes Lehi one of the most under recognized philosophers in the history of the world. (Mormonsandscience .08.08)

A blog titled Truth vs. Truth that recently appeared on Mormon Metaphysics gives an interesting interpretation of the “I know the church is true” comment that is commonly spoken in LDS testimony meetings.  The author suggests that rather than construe this statement in a Greek absolutist fashion (where truth is agreement between thought and external facts), we may interpret “true” as reflecting an existential commitment to the church of Christ.  Thus, when someone says, “I know the church is true,” that statement may be interpreted as expressing a commitment to the church in much the same way that a husband is “true” (committed) to his wife.  

This new way of interpreting the “I know the church is true” statement will surely bring comfort to those who criticize by saying: “You can’t say that because you don’t know for sure.”  Yet sometimes it is appropriate for people to say “I know it is true.”  They really do know something to be true.  

Take the statement, “I know that God lives.”  Now, personal knowledge in the existence of God exists on a continuum (excuse the linear analogy).  Every point along that continuum is called faith, except for the endpoint where faith gives way to absolute knowledge.  Absolute knowledge is reached once we receive a physical AND spiritual manifestation that He lives.  The Nephites who touched the nail prints and thrust their hands into His side (physical), AND received a witness from the Holy Ghost that they were looking at the Lord of heaven and earth (spiritual) no longer required faith – they had reached the end point and knew for certain that He lives.  

What about the rest of us who are still going on faith?  Can we say that we know He lives?  Can we find certainty in our faith?  Yes, we can.  Our knowledge can be perfect in the evidence that we have received.  Those of us who “see” evidence of divine design in the world around us and have felt spiritual witnesses from the Holy Ghost have certain knowledge of those things.  In other words, we KNOW that an orderly universe evidences intelligent design and we KNOW that we have felt feelings of love, joy, and peace that come from the Holy Spirit.  The limited knowledge that we have received is certain.  Granted, we have not reached complete knowledge where faith is no longer required, but as any good scientist will attest, you don’t have to have absolute and complete knowledge before you claim to know something is true.   

So when people testify that they know that God lives, are they are justified in making such a claim?  Yes, in cases where their physical and spiritual evidence is sufficient to lead them to believe in a supreme being.  It is important to remember that what is sufficient evidence for some may not be sufficient evidence for others.  Doubting Thomas is a good example.  He was not willing to accept the testimony of others that Jesus was resurrected from the dead, and until he saw the savior he could not testify that he knew that Jesus was resurrected.  However, for many people, the testimony of prophets and spiritual witnesses are sufficient for them to say that they know that Jesus lives.  It is possible to know that Jesus lives without having seen and touched the resurrected Lord.

In religious matters we should be careful to not criticize people for failing to meet our personal criteria for establishing truth.  There is great diversity in the power of personal spiritual manifestations and in people's interpretation of the strength of the data.  We should not allow ourselves to become "criticizing Thomases" and criticize others for making religious truth claims based on evidence that does not live up to our standards.   (Mormons and Science 08.08)

“I was changing a light bulb in the bathroom when I slipped, fell and hit my head.  When I came to, I had a dream . . . a vision, of this! (pointing to a drawing).  The Flux Capacitor.  This is what makes time travel possible!”  - Doctor Emmett Brown, inventor of time travel.

This statement by the Doc in the 1981 blockbuster movie “Back to the Future” is not just another humorous comment, it is a parody of an event that has happened repeatedly throughout the history of modern science.  I am referring to dreams and inspirations that led to marvelous breakthroughs in science and technology.  

Secular science just shrugs its shoulders at these supernatural events and attributes them to human intuition and perseverance.  Yet, as I point out in my book Truth & Science, the source of these miraculous events is the Light of Christ.  We are all beneficiaries of scientific or technological breakthroughs that have saved lives and enabled us to lead more productive and comfortable lifestyles.  When you think of the blessings of science and technology in your life, don’t thank your lucky stars; thank the Lord.  

The prophet Brigham Young said, “Every discovery in science and art, that is really true and useful to mankind, has been given by direct revelation from God.”  This is not the kind of statement that has to be taken on faith; there are plenty of examples of scientists receiving supernatural assistance.  One of my favorite accounts is Dmitri Mendeleyev’s (1834-1907) discovery of the periodic table.  Interestingly, the circumstances surrounding Mendeleyev’s discovery of the periodic table are similar to the circumstances portrayed in Doc Emmett Brown’s fictional discovery of the Flux Capacitor.

Both Mendeleyev and the Doc had wild unkempt hair.

Both had pictures of famous scientists who inspired them.  Doc had pictures of Thomas Edison and Isaac Newton in his study, and Mendeleyev had pictures of Newton, Galileo, and Faraday in his study.

Both men isolated themselves from the outside world while they worked feverishly on their discoveries.  Doc isolated himself while he worked on time travel, and Mendeleyev isolated himself while he worked on a way to organize the elements by their atomic weights.

And both men had a vision/dream while unconcscious that led to major discoveries.  Doc had a dream while unconscious on the bathroom floor, and Mendeleyev had his dream after falling asleep from exhaustion.  In his vision, Mendeleyev said, “I saw . . . a table where all the elements fell into place as required.”  While in a dreamlike state the Spirit of the Lord revealed to him the exact details of how to solve the problems he had labored on for so long.  Mendeleyev's account reads like a Hollywood script, yet it is true!

Is it a coincidence that events like this began happening around the time of the Restoration?  No. The apostle Paul testified that in the last days God would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. The outpouring of His Spirit enlightened people’s minds, ended the Dark Ages, and prepared the inhabitants of the earth for the Restoration.  The outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord continues to this day.  Its enlightening power is what makes the latter-days so different from previous dispensations.  Consider that for the first few thousands of years in the history of mankind, modes of transportation and communication remained largely unchanged (e.g., walking, on horse, riding in an animal drawn cart).  Now look how far we have come in the last 150 years.  The progress has been astounding!

The next time you start your car, turn on your computer, adjust your thermostat, answer the phone, turn on a light, bake in the oven, take a bath, put your clothes in the washer and dryer, and take a healing medication, thank the Lord.  As Brigham Young said, He is the provider of all useful and wonderful discoveries.
(Mormons and Science 8.08)