mormonsandscience

“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)