The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints And Science: Book II – Ontology: 7 Essential Metaphysical Assumptions

By Joseph Mark Holmes

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669875048

Joseph Mark Holmes

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Copyright © 2023 by Joseph Mark Holmes.

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Rev. date: 08/15/2023

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CONTENTS

For whom the Trilogy was written

Book II - Ontology Essential Metaphysical Assumptions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Herein After) Regarding The Universe, Deity, and Humanity – Introduction

LDS Doctrine about the Universe, Deity, and Humanity.

A List and Explanation of the Seven Essential Metaphysical Assumptions.

The First Essential Metaphysical Assumption

LDS Truth Compared to Scientific Truth

How Intelligence (the Light of Truth) is bound in a Perfect Symmetry State.

How Intelligence is liberated from its Perfect Symmetry State.

The Steady State Hypothesis and its Weakness

Problems with the Big Bang Theory

The Inflationary Big Bang to the Rescue, but Problems Remain

Does a Black Hole Shrink to a Superstring or a Singularity?

What Type of Quantum Reaction Results in a Big Bang?

Why the Forces of Nature are all Related to each Other?

Why the Enfolded Order is Aware of All Things

Entropy creates Time, and Time has its Limits

Is Travel Between Universes Possible?

The Plasma Universe alternative to the Big Bang explained and countered.

The Second Essential Metaphysical Assumption

LDS Spirit World Beliefs Compared with major Western Philosophies

LDS Spirit World Beliefs Compared with Philosophies that Deny the Existence of an Immortal Soul.

The possible need for a Shadow Universe in Physics.

The Shadow Universe as the Spirit Matter Universe.

The Third Essential Metaphysical Assumption

The First Level of Life in LDS Doctrine

The Laws of Chemistry Govern the Familiar Physical Universe

The Laws of Physics for very Small Particles

LSD Doctrine as to how all Things were created out of Intelligence (defined as Light and Truth).

Examples of Omniscient Communication Studied by Science

How Neural Networks Perceive Reality

The Earth as a Living Organism

In Astronomy is there Evidence of Life in Large Scale Structures?

Brigham Young taught there is life in all levels of existence

The Nature of Truth in LDS Theology

The Universe is Divided into three Size Domains

The Fourth Essential Metaphysical Assumption

Are There Limits to the God’s Foreknowledge?

LDS Doctrine about the Need for Spiritual and Physical Final Judgments.

LDS Doctrine about the Physical World Final Judgment.

What are the Final Judgements of Science?

Why are there are Three Degrees of Glory?

Caveats Regarding a too Simplistic Interpretation of the LDS Three Degrees of Glory.

An Exception to the rule that both Grace and Works are Needed.

The Final Judgement is Irreversible and Fair.

The Fifth Essential Metaphysical Assumption

LDS Doctrine allows for a form of Evolution based on Free Agency at the Spirit Body Level.

Major weaknesses in the Theory of Evolution by Chance and Natural Selection.

The Weaknesses with the Prebiotic Soup Theories.

The Difficulties to simultaneously produce Protein Peptides and Short Strands of RNA.

Theories of Evolution which are Based on Faith not Fact.

For Life to Start by Chance many Interdependent Systems need to Come Together by Chance.

The Creation of Life by Chance Alone is Very Improbable.

How Evolutionists Seek to Deal with Unfavorable Probabilities Using Computer Models of Hypercycles.

Strengths of the LDS form of the Evolution of Life.

LDS Beliefs about When and Where Life Started.

The Sixth Essential Metaphysical Assumption

LDS Scriptures Discuss the Universe as well as the Earth

The LDS Faith believes in a Spirit Universe, World, and Bodies.

Other Types of Times Cycles

What logical and pragmatic evidence is there that a system of interconnecting universes exits?

God will Advance in Knowledge, Wisdom, Power and Glory Forever.

Evidence that all Mankind Shares Beliefs that could be attributed to a Common Spirit World Experience.

Beliefs of Eastern World Religions used as a Control Group to test the Common Spirit World Existence Hypothesis

Chinese Beliefs included in Confucianism and Taoism

The Religious Beliefs of Hinduism

The Religious Beliefs of Buddhism.

Is a Belief in Reincarnation possibly connected to the Spirit World?

Does the Monism of Eastern Religions make more Sense than the Theism of Western Religions?

Have we proven the Hypothesis that Eastern Religions get their Beliefs by Tuning into the Spirit World?

Are the Laws or Nature Irreversible or Reversible?

The Seventh Essential Metaphysical Assumption

Creating a new Universe is a very Demanding Job.

Administering Judgement in a perfectly just manner is a very Demanding Job.

The Importance of Temple Work for Members of the LDS Faith

Zion must be built on the Law of the Celestial Kingdom.

In the Celestial Kingdom there is a New Kind of Perception.

The Holographic Nature of the Universe.

Does the Human Race have a Collective Mind?

The Theory of Synchronicity.

Mankind’s Widely Felt Need for a Savior.

The Atonement Related to Philosophy’s Standards of Value.

Philosophy’s Standards of a Good Society.

The Motivation for writing the Trilogy plus a Summary of the Other Books of the Trilogy

Book I – Epistemology

Book III – "Creation-

Bibliography of Books

FOR WHOM THE TRILOGY WAS WRITTEN

J OSEPH MARK HOLMES wrote most of the content in the three books of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS hereinafter) and Science trilogy more than 20 years ago. It was written in an effort to solidify the author’s deepest beliefs about God, science and the purpose of life. When he started sharing his ideas with other members of his faith, he soon learned that many of them were not receptive to his ideas, so he stopped discussing them.

After nearly 20 years of retirement, Mr. Holmes received a very strong prompting from the spirit, that he needed to finish The Trilogy and publish his ideas. He then spent a lot of time editing his prior efforts and investigating, on the internet, whether the ideas that he had previously written about were still applicable.

While the Trilogy was primarily written for members of the LDS faith that could benefit from it, it is also written for any others who can find value in the ideas contained in the book. These include:

Atheists, agnostics, and skeptics:

Originally, the writer was like you. He changed when he learned about a God with limited powers but unlimited potential. The LDS God is a family man, whose spiritual children we are. He truly loves each of us and wants to give everyone the best reward possible.

This is the reason for Christ’s atonement for the sins of all mankind. Since God, like everything else in the universe, was created out of intelligence or light and truth, he must follow the laws that govern all things in the universe.

This includes allowing all forms of life a great deal of free agency. For this reason, God is not responsible for the evil that exists on earth. While this limits God power, he still has sufficient power to meet all his goals, which include the creation of new worlds and universes!

That God can create new universes is easier to believe than the alternative. This is the cosmological anthropic principle that although it is extremely unlikely that a universe like ours was created by chance alone, if it had not happened, we would not be here to know about it.

The approach discussed herein gives God unlimited potential to grow in knowledge, power, and glory forever. The unrestricted creativity of all life forms allows God to grow in knowledge forever as this will continually teach him new things; God’s ability to create new worlds and universes, allows him to grow in power forever, and God’s ability to facilitate his spiritual children and all other forms of life having the chance to fulfill the measure for their creation, allows him to grow in glory forever.

To Christians of all types:

God the Father loves and honors anyone who honors and loves his son Jesus Christ, and is willing to forgive their sins and give them the best reward in eternity that they qualify for. Many times, a heaven similar to the one in which they already probably believe.

While God, because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, is a God of mercy, he is also a God of Justice. If God ceases to be the upholder of justice in the universe, he would cease to be God. This means that there is no cheap grace. To reach our highest potential, and eventually to be exalted to Godhood, each of us needs to make certain covenants with God, designed to help us change our natures and become like God.

This includes being married for time and all eternity by one having authority received from God to do so. Having spiritual children, is absolutely essential to being exalted in the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom.

To become like God, a man and a woman must be married and get and stay on the covenant path. We are exalted as families not as individuals. Adoption into exalted families is possible. Women also may become Goddesses, equal in power and authority to their eternal spouses.

To non-Christians of all types:

The Christian God loves you because in a prior spirit world you were his spiritual offspring. He wants to give you as good a reward in eternity as possible, which probably consists of the best reward contemplated in your belief system. Nevertheless, there is a possibility of receiving an even greater reward, which is exaltation in the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom.

The spiritual leaders of your belief system were probably inspired by God, and their teaching have been of value to you. There is no desire to take away from you anything of value, the only aim is to present an alternative worthy of your consideration.

To anyone who is in need of love and God’s support.

God still loves you and will strive to give you the best reward possible, consistent with your behavior. Repentance is always available. In fact, the LDS Gods are Gods (both male and female) of fair play and in either this life, or the next life, they desire that all their spiritual offspring be given the opportunity to receive all the blessing and opportunities they did not receive in this life.

You can even make covenants, in this life or the next that could lead to exaltation, if you are willing to live the law upon which this highest of all blessing is predicated.

To anyone wishing to write science fiction stories based on good science and good religion.

The world view discussed in the Trilogy provides a great foundation which should enable aspiring writers of science fiction stories to craft realistic and meaningful yarns about life in our universe.

BOOK II - ONTOLOGY

ESSENTIAL METAPHYSICAL

ASSUMPTIONS OF THE CHURCH OF

JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

(LDS HEREIN AFTER) REGARDING THE

UNIVERSE, DEITY, AND HUMANITY

INTRODUCTION:

T HIS SECOND BOOK in the Trilogy is named Ontology, which means the study of the nature of reality. In this book seven essential metaphysical assumptions about the nature of the universe, Deity, and humanity will be identified and explained. Then the reasons for considering them metaphysical assumptions will be given, and the basis for classifying them as essential to the LDS Church justified.

The scriptural basis for associating each metaphysical assumption with the LDS Church will be carefully revealed. In the process, scientific laws, theories, theorems, or hypotheses which corroborate each specific essential metaphysical assumption of the LDS Church will be identified, and the implications explored.

Metaphysical assumptions are premises about the nature of reality that we make based on revelation, intuition, logic, reasoning, and/or practical considerations. Nevertheless, there is no physical proof that the assumptions are true in all cases. Consequently, to show that an assumption is metaphysical all we need to do is point out the insurmountable problems that exist with proving that the assumption is true in all cases.

While it may be impossible to prove through empirical evidence that a given metaphysical assumption is true, there should be considerable logical and/or pragmatic evidence as to the reasonableness of the assumptions in which we choose to believe. To be essential to LDS doctrine, the metaphysical assumptions must be revealed premises about the nature of the universe, Deity, or humanity which are logically implied by the basic teachings of the LDS Church regarding these topics.

To be valid, the information about these teachings should come from an authoritative source such as the LDS scriptures, or at least, from the non-scriptural teachings of modern-day LDS prophets. If this approach is faithfully followed, it is presumed that the conclusions reached herein will have the ring of truth to them, unless there is an adequate alternative explanation.

The aim of the overall effort in this reconciliation approach, is to identify the nature of reality implied in LDS doctrine, and then determine if the facts of science permit the existence of such an LDS reality. In determining what the facts of science are, an effort will be made to utilize reliable sources of information. Therefore, the writings of acknowledged experts in each topical area will be used.

An effort will also be made to differentiate between empirical evidence, and the expert’s interpretation of such evidence. This is because usually the experts’ interpretations are derived from basic beliefs in the set of fundamental metaphysical assumptions of science. These beliefs were identified and labeled as the Articles of Faith of science, in Book I of the Trilogy, which deals with epistemology.

When the unproved metaphysical assumptions of science lead to conclusions contrary to the teachings in the LDS scriptures, an effort will be made to see if the empirical data can be reinterpreted. The new interpretation will be based on the essential metaphysical assumptions of the LDS faith. This will be done in such a way that the new interpretation is consistent with the empirical evidence, and also with revealed LDS doctrine.

The writer feels more comfortable with the validity of the fundamental LDS teachings, but is less convinced as to the universal truthfulness of the selection premises that many scientists take on faith. Still, the writer believes that the metaphysical assumptions of science are generally of real value from a pragmatic and logical point of view and uses them where applicable.

When LDS leaders, including general authorities, have interpreted LDS scriptures in a way that is not consistent with the findings of science, an effort will be made to determine if there is an alternative explanation that is consistent with LDS scriptures. This is because we must test to determine if a prophet’s teachings are based on a revelation from God, or just represent a learned exegesis on the meaning of existing revelations.

There is a short cut path to learn the truth about LDS doctrine that is primarily based on pragmatic considerations such as reaching the most possible people with the message of the gospel and the plan of salvation. Based on this level of truth, what is most important is not an accurate description of how God accomplished His work, but the presentation of the message in the way that is most effective in reaching the masses, based on their level of understanding.

The primary work of the prophets is to effectively present the Gospel to the masses. Therefore, it should come as no surprise, if the leaders of the church are slow in changing popular interpretations of the scriptures, that have a proven track record of effectiveness in missionary work, but that might not fit all the empirical evidence.

Nevertheless, since God is honest, it comes as no surprise that the scriptures have been communicated to the prophets in a manner that allows them to be interpreted in new and deeper ways that are consistent with the overall message of the LDS scriptures, and with the best findings of science.

For our consideration herein, the message of the assumptions about the nature of the universe, Deity, and humanity, must be essential to the basic beliefs of the LDS Church. The assumptions being discussed are considered essential since they are implied in the very nature of the universe, Deity, and humanity taught in LDS doctrine. The essential assumptions are metaphysical, since they cannot be proven true or false by science. Therefore, one must believe in them based on reason, pragmatism and one’s faith in LDS scriptures and/or personal revelation.

In this book seven different metaphysical assumptions about the nature of the universe, Deity and humanity that are judged to be essential to the LDS church will be discussed. Among the reasons each of these assumptions are considered essential, is their close association with the structure, forces, and laws of nature implied by the kind of a purposeful universe taught in LDS Doctrine.

These essential characteristics of the universe, Deity, and humanity, are called the Laws of Eternal Progression. This is a meaningful concept for members of the LDS church. The laws of eternal progression, are the implied structure and laws of the universe, which provide the physical basis for God’s plan to create and colonize the cosmos, and to thereby achieve his eternal purposes.

Since the laws of eternal progression deal with the creation of this and other worlds, and with the ultimate purpose of life, they are metaphysical in nature. This is because there is no direct way to obtain empirical evidence to prove their truthfulness under all conditions. Presently mankind is not able to travel in time or visit the Celestial planet or other worlds located near Kolob or conduct experiments that will convince everyone that there is a spirit world, etc.

Since the teachings of the LDS Church about the laws of eternal progression explain the basis for LDS beliefs about the purpose and meaning of life, they are essential to LDS doctrine. Without these teachings, the doctrine of the LDS Church would differ little from that of other Christian churches. To many members of the LDS Church, the laws of eternal progression bestow a deeper understanding about the meaning and purpose of life. This is one of the things about the LDS church that many of its members most deeply cherish

The laws of eternal progression, as taught in LDS literature, are derived from a set of principles and revelations that explain why the universe is teleological (the philosophical word for purposeful). Included in this set of LDS teachings, are clear doctrines as to the purpose of life. These teachings are very broad in scope and will cover all the various essential metaphysical assumptions of the LDS Church that are discussed in this reconciliation approach.

Herein our objective will be to give a brief outline of LDS teachings dealing with the nature of the universe, Deity, and humanity. Then we will identify those basic assumptions that are judged to be essential to the LDS view of the universe, and that, at the same time, are reasonable in view of the findings of science. Thereafter, an effort will be made to reconcile such essential LDS teachings with the findings of science.

LDS Doctrine about the Universe, Deity, and Humanity.

A brief presentation of the teachings of the LDS church regarding the structure and laws of the universe, Deity and humanity will now be given before identifying the essential metaphysical assumptions of the LDS Church. This is because an overview of such doctrine will help to clarify why these teachings are essential to the LDS Church.

The best place to begin our investigation into the LDS beliefs about the nature of the universe is to start with the simplest, or primal level of organization. The Doctrine and Covenants 93:29 states Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.

Although this scripture states that humanity was in the beginning with God, it goes on to make it clear that it was not humanity organized in a physical or spiritual body that was with God. Instead, it means that the primal substance out of which humanity’s spiritual and physical bodies were created, was at one time in this uncreated simplest state; and that Deity, at one time, had also been in this eternal uncreated state.

Therefore, there was a time when the substance out of which both God and all mankind (on both the physical matter and spirit matter levels) were simultaneously existing in the primal unorganized state called intelligence or light of truth.

Then through an organization process that has always existed, the primal uncreated substance called intelligence was organized into spirit and physical matter. The scriptures do not state which kind of matter was created first, or whether they were created at the same time. However, they do make it clear that spirit matter was the first type of matter to be organized into spirit bodies.

That spirit bodies were created first can be inferred from Moses 3:5 which states: "For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth"

That the substance called spirit is a form of matter is clarified in the Doctrine and Covenants 132:7 which reads as follows: There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes. From these scriptures, the spirit bodies of plants, animals, and mankind first were organized out of a less massive form of matter called spirit matter

It appears that not only were spirit bodies created out of spirit matter, but also the earth and the other spheres comprising a spirit universe. In Abraham 3:16 the gradation of the various spheres in the universe was discussed in the following language: "If two things exist, and there be another above the other, there shall be greater things above them; therefore, Kolob is the greatest of the Kokaubeam [governing spheres] that thou hast seen, because it is nearest to me."

The gradation of spheres mentioned above in Abraham chapter 3 seems to be referring to organized spheres in the spirit matter universe. This is because Abraham 4:1 makes it clear that the physical matter world had not yet been fully organized at the time discussed in the passages comprising chapter 3. It states…" And then the Lord [Jesus Christ] said: Let us go down. And they went down in the beginning [of the organization of the physical world], and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth".

Note that the word heavens is plural. Also, consider that the word heaven implies a group of stars held together by some means such as gravity. This is a good definition of a galaxy. Apparently, there was work that needed to be done in more than one galaxy.

What seems clear is that it was from the spirit matter earth, that the Gods organized the physical matter earth. There is reason to believe that the spirit matter earth was in a different dimension, but connected to the physical earth, through a common force of gravity. In fact, it is likely that the spirit matter universe and the physical matter universe may have been created at the same time.

The best version of the scientific theories of superstrings predicts that at the time of creation (via a big bang birth process) our physical universe, and an interconnected shadow universe, were simultaneously created. If we are to believe that this shadow universe is the spirit matter universe, we need to ask the question…. How then could the spirit matter universe have been organized before the physical matter universe?

Perhaps in the Spirit matter universe, elements heavier than the equivalents of hydrogen and helium were organized into a fully developed spirit matter world, earlier than in the physical matter universe. The Gods needed a spirit matter home for their spirit children much earlier than they needed a physical matter home, so they worked on developing it first!

In the physical matter universe, it is from the remains of supernova explosions that all the elements other than hydrogen and helium are obtained. The more massive a star, the further a fusion process can proceed, thereby fusing heavier and heavier elements. This continues up until iron is created; however, at that point no more energy can be derived from fusion, since the iron nucleus is the most stable of all. Then normal fusion processes stop.¹

This causes a sun several times larger than our sun to contract rapidly, and then explode in a supernova; a little bang that, for a brief period, is billions of times more brilliant than other stars. It is through such supernova explosions that the elements heavier than iron are created.

It is also the supernova that spews all other elements out into space, where subsequently they can be incorporated into solar systems such as our own.² This would also provide all the elements needed to create a spirit matter world, as well as a physical matter world.

The theory of superstrings requires than the physical and the spirit matter universes share the same force of gravity. Ultimately, this would cause most suns, planets, and other spheres in the combined spirit matter / physical matter universes to be bound together into spirit matter/physical matter bodies. In fact, according to the D&C 93:33 this is a necessary requirement for there to be a fullness of joy.

LDS doctrine implies that death is not associated with the spirit matter universe. This requires that the laws of nature work differently in the spirit matter universe than in the physical matter universe. This matter will be studied later in this book. Therefore, we will not go into detail into this subject at this time.

What is clear is that the spirit matter spheres were organized in a form suitable for life, long before their corresponding physical matter counterparts were. The work of organization seems to have been broader than just making physical matter worlds a fit habitation for life. Many of the stars and related planets in the physical universe needed to be associated with spirit world counterparts.

From the D&C 88:25 & 26 we learn that: "…the earth abideth the law of the celestial kingdom, and that.... notwithstanding it shall die [defined as the separation of the physical body from the spiritual body in LDS doctrine], it shall be quickened [resurrected meaning that the spiritual body is reunited with the physical body], and the righteous shall inherit it."

Clearly, LDS doctrine teaches that worlds also can have spirit bodies, and that to achieve their highest potential the spirit earth and the physical earth must be combined. It seems plausible that a similar situation applies to most if not all of the stars and planets in the universe.

The above-mentioned scripture makes it clear that for a time the spirit matter world connected to our physical matter world, was not unified into one spirit matter/physical matter world. How, when, and why this happened will be dealt with in Book III of the Trilogy entitled Creation.

Early LDS prophets taught that at the time the earth was created, or at least the spirit matter portion of the earth was created, it was not located in orbit around the sun, but was located near where God lives. Joseph Smith taught.… This earth will be rolled back into the presence of God, and crowned with celestial glory.³ Clearly, for the earth to be rolled back to the presence of God, it must have originally been there.

The second LDS prophet Brigham Young taught a similar doctrine: "When the earth was framed and brought into existence and man placed upon it, it was near the throne of our Father in heaven. And when man fell.... the earth fell into space, and took up its abode in this planetary system, and the sun became our light.

This is the glory the earth came from, and when it is glorified, it will return again unto the presence of the Father, and it will dwell there, and these intelligent beings that I am looking at, if they are worthy of it, will dwell upon this earth."⁴

The third LDS Prophet John Taylor further clarified that the earth..." was organized near the governing planet Kolob⁵. [Which is nearest to the celestial or place where God resides.]

LDS scriptures primarily refer to the creation and nature of our earth, but they also have something to say about the size and essence of the entire physical universe. For instance, Moses was shown a vision of the creation of the entire universe. This vision is recorded in Moses chapter 2 verses 27 to 35. Because of the many implications about the nature of the universe included in these passages, they will be quoted below, and their ramifications explained, as follows:

27. "And it came to pass...Moses cast his eyes and beheld the earth, yea, even all of it; and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the spirit of God. [In this verse a new type of perception is described, which is unlike the visual perception of mortal mankind which can focus only on one thing at a time. This level of perception goes all the way down to the level of each particle of the universe. Undoubtedly, there needs to be a physical basis for such pervasive perception.]

28. "And he beheld the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were great, even numberless as the sands upon the seashore. [In this verse the ability, through the Spirit of God, to simultaneously see all of God’s vast numbers of spirit children, provides the theoretical basis for God being able to consider the needs and prayers of all his spirit children. Therefore, the ability to