The Mormon Transhumanist Association

"Mormon Transhumanist Affirmation

We seek the spiritual and physical exaltation of individuals and their anatomies, as well as communities and their environments, according to their wills, desires and laws, to the extent they are not oppressive.

We believe that scientific knowledge and technological power are among the means ordained of God to enable such exaltation, including realization of diverse prophetic visions of transfiguration, immortality, resurrection, renewal of this world, and the discovery and creation of worlds without end.

We feel a duty to use science and technology according to wisdom and inspiration, to identify and prepare for risks and responsibilities associated with future advances, and to persuade others to do likewise."

Related videos from the group:

"Worshiping an Extra-Terrestrial Humanoid Deity" by Karl Hale
www.youtube.com...

"A Mormon Perspective on Transhumanism" by Carl Youngblood (2007)
www.youtube.com...

"Trust in Posthumanity and the New God Argument" by Lincoln Cannon
www.youtube.com...

Interesting.

I consider myself a Transhumanist of an Extropian nature, and I don't understand where Mormonism comes into play.

Thanks for the links though, watching now.

Its because in Mormonism their deity is a physical humanoid being, what some would call posthuman.

There is more info on transfigurism.org...

Why can't the same knowledge be gained without a religious filter?

Because I think it needs some type of aesthetic. Not to mention that common sense faith in a singularity could help build it up.

At least there is some rhetoric about ethics from The Mormon Transhumanist Association. Although ethics generally go out the window as power is accumulated. No rag on you, just on Transhumanism as it relates to Science as science relates to Power as power relates to Ego.

Has there been much feedback from the LDS on the TMTA? I do see your point about it not necessarily conflicting with church doctrine.

I've always been friendly with the neighborhood Elders, had 'em over for dinner, and even donated some building materials to the church once. Some LDS members more than returned the favor when I had a badly broken leg and had to move. They helped me big time. Good folk.

I've always found Joseph Smith interesting, too, and having read your Introduction, I would say that I'm fairly sure you appreciate what an impressive magical adept he was.

I'm a Christian (not a very impressive one) but I'm not here to try and convert or slam you. Not at all. I'm just truly fascinated with the LDS history and, now, your own spin on "magical" things as it relates to the church.

Peace.

Right now there is some co-operation in the mormon blog and podcast scene but its not a mainstream view. I dont see how its not though. They say god is a humanoid, god uses science to create, god is immortal but has a body. I dont see how many other explanations can exist.

www.new-god-argument.com...

This explains in logical terms that either we will go extinct before we become posthuman or that posthumans already exist and probably created our universe.

tl;dr here's a video www.youtube.com...

If something created our world via simulation, terraforming, or panspermia; one would expect they would treat us as nicely as they would hope their own creators would treat them.

At the least letting us live, and at the most direct interaction.

Here are some mormon quotes supporting science and transhumanism.

"The glory of God is intelligence," Joseph Smith

"Miracles are commonly regarded as occurrences in opposition to the laws of nature. Such a conception is plainly erroneous, for the laws of nature are inviolable." James E Talmage

"God is inspiring the minds of great people to create inventions that further the work of the Lord in ways this world has never known." Russell M Nelson

"The great temple of science must be erected upon the solid foundations of everlasting truth; its towering spires must mount upward, reaching higher and still higher, until crowned with the glory and presence of Him, who is Eternal." Orson Pratt

"Truth is truth forever. Scientific truth cannot be theological lie. To the sane mind, theology and philosophy must harmonize. They have the common ground of truth on which to meet." John A Widtsoe

I can't conceive of God as a transhuman I have to say. "God" suggests a Creator of all that we are and all that we can see of the universe.

Following that line of thought, science doesn't seem capable, so far, of being able to create the "organic."

I enjoyed your thoughts and quotes, though, and I do think we share some of the same outlook about science and theology.

"Truth is truth forever. Scientific truth cannot be theological lie. To the sane mind, theology and philosophy must harmonize. They have the common ground of truth on which to meet." John A Widtsoe

Science seems to have forgotten that it has a Daddy, and his name is Philosophy.

I don't believe we are ever going to figure out the secrets of the universe in this life, but we certainly won't do it if we forget the above.

I'll share some quotes I like, too.

For me, the idea of a creation is not conceivable without invoking the necessity of design. One cannot be exposed to the law and order of the universe without concluding that there must be design and purpose behind it all.
— Wernher von Braun

My experiences with science led me to God. They challenge science to prove the existence of God. But must we really light a candle to see the sun?— Wernher von Braun

And one more.

Science and religion no more contradict each other than light and electricity.
— William Hiram Foulkes

Peace, friend.

I really love the post, I just dont see the evidence for a supernatural God. I see evidence for the increase in human understanding, ingenuity, and creativity. If we are not "gods in training" for this life (as I was told by my parents since birth), my mind might explode. The singular nature of being, alone in our head with logos as an inner dialogue. Near omnipotence and omnipresent with the web and the cloud. We create and decide for ourselves and others. Each man is godlike if he labors towards something greater than himself. Maybe we just dont have the harry potter style powers (yet)

Sorry I'm I'm bugging you, I just think the intersection of Mormonism or theosis with Transhumanism is important,

More Joseph Smith. " I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that god was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see. These are incomprehensible ideas to some, but they are simple. It is the first principle of the gospel to know for certainty the character of god and to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a man like us."

"Here then is eternal life - to know the only wise and true God and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you, namely by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead,"

"That which has a beginning may have an end. There never was a time when there were not spirits; for they are co-equal with our Father in Heaven."

I'm a Mormon because I'm a transhumanist. I was raised from birth to believe that humans were meant to become Gods. Our goal should be to create worlds where we can make more Gods like ourselves.

Transhumanism gives me the means to these ends. God doesnt need to be supernatural. In fact in Mormonism God is a physical being. The way we reach these dreams of ours, the goals we've had for our species since day one is our use of technology to advance ourselves. We want to live forever. We want to know everything. We want to do everything. We want to bring back the dead.

If a God exists then he is just like us except he has the technology for the types of creation we imagine. Maybe a God doesnt exist but we will end up creating one. Maybe god merely spread a seed of intelligence across the universe to start the evolutionary process towards godhood. Maybe we are a simulated world, the history of the world of the God(s)

I am Mormon because it is the only religion that puts humans as co-equals with God. Just like God, our energy cannot be created nor destroyed. We dont need to worship. we need to emulate. We need to figure out what type of being a god is and how it is able to do what it can.

God can and should be understood. If we deny our highest ideals, what does that make us?