A Cosmic Gospel : A Cosmic Savior

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A Cosmic Savior

The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy, a measurement of disorder or chaos, in a system ultimately increases. In other words, matter tends towards disorganization (more entropy). Matter decays, stars burn out (taking with them any ecosystems of their planets), black holes evaporate, and galaxies eventually cool. Isaac Asimov's favorite personal work was 'The Last Question', in which he imagines mandkind's struggle against the increasing entropy of the universe playing out over trillions of years. Indeed, anyone who has owned a home or a car is intimately aware of this cosmic principle. Despite our best efforts, windshields crack, wood rots, tires run bare, furniture breaks, etc--often at the worst possible time. We expend great time and resources to repair these fits of entropy only to be doomed to inevitably do it again in the near future often on the very thing we previously repaired.

The same holds true for Mind as well. Left without hope, light, knowledge, or guidance, Mind/Intelligence falls into sin. Sin can be seen as a spiritual form of entropy; it leads to chaos, disorder, degeneration, destruction, and separation from God. A child, left to their own devices and without any parental or mentorship guidance, will become emotionally and physically maladjusted. Their behavior becomes irrational, disorganized, and chaotic. Societies which allow hate and intolerance to rule quickly find social disorder, chaos, war, and destruction. Marriages strained by unchecked spiritual entropy dissolve into divorce, often tearing the family apart.

This is why the Atonement of Christ must have a dual nature. It must provide an anti-entropic power to overcome both the degeneration of body and Mind. And it's this anti-entropic power that becomes the means for God to accomplish His "work" and "glory".

Jacob, in the Book of Mormon, explains how the Atonement is an anti-entropic force for the body of man:

4 For I know that ye have searched much, many of you, to know of things to come; wherefore I know that ye know that our flesh must waste away and die; nevertheless, in our bodies we shall see God.

5 Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.

6 For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.

7 Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.

2 Nephi 9:4-7

Peter also taught of the incorruptible nature of the Atonement:

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

1 Peter 1:18-19,22-25

Alma, in the Book of Mormon, explains how the Atonement provides a spiritual anti-entropic power through an infinitely intimate comprehension of the Minds of man:

10 And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

Alma 7:10-13

A "power of resurrection", "being born again, not of corruptible seed", "[enduring] forever", overcoming "death", "afflictions", "temptations", "sicknesses", "infirmities" all become anti-entropic powers realized through the Atonement of Christ. And this is done both for Mind/Intelligence as well as the physical/body:

"the Spirit knoweth all things (Mind); nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh (body)".

Is it of any wonder then that much of Christ's focus during his earthly ministry was exercising this anti-entropic power through preaching righteousness to the Minds/souls of man as well as healing the sick?

35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Matthew 9:35

God is not just the God of the physical universe, He is the God of individuals, the God of Souls and Minds. God has an eternal desire to connect with, cultivate, and comprehend each and every one. And to realize that desire, He provides a way for the soul, Mind and body, to escape these entropic deaths. He provides a Savior through which an Atonement is made bringing with it the blessings of restitution, rejuvenation, and reunion. As is often noted, the very meaning of the word 'atonement' is to repair, restore, or put back into its original, undamaged state. Mind and body then are not doomed to disorganization, but instead are given life eternal.

11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins

1 Colossians 1:11-14

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23

This brings up an often overlooked aspect of the nature of the Atonement. Not only is the Atonement a way to reconcile man with God, but it provides a way for God to know man, a way for God to realize His greatest desire:

5 Which glory is that of the church of the Firstborn, even of God, the holiest of all, through Jesus Christ his Son—

6 He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;

7 Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.

8 As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;

9 As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;

10 And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.

D&C 88:5-10

40 For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things.

41 He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever.

D&C 88:40-41

The Atonement becomes a bridge between man and God. Through it, the soul of man (body and Mind/Intelligence) can overcome the tides of entropy and become like God: eternal and incorruptible. And through the Atonement, God is able to "comprehend" and "succor" the souls and Mind of man to "dwell" with them. It is the bridge through which both parties are able to know one another. The Atonement is the great cosmic relationship.

Next: A Cosmic Relationship