A Cosmic God
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| (source: richworks.in) |
As mentioned in the introductory post, a paradox emerges when we incorporate the belief in a universal Creator with knowledge of the immensity of space. That when compared with God man is nothing; but to God man is everything. The scriptures and feelings of awe and wonder about the universe give some insight into how this paradox has been explored.
In the Pearl of Great Price we have a wonderful account of a vision given to Moses which indicates that Moses was able to explore these infinities with God Himself.
10 And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed.
31 And behold, the glory of the Lord was upon Moses, so that Moses stood in the presence of God, and talked with him face to face. And the Lord God said unto Moses: For mine own purpose have I made these things. Here is wisdom and it remaineth in me.
32 And by the word of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth.
33 And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten.
35 But only an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you. For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them.
37 And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying: The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine
38 And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words.
Moses 1:10, 31-33, 35-38
Here Moses feels completely swallowed up in the infinity of God's creations. Which is why the verse that follows is so profound:
39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
Moses 1:39
Think of that. God, as the creator of the universe,
has seen billions, perhaps trillions, of civilizations come and go and
guided them towards progressing to become like Him. How many bronze ages
has he seen play out on other worlds? How many worlds experienced an
apostasy like ours? How many industrial revolutions? How many wars and
genocides? How many enlightenments? How many cultures, languages,
religions? How many dispensations? How many discovered
electron/silicon-based computing? How many mastered quantum computing?
How many biotech? Nanotech? Space travel? Etc. Etc. Etc. As the Creator
of the universe, it's fair to say that God has seen it all in any sense
of the phrase. So when He says that "man" is his "work"
and "glory", that's not just a banal platitude; it's an authoritative
statement from God, Himself. A Universal Truth.This feeling of awe, wonder, astonishment, the numinous, is not unique to just religion; it is felt by anyone seeking to honestly understand the physical universe and our place in it. Neil deGrasse Tyson poetically explains what he calls "The most astounding fact" about the universe:
Now, Neil deGrasse Tyson is not religious. But his observation is shared here merely to indicate that the feelings one has when exploring this paradox from most any angle creates a shared experience of wonderment, a common ground of awe and reverence. This strength, to draw upon the shared insights and awe from science, breathes new life into what can sometimes become an obtuse belief in a Creator as noted by Carl Sagan:
How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, “This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant?” Instead they say, “No, no, no! My god is a little god, and I want him to stay that way.” A religion, old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the Universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths.
The insights of science and the LDS account of God revealing the grandeur of His creations to Moses should cause LDS adherents to stand with Carl Sagan in wonderment and awe as we understand more and more about those creations.
This connection with the universe, that we are drowned in its immensity but that part of the universe is drowned in us, eloquently restates the original observation by Blaise Pascal:
For in fact what is man in nature? A Nothing in comparison with the Infinite, an All in comparison with the Nothing, a mean between nothing and everything.
Despite this insight of man being intimately connected with the universe, God's declaration that we are His "work" and "glory" forces us to face the paradox of man's relationship with a Creator and the universe head on and ask, "How can the physical nothingness of man be reconciled with his prime spiritual importance?"
A possible answer can be found in an oft debated topic: Mind.
Next: A Cosmic Mind
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