Light

Dear Readers,

What is light? It seems like something we should have an answer for, but in reality it seems like science has no actual idea what it is. It behaves like particles so they call these particles of light "photons".

Image Link NASA

Yet the particles also act like wavelengths, much like how sound passes through air and water. Nonetheless everything from gamma rays to radios waves are all the same particles just moving at different frequencies.

The most perplexing part is that they are considered "mass-less" (NASA emspectrum) particles because they can only be quantified while moving. They always travel at the speed of light. With their constant speed, it is just a matter of direction and wavelength. Without those photons don't seem to exist.

Even more interesting, we find that sunlight and any white light source contains all of the visible spectrum of light. The prism simply separates all of the wavelengths that normally blend together forming white. Therefore, white is full of light and black is, in reality, the absence of at least visible light.

When we paint, the pigments capture light. As with black paint, all of the visible light is absorbed thus creating the color of black. Now here is the question, if the light is absorbed, where does it go? The photons, for most scientific purposes seem to cease to exist. Nevertheless, we can perceive their effects.

Black objects get hotter because the energy from the light enters the object increasing its temperature and energy levels. This is why asphalt roads release so much heat that the air vibrates causing mirages. The air acts like the transparent prism and changes the direction of the photons slightly, but instead of separating the wavelengths, it just reflects them else where.

Hydrogen Atom

This leads me to a question I had, if photons are absorbed, where are they? Are they secretly protons or neutrons, even electrons? No, because all of those have a mass while being still and moving. So are they quarks or other building blocks of these particles, no for they too have mass. Instead of asking these questions that science has no answer for, lets look at what it does.

With photosynthesis scientists have observed that when light enters the plant cells, they activate organelles called chloroplast.

Now, inside the chloroplast are molecules called thylakoids that contain green pigments. The pigments appear green because they absorb the more energetic violet and blue wavelengths as well as the slower yellow and red wavelengths.

Thus reflecting only the green wavelengths. This optimizes the energy absorption. Yet, we already know that when photon stop they seem to stop to exist, so how does that transfer into energy?

The energy trapped by the pigments "excites" electrons making them jump from atom to atom. Being passed along the chain of atoms the electron slowly looses energy until it is trapped by creating the covalent bonds found in glucose and other fats and sugars. Some of the excited electrons help produce the energy needed for the plant to grow and live while others are stored in these bonds.

Carbohydrase is the enzyme that breaks down starch. 

For herbivores and omnivores, our protein based enzymes wedge and break apart the glucose bonds, releasing those energized electrons. The resulting sugars can also be broken down releasing even more energy that our cells can use.

Yet through all of that, the energy simply changes from the chemicals energy trapped in the bonds to the free electrons repeating back and forth until the energy is used up. So where are these photons?

When we burn wood for a fire, we introduce extreme energy that breaks downs the carbon bonds, and somehow that releases the photons we see in flames. Thus we know that somehow the photons are trapped in there.

Even with the atomic decay of different isotopes, they produce gamma rays and other radioactive rays. This is why another name for photons is electromagnetic radiation. Thus photons are experienced at the subatomic level with the decay and energized electrons. None the less, different molecule formations such as pigments, all made of nearly the same atomic structure, absorb different wavelengths of light.

This phenomenon leads us to consider how photons seem to react directly with atoms and yet are redirected or attracted at the molecular level.

edited from the Encyclopedia Britannica prism seen above. 

My personally theory on this is that the shapes of the molecules create densities or traps as the light passes through the membranes like a prism. Alas, I consign that I have not been able to research enough to have a definitive answer to that inquiry.

Wherefore, I have reached the limits of my scientific knowledge, thus I will now delve into my religious knowledge.

1 John 1:5 "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."

As many of you have probably seen, a match ignited has the shadow of the stick itself, but the torch on the top has no shadow. There is no darkness in it.

Dark Crystal Urru

This is interestingly contrasted when compared to the movie Dark Crystal. In that movie the good Urru were combined with the evil Skeksis.

Dark Crystal Skeksis

This combination created an original former race called Urskek.

Dark Crystal Urskeks

Now, as my perception of how they were portrayed, they seemed to be beings of light and darkness fused together.

Another portrayal of the attempted fusions is with the light and dark attack by Lucemon in his Chaos Mode in the last episode of Digimon Frontier. His attack is depicted almost like an orb of symbols and data, almost as though the true combination of light and dark is that of knowledge or intelligence. It could also be interpreted as digital data which is the life essence of digimon.

Yet these combinations are not God, for there is no darkness in Him. Therefore He must be more like pure radiating light. However, this does not mean that He does not have a physical body, for we know that He does (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22).

For the chakra mode from Naruto Shippuden seems to illustrate how light and energy, being released from chakra, could make someone radiant and glorious. Indeed, having an appearance like fire (Revelation 10:1).

Nevertheless, Naruto's chakra from the Kyuubi (Nine tailed demon fox) had a limit, it could be extinguished and used up.

Then there is Saitama from One Punch Man. His power came from when he was younger and broke his limiter. During his fight with Boros (a one eyed alien capable of seeing energy), Boros remarked about the limitless energy that Saitama possessed. After contemplating what this all means, it seems less likely that Saitama is all that powerful in himself, and more like "the limiter" of his power is energy flowing through him. He expels countless energy like a vacuum, it passes through him, directed and modified by him, but it is all not his. The energy is all around, he is simply a conduit for controlling it. 

However, this still does not satisfy my concept of God. Though it might be false, I perceive a God that does not have to rely on the energy around Him, but actually produces His own light and energy ever rejuvenating, ever growing, and ever progressing.

Alas, I will yield to the scriptures:

Doctrine and Covenants 93

2 "And that I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world;"

8-14 "Therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messanger of salvation-- The light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men. The world were made by him; men were made by him; all things were made by him, and through him, and of him. And I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us. And I, John, saw that he receive not of the fulness at the first, but receive grace for grace; And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness; And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first."

From that we can see that Jesus Christ, premortal as Jehovah, is the Spirit of truth and was full of light.

23-24 "Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth; And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;"

Not only is light, truth and spirit connected, but it is ultimate truth, not relative truth.

26-36 "The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit of truth, and John bore record of me, saying: He received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth; And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments. He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things. Man was also in the beginning with God. intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence. Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light. And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation. For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy; And when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy. The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, a man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple. The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth."

There is quite a bit in this one, so lets break it down. Like in my blog post about Intelligence, light and truth is this intelligence and they are different from the elements or physical matter. Yet the elements house them, like a tabernacle or building. Thus we see that it is likely that the photons might actually enter into the atomic particles themselves. The elements themselves being eternal, yet the radioactive decay is the loss of their light through Alpha, Beta and Gamma radiation. Also that without these intelligence, or this light, there is not existence, no self awareness, and without photons, no living life.

Doctrine and Covenants 88

7-17 "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. As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made; As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made; And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand. And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings; Which light proceedeth froth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space--the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things. Now, verily I say unto you, that through the redemption which is made for you is brought to pass the resurrection from the dead. And the spirit and the body are the soul of man. And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul. And the redemption of the soul is through him that quickeneth all things, in whose bosom it is decreed that the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it."

Here it appears that there is a direct comparison to the light of Christ and actual light. The light of the sun which then reflects upon the moon and shines upon the earth. The light of all of the stars in the sky and the reflected light upon their orbiting planets and other objects. We also have some insight as to light being the driving force of the organization of the universe. For it proceeds forth similar to the Higgs Field which I talked about in another post, and that field gives mass to the elemental or physical matter. Yet photons pass through it without having mass. They pierce through so much like x-rays and radiation. Indeed, even NASA admits that the universe itself is the biggest generator of gamma radiation, aka photons, aka light particles that fill the immensity of space. I also want to note that this light is the "law by which all things are governed". We could almost see how light enters an electron and then energizes it or gives it instructions as it gets passed along the atomic shells.

25-32 "And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of the celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law--Wherefore it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it. For not withstanding they die, they also shall rise again, a spiritual body. They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body which was a natural body; even ye shall receive your bodies, and your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened. Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness. And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness. And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness. And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received."

Now we see that the light and truth we let into our lives, run our lives and laws we live by actually leave an imprint, quickening us. Then, when we are resurrected and our spirits and bodies are inseparably connected, we will have a fulness of the glory that we are willing to receive and obey.

66-67 "Behold, that which you hear is as the voice of one crying in the wilderness--in the wilderness, because you cannot see him--my voice, because my voice is Spirit; my Spirit is truth; truth abideth and hath no end; and if it be in you it shall abound. And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things."

Finally we see how, in our mortal stage, we can have the light in our eyes. How much light we let in and is then reflected out, because our inward light is full. This is incredibly like Christ's parable of light in Matthew 6:21-23.

Whether light is spirit or intelligences themselves I know not, but it does seem as though science thus far has no idea where it comes from or what it really is. Also, as far as I can tell, the scriptures revealed much truth about light that has since been proven long after Joseph Smith's day. Indeed, he was a Prophet of God. I leave you with these things in hopes that maybe you will discover more truth of "things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come" in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love,
Jacobugoth

Facebook Request 3: The Glory of God is Intelligence

Dear Readers,

Because it has been requested on Facebook, by my wonderful Step-Mother Laina, I am please to post about The Glory of God is Intelligence.

This is a very deep subject of the gospel and I will endeavor to try explain it in such a way as those who read this may understand. It was John Taylor who said, "It is true intelligence for a man to take a subject which is mysterious and great in itself and to unfold and simplify it so that a child could understand it." (Journal of Discourses v 5 pg 260)

First of all, what is "intelligence"? Usually we think of how smart we are, whether book smarts from schooling, or "street smarts" or common sense from practical life experience. This is where, I feel, that worldly doctrine and confused intelligence with knowledge and wisdom. The clearest example that I know is with the saying, "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put a tomato in a fruit salad." I would argue and these are just aspects of intelligence, but not really what it is, or what it means to be intelligent.


God defines "intelligence" in Doctrine and Covenants 93:29-30 "... Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. 30. All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also, otherwise there is no existence." Intelligence is the light of truth. Not only that, but intelligence is sentient, alive, conscious, "to act for itself". I believe it was Socrates who said "Cogito, Egro Sum", "I think, therefore I am". Intelligence is the ability to think, not just something in our brains, but literally life in the most basic of all its forms.

Some people may say, "Where is the proof of that?". Well I say, let is try and experiment. As will all truth, you can experiment upon it and get an answer, if you are open to receive it. It was explained to me like this... (WARNING don't try until you finish reading the instructions, because the first one is close your eyes, and it is hard to read with your eyes closed.) INSTRUCTIONS {Close you eyes, and find your little "I Am". Wiggle your toes, is that above or below "you". What about your chest, your breathing, is that above or below you? Now touch your chin. What about your ears, are the above, below, or to the sides? Continue for your nose, eyes, back and top of your head, even your forehead.}Your little "I Am" is inside of your head. Inside of your brain.

So, with my limited knowledge about human anatomy, I would like to point out that it is not a coincidence that your little "I Am" or intelligence is about where the main nerve group is in the brain. Sorry, I do not know what it is called, yet it is my theory that either that part of the brain, or the brain matter itself is what communicates with our spirit. Thus it would make sense to me that our "I Am" would be located right there. Also, if while doing the experiment, you ran you finger down you forehead, you would find that right between your eyes is in front of "you". This, I wonder, is why so many people think of the "third eye" though that is traditionally located in the middle of the forehead.

Here is something fun, not only is intelligence life, but it is visibly seen as light. Like to old sayings about the light going out in your eyes. Though, it is not just any light, like sunlight or from a light bulb, it is the light of truth. Truth, not lies, not falsehoods, but truth is literally alive.

I like the subtle theme from "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" that truth is strength. Which makes me wonder, if we are told to "feast upon the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 32:3) because the truth sets us free and is a kind of food for our spirits, what if that is more literal than we give it credit for. I mean God's light of truth fills the "immensity of space"  and gives "life to all things" (Doctrine and Covenants 88:12-13), what if, like sunlight is ultimately what feeds our physical bodies through the food chain, if God's light, if intelligence, is what feeds our spiritual bodies.

Again, something else fun, the scriptures say that we can gain intelligence, by gaining truth. In Daniel 11:30 Daniel sees a vision of several kings and of one he said "...so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant." Basically, that king will try to convince those who did "forsake the holy covenant" and show them the error of their ways with truth. Then in the Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith which can be found in the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith said "... Accordingly, as I had been commanded, I went at the end of each year, and at each time I found the same messenger there, and receive instruction and intelligence from him at each of our interviews..."

When we learn truth, I mean really learn, almost absorb it, then we gain and increase in intelligence. Doctrine and Covenants 88:40 "For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light;..." This is why some people love learning, and if you are taught truth, and taught it correctly, then it is good, you enjoy it. The very truth itself "cleaveth" or holds to, leans upon more truth, building like a snowball rolling down a hill, which sadly, living in Arizona, I have not actually seen.

Then God gives us a kind of promise in Doctrine and Covenants 130:18 "Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection." As we learn truth, whether knowledge or wisdom, that remains with us in the next life. Literally growing our life.

So if this is what "intelligence" is, where did it come from? Doctrine and Covenants 93:29 explains it quite well. "29. Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be." Yes I know I have used this scripture already, but it is a good one. Light of truth, or intelligence, cannot be created or made. You cannot create a false truth, nor can you create that intelligence that is life.

Now some may argue, but we create life all of the time, through procreation. That is not entirely true. To explain this, I will now talk about what intelligence does. We know that it acts, but what does it do?

 Abraham 3:21-23 "21. I dwell in the midst of them all; I now, therefore, have come down unto thee to declare unto thee the works which my hands have made, wherein my wisdom excelleth them all, for I rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences thine eyes have seen from the beginning; I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences thou has seen. 22. Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; 23. And God saw these souls they they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou was born."

I would like to point out some key words here, especially in verse 23. "Souls" in Doctrine and Covenants 88:15 "And the spirit and the body are the soul of man.". Abraham was shown the pre-mortal life, before we received bodies, and yet God "saw these souls". He saw their potential and what they were meant to be and become, "for [H]e stood among those that were spirits". Now what are "spirits"?


Doctrine and Covenants 131:7-8 "7. 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; 8. We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter." So, essentially, our spirits are bodies for our intelligence.

Here comes that deep doctrine I was talking about. In Journal of Discourses volume 7 page 2-3 Brigham Young, the second Prophet of this dispensation, said "If people understood true philosophy—eternal philosophy, they would understand that there is an eternity of matter. Astronomers estimate that there is between us and the nearest fixed star matter enough from which to organize millions of earths like this. There is an eternity of matter, and it is all acted upon and filled with a portion of divinity. Matter is to exist; it cannot be annihilated. Eternity is without bounds, and is filled with matter; and there is no such place as empty space. And matter is capacitated to receive intelligence. If we could so understand true philosophy as to understand our own creation, and what it is for - what design and intent the Supreme Ruler had in organizing matter and bringing it forth in the capacity that I behold you here today, we could comprehend that matter cannot be destroyed-that it is subject to organization and disorganization; and could understand that matter can be organized and brought forth into intelligence, and to possess more intelligence, and to continue to increase in that intelligence; and could learn those principles that organized matter into animals, vegetables, and into intelligent beings; and could discern the Divinity acting, operating, and diffusing principles into matter to produce intelligent beings, and to exalt them-to what? Happiness. will nothing short of that fully satisfy the spirits implanted within us? No.
You can daily observe the operations of the spirits of men in the streets of this city. There you can now see the world exhibited as it is. You can see people hurrying from the east to the west, from the west to the east, from the north to the south, and from the south to the north. Have they any object in view? Ask the traveler whether he has; ask the bystander whether there is an object in his mind. Whether I stand or walk, whether I labor or rest, lie down or rise up, in all my acts in life there is an object. I have something in view, you have something in view, and so has the whole human family, as also all intelligence of every grade."

So, firstly matter is "capacitated" or has the capacity or ability to receive or store intelligence, and the deepest, most motivating aspect of these intelligences is the need to be happy. That is what all life seeks, to be happy. Now, from what we have learned thus far, spirit is matter, and that matter can hold intelligence, but the physical elements are also matter, and also have spirit matter with them. That is why (see Creation post) God formed all things spiritually before they were physically there. 

God has created, or organized all things, but why so many different ones. Firstly Abraham 3:19 "And the Lord said unto me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all."Therefore some intelligences are more intelligent than others, and God knew which ones were most like Him, thus created them in His image, and others He placed in different lesser orders, stages, or spheres.

2 Nephi 2:14 "And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon." This is what we might call God science. God speaks to the spirit, to the intelligence of the the elements, those things which are made to be acted upon, and because He is God, their creator, their liberator, and so they listen and obey. For it is taught in the temple that when the earth was being created physically, it was waited upon to see if it would obey.

Also, 2 Esdras 6:41 of the Old Testament Apocrypha "41.Upon the second day thou madest the spirit of the firmament, and commandedst it to part asunder, and to make a division betwixt the waters, that the one part might go up, and the other remain beneath." 

Even so, that is how miracles are performed, whether Moses calling forth the plagues upon Egypt, or Jesus healing all manner of sicknesses, walking on water, or turning water into wine. Even when healings and other miracles are performed today, it is by God's power, or His authority, his Priesthood that such things are done. By His say so, and that is because of His honor. In Doctrine and Covenants 29:36 we read that the main reason why Lucifer fell was because he wanted God's power, or in other words, he wanted the honor and glory for himself, for performing the atonement. 

So, God's power, is His honor, but why is honor power? Because God always keeps His promises, and He has promised that as long as we obey Him, we will be saved, or in other words, resurrected with a perfect body, and that our bodies, spirits, and intelligences will no longer be subject to separation. This is not only true for us, His children, but also for the animals, for the trees, even the earth itself. 10th article of faith, "...that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisical glory." Even in Doctrine and Covenants 88:19-20, 130:9 it says that the earth will be crowned with glory, and become immortal.

Doctrine and Covenants 93;33 "For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fullness of joy;" This is why the earth and all of the animals obey God, because He has promised a "fullness of joy", and He keeps His promises. This is why God has said, "...this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."(Moses 1:39) because God's glory, God's power, God's honor, all comes from our happiness, and we can only be truly happy if we receive eternal life!

I hope that you learned from and understood this post about why the Glory of God is Intelligence.(Doctrine and Covenants 93:36) If you have any questions or comments, please post them. I really want to know what you think, and if I was able to explain this doctrine accurately. For personal research, I was introduced to this doctrine by listening to a talk by W. Cleon Skousen "Meaning of the Atonement". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHan3Y8BxGs

Love,
Jacobugoth