Adam, Eve, and Lilith

Dear Readers,

I am about to take you on a journey, my journey, in trying to understand what is true about the Adam and Eve story. Alas, that is only part of why I am talking about this subject. Opinions and speculations abound in this post, for it is my mortal mind trying to accept and understand the scriptures and the teachings of modern prophets.

Adam and Eve from the movie Noah 2014

What first got me trying to discover this is when I was trying to understand and combat the anti-mormon information out there, including the false doctrine that Adam is God the Father. During this pursuit I found this quote from Journal of Discourses given by Brigham Young, "When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him." (Journal of Discourses v1 pg 50)

Of course, it is important to note the context for this quote. Brigham Young was trying to dispel the false notion that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Ghost. In so doing, he compared Christ's birth to Adam's creation. "He is the first of the human family; and when he took a tabernacle, it was begotten by his Father in heaven, after the same manner as the tabernacles of Cain, Abel, and the rest of the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve; from the fruits of the earth, the first earthly tabernacles were originated by the Father; and so on in succession." (Journal of Discourses v1 pg 50-51) "from the fruits of the earth" is key here, at least for me.

All accounting of Adam's creation in the scriptures describe him as being "formed from the dust of the ground" (Genesis 2:7, Moses 3:7, Abraham 5:7). However, President Brigham Young has stated, "Look for instance at Adam. Listen, ye Latter-day Saints! Supposing that Adam was formed actually out of clay, out of the same kind of material from which bricks are formed; that with this matter God mad the pattern of a man, and breathed into it the breath of life, and left it there, in that state of supposed perfection, he would have been an adobie to this day. he would not have known anything."

Though I am one of the first to admit this is faulty logic, for I believe in the same God that turn water into wine (John 2:1-11), that multiplied the loaves of bread and the fish (Mark 6:38-43), who parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22, Psalm 136:13-15), and raised the dead (Luke 7:12-15, John 11:14, 43-44). Therefore, if God wanted to, He could create Adam from clay and the dust of the earth, that is within His power. However, because of Prophet of God was permitted to teach this for doctrine, I must believe it is true. For we also see that if there is a natural way to bring something into existence then there is no need for Him to intervene so miraculously. As with the wine, they could not get wine for the party, so the transmutation needed to occur.

Similarly, there was a world-wide devotional this year in which Russel M Nelson talked about Divine Law. "I learned this as President Spender W. Kimball's surgeon." he said concerning divine laws, "When the implanted pacemaker for his heart suddenly failed, President Kimball came back to me for help. But first he asked me to give him a priesthood blessing. After the blessing, which promised correction of his failed pacemaker, he then said to me. 'Now you may do whatever you need to do to make that blessing a reality. I proceeded with the operation. One the wire that carried electricity from the pacemaker to his heart, I found a break in the insulation. When I replaced the faulty wire, the pacemaker immediately worked again, allowing President Kimball's heart to beat normally. Not even for God's prophet could the law relating to the transmission of electricity be ignored." Again, I believe in a God that could repair the pacemaker without surgery, but why would He need to when He has our natural and learned skills at His disposal. Thus the truth is made plain that there was another, natural way for God to create Adam.

It is interesting that while studying why Christ had to be born of the mortal Mary and the immortal Father in Heaven, that the logic dictated this truth. If Jesus was born of two mortals, He could not withstand the pains of the atonement and give up His life for us. Thus we would remain under the condemnation of sin. Nor could He raise Himself from the dead, and we would forever remain subject to death. Yet, if Jesus was born of two immortals, then He must needs remain immortal, unless He were to fall. Though, if He fell, He would no longer be perfect and without sin. Therefore, Jesus had to be born half mortal, half immortal, a demigod. Able to die, and yet live a perfect life. With this realization, I saw that Adam could have been born of two immortal beings, and as thus, he would need to fall to become mortal, to know pain, suffering and evil so that he can choose and rejoice with the good (2 Nephi 2:22-25).

Thus my conclusion that by the natural laws, dust of the ground was take and shaped into the fruits of the earth, literally fruits and vegetables likely in the Garden of Eden. As our Heavenly Mother bore Adam within her womb, she ate of this matter which was used to form Adam's physical body. This, to my mind, satisfies all of the laws of both God, man and the scriptures. For Adam was "formed from the dust of the ground" and yet begotten of the Father in immortality, celestial as his parents before him.

Until further light and knowledge is revealed, this explanation and conclusion satisfies me. Though it is clearly based upon quotes from the Journal of Discourses which the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not proclaim and uphold as scripture (Church's standing), it does adhere to the Church's official stance upon the creation of Adam as stated in The Origin of Man. "True it is that the body of man enters upon its career as a tiny germ embryo, which becomes an infant, quickened at a certain stage by the spirit whose tabernacle it is, and the child, after being born, develops into a man. There is nothing in this, however, to indicate that the original man, the first of our race, began life as anything less than a man, or less than a human germ or embryo that becomes a man." That same article also refutes evolution as it is currently taught as "...the theories of men."

With this understanding that I have about the creation of Adam, I recently met up with some discrepancies with the creation of Eve. For the longest time, I had believed that the rib was literally taken of Adam, and with the knowledge that I have and seeing the symbolism of "woman" being taken out of "man" thought that maybe God had taken some cells from the rib and using them like gametes taking the x-chromosomes from Adam and formed Eve with a pair. However, as I brought up briefly in my post about the Creation,  President Kimball stated with no uncertainty that Eve was not created from Adam's rib (The blessings and responsibilities of womanhood).

 Though it has been argued by some that the entire creation story is all symbolic and only symbolic, I do not now believe that to be so. Which is why I struggled with accepting this doctrine. Luckily I had a friend that purposed this idea to me. The scriptures say that Adam was put into a deep sleep (Genesis 2:21). Therefore, there is a possibility that what the scripture states about Eve's creation was the vision that Adam was shown in a dream. Thus the symbolism of the rib, "The rib signifies neither dominion nor subservience, but a lateral relationship as partners, to work and to live, side by side." (Lesson from Eve). This makes more sense, though the scriptures do not say that Adam woke up, but assuming that he did so, or even if it was in the dream, he would proclaim "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (Genesis 2:23-24).

Now, unsure if it was still in the dream not the scripture says "And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman..." (Genesis 2:22). To this I would like to sight how "man" stood for "mankind": "Man here is always in the plural. It was plural from the beginning." (In the Beginning: A Latter-day Perspective). Therefore, Eve being the symbolic rib was "taken from man" which could mean that she was taken or set apart from mankind, which at this stage was in the spirit world. This brings me full circle to the quote from Brigham Young that started this post, "When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him." (Journal of Discourses v1 pg 50).

If you want to know my position on Plural Marriage, you can read my post about it. For this post, it will be enough to acknowledge that fore-ordination or pre-destination (Destiny is not a matter of chance, but of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved. [William Jennings]) exist and that we were called to certain positions before mortality to serve in during mortality. With that realization, why couldn't a woman be called or fore-ordained to be a man's wife? or a man fore-ordained to be a woman's husband?

Thus, my understanding that Eve was fore-ordained to be Adam's wife, and the mother of all living. However, what if there were other women fore-ordained to be Adam's wives? Who are they and why don't we have a record of them?

By getting into some very strange stuff, there is Jewish mythology of a being known a Lilith that was supposedly Adam's first wife, but she sinned against God and was cast out. It is interesting to note that maybe this is true, maybe Lilith was a fore-ordained wife to Adam, but she sinned against God and His plan and was cast out with Lucifer. Therefore, she never received a body and we have no account of her in the creation.

Western Screech Owl

Indeed, the only biblical reference we have for her is her name as a Hebrew word that was translated as "screech owl" in Isaiah 34:14 "The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest." (Bold Added).

As with the topic of Adam, context is important. Isaiah 33 is talking about apostasy and wickedness abounding before Christ's second coming. Isaiah 34 talks about the destruction and evil right before Christ's second coming, and Isaiah 35 talks about restoration, rebirth and blessings as Christ comes again. Thus this "screech owl" or Lilith might find rest, in the destruction, in the wicked world, right before it is cleansed and made new for Christ. It is also interesting to note that in Mesopotamia Lilim were female night demons and in Akkadian/Sumerian "lil" is a reference to wind which co-incided with the "breath of life" or spiritus (Latin for breath or breeze) or spirit, which could mean that she is still a spirit and is indeed a demon or angel of Satan.

Alas, Jewish folklore, not myth, but folklore has Lilith being made at the same time as Adam, from the same dirt. She then disobeys Adam and God and leave them for the archangel Samael. Whether she was actually born in the flesh or merely a fore-ordained spirit, there certainly seems some negative connotations associated with her. Least of all being Lilith, the first demon in the television show Supernatural. However, that show requires many grains of salt considering they also portrayed Eve as being the mother of monsters.

In any case, we do not have a credible account of their Eve's actual creation nor of Lilith even existing. Thus, until more light and knowledge is revealed, it satisfies my mind to think that Eve was created the same way as Adam. Though that would make them brother and sister, they would be perfect, with perfect genes, even relatively perfect after the fall enabling the genetic diversity to prevent deformities from inbreeding.

Now, with all of this stated, I don't want anyone to go away thinking that this idea of Adam's creation takes away from the majesty of Christ's birth. Not only is Jesus Christ the "Only Begotten Son in the flesh" it is a title as well as a state of being.

"The 'divine Sonship' also refers to the designation 'Only Begotten Son in the flesh.'... This title signifies that Jesus' physical body was the offspring of a mortal mother and of an immortal Eternal Father, which verity is crucial to the Atonement, a supreme act that could not have been accomplished by an ordinary man." (Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel chapter 7)

This signifies that "in the flesh" is a reference to mortal life. Christ is the only child that God has been the sire of into mortality.

I hope that these ideas get all of you thinking and pondering upon the beauty of the gospel and of the the Plan of Salvation.

Love,
Jacobugoth

Light of Christ and the Gift of the Holy Ghost

Dear Readers,

Something that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints offers that no other church upon the earth does is the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Yet, it is nonetheless true that there are miracles and promptings of The Spirit of God found in other churches and in lives of members and non members alike. Thus, I will proceed to explain the differences and levels of how close we can be to the Holy Ghost.

At the root of how each of us view the world, there is a choice in that view. Do we believe that humans are inherently good? Or do we believe that humans are inherently evil? I think that most people do not agree with either extreme, because of evidence to the contrary in lives of people all around us. However, God knows the truth of what we are. "For the natural man is an enemy of God..." that is to say that our natures, our tendencies because of the flesh and our mortal bodies is towards evil, for what is more evil than being an enemy of God. "...unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint..." (Mosiah 3:19) Though we are indeed inherently evil, as we listen to the part of us that encourages us to be good we can actually change our nature, becoming saintly, having "no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually" (Mosiah 5:2)

Robert Neilsen 2013 London Riots Image Link

With the view that, yes we are evil, but we can change and become better through Christ, it shapes how one views the world. If you look at all of the destruction, rioting, and evil going on in the world, if you believe that humans are inherently good then you blame their surroundings and their environment for why they are so outrageous. However, with the realization that humans are pulled more towards evil than good, that good is indeed a harder choice to make, it is obvious that their actions are their own. They are choosing darkness and evil instead of the uphill battle of righteousness. Their choices may be biased because they were never taught right from wrong, but that does not mean that they cannot learn now.

Though our natures are evil, God has given each and every one of us something to help us fight this nature. We call this the Light of Christ. Most people refer to the manifestation of this light as a conscience. Yet "it is more than a psychological effect that takes place within people" (David A Bednar, Patterns of Light: The Light of Christ). The Light of Christ is the reason that when we see someone struggling, we want to reach out and help them. We feel compassion and charity which is the pure love of Christ for those people (Moroni 7:47). Doctrine and Covenants 84 explains it this way, "...whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit." (44-46) Every one of us, male and female, who are children of God and of the human family, also called mankind, have light and truth within us. That light inside "cleaveth unto light" as "intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; [and] truth embraceth truth;" (Doctrine and Covenants 88:40).

The question remains, if the Light of Christ or conscience is more than a "psychological effect" then what is it? "...Intelligence, or the light of truth..." (Doctrine and Covenants 93:29). I have talked about intelligence in many blogs, most selectively was one about "The Glory of God is Intelligence". If intelligences are little living pieces of light, then the Light of Christ within us could simply be our true selves. However, I like to think it is more than that as well. When Christ performed the atonement He suffered both body and spirit. This occurred in the garden of Gethsemane and all along the road to the cross. Between the bleeding from every pore, having flesh ripped from His back by a cat-of-nine-tails, crowned with thorns, nails driven into his hands and feet, and lastly being pierced in the side He suffered for us.

Caravagio "The Incredulity of Saint Thomas

Thus, one of the perplexities and potential contradictions was expressed when Christ rose the third day. In the ensuing weeks He visited His disciples and they saw that He was resurrected with a physical body, and they touched the holes in His hands, feet, and side (John 20:27). When we are resurrected we are promised that our new bodies will be perfect, and not one hair of the head will be lost (Alma 40:23). How then was Christ's resurrected body riddled with scars of mortality? Because it was both physical and spiritual suffering, I had always figured that as the nails were hammered into his hands and feet, the nails pierced both His body and His spirit. Thus when He was resurrected, His body reflected His spirit. Alas, as I write this, I am perceiving more. In the temple we learn that certain "tokens" were laid from the foundation of this world, and by the tokens in His hands we would know Christ (LDS Hymn 29 A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief verse 7). What if Christ literally gave each and every one of us part of His spirit, to take with us into mortality. That He both spiritually, temporally and metaphorically engraved us upon His hands (Isaiah 49:6). That would make the truth of the words, "Know ye not that your bodies are the member of Christ?..." (1 Corinthians 6:15) ring all the louder.

Whether the light of Christ in each of us is our true selves, or a piece of Christ that He has given us, the important thing is to know that if we do not heed that light it can be drowned out. That is how true psychopaths are created. They smother the light of truth and righteousness out of their hearts and live from lie and deception to narcissism and ill-begot gain.

dreamstime.com stock photo

Like with the analogy of the two dogs, we each have this nature or bad dog, and the light of Christ or good dog, within us continually fighting. With the analogy, the dog that wins is the one you feed the most. By comparing this to our lives, its not necessarily feeding our bodies as feeding our "bad dog" but that could be part of it. It is feeding the appetites of the flesh, or our carnal natures (Our Mortal Body -- A Sacred Gift by Sara Lee Gibb, Guide to the Scriptures: Natural Man). Thus, if our craving for food turns into gluttony, then our natural desires begin feeding that "bad dog". Yet we are told to, "...feast upon the words of Christ..." (2 Nephi 32:3). These can be the scriptures and the spiritual power and influence they can give us in our lives. This nourishes and feeds our "good dog".

If by doing the things God commands we feed our "good dog" and by disobeying His commandments we feed our "bad dog", how long do you think it will be before the "bad dog" becomes hungry enough to eat what you are feeding the "good dog"? As it said in Mosiah, "...putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord..." I believe that we can actually change our human nature to become something better, something more.

Wonderfully, even if someone smothers that light of Christ within (starving the "good dog"), the personage of the Holy Ghost, an actual spiritual being, is still there waiting to reach out and rekindle that light. Though only members who have had the gift of the Holy Ghost conferred upon them can receive of the fullness of what the Spirit of God has to offer, it does not mean that the Holy Spirit leaves the rest of us out to dry.

As I have personally seen, when an investigator (non member of the church) meets with the missionaries. The Holy Ghost can be there, in the midst, and testify to them of truths that the missionaries have to share. The same goes for when the investigator studies the Book of Mormon and other scriptures and feels the power of the words. This is most certainly the power of the Holy Ghost. However, those feelings are the Holy Ghost touching and growing the light of Christ within us. "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance:..." (Galations 5:22-23). These are all promptings and feelings that come from the Spirit talking to us. Other descriptions are also that of a burning bosom (Doctrine and Covenants 9:8).

There are also gifts, not just fruits, but gifts or powers of the Spirit that can be given to us.

"To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that [H]e was crucified for the sins of the world. To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful. And again, to some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences of administration... to some to know the diversities of operations... the word of wisdom... the word of knowledge... faith to be healed... faith to heal... working of miracles... prophesy... discerning of spirits... speak with tongues... interpretation of tongues... And all these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God."(Doctrine and Covenants 46:13-26 Bold added)

"...teach the word of wisdom... teach the word of knowledge... exceedingly great faith... gifts of healing...work mighty miracles... prophesy concerning all things...beholding of angles and ministering spirits... all kinds of tongues... interpretation of languages and of diverse kinds of tongues." (Moroni 10:9-16 Bold added)

"...the word of wisdom... word of knowledge... faith... gifts of healing... working of miracles... prophecy... discerning of spirits... divers kinds of tongues... interpretation of tongues" (1 Corinthians 12:8-10)

Though many of these gifts are repeated, often times they are worded slightly different to reveal more meaning. As for me, I know I was given the gift of faith that I know Jesus Christ was crucified for the sins of the world. I received this gift long before I was ever baptized. Indeed, I have had it all my life. Unexplainable, I know it is true. Even when I entered into the state of life when I could go either way, I knew that I had a Father in Heaven, and that Jesus Christ is His Son. Where my doubt was whether or not Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and if the Book of Mormon is true. I know that Joseph Smith was indeed a Prophet of God, and the Book of Mormon is the fruit God has given for us to know that he was.

As I have served a mission, I feel as though there were some who have the faith to believe on my words, and on the words of other missionaries.

I have not yet received the gift to know the differences of administration or the diversities of operations, though portions of the marvelous workings of God's kingdom I have been permitted to see.

The gift of the word of wisdom is not necessarily in reference to The Word of Wisdom which is God's commandment concerning taking care of our bodies (Doctrine and Covenants 89). The gift of wisdom and knowledge, I feel, are more deeply rooted in what John A. Morrison described: "Knowledge comes by taking things apart: analysis. But wisdom comes from putting things together: synthesis." Some have the gift of being able to put things together with logic and the wonders of their minds. Others have the gift of being able to look at a situation and break it down and figure out what is happening. Then, in the Moroni description of these gifts, to some it is given to be able to teach these ways of thinking.

There are those, like Ephraim Hanks, a real man who was represented in the movie Ephraim's Rescue, that have the gift to heal. Though it did not come until after he received the authority from God to do so, we see how often hearts are touched in a more temporal manner to heal. With the learning of doctors and physicians, there are those who have sought to acquire this gift.

I remember how M. Night Shyamalan's movie A Lady in the Water spread the comparison, that though the gift of healing can be learned, there is more divinity to it, if only we recognize it.

Then there are those who are blessed with the faith to be healed. We see this with account of the woman diseased with an issue of blood for 12 years (Mark 5:25-34). She had enough faith, that she told herself that if she could only touch the edge of his robe, then she would be healed. By that faith, she was healed.

Plague 7: Rain of Fire from "Prince of Egypt" movie

What some people do not realize is that the ability to perform miracles is a gift of the Spirit. These miracles can be as extreme as the plagues that Moses called forth (Exodus 7-12) or as small as knowing what to say to brighten someone's day.

The gift of prophecy is an interesting one. We usually think of prophecy as predicting the future. Yet John the Revelator described it like this, "...for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Revelation 19:10). This is profound, because though not all of us will receive direction and inspiration for the world, we can receive a testimony of Jesus. If we have a testimony of Jesus Christ being the Son of God, the very Word made flesh (John 1:1,14), then we know that He is our Savior and Redeemer who paid for our sins and gave up His life upon the cross for us. If we know that He is our Mediator, who rose again the third day, then we know that He lives. If He lives, then the prophecies about His second coming are true. Therefore, if we have a testimony of Jesus Christ, and we testify and bear witness of Him and that He will one day return, then we are prophesying by the spirit of prophecy.

Common questions that often arise are: is a feeling or idea from God? Is it my own idea? Is it a temptation from the devil?

Discerning of spirits is knowing if something is from God or not. Like others, this one can be learned as well. "For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil: for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him." (Moroni 7:16-17).

Elder David A. Bednar "Patterns of Light: Discerning Light"

Therefore, one can realize that it matters not if a righteous prompting is from the Holy Ghost or the light of Christ within us, because if it is the right thing to do, both with testify to you of it. Similarly evil people and evil thoughts, whether inspired by Satan or our natural desires, will entice us to do things that are not right. Actions that are evil and conniving.

Angel Moroni appearing to Joseph Smith Jr.

In similar manner, we have been taught in Doctrine and Covenants 129 how to discern physical manifestations of spirits or angelic messengers. The only beings that have resurrected bodies that are permitted to visit this world are Celestial righteous beings. Thus, if you can touch them, then they are of God. Yet God can also send spiritual angels as well. With Joseph Smith's instruction of asking them to shake your hand. Righteous spirits would refuse, for as true servants of God they are not permitted to deceive, and reaching to shake your hand only to pass through would be deceit. While only an unrighteous spirit, not sent from God, would reach for your hand and pass through your flesh.

Joseph Smith's First Vision
 of God the Father and the Savior Jesus Christ

This very much goes along with the gift of beholding angels and ministering spirits. Clearly, it would be a gift from God for Him to send one such messenger, but how is it a gift of the Spirit? For angelic, resurrecting beings of a higher glory to appear unto us, we have to be, "cloaked" in the Holy Ghost. Else their glory would consume us like fire. This is how Joseph Smith was able to behold God the Father and our Savior Jesus Christ before he was ever baptized, let alone receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Lastly, there are two more gifts closely related: The gift of tongues (speaking different languages) and the gift of interpretation of tongues (understanding different languages). As most people know, these gifts can be acquired from learning and study, and mastery of both for a language makes one fluent. However, the process can be expedited with prayer and accepting the Holy Ghost's help. After Christ's ascension into heaven, He sent His Spirit, the Holy Ghost, to His disciples. As the Spirit came upon them, they spoke in diverse tongues (Acts 2:4) allowing everyone of the several different cultures that had come to celebrate a festival hear in their own language the message of Jesus Christ they had to share (Acts 2:8).

The gift of tongues was given that those speakers of a language could hear and understand. Sadly, too often the gift of tongues is misinterpreted, and people claim they are filled with the Spirit of God and babble incoherent words, when the spirit, if any, that fills them is far from that of God. To them I say with the Apostle Paul, "will they not say that ye are mad?" (1 Corinthians 14:23) "If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret." (1 Corinthians 14:27). I have seen this in action many times. My ward, here in Arizona, has a Spanish Group. On occasion, one of these members will be asked to give a talk, or sermon, in church. Speaking in Spanish, which for me is basically an unknown tongue, they are usually accompanied by an English translator or "interpreter".

However, there is more than just speaking another language and interpreting it. There is a universal language, the language of The Spirit (Elder Boyd K. Packer "Language of the Spirit" March 1977 New Era). I first gained my testimony of this aspect of the Spirit while at the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in Provo, Utah. My district (the grouping of missionaries larger than a companionship) included some missionaries called to serve in American Sign Language. As the were learning this new language, they were encouraged to use it often. One young Elder (Elder being the title of a male missionary) bore to us his testimony in American Sign Language, without an interpreter. Though no words were translated, the Spirit and power of his testimony shared his witness with us that his words were true. There was amazement, wonder, and emotion that filled the silence of his words.

Since I have been home from my mission, I have had further witnesses of this universal language of The Spirit. Whether prayers spoken in Portuguese or Navajo, testimonies given in Spanish or Mandarin. The Spirit has testified of the truths that they speak.

"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:4). The Spirit of God is responsible for all of these gifts. "For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God. To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby." (Doctrine and Covenants 46:11-12). None of us have all of these gifts, and sometimes we may loose a gift to gain another. Yet, God gives us these gifts through the Holy Ghost to help us, and help those around us who might need someone who has one of these gifts. Someone who is sick might need a healer. Someone who has no faith may need to lean on the faith of another.

Alas, all of these gifts from the Spirit are not the gift of the Holy Ghost. As I have said, the feelings of the Spirit is the Holy Ghost touching the light of Christ within us. The gift of the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God dwelling in us.

As we go through life, we have to be doing the right things at the right times in order to feel the Spirit before baptism. Basically, we have to come to where He already is. However, have the gift of the Holy Ghost enable Him to be wherever we are. Maintaining that gift requires obedience on our end, like being the proper conductor for electricity. If we sin, it is like trying to make a circuit out of aluminum. The chances of having the Holy Ghost work with you is severely diminished. However, righteousness is like using copper or gold, which allows for a stronger connection and more power to be transferred in.

Much of the reason why we do not have the gift of the Holy Ghost conferred upon us until after baptism, is because it is only after we have been washed clean from our sins that we can be pure enough have Him with us. Another reason, is because we have covenanted (made a two-way promise) with God, we are held under more condemnation should we sin, and we need a stronger bearer of testimony, a stronger friend to always walk with us as we try to live righteously.

In much the same way as our bodies make senses and emotions more amazing and amplified for our spirits, the Holy Ghost dwelling in us enables us to feel His influence more potently than before when we were merely in His presence (June 2010 Ensign Elder David A Bednar "Things as They Really Are").

Yet, what has intrigued me the most is how the Holy Ghost has the capacity to potentially be inside of all of us, even though He is an actual being and not just an energy field.

Now, because of my beliefs about the fourth dimension (see "Death" and "Gravity, Science, and the Spirit World") the Holy Ghost would be on a plane where He could see into us. Like a three dimensional being looking at the inside of a circle on a two dimensional plane.

Using this two dimensional to three dimensional analogy, well represented in the story "Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions" by Edwin Abbott Abbott. Imagine that a circle on a piece of paper is a living creature. In a two dimensional plane it only sees up down, left and right, and can move in those directions, and in a combination of those directions, like North East, South West, et cetera. Now imagine a human being looking at this two dimensional world. The human can see inside of the circle, and the human can even touch or put their finger inside of the circle, which is like the Holy Ghost touching the light of Christ within us, because He is around.

Flatland's mysterious Sphere

Then there is the Holy Ghost inside of us. In Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, there is a sphere that passes through the two dimensional plane. First as a dot, the shape grows into a circle before it shrinks into a dot again and vanishes. Similarly, the Holy Ghost can pass through and into us.

Like the great old science fiction explanation, for a two dimensional being, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

However, for a three dimensional being, one can fold that flat plane through the third dimension and bring the points next to each other. The distance between the two dots is the same on the paper, but the folding would allow an object to pass through both.

To imagine this on a world wide scale, picture a map of the world. Time to make it more difficult, imagine ever person, some seven billion people, all on this map.

Now imagine each person point on that map pinching out like the middle of a tissue. Then someone reaches towards the map and touches all of these points because the two dimensional plane is warped through the third dimension, allowing all of these points potentially be touched or have a three dimensional being pass through them all.

I wish I could represent this more visually, alas, imagination will have to do for now. It will suffice me to speculate that maybe a spirit being in the fourth dimension could interact similarly with our third dimension, able to be where they want, as far as they want, with whom they want, and that maybe, those small openings of the fourth dimension that physicists theorize are just points in space that the fourth dimension can use to pull and move our third dimension (Again see my Death blog).

Hopefully you have enjoyed this post and found it intriguing and helpful in understanding why it is so important to have the Holy Ghost in our lives, to help us become better humans, and improved beings, feeding the "good dog" within each of us with these delicious and wonderful gifts God and His Spirit gives us.

Love,
Jacobugoth

Death

Dear Readers,

Today's subject is one that I feel it necessary to express my views about. It relates in great deal to how I see the world around me, why I hardly ever grieve over death.

I first got the idea of how to express and explain my understanding when a friend who I call Shorty asked me a question about death. At what point do we die? Is it when the heart stops? What happens after we die?

I replied that it was indeed a "difficult" question to answer, but as for my understanding, our spirits communicate with our bodies through our brains. Somewhere in the cerebral cortex are cells that are able to interact with our spirit. I am unsure if this is gray matter, white matter, or the basal ganglia. However, it is evident not only in science that the body is controlled by the brain, but it is by electrical impulses that cause such control through the nervous system, so also is the "head" (Christ) what leads the body (the church). (Colossians 1:18)

Now, what I understand about memories I will go into greater detail in a later post, but it will suffice me to say that one key distinction between a brain an a computer is the ability to "choose" what to think about, what memories to recall and how to recall them. A computer can be made to cause random stimuli or even "ideas" on a subject, however, a human brain can "choose" to think about something else.

Yet, like an individual sitting at a computer, that individual can choose which currents or electrical pathways to activate. Just as I am doing now, while typing my thoughts into script. Much in a similar way, our spirit interact with our bodies. The keyboard and mouse are like the parts of the brain that allow the spirit to interact with the body. Then the memory and storage for the computer is like the memory and storage of the brain. Unlike computers, biological brains are able to grow new connectors, and thus grow in storage capacity. It stores the history of things done, visuals, interests et cetera. Lastly there is the hard ware, like cameras, microphones, disk drives and the like. These the computer can use, but they are still controlled by the person at the computer. If there is something wrong with the camera (eye) then no matter how hard we push buttons we cannot get the camera to work until it is repaired or replaced. Such repairs to the body can be necessary, however, the greatest overhaul of all is the resurrection.

Now, because of a bioethics class I had a while back, I have thought about what is the decisive point of death. Indeed some people think that once the heart stops, then that is death, but then people can have their hearts restarted and come back to life. Thus the question, is that death? I don't think so, at least not in the definite sense. The heart stopping is like the power going out. No more oxygen and nutrients for the brain is equal to no more electricity to the computer. It shuts down and waits for the power to come back on. However, unlike a machine, cells die and cease to function if they are deprived for too long. Thus the spirit may linger hoping that the "power" will come back on, but when the brain itself dies, there is not much point for the spirit to linger at a "broken computer".

Therefore, death occurs, really, at brain death. Now, someone can be raised from the dead, as Christ did to Lazarus, like someone fixed the computer and the spirit came back to play. Yet, raising the dead is different from resurrection.

Comas, often times, still have brain activity only the brain is no longer in communication with the rest of the body. Kind of like if a computer freezes, it is still on, the person is at the computer, but they can not do anything on the computer. Sometimes whatever problem that caused the freeze is resolved and the individual awakes from the coma, but sometimes that does not happen and the plug is eventually pulled.

Also, there are cases of perfectly healthy people just dropping dead. This is also seen with old age, when the body is just so worn and used that the spirit simply walks away from the computer. With no more internal stimuli from the spirit, the system shuts down.

From what I have generally heard of near death experiences, and the religious aspects of it, which is mostly limited to my having watched movies like Dragonfly, Flatliners and similar media, most people find themselves in some kind of passage, a black tunnel, on a road, or at a train station like in Harry Potter. The visual symbolism is clear, of movement or transportation. Some places give you a choice to stay or move on. Often times it is the dark tunnel with a light at the end, and the individual moves or runs towards the light, but they don't make it. I would say that in these cases, the light would be God welcoming them home, while their not reaching the light is the re-establishment of whatever connection with the spirit and the body.

Sometimes there is also a guide, again similar to Harry Potter where Dumbledore was there and gave him advice, the guide may escort the spirit home, or advise them to stay. These spirits could be compared to angels of death, and can be friends, mentors, or even relatives who have passed beyond the veil of death.

These concepts work with scripture, particularly Alma 40:11 "...Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life." The emphasis I would like to add here is "taken" which could be synonymous with "escorted".

So, if physical death happens when the spirit has left the body, why are bodies "alive" meaning still breathing because of machines and other devices, even after brain death? It all depends on what you mean by life, if the spirit is connected, then it is a living soul (spirit and body together [Doctrine and Covenants 88:15]) otherwise, without the spirit, it is simply a living body. As far as I am concerned, keeping someone in this "alive" or living body state is only good for harvesting organs to help other people stay really alive. Though, I would like to emphasize that this is only in the case of brain death, not just being comatose.

Now, what about what happens after we die.

As I already quoted Alma 40:11, the rest of that chapter gives us the best straightforward insight I have found, "11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection... the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body... whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life. 12... The spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where thy shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow. 13... the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil... these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity... 14 Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection." This return to God and then consigning ourselves to a state of happiness or misery we call the first judgment, where we either feel pleased by the life we lived and our relationship to God, or feel wretched because we remember all of those willing sins that we have committed.

These two states, paradise and prison, are both states of being in what Mormons call the spirit world. Catholics would refer to this state as purgatory. This spirit world is here all around us (Gospel Principles 41), and we cannot see those spirits because spiritual matter is more fine and pure "and can  only be discerned by purer eyes" (Doctrine and Covenants 131:7-8).

Science Company Image Link

There is a valid question, however, if spiritual matter and spirits exist, why can't we see it/them and how can they both be in us and yet interact with our bodies through the brain. There is a wavelength theory, that similar to how photons of ultraviolet ray wavelength can pierce through cells and destroy DNA which either kills the cell, or in some cases cause cancer, that spirit is photons or some other particle moving at a wavelength that can only interacts with certain depths or types of other matter.

Brian Greene's depiction of 4th dimensions from the video.

Though I like that theory, there is another one that I find more complete and intriguing. The idea of the 4th dimension. Most of the natural phenomenon can be predicted mathematically taking into account the 3 dimensions of space, and the dimension of time. However, the algorithm for electromagnetic fields require the abstract idea of a 4th dimension of space. This may seem absurd, yet let us think about this a moment. Brian Greene has endeavored to try to explain the running theory about this 4th dimension in his video Brian Green: The Search for Hidden Dimensions. In this, he describes how the dimension might be so small that as we look at them, they appear 3 dimensional when they are really 4 dimensional. Much like how a piece of paper looks 2 dimensional until you get a closer look at the edge and see some, not much, but some depth.

This idea of the 4th dimension would explain how spirit matter could be all around us in these dimensions, and yet we cannot see it, and it works with the scripture about spirit being too "fine" which could mean small, like fine grain salt or sandpaper. However, it is yet incomplete. This may only be personal preference, but I enjoy the idea of a larger 4th dimension that extends out like an actual direction. I go into this all in further detail in my blog post "Gravity, Science, and the Spirit World". It will suffice me to say that whatever means, likely a combination of directional 4th dimension, miniature 4th dimension, and wavelength frequency, our spirits interact with our bodies.

It is important to note that our own spirit looks like its owner, and the body grows, if not prohibited by genetic malfunctions caused by the fall, to grow in the likeness of the spirit body (Ether 3:16). As I already said, though the spirit is in the likeness of our bodies, or rather our bodies are in the likeness of our spirits, right now, here in mortality, our spirit only interacts with our bodies through the brain. Yet, as I recently discovered and talked about in my blog post about Quickening, Resurrection, and Ectoplasm, that when we are resurrected we will have spirit in our veins. Our spirits and our bodies will be inseparably connected. This would mean that our bodies would be quickened so that our spirit will connect with our bodies in the finger, in the toe, and every cell one to another. No longer would we simply control our bodies through our brains, but we will truly be one with ourselves. How glorious that immortal body will be will depend on our righteousness and how much of Christ's light we let quicken us.

Alas, that is after the resurrection. Until that time, post-mortal life will continue. The righteous, though at peace and rest, will continue to reach out to those in darkness and bring Christ's divine light into their spiritual lives. As with this scripture from 1 Peter, Christ taught spirits in prison who had lived in the days of Noah (1 Peter 3:19-20) and "for for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." (1 Peter 4:6)

Though Christ did not personally minister to those in spirit prison, they were taught, for in the three day slumber for His body in the tomb, He organized the missionary work, and the word was first ministered to those of Noah's day. (Doctrine and Covenants 138:19-21)

With this wonderful missionary work going on beyond the veil, we wonder what the point is and why it is going on. 1 Peter 3:21 gives some insight. "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:" That is to say, baptism cleanses the spirit of the guilt and corruption of sins and it is in the like image of the resurrection of Christ which cleanses our bodies into immortality. "...why are they then baptized for the dead?" (1 Corinthians 15:29) This is why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints performs baptisms by proxy on behalf of the dead. Baptism for the dead allows a spirit beyond the veil to accept Christ's atonement and be cleansed and redeemed from spiritual death (separation from God). Alas, it does not force Christ's atonement upon them, it merely allows them to full accept Christ and feel His peace, enabling them to rise from prison to paradise.

God does not want His children to be left in darkness. Though there are certain things that we must do to return to His presence, He will not deny us from any of them, we can only deny ourselves. Death is not something to be feared, it is simply coming home to our ever loving, ever merciful Father in Heaven and waiting the fullness of Christ's redemption to come upon us.

Love,
Jacobugoth

Quickening, Resurrection, Ectoplasm

Dear Readers,

After some studying I have been putting some concepts together that are worth sharing. First, lets talk about "Quickening"!

Back in October of 2015 I came across a scripture that mentioned "quick" which made me think of  "quicken". Psalms 119 uses the word quite a bit: 25 "...quicken thou me according to thy word.", 37 "...quicken thou me in thy way.", 40 "...quicken me in thy righteousness.", 88 "Quicken me after thy lovingkindess..." et cetera.  Now, I found no bible dictionary definition for quicken and dictionary.com was fairly obvious: "to make more rapid; accelerate; hasten... stir up, rouse, or stimulate... revive, restore life to". I am more than willing to accept that as the secular definition, but is that all for the scriptural meaning?

As I continued to study, I found that quite often quickening is caused by the Holy Ghost. "For  Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:" (1 Peter 3:18) "For no man has seen God at any time in the flesh, except quickened by the Spirit of God." (Doctrine and Covenants 67:11). This got me thinking that maybe quickening is the Spirit changing our bodies. Reviving us. Restoring us, Stirring us up and accelerating us. Yet I think that it is more than simply giving us more energy. To enable us to stand in the presence of God, or even see God, it must be an actual change in our bodies from experiencing the Holy Ghost so intensely that we are molding into beings that can behold even a portion of His glory.

I rather enjoyed the Highlander movies, in particular, Highlander Endgame. Spoiler alert! You have been warned! Connor MacLeod forces Duncan MacLeod to slay him, absorbing his essence in an event called the quickening, in order to make Duncan powerful enough to kill the evil immortal Jacob Kell. When the stronger Duncan faces off with Jacob, Duncan's countenance suddenly changes as Connor's spirit acts with Duncan's and gives him the strength to slay Jacob. This would mean that the essence, at least part of it, was Connor's spirit.

This makes the "quickening" all the more fantastic to think that we can be quickened by the Holy Ghost and physically become stronger and more than what we are now. I have already had a post about terms, like "ghost" vs "spirit" to which I have determined that a ghost is a spirit interacting with the physical matter. Our spirits within ourselves become a ghost, thus when we die we give up the ghost. (Genesis 25:8) Also, the Holy Spirit of God becomes the Holy Ghost as He interacts with us.

With these definitions in mind, "ghost" being a spirit's interaction with physical matter, and "quicken" the Holy Ghost changing our hearts and bodies, we can continue.


Doctrine and Covenants 88:28-32
"They who are of the 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 ot enjoy that which they might have received.

Therefore, how much of the glory of God we allow to "quicken" us through the Holy Ghost is what we will receive further of hereafter. The glory of the celestial being compared to the sun, terrestrial to the moon, and telestial to the stars (1 Corinthians 15:40-42). I find it interesting that the sun produces light, like a candle, so be quickened by the celestial we have to let Christ's light shine through us (Matthew 5:14-16). Now the terrestrial is compared to that of the moon, which merely reflects the light from the sun. Thus those in the terrestrial reflect Christ's light, but it has little part in them. Now, stars, technically, produce their own light just like the sun, however, like Neil Degrasse Tyson said,

most of what we call stars are actually planets, which do indeed reflect light like the moon, and because of how far away they are from the source of light, they reflect less light than that of the terrestrial.

So, as we are quickened by these different proportions of God's glory, due to how much we let the Holy Ghost into our lives, our bodies will be at different degrees after the resurrection.

In The Teaching of the Prophet Brigham Young manual it says, "The blood he spille dupon Mount Calvary he did not receive again" referring to Christ, "into his veins. That was poured out, and when he was resurrected, another element took the place of the blood. It will be so with every person who receives a resurrection; the blood will not be resurrected with the body, being designed only to sustain the life of the present organization. When that is dissolved, and we again obtain our bodies by the power of the resurrection that which we now call the life of the body, and which is formed from the food we eat and the water we drink will be supplanted by another element; for flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God" (chapter 37)

The Life and Teaching of Jesus and His Apostles manual chapter 36 adds, quoting Howard W Hunter, "The natural body is flesh and blood, but quickened by the spirit instead of blood, it can and will enter the kingdom."

In the same chapter, Joseph Smith is quoted with this, "As concerning the resurrection,... all will be raised by the power of God, having spirit in their bodies and not blood."

I found that BYU (Brigham Young University) quoted Joseph Smith with a subtle clarifying change. "The resurrected body is tangible, but when the flesh is quickened by the Spirit there will be 'spirit in their [veins] and not blood'".

Thus with the resurrection, blood will be done away and will will have spirit matter of some kind coursing through our circulatory system, likely what ever type of glorified spirit matter that correlates with the glory we have accepted into us.

Now, what do we call this fluid. It is spirit matter, that is obviously interacting with our physical immortal bodies to sustain life. Spirit interacting with physical matter, that sounds like something ghostly... For those who are supernatural and paranormal enthusiasts, you have probably heard of the term ectoplasm.

Ectoplasm is the viscus substance that makes up the manifested "bodies" of ghosts in the Ghostbuster and Casper series. Thus, if it is ghost fluids or blood, it makes sense that we could use it here. Not to mention hemoglobin plasma (blood) and ectoplasm have been closely related.  Resurrected immortal bodies will have ectoplasm coursing through their veins. How awesome is that????

I hope that you enjoyed this post, let me know what you think by leaving a comment.

Love,
Jacobugoth

Christ's Infinite Atonement

Dear Readers,

I watched another video on youtube that got me thinking. This one is called Infinity: The Science of Endlessness and though it is quite long, I found it very intriguing. It involves a panel of leaders in their respective fields having a discussion about how their fields interact with "infinity".

Firstly, they have a theologian talk about how infinity works with God. I did notice that it was based a bit off of the Nicene creed with God being every where, rather than eternal. Though, I admit, with the Holy Ghost or the Spirit of God, or even pre-mortal Christ who is Jehovah, there is a way in which that is true within our 3-Dimensional world. Alas, that will be addressed in a later post. The theologian mentioned a Jewish thinker who was ostracized because he mathematically claimed that God has a body, for example: if God is everywhere He is every thing, which includes all matter, thus all matter is His body. Again, this is with the Jehovah train of thought, so I will leave this be for now.

Next up was a mathematician. He addressed the concept of infinite numbers by ascribing it to a hotel with infinite number of rooms. If the hotel is "full" and someone else comes in, that individual can find a room by having everyone in the hotel move one room over. Because there are infinite rooms, there will always be room. Thus we have infinity plus one.

Now, he endeavored to explain adding infinity to infinity, but he did so in a very strange way, using the hotel he would have every person moved to a room twice their current room number: one moves to two, two to four, et cetera. However, I found an easier way of explaining adding two infinities. Like a zipper, you take the first of both infinities, then the seconds, and so forth going back and forth. You would be adding the infinities together for ever, but they can be added.

Image Link

What came to my mind with this concept was eternal marriage. Two infinite and eternal being being united for all time and all eternity.

Image Link

Not to mention the beautify symbolism of two rings neither of which have an end or a beginning linked together making an infinity symbol.

Screen capture from video edited with arrows demonstrating infinity.

Alas, keeping with this train of thoughts, the mathematician asked if there was a limit to how many people can enter the hotel? What if an infinite number of buses each carrying an infinite number of people arrived at the hotel? How would that problem be solved?

Screen capture from video edited with green lines expressing how it will continue forever.

He found that by taking a kind of zig-zag pattern an infinite number of infinities can be added together into one infinity. Confirming or demonstrating this by having any number, or individual, from any of the buses have a "room number" in the hotel.

Image Link

I thought about how this is a prime example of how families can be together for eternity. All of us infinite resurrected beings living together for ever. I also found it interesting that there is "always room" at the hotel. God's plan of happiness was created with the understanding that there is room for all of us to return to our Father's presence. He wants to save as many of His children as will come unto Him.

Screen capture from video with infinity symbol added

As the second speaker continued, he continued to wonder if there is an infinity that cannot be added or enter the hotel. They have found such an infinity, or rather, a number. By taking an infinity, decimal numbers (portions of a whole) there is an algorithm that can change the numbers.

Screen capture from video with numbers and symbols added

For example, N + 1. ( I realize that realistically the algorithm would look something like this [N / 10^N] + 1 or something like that, but for this explanatory purposes N + 1 is satisfactory) For the first number of the infinity, the first decimal place is increased by 1, Second number the second decimal place increases by 1, and so on. As in the picture example, the new first number would be .5271287.... if you took this new number and tried to add it to this "corrupted" infinity, then the decimal place at whatever "N" place in the infinity you place it gets changed. Thus, it will always have one decimal place off, and cannot exist within the infinity. However, this is true for every number in the infinity, creating a possible paradox, an infinity that cannot exist within the infinity. It is not a negative infinity, for that is an infinite lack of something.

This is a paradoxical infinity changed by an algorithm. As I call it, a corrupt infinity. I have decided to use the radioactive symbol to represent the corruption. For me, this new symbol of a corrupt infinity represents our lives in sin. The algorithm, or sin, has changes us making it so that we can no longer be added to God's eternal or perfect infinity. It is also important to note that no matter how large or small the sin (N + 9 or N + 1), the result is the same.

With this terrible notion in my mind, I began wondering how would we have to correct the corrupt infinity? First, we have to remove the corruption from the infinity, aka, no longer implement the algorithm or no longer commit the sin. This is a big part of the repentance process.

However, the damage has already been done, and it has spread throughout all infinity. This is where Christ's infinite atonement comes in. By reuniting our lives with Christ's will, and partaking of His infinite atonement, it is like adding a complete, whole infinity back into us. Like with the zipper analogy, though less of the marriage sense I related it to earlier, His atonement completes and purifies us once again.

The beauty of it all is right there for us. If we can add His atonement or payment for our sins into our lives, then we can become one with Him. No wonder He has compared Himself in parable to the "bridegroom". (Matthew 25:1-13 parable of the ten virgins)

Alas, as we go through our mortal lives, we are imperfect, and we corrupt our infinite selves over and over, in diverse and strange ways. The video goes on to show how even if the universe is infinite, because of the limitations of the speed of light, we will always have an event horizon past which we cannot see. We can only perceive infinity through progression, counting numbers upward forever. Yet, as we sin, the remedy is always the same. Repent of our sins and come unto Christ. We have no choice in this state, but to look and move forward step by step, day by day, in our infinite and eternal progression. I pray that we all may use His Infinite Atonement in our lives that we may come closer to Him, because His arms are always extend out in love for us.

Love,
Jacobugoth