THE NATURE OF GOD.
[Sidenote: Nearly all thinkers believe in God or an equivalent.]
In every philosophy of the universe, the question concerning the
primary cause of the phenomena of nature always arises. Ancient and
modern philosophers, alike, have discussed the probability of the
existence of this primary cause and its properties. Plato, putting the
words into the mouth of Socrates, declares, "I do believe in the
Gods."[A] Aristotle, the greatest of early thinkers, assumed that a
God exists, from whom all other forces are derived. For example, "From
a first principle, then, of this kind--I mean, one that is involved in
the assumption of a First Mover--hath depended the Heaven and
Nature."[B] Spencer, speaking in these latter days, likewise implies
the existence of the equivalent of the God of men, thus, "If religion
and science are to be reconciled, the basis of reconciliation must be
this deepest, widest and most certain of all facts--that the Power
which the universe manifests to us is utterly inscrutable."[C]
[Footnote A: Plato, The Apology, chap. XXIV.]
[Footnote B: Aristotle, Metaphysics, chap. VII, sec. 4.]
[Footnote C: First Principles, p. 48.]
To the great majority of men, in all ages, the idea of a God or Power,
has appeared to be a necessity. Naturally, there has been a great
variety of opinions concerning the nature of God, or the great Power
behind things. Some, including the early Greek thinkers, looked upon
God as a personal being of transcendental attributes; others gave Him
a more shadowy form, and made of Him nothing more than an all
pervading spiritual essence. Still others, considering the relations
of all natural operations to the infinite power of God, identified Him
with Nature, and then, with astonishing shortsight denied His personal
existence. Thus, by degrees, arose the various theists, who accepted a
personal God with varying attributes; the pantheists, who identified
God with nature, and the atheists, who denied absolutely God, or any
equivalent. Among those who have adopted the idea of God, the chief
dispute has been largely as to His personality; to the atheists the
essential consideration has been that the laws of nature are
self-operative and need no directing force such as is implied in the
conception of a God.
[Sidenote: Science points to a force of forces.]
As modern science arose, certain conceptions became established which
were directly related to the idea of God. In obedience to the modern
tendency towards simplification, the great variety in the material
world has been referred to a few elements (nearly 80); and all the
forces of nature are now held to be modes of motion of matter or of
the one all pervading substance, the ether. The complexity of nature
is produced by new combinations of matter, ether and motion. According
to this doctrine, all the phenomena in the universe may be explained
by referring them to the action of forces upon matter and ether. There
is a limited number of elements, which, at the present, can not be
converted into each other. There is only one ether, which can probably
exist in various degrees of density. There are numerous forces, which
may be converted into each other. Thus light may be changed into heat;
heat into electricity and electricity into light again.
Scientists have long asked if there is one great universal force, of
which all other forces are merely variations. Usually, the thinkers
have agreed that the indications point to such a central force, which
by many has been identified with gravitation. Newton and many of the
men who followed him in the development of the theory of gravitation,
agreed that probably the force of gravitation is the source of all
other natural forces. Thus the doctrines of modern science point to
_one_ force from which all other forces are derived; and thus, the
complexity of nature has been simplified, by explaining it on the
assumption of this one force. Those who believe in God have claimed
that this points to one great Being as the mover behind all things;
the atheists have declared, that these scientific conceptions indicate
that there is no real necessity for a God; and many honest searchers
who have reached this closed door, have declared, "I do not know. It
may be God; it may be force. It cannot be known."
[Sidenote: "Mormonism" teaches that intelligence is the force of
forces.]
"Mormonism" has harmonized science and theology in its conception of
God. As has been shown earlier in this volume, Joseph Smith taught
that the central force of the universe is intelligence. Gravitation,
heat, light, magnetism, electricity, chemical attraction, are all
various manifestations of the all-pervading force of intelligence.
This, it may be seen, is the simple theory advanced by scientists,
with the definition of the first force added.
[Sidenote: God is the greatest intelligence.]
The "Mormon" Prophet taught, further, that the individual is organized
intelligence; that the organization is the instrument whereby
intelligence may be concentrated, focussed and directed. Man is
superior to beasts because his organization permits a greater use of
the universal force of intelligence. Under the law of evolution, man's
organization will become more and more complex. That is, he will
increase in his power of using intelligence until in time, he will
develop so far that, in comparison with his present state, he will be
a God. Conversely, God, who is a superior organization, using and
directing the force of intelligence, must at one time have possessed a
simpler organization. Perhaps, at one time He was only what man is
to-day. God, in "Mormon" theology, is the greatest intelligence; it
will always remain the greatest; yet, it must of necessity, under the
inexorable laws of the universe, grow. God is in no sense the Creator
of natural forces and laws; He is the director of them.
The correct conclusion from this doctrine is that all the forces of
nature are supported by intelligent action. This leads of necessity to
order in nature. Blind forces, acting independently of intelligence,
could not have brought about the perfect order that appears everywhere
in the universe. Every atom of matter; every particle of ether is
endowed with a form of intelligence. All the attractions, repulsions
and equilibriums among natural objects are modes of expression of the
force of intelligence. The explanations of the mysteries of nature
will be greatly simplified when the "Mormon" doctrine of the position
of intelligence in universal phenomena is clearly understood by
scientific workers.
[Sidenote: Many grades of intelligence; hence, many Gods.]
Since these teachings practically imply the definition that God is a
superior intelligence evolved from a lower condition, there can be no
logical objection to the idea that there are many Gods. Yet, "Mormon"
theology acknowledges the supremacy of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. God transcends all human imagination. He is omniscient, and
omnipotent; for His great knowledge enables Him to direct the forces
of nature. He is full of love and mercy, because these qualities are
attributes of intelligence, which God possesses in the highest degree.
The "Mormon" idea of God, is delicate, refined, advanced and
reasonable.
The interesting fact about this matter is, naturally, that in this
conception of God, Joseph Smith was strictly scientific. He departed
from the notion that God is a Being foreign to nature and wholly
superior to it. Instead, he taught that God is part of nature, and
superior to it only in the sense that the electrician is superior to
the current that is transmitted along the wire. The great laws of
nature are immutable, and even God can not transcend them.
This doctrine of God was taught by Joseph Smith early in his career.
Can ignorance or disease produce such a logical climax of a scientific
system of belief? Such a conclusion would be absurd.
CONCLUSION.