It’s believed that Greek philosophy and mythology has had a lot of influence on the Bible and Aristotle helped with the idea of a “Prime Mover.” Nothing comes from nothing. The idea that energy never is created or destroyed but just changes form also is something I’ve brought up to Atheists - besides overwhelming proof of Intelligent Design. The more difficult beliefs are not objective but subjective and conditional like how we imagine & relate to God and how we answer prayers or not. Ironically, I’ve found myself going in circles with both A-theists and Theists - probably because some of their core dogma doesn’t make sense.BruceRGilbert wrote: ↑June 21st, 2020, 8:07 am Earlier I had referenced a footnote in the renown "King Follett Discourse" given by Joseph Smith and wished to include it in text for reference. It is very significant and I wish to elaborate as to why. (Footnote 8 from "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith," Page 353 of the Sermon.)
In conversing with an atheist at one of my places of employment, it was apparent in his denial of the existence of God that he had no significant construct upon which to base even the remotest idea of the reality of such a concept. It was in a definition afforded by the previous quote that provided the basis for much turmoil and dissonance in his paradigm that caused him to grasp the incongruency of his logic.~353.8. Undoubtedly the proper word here would be "co-eternal," not "co-equal." This illustrates the imperfection of the report made of the sermon. For surely the mind of man is not co-equal with God except in the matter of its eternity. It is the direct statement in the Book of Abraham--accepted by the Church as scripture--that there are differences in the intelligences that exist, that some are more intelligent than others; and that God is "more intelligent than them all" (Book of Abraham, chap. 3). I believe that this means more than that God is more intelligent than any other one of the intelligences. It means that he is more intelligent than all of the other intelligences combined. His intelligence is greater than that of the mass, and that has led me to say in the second Year Book of the Seventies:--"It is this fact doubtless which makes this One, 'more intelligent than them all'," God. He is the All-Wise One! The All-Powerful One! What he tells other Intelligences to do must be precisely the wisest, fittest thing that they could anywhere or anyhow learn-- the thing which it will always behoove them, with right loyal thankfulness, and nothing doubting, to do. There goes with this, too, the thought that this All-Wise One will be the Unselfish One, the All-Loving One, the One who desires that which is highest, and best; not for himself alone, but for all: and that will be best for him too. His glory, his power, his joy will be enhanced by the uplifting of all, by enlarging them; by increasing their joy, power, and glory. And because this All Intelligent One is all this, and does all this, the other Intelligences worship him, submit their judgments and their will to his judgment and his will. He knows, and can do that which is best; and this submission of the mind to the Most Intelligent, Wisest--wiser than all--is worship. This is the whole meaning of the doctrine and the life of the Christ expressed in--"Father, not my will but Thy will, be done."--Note by Elder B. H. Roberts.
If we were to search the Universe and apply an I.Q. test to all sapient and sentient beings, by identifying the extreme outlier; the One Being who exceeded all the rest, by definition we could ascribe that Being as "being" GOD. I asked him, at that point, do you believe that such a being could exist? He got it.
My sister and I agree about some things (like the cultish aspects of Mormonism) but disagree about others (like human sacrifice scapegoating dogma). Some things I don’t get into - like what seems to bother her most about Mormonism is the notion that we can someday be gods. I wonder why that bugs her so much. My guess is 1) She’s heard it preached at her Christian churches & 2) a bit of a projection of the common desire to be ruling-type godlike (as we discussed before) & 3) As you implied, it’s a step of a snail’s journey - not that we die and “ta-da! God Status!” Maybe some day when she & I are both real chill, I’ll explain my belief that religion is simply various degrees of trying to be as God/GOoD. “I AM THAT I AM” hints that I AM at least demigod stuff. And “know ye no that ye are gods” sounds quite heretical but it’s biblical, so it must be true.