Mormonism Mandates Transhumanism
Lincoln Cannon is an American philosopher and technologist who co-founded the Mormon Transhumanist Association in 2006, serving as its president from 2006 to 2016. He is a leading advocate of technological evolution and postsecular religion, combining software engineering expertise with degrees in philosophy and business. ¶ Cannon is also a founder and board member of the Christian Transhumanist Association. He formulated the New God Argument, a logical argument for faith in God that has become popular among religious transhumanists. His academic work includes “Mormonism Mandates Transhumanism” published in Religion and Human Enhancement: Death, Values, and Morality (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017) and “Transfigurism: A Future of Religion as Exemplified by Religious Transhumanists” published in The Transhumanism Handbook (Springer Verlag, 2019). ¶ Mormon transhumanism, as articulated by Cannon, holds that humanity should learn how to be compassionate creators. This idea is central to the Mormon theological tradition, which provides a religious framework consistent with naturalism and supportive of human transformation. Cannon’s work bridges religious faith with scientific advancement, advocating for the ethical use of technology to extend human abilities in ways consistent with a religious worldview.
Mormonism is, above all other things, an immersive discipleship of Jesus Christ. It’s not so much a religion about Jesus as it is an aspiration to live the religion of Jesus. This Gospel is to trust in, change toward, and fully immerse both our bodies and our minds in the role of Christ, to become gods and saviors, to console, to heal, and to raise each other up together. This is the heart of Mormonism. This Gospel of Jesus Christ underlies Mormon Transhumanism.
Mormons situate ourselves today in what we call the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times. It’s a time of great advancement in knowledge and power, and we should expect the sciences to flourish. Immortality is physical. It’s embodied. There is in Mormonism this notion of progressively improving bodies as well. Our scriptures have this idea of a transfigured being that receives a certain quality of body, and a resurrected being that receives an even better body, a more robust body.
I am a Transhumanist not despite my Mormonism but rather I am a Transhumanist because of my Mormonism. My Mormonism mandates Transhumanism. Our scriptures require implicit Transhumanism, and many Mormons are Transhumanists not because we’re trying to find a solution to fix our religion. Our religion led us to Transhumanism. We feel a spiritual mandate to engage in Transhumanism.