God, the Perfect Engineer

Speaker 1

I want to introduce our first speaker now, Allen Leigh, who was a sophomore engineer-- soft-- sophomore? Software engineer for 44 years. Has a degree in electrical engineering and is the author of a book, One Mormon’s View of the Science-Religion Debate and the Quest for Eternity. His talk is going to deal with the subject of engineering design cycles, which is how do you put together an engineering project and compare that to the way the earth was created by God. And to consider the question, engineering projects sometimes fail; could a creation project possibly fail? And so the answer to that will be forthcoming. Allen.

Allen Leigh

To understand the importance of the claim that God is the perfect engineer, we must understand both the design cycle used by human engineers and a general overview of how God created the earth.

Speaker 1

Oh, really? There we go.

Allen Leigh

There you go. Engineers design, but we don’t operate. We need to understand both the typical engineering design cycle that’s been used for decades and a very general overview of how God created the world so that we can see if there are parallels between the two, to substantiate the claim that God is the perfect engineer.

Allen Leigh

In designing a device, an engineer typically follows a procedure that has been used in the past, a procedure that’s known to work if it’s followed properly and carefully. The engineer first decides on the type of device that he or she would like to design. Then the engineer studies the laws and the principles upon which that design will be based and creates a prototype of the design; designs the details. If the device doesn’t perform correctly, which is normally the case, then this procedure is repeated of redesign, prototyping, and testing, until finally the design works as is intended. It may be simplified for purposes of manufacturing perhaps, and then it’s issued to the public for use.

Allen Leigh

God has followed a similar process in his design of the universe. We turn to the scriptures to understand why God has created things, but we really can’t tell very much of how he created, because the scriptures give us the why, but not the how. Fortunately, however, for us as LDS, there are a few scriptures that tell a little bit about the why or the how, excuse me, the how of God’s creation. We can piece these verses together to give us a general overview of God’s creation of the earth. We must be aware, however, that in using the scriptures in this way, it’s very subjective and it’s speculation. We need to realize that any conclusions that we reach in bringing the scriptures together in speculation is our view and not necessarily the doctrine of the church.

Allen Leigh

So first let us turn to the scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants that speak of the creation of the earth. "For man and spirit, the elements are eternal, and spirit and element inseparably connected receive a fullness of joy." The elements are eternal. God did not create the elements. He took existing elements.

Allen Leigh

We have the following statement from the Doctrine and Covenants about spirit. "There is no such thing--" Let me get synchronized with my slides. From the Doctrine and Covenants Section 131, we have: "There is no such thing as immaterial matter, all spirit is matter, but it is more fine and pure, and can only be discerned by pure eyes." In giving us that statement, Joseph Smith tells us that spirit is matter, but it’s more fine or pure. He didn’t really explain clearly what was meant by being more fine and more pure.

Allen Leigh

From the experience of Moses, who talked with God, we can understand that the differences between physical matter and spirit matter are very great because Moses said that he would have died if he had seen God with his natural eyes. From Moses chapter 1 verse 11 we have, "But now mine own eyes have beheld God, but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes. For my natural eyes could not have beheld, for I should have withered and died in His presence. But his glory was upon me, and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him." So very great differences between physical and spirit matter which Joseph Smith explained very generally as being more fine or pure.

Allen Leigh

From the book of Moses, we also can learn that God created all things spiritual in heaven before he created them physically on the earth. And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew. For I, the Lord God, created all things of which I have spoken spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. For I the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth, and I the Lord God had created all the children of man, not yet a man, to till the ground. For in heaven I created them. And there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, and neither in the air. The scriptures don’t explicitly say that the things created in heaven were created from the spirit matter that is more fine or pure, but it’s a reasonable assumption that that is the case.

Allen Leigh

Finally, we have the following statement that in creating the earth, God organized the elements. And then the Lord said, Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth. So notice the systematic procedure that God is going through in creating things spiritually before physically, creating things out of spirit matter, creating things out of existing elements.

Allen Leigh

God follows natural laws. We know through science that physical matter is controlled by the laws of nature. Scientific research is based on the principle that the laws of nature are inseparably connected to the laws of this earth. According to an article in WorldScience.net, scientists have learned that the laws that govern the matter in our earth are the same as the laws that govern a galaxy that’s six billion light years away. This implies that it is likely that the laws of nature are in effect throughout the universe; that is the laws of nature or universal laws.

Allen Leigh

This leads us then to the following question. When God organized and used unorganized matter in creating the earth, in what way was that matter unorganized? The scriptures don’t answer that question, and we are left to our speculation about it. One possibility is that there were no molecules of the element present, implying that on the-- excuse me, that there were molecules of the elements present, implying that on the molecular or the atomic level, there was organization, but on a macro level or a wider level, there was no organization. There were no planets, no stars, no cosmos as we know it today.

Allen Leigh

Another possibility is that the individual molecules did not exist and that the unorganized matter was actually energy. In this case, that in creating the earth, God transformed energy into molecules of matter. Whatever happened, the important question is, did God create universal laws that would organize the matter? Or did he use preexisting laws to organize the matter?

Allen Leigh

To help us answer this question, let us read from the Doctrine and Covenants about those who are exalted in the celestial kingdom. They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things, referring to those who become exalted. They are they who are the priests and kings who have received of his fullness and of his glory. Those who are exalted will receive the fullness and the glory of our Heavenly Father, and He will give all things to those persons. Latter-day Saints believe that this includes the power of creation.

Allen Leigh

Let’s assume now, for sake of discussion, that you have become exalted and have received the power of creation from our Father in heaven. In order to use that power, will you have to create laws of nature that will govern the unorganized matter that you will use in creating worlds? No, of course not. Those laws were in effect before you were born into mortality. As an exalted being, you’ll have to learn to evoke and to control those eternal laws and to use them to fulfill your purposes. So it is with our Father in heaven.

Allen Leigh

When God organized preexisting matter, He was, I believe, obedient to the laws that govern that matter. His works do not contravene natural laws. We have seen that in addition to the physical matter of the universe, there is spirit matter that was used in heaven to create this earth before it was created physically. We have also seen that when God created the physical universe, He followed the physical laws that governed the cosmos. From this we can assume that when He created everything spiritually in heaven, He followed the laws that governed spiritual matter.

Allen Leigh

Section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants describes from a spiritual viewpoint the role that Jesus played in the creation of the earth. Verse 6 says that Christ is in and through all things. That verse refers to Christ as the light of truth, implying that he followed natural laws in forming the earth, for natural laws define truth as truth pertains to this mortal earth. Verse 7 to 13 say that truth is the light of Christ and that Christ is in the sun, the moon, the stars, the earth, and all things, and that the light of Christ governs all things and is the power of God.

Allen Leigh

Those verses from section 88 could easily be misunderstood to say that Christ created the laws that govern mortal matter. To avoid this misunderstanding, let us remember that those verses were not given as a scientific explanation. They were given as a spiritual message to teach us to love and to worship Jesus Christ as the Creator of the Earth. This is the 'why' of creation. We must avoid taking those verses as a literal description of the creation or the 'how' of creation. We must take those verses to be a description of the majesty of God in bringing organization to unorganized matter.

Allen Leigh

There is one more principle that we need to establish in order to better understand how God accomplishes his works, and that is that we are the spirit offspring of God. Paul used this principle when he spoke to the men on Athens on Mars Hill and then taught them about God. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

Allen Leigh

We can now define three laws that provide a model of the design parameters used by God as the engineer of the universe. We have the law of eternal physical matter and energy and eternal physical laws. These are the laws of our universe as we know it today. We have the law of eternal spirit matter and energy and eternal spirit laws. We have the law of the spirit offspring of God. This model provides the basis for God’s creation of the universe, his obedience to eternal laws, and his use of those laws to accomplish his purposes. We thus see God as a user of eternal laws rather than as a creator of those laws.

Allen Leigh

This model supports the idea that God followed an engineering design cycle in using existing material and the laws that govern that material to achieve a device that has desired characteristics. This device being an earth with intelligent life.

Allen Leigh

When God created our world, he needed several components, just as an engineer in creating a device needs different components to bring together as a system. A star together to provide gravitational attraction to keep our Earth in orbit around this star, and outer planets such as Jupiter and Neptune to remove asteroids and comets before they enter the space for interplanets, and a habitable zone of correct temperatures and other conditions for intelligent life to exist. This is the planet. Finally, needed a planet upon which we can live. So, this is the system that God used in creating the world with different components all working together, as our scientists are learning, to allow life to exist on this earth.

Allen Leigh

It’s common knowledge that engineers do not create perfect devices. This failure of the engineering process leads us to the question, if our engineers can fail, does this imply that God can fail? We want to say no, but the fact is the LDS scriptures do say that God can fail if he violates certain moral laws. Let’s look at the scriptures that teach that God can fail.

Allen Leigh

As recorded in the Book of Mormon, Alma taught his son Corianton that because of our choices to sin, we are separated from God. Through his atonement, Jesus Christ provided a way for us to become clean and thus able to return to God. Alma explained that our mortality is a probationary time, a time to repent and to serve God. And he taught that if we were to have salvation without repentance, the law of justice would be violated and God would cease to be God. We realize that Alma was specifically talking about repentance and the necessity of repentance in order for justice to be completely satisfied. But I think that we can generalize his statement to apply to the atonement: that if the atonement were to fail for any reason, then God would cease to be God.

Allen Leigh

Think about this for a moment. If Jesus Christ were to fail as the Redeemer, God would cease to be God. Heavenly Father not only put our salvation in the hands of Jesus Christ through providing the atonement, but he put his own status as a divine being in the hands of Jesus Christ. Talk about taking a risk. Talk about having confidence in your son. Here are the words of Alma.

Allen Leigh

Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state. Yea, this probationary state, for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice could not be destroyed. If so, God would cease to be God. But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted. Which repentance mercy claimeth otherwise justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment. If not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God. What? Do you suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay, not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God.

Allen Leigh

Lehi also taught that under certain conditions God could cease to be God. He taught Jacob about the importance of opposition in our lives. He said that if opposition were not allowed, The wisdom, the power, the mercy, and the purposes of God would be destroyed.

Allen Leigh

For it must needs be that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness cannot be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore all things must needs be a component in one. Wherefore, if it should be one body, it must remain as dead, having no life, neither death, nor corruption, or incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility. Wherefore it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore that there there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and His eternal purposes, and also the power and the mercy and the justice of God. So the next time you have a trial, remember that we need the opposites because without those, God would cease to be God.

Allen Leigh

One way that God’s design can seem to fail is if his children choose to not obey his commandments. This condition is due to the choices made by some of his children. It’s not due to his design because he planned and allowed for this. God knew that some of his children would choose to not follow him, and he allowed for that in his plan.

Allen Leigh

Just as God used eternal elements in the creation, so he must abide by eternal laws that govern his work. We then need assurance that God will not fail, that he will obey eternal laws. First, we have the knowledge that God is--

Allen Leigh

This is not the only world that God has created. He has created many worlds. "And worlds without number have I created, and I also created them then for my own purpose. And by the Son I created them, which is mine only begotten."

Allen Leigh

Next, the scriptures give us assurance that we can trust God and can have faith that He will do as He has said. "And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me. For I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and in their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day." So we have encouragement and assurance from the prophets that God will do as He has said.

Allen Leigh

Third, even though the scriptures do not give much information about the attributes of our Heavenly Father, we do have the information about his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus was so obedient to his Father that his life and mortality was a shadow of the life of our Father in heaven. Jesus was the epitome of consistency and honesty, and this helps us to have faith that God will not fail in his role as the engineer of the universe.

Allen Leigh

Finally, another evidence that God won’t fail is to look at his creations. Because of science, we know that the cosmos is vast and that it contains millions of galaxies and stars. Scientists have discovered over 300 planets outside of our solar system. The planets discovered so far can’t support intelligent life. Thanks to the Kepler satellite launched last night, we hope to find evidence of worlds that will have conditions similar to our world. The planets known so far outside of our solar system are generally large gas balls that are too close to their stars and they are too hot and are bombarded with too much radiation to have life. Those planets were not created in zones of that would support the existence of intelligent living organisms.

Allen Leigh

Some people say the existence of such planets is evidence that God failed and created planets that would support intelligent life. That is, of course, one viewpoint that can be taken. Another viewpoint that has a better fit with both science and the scriptures Is that the existence of planets that cannot support intelligent life is evidence that God does follow natural laws in His creations.

Allen Leigh

Scientists believe that after the Big Bang, matter collided with other particles of matter and so forth, forming larger particles and even larger and larger particles until stars, galaxies, planets, moons were formed. And eventually, a few of those could have eternal life, or excuse me, have intelligent life. There’s no reason to believe that all of the planets formed In this manner, they would have life, but a few of them would be in zones that would allow life to exist, and even fewer of them in zones that would-- temperature zones that would allow intelligent life to exist.

Allen Leigh

The eventual status of the earth. The LDS scriptures teach that the earth will eventually be celestialized and will become the home of those who reach the celestial kingdom. The earth will have gone through several phases, from a spiritual creation in heaven to the mortal home of God’s children in mortality, to the perfected and celestialized home of those who receive the greatest blessings that God can give.

Allen Leigh

This is a broad parallel to the engineering design cycle. The difference, of course, is that God is the perfect engineer. And he got it right, he gets it right with each world the first time. Well, human engineers typically have to go through a repetition of the design cycle and prototyping and testing until their designs eventually work as they should.

Allen Leigh

When the earth reaches its celestial state, God will have fulfilled his purposes in bringing to pass the immortality and the eternal life of his spirit children. For behold, this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and the eternal life of man. God in doing this has not created the laws which are eternal, but he has learned to use the laws and to invoke the laws and to control the laws to achieve his purposes.

Allen Leigh

Conclusion. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches a concept of God that is quite different. Than that taught by many Christian churches and by many scientists who try to remove God from the creative process. Instead of teaching that God can do anything with no concern for natural laws that might be involved, the LDS Church teaches that God is a God of law and order. He did not create the universe from nothing, He did not create the elements of the universe. Instead, he organized eternal elements into the universe by following laws that govern the elements, because he is systematic and orderly in his creation. He is the perfect engineer. Thank you.