Thomas Friedman has a column describing how the internet is changing the world. Old news. One thing I found interesting, however, is this:

Says Alan Cohen, a VP of Airespace, a new Wi-Fi provider: "If I can operate Google, I can find anything. And with wireless, it means I will be able to find anything, anywhere, anytime. Which is why I say that Google, combined with Wi-Fi, is a little bit like God. God is wireless, God is everywhere and God sees and knows everything. Throughout history, people connected to God without wires. Now, for many questions in the world, you ask Google, and increasingly, you can do it without wires, too."

In other words, once Wi-Fi is in place, with one little Internet connection I can download anything from anywhere and I can spread anything from anywhere. That is good news for both scientists and terrorists, pro-Americans and anti-Americans.This is the kind of hype we're all used to. You can't download anything you wish. The RIAA and other businesses will see to that. A lot of material that should be available isn't, books no longer in print have very little reason to be withheld from the internet. All their publishers need to do is scan them in and charge a reasonable price for them. In a week or two, Mr. Friedman's column will cost more to download that the entire issue of the New York Times it appeared in would have cost new. Bad idea.

But what I found most intriguing in the above quote was the claim that the internet is like God. Joseph Smith the "Mormon" prophet was given an instrument to assist him in translating an ancient record, The Book of Mormon. The instrument was called the Urim and Thummin, Hebrew words translated as Lights and Truth. It consisted of two clear stones or crystals mounted in a metal bow. It was not a magic translater, but seems to have been a tool for concentrating and enlightening one's mind. Through it, Joseph was able to study the markings on the plates and arrive at the correct meaning. As the translation progressed he became more proficient. There was a learning curve. Thus the Urim and Thumim provided a link to knowledge.

Later, Joseph made the following prophecy:

This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be Christ�s.It has occurred to me over and over that the Internet is a beginning toward a fulfillment of that prophecy. Mormons believe that it is the Spirit of God that has led to the growth of technologies in the past 150 years and made our modern world possible. It's an unfortunate truth, however, that human beings cease to see miracles once they understand the details of the process by which they occur.