True Science

The Philadelphia Inquirer on An Army of Davids:

As a professed "transhumanist," Reynolds waxes enthusiastic on nanotechnology, planetary colonization, and "Scientifically Engineered Negligible Senescence." But, like Ray Kurzweil - author of The Singularity Is Near, last year's big futurist book - Reynolds is well aware of the dangers that technological change can pose and favors taking reasonable steps to prevent such things as a terrorist-generated plague from happening.

Transhumanist! Why that's what Mormons have taught for nearly 200 years. "As Man is, God once was. As God is, Man may become." All my life, I've believed that God is the master scientist, that he knows everything, including metaphysics and morality. Without the latter knowledge having all the technical knowledge there is would only make humans more dangerous.

We believe that God is a transhuman, if you will. That he has an immortal and permanent body, as does his son Jesus after his resurrection. That this life is a training ground for us to experience evil outside of his presence and choose once and for all to reject it. If we do, we will be allowed to progress further. If not, we will be limited. A Rational Theology, as the apostle John A. Widtsoe put it.