Far off in universe, the same laws found

World Science for June 20, 2008 reported that laws of Physics are consistent throughout the cosmos.

Na­ture’s laws ap­pear to be the same in the dis­tant uni­ver­se as they are he­re, a study has found.

Parallel: All Things are Governed by Law - Part 2

There is a traditional belief in Christianity that God is "all powerful" or omnipotent. According to this belief, God can speak, and instantly his words are obeyed. The common belief in Christianity that God created the cosmos out of nothing is based on this belief. However, Latter-day Saints do not believe that God can instantly create things out of nothing.

In Part 1 of this post, I established the fact that the cosmos was organized in an orderly way, and that an influence from Jesus Christ is the "law by which all things are governed". I commented that this is a religious way of saying that the Cosmos is governed by natural laws. In Mormon Belief: Eternal Elements I presented the belief that God created or organized the cosmos out of existing, eternal elements. The use of eternal elements implies that God used eternal laws to organize the elements. At least within Christianity, this belief that God followed natural laws in His creative work is, I believe, a belief that is unique to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In this post, I discuss the relationship between God, Himself, and the natural laws that govern our existence. To better understand how God used natural laws in his creations, we need to answer the question, What would happen if God went against or disobeyed natural laws?

The Book of Mormon answers that question. The prophet Alma perceived that his son, Corianton, had questions about his religious beliefs, and Alma answered the questions. One of the questions concerned the mercy and justice of God. Alma explained that Adam and Eve left the Garden and lived in mortality. He further explained that our mortal life is a probationary state, a time for us to prepare to return to God. Alma explained that mankind (and womankind) has committed sins, and because of the justice of God must pay the penalty of sin, which is to be separated from God. Then he made the following remarkable statement.

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 preparatory 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. (Alma 42:11)

That is, if mercy provided by Jesus Christ were to overrule the justice of God, God would cease to be God! In verses 22 and 25, Alma repeated that mercy cannot "rob" justice, and if that were to happen, God would cease to be God. This means that justice is an eternal law that God must follow, and mercy is also an eternal law that God must follow, and the two laws must both be obeyed. This is the basis of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that Christ suffered for our sins, thus satisfying justice, and provided the mercy that we need to enable our return to God. And, this explains why, in our pre-earth life, that God did not, could not, accept the plan of Lucifer to force us all to be obedient to God. Lucifer's plan would have violated both the laws of justice and mercy, and God would have ceased to be God. We can only speculate on what would have happened after that.

The Book of Mormon establishes the fact that God can not violate the laws of justice and mercy, and this implies that God cannot violate any of the laws that involve His creative works. This means that all of the laws of nature that are being discovered by scientists are eternal laws that govern the cosmos, and that God obeys those laws in His work. In Part 1 of this post I discussed that the laws of the cosmos come from Jesus Christ. This does not mean that Christ originated those laws. It means that Christ used those laws in his creation of the cosmos under the direction of his Father.

I've brought out that God can not go against the natural laws of the cosmos. He can, of course, bring into play higher laws that might overshadow lower laws. A simple example of such hierarchies of natural laws is the law of gravity vs. the law of aerodynamic lift. An unorganized weight of several tons can not "fly" through the air. It just "sits" on the ground like the lump of matter that it is. However, if that matter if formed into particular shapes and given sufficient thrust, it can move through the air. The law of gravity is still in effect, but the law of "lift" has overshadowed gravity and causes the matter to leave the ground and fly. I believe that God's performing of miracles is such a use of higher laws to overrule lower laws.

I'm grateful that God follows natural laws and that those laws are absolute in their existence and influence. Were it not for this, our universe would be chaotic and inconsistent, and we would be unable to advance in our spiritual and scientific lives. We would always hiding in our houses, caves, or where ever, not knowing what would happen next.

Parallel: All Things are Governed by Law - Part 1

In Part 2 of this post, I discuss the relationship between God, Himself, and the natural laws that govern our existence.

In Parallel: The Earth was Created From Existing Matter I explained that LDS believe the earth was created from existing matter, and this implies that that matter was governed by existing laws. In Mormon Belief: All Things are Governed by Law I explained that from the viewpoint of the religious paradigm the Cosmos is governed by an influence from Jesus Christ and that influence is the "law by which all things are governed". This is a religious way of saying that the Cosmos is governed by natural laws.

The article Laws of Nature, Source Unknown explains that scientists accept natural laws as the basis of creation and organization of the Cosmos but that they aren't in agreement about the source of those laws.

If the laws of physics are to have any sticking power at all, to be real laws, one could argue, they have to be good anywhere and at any time, including the Big Bang, the putative Creation. Which gives them a kind of transcendent status outside of space and time.

On the other hand, many thinkers — all the way back to Augustine — suspect that space and time, being attributes of this existence, came into being along with the universe — in the Big Bang, in modern vernacular. So why not the laws themselves?

At the present time, the LDS version of the religious paradigm is in agreement with the scientific paradigm about the existence of natural laws but not about the source of those laws.

Laws of Nature, Source Unknown

As reported in The New York Times for December 18, 2007 scientists believe that the Cosmos is governed by the laws of nature.

Yes, it’s a lawful universe. But what kind of laws are these, anyway, that might be inscribed on a T-shirt but apparently not on any stone tablet that we have ever been able to find?

Are they merely fancy bookkeeping, a way of organizing facts about the world? Do they govern nature or just describe it? And does it matter that we don’t know and that most scientists don’t seem to know or care where they come from?

Mormon Belief: All Things are Governed by Law

Latter-day Saints believe that all things in our mortal world are governed by an influence that comes from Jesus Christ. This influence is known in the scriptures as the light of Christ.

Which truth shineth. This is the Light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.

As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;

As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;

And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.

And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;

Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—

The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things. (D&C 88:7-13)