In the Book of Mormon, a fascinating intellectual conflict arises: the prophets taught of the Atonement as a present reality hundreds of years before Jesus was born, urging the people to believe in Him “as though he had already come” (Mosiah 3:13). In contrast, critics like Korihor mocked this “foolish hope,” arguing that one “cannot know of things which ye do not see” and that it was impossible to claim power from a future event (Alma 30:13-15).
Screenshot
Today, modern physics and the ancient concept of the Tao (the underlying flow of the universe) provide a unique lens to see that the prophets were right. The Atonement is not just a historical “transaction”; it is the highest application of eternal laws that transcend our limited view of time and space.
1. Relativistic Grace and the “Eternal Now”
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity teaches us that time is not a fixed, linear track. To an observer at the “source” of light, all events can be seen as present. This mirrors the prophetic view that “all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men” (Alma 40:8).
• The Parallel: Because Jesus is the “Light of the World,” His sacrifice exists in an Eternal Now. This is why the prophets could experience the power of the Atonement before it happened in “human time.” Like a wave that ripples both backward and forward, His grace is an ever-present constant. It was as “real” to Adam as it was to Peter, and as it is to us today.
2. Divine Resonance: The Covenant Link
In physics, Entanglement occurs when two particles become so deeply linked that the state of one instantly influences the other, regardless of distance.
• The Doctrine: Jesus “descended below all things” to take upon Himself our specific “infirmities” (Alma 7:11-12).
• The Parallel: This act established a permanent, spiritual bond between the Savior and every soul. This is not a distant transaction; it is a shared state of being. Because He has already carried our burdens, His succor resonates within our own struggles. His healing power is not sent from afar but is communicated instantly through the covenantal link He forged.
3. Entropy vs. The Restoring Power
The Second Law of Thermodynamics dictates Entropy: the inevitable slide of any system toward disorder, decay, and “heat death.”
• The Doctrine: Sin and death act as spiritual entropy, leading the “natural man” toward a state of permanent disorder and separation.
• The Parallel: We might think of Jesus Christ as the “Open System” of the universe. He injected infinite spiritual energy into our world. The Atonement acts like a Negentropic (reverse-entropy) power. He doesn’t just “fix” what is broken; His grace provides the constant energy required to pull our souls back into a state of “Perfect Order.”
4. Wave-Particle Duality: The God-Man Paradox
Light behaves as both a localized, discrete “particle” and an infinite, spreading “wave.”
• The Doctrine: Jesus is both a mortal Man and the infinite Christ.
• Like a Particle: He suffered in a specific place and time, feeling the discrete weight of every individual life with intimate precision.
• Like a Wave: The Atonement is like a universal field that “fills the immensity of space.” It is an active presence that surrounds us. Faith is the act of “tuning” our lives to the frequency of that infinite wave.
5. Divine Superposition: The Victory over Death
Superposition is the principle that a system can exist in multiple states simultaneously—such as being both “on” and “off”—until it is measured or observed.
• The Doctrine: In the Atonement, Jesus satisfied the demands of both Justice (requiring death) and Mercy (requiring life).
• The Parallel: We might imagine that in a state of Divine Superposition, Jesus held both the state of mortal death and the state of divine life in one infinite moment. By encompassing both “states,” He became the bridge between them. When we turn to Him in faith, we allow His victory to become the “observed” and lived reality in our own lives.
The Unified Field of the Gospel
In the end, physics and the Tao suggest that nothing is truly separate. The Atonement acts as the Grand Unification Theory of the soul. It reconciles the “symmetry breaking” of the Fall, reverses the entropy of sin, and uses the resonance of divine love to bring all things back into harmony with the Father.
Note: The Prophets’ Perspective: “As though it had already come”
In the Book of Mormon, the Atonement of Jesus Christ is treated as a “timeless” event. Prophets in the record argued that because God knows all things, the effects of the Atonement were just as valid for people living in 600 BC as they were for those living after the event.
Key Passages on Pre-Event Effects:
King Benjamin (approx. 124 BC): He taught that the Atonement’s power applied even to those who died before Christ was born, including those who sinned in ignorance.
“…the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children of men, to declare these things… that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, the same might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy, even as though he had already come among them.” (Mosiah 3:13)
Abinadi (approx. 150 BC): When facing execution, Abinadi explained that the future was so certain in God’s eyes that it should be treated as the present.
“And now if Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things to come as though they had already come, there could have been no redemption.” (Mosiah 16:6)
Jarom (approx. 399 BC): Even centuries before Christ, Jarom noted that the prophets taught the people to look forward to the Messiah as if he were already present.
“…wherefore, they believed in him as though he already was.” (Jarom 1:11)
A Note on This Exploration:
The preceding synthesis is a conceptual exercise intended to explore the harmonious relationship between the laws of the universe and the doctrines of the Restored Gospel. While the terminology of modern physics—such as quantum entanglement, entropy, and superposition—is not part of official Church doctrine, these concepts offer an interesting framework for visualizing how the Atonement of Jesus Christ may be understood as a universal and infinite reality. This comparison is not intended to redefine doctrine, but rather to illustrate how even the “True Physics” of eternity and the Tao (the Way) of the universe can support the doctrine of the divine mission of the Savior. These parallels are metaphors that may help us grasp the “infinite and eternal” nature of His sacrifice. This is not official doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
