Authors

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) was a Swedish pluralistic scientist, philosopher, theologian, and mystic. His theological writings describe a detailed structure of the spiritual world and emphasize the importance of useful service. Born in Stockholm to a prominent family, Swedenborg was one of the most learned men of his age, making significant contributions to mining engineering, anatomy, and other sciences before turning to spiritual matters in his fifties. His theological works, including Heaven and Hell , describe the afterlife as a realm of continued activity, purpose, and progression. His emphasis on useful service and continued growth after death has influenced many religious movements, including some aspects of Latter-day Saint thought about the nature of heaven and eternal progression.

Eric Steinhart is a Professor of Philosophy at William Paterson University and the author of Your Digital Afterlives: Computational Theories of Life After Death . His work centers on metaphysics, employing contemporary analytical and logical methods, while also exploring historical metaphysical systems such as Neoplatonism and the philosophy of Leibniz. He is particularly interested in the intersection of formal sciences and theology, with a focus on alternatives to Abrahamic religions. Steinhart’s background is diverse. He grew up on a farm and initially trained as a computer scientist and mathematician, working as a software designer for several years, during which time he obtained patents for some of his algorithms. He later pursued advanced degrees in philosophy, and his earlier philosophical work included analyses of Nietzsche and metaphor, using possible world semantics. His research extends into the realms of metaphysics and computation, and he is featured in the documentary film Chronotrip , which deals with the concept of time travel. He affirms the existence of transfinitely endless hierarchies of sets, computers, languages, games, strategies, and minds. Steinhart’s current philosophical interests align with themes of eternal progression, alternative religious movements, and the application of evolutionary theory to cosmology.

James Nelson Gardner (May 5, 1946 – April 10, 2021) was an American lawyer, complexity theorist, and author whose cosmological speculations placed intelligence at the generative center of the universe itself. A Yale College and Yale Law School graduate, he served as a U.S. Supreme Court clerk and Oregon state senator before devoting much of his intellectual life to a far more expansive question: why does the universe appear so precisely calibrated to produce life and mind? Gardner’s answer, developed across peer-reviewed articles in Complexity and the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society and popularized in his books Biocosm (2003) and The Intelligent Universe (2007), was the “Selfish Biocosm” hypothesis. He argued that life and intelligence are not Darwinian accidents but are hardwired into cosmic evolution—that the universe’s bio-friendliness is the inheritance of a long lineage of intelligences who, in reaching the apex of their development, reproduced the cosmos itself by spawning “baby universes” endowed with the same life-generating properties. In Gardner’s vision, the destiny of highly evolved intelligence is nothing less than the infusion of the entire universe with life and the ultimate act of cosmic creation. For those who hold that intelligence is eternal and that divine creativity operates through natural processes, Gardner’s cosmology resonates with striking depth. The arc of his thought—intelligence as not merely a product of the cosmos but its architect and heir—maps naturally onto the Mormon transhumanist conviction that humanity’s progression toward Godhood is a real, physical, and cosmologically significant endeavor. Gardner did not speak in theological terms, but his insistence that the emergence of mind is the universe’s most consequential fact, and that sufficiently advanced intelligence becomes a creative force on a universal scale, opens conceptual ground that faith traditions oriented toward theosis and eternal progression have long inhabited from a different direction.

Karl Raimund Popper (1902–1994) was an Austrian-British philosopher widely regarded as one of the most influential philosophers of science of the twentieth century. His work on the demarcation problem, epistemology, and the philosophy of the open society left a lasting mark on intellectual life across multiple disciplines. Popper is best known for his principle of falsifiability , which holds that for a theory to be genuinely scientific, it must be capable of being tested and potentially refuted. This criterion, articulated in his landmark work The Logic of Scientific Discovery (1934), fundamentally reshaped the philosophy of science and challenged the prevailing inductivist tradition. He spent much of his academic career at the London School of Economics, where he served as professor of logic and scientific method. His political philosophy, most notably developed in The Open Society and Its Enemies (1945), offered a vigorous defense of liberal democracy and a critique of totalitarian ideologies rooted in historicism. Popper’s epistemology carries deep resonance with transhumanist and theological themes. His vision of knowledge as an unending, self-correcting pursuit—forever open to revision and growth—aligns with the transhumanist commitment to ongoing human improvement. His concept of critical rationalism suggests that humanity progresses not by claiming certainty but by humbly identifying and correcting errors, a posture that echoes religious traditions emphasizing humility, faith in future understanding, and the aspiration toward greater light and knowledge. For the Mormon Transhumanist Association, Popper’s insistence that an open society fosters human flourishing, and that our reach should always exceed our grasp, resonates with the vision of theosis—the idea that humanity is called to grow toward the divine through both reason and faith.

Leonard Reil is a Canadian diplomat and scholar whose professional and intellectual pursuits sit at the crossroads of international relations and transhumanist philosophy. With a career spanning several continents and cultures, Reil’s work explores the intersection of global conflict, diplomacy, and the potential for technological and spiritual evolution. Reil obtained a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Brigham Young University before moving to the United Kingdom to earn a Master of Arts in International Conflict Analysis from the University of Kent at Canterbury. This academic foundation prepared him for a distinguished career with Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (now Global Affairs Canada). Beyond his diplomatic service, Reil is an active voice within the Mormon Transhumanist Association, where he applies his background in conflict analysis and global systems to theological and futurologist inquiries. At the 2012 MTA Conference, he delivered a compelling presentation titled The Gods of Eternity, in which he explored the concept of “Theosis” through the lens of modern science and the “Gods of the Gaps” theory. In this work, Reil posits that as human knowledge expands, the “gaps” traditionally filled by the divine are not merely shrinking but are being replaced by a more sophisticated understanding of our own potential for eternal progression. Reil’s contributions to the transhumanist community are characterized by a unique synthesis of Latter-day Saint theology and technological optimism. He often reflects on the nature of post-humanity and the ethical implications of advanced technologies, suggesting that the path toward becoming “as God is” involves a mastery of the physical and social laws that govern the universe. Through his writing and speaking, Leonard Reil continues to advocate for a future where technology is utilized to fulfill the highest aspirations of the human spirit. He remains a key figure in the MTA, embodying the association’s mission to explore the synergistic relationship between religion and science in the pursuit of human transcendence.

Marianne Clark Sharp (1893–1975) was a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who served in the Relief Society General Presidency from 1945 to 1974. She emphasized the importance of education and intelligence in spiritual progression, teaching that since knowledge and intelligence are the doorway to eternal life, Relief Society leaders should be zealous in gaining and sharing knowledge. Her teachings connected the pursuit of learning with Latter-day Saint doctrine about eternal progression, citing Joseph Smith’s teaching that “a man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge” and the Lord’s declaration that “it is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.”

McKay Moore is a speaker and scholar affiliated with the Mormon Transhumanist Association (MTA), exploring the intersection of Mormon theology and transhumanist thought. His work delves into the theological implications of post-humanism, particularly within the unique context of Mormon beliefs about divine progression and the potential for humanity to achieve godhood. Moore’s research is deeply rooted in the Mormon concept of an eternal cycle of creation, where beings evolve into gods who then create new sentient beings. Moore’s presentations often address complex issues such as the ‘control problem’ in artificial intelligence (AI) and how Mormon theology might offer a unique perspective on aligning AI with human values. Drawing on the work of thinkers like Nick Bostrom, he analyzes capability and behavioral control methods for managing advanced AI, exploring how these approaches relate to the Mormon ‘plan of salvation’ as a post-human solution. His work seeks to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technological advancements and theological frameworks.

Richard Lyman Bushman is an American historian and the Howard W. Hunter Visiting Professor in Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University. He is widely considered one of the most influential scholars of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, particularly for his work in reconciling rigorous academic history with a personal commitment to faith. Born in Salt Lake City and raised in Portland, Oregon, Bushman’s intellectual journey was shaped by an early tension between his religious upbringing and the secular demands of the academy. Bushman received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Harvard University, where he studied under the mentorship of Bernard Bailyn. His academic career flourished at several prestigious institutions, including Brigham Young University, Boston University, and the University of Delaware. In 2005, he published his magnum opus, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling , a landmark biography that challenged traditional hagiography by addressing the complexities and controversies of Smith’s life while maintaining a sympathetic, belief-oriented perspective. His other major works, such as From Puritan to Yankee (which won the Bancroft Prize) and The Refinement of America , further established him as a premier historian of early American cultural and religious life. In his presentation at the MTAConf 2013, titled “From Humanity to Fulness the Mormon Way,” Bushman explored the intersection of LDS theology and the transhumanist quest for human enhancement. He framed the Mormon concept of “eternal progression” as a theological precursor to the desire for radical self-improvement and the attainment of divine attributes. Bushman posited that the Restoration’s emphasis on the “fulness” of the human soul—integrating the physical and the spiritual—provides a unique framework for understanding the potential of technology to aid in the exaltation of humanity. Beyond his writing, Bushman has been a pivotal figure in the development of Mormon Studies as a legitimate field of secular inquiry. He served as the co-editor of the Joseph Smith Papers project and has mentored a generation of scholars seeking to navigate the “middle ground” between polemical skepticism and uncritical devotion. His legacy is defined by a commitment to “faithful history,” an approach that insists on total transparency regarding the past while remaining open to the possibilities of the divine.

Silvanus was an early Christian teacher associated with the Nag Hammadi texts. The Teachings of Silvanus is a wisdom text that emphasizes moral instruction and the pursuit of divine knowledge. This text, discovered among the Nag Hammadi library in Egypt in 1945, represents a form of early Christian wisdom literature that combines Jewish, Greek, and Christian elements. It teaches that those who know themselves will know God, and knowing God, will become like God. The Teachings of Silvanus encourages readers to become the image of God, bearing nothing earthly, so that they may consort with God and become gods. This emphasis on human transformation and divine potential aligns with broader early Christian themes of theosis and has resonances with Latter-day Saint teachings on becoming like Heavenly Parents.

Thomas Briggs was an early Latter-day Saint pioneer who documented his experiences and beliefs about the resurrection and eternal progression in his autobiography, The History of Thomas Briggs . His writings reflect the optimism and faith of early converts to the Restored Gospel, expressing confidence in the literal nature of resurrection and the possibility of continued progression in the eternities. Like many early Latter-day Saints, Briggs saw the Restoration as opening possibilities for human advancement and transformation that exceeded the bounds of traditional Christianity.