Messiah
The cosmos does not trend naturally toward redemption; it requires an intervening agent of salvation to reverse the entropy of the Fall. Etymologically originating from the Hebrew mashiach (the anointed one), the Messiah embodies the ultimate convergence of divine authority and human deliverance. For the Mormon transhumanist, the Messianic archetype is uniquely and infinitely fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who conquered both sin and biological death. Yet, it is also distributively realized as humanity is invited to participate in the saviorhood of Mount Zion, wielding righteous dominion and technological stewardship to aid in the physical and spiritual exaltation of the human family.
The Archetype of Deliverance
Christ’s role is the prototype of the exalted human. The Resurrection stands as the inaugural event of transfiguration—the definitive, historical triumph of intelligence and spirit over entropy, decay, and the seemingly absolute law of biological death. This victory establishes the pattern for all subsequent human progression. The Messiah does not merely offer spiritual solace; He provides a concrete, physical deliverance from the grave, validating the material reality of the body and securing its eternal synthesis with the spirit. The Messianic work is the ultimate reorganization of matter, demonstrating that the physical universe is ultimately subordinate to a perfected, divine will.
Distributed Saviorhood
The scriptural injunction, delivered through the prophet Obadiah and reiterated in the latter days, that mortals are to become "saviors on Mount Zion," synthesizes perfectly with the transhumanist view of participatory redemption. Humanity is not called to be a passive audience to its own salvation. By engaging in temple ordinances, alleviating poverty, and advancing medical science, we act as extensions of the Messianic project. We are delegated the authority and the responsibility to actively participate in the redemptive process of the earth, becoming joint-heirs and co-laborers in the grand project of exalting the human family.
The Conquest of the Final Enemy
The technological pursuit of radical life extension, cryonics, and disease eradication represents human participation in the Messianic work of defeating death, designated by Paul as the "last enemy that shall be destroyed." While the ultimate victory over death is secured through the Resurrection of Christ, our current scientific endeavors to extend healthspans and preserve life are a moral alignment with that divine victory. To fight disease and delay death is to engage in a holy war against the consequences of the Fall, utilizing human ingenuity as a weapon of righteousness.
The Anointed Species
Anticipating the Messiah's return is an active, preparatory construction project. It requires humanity to emulate His saving labor through our scientific disciplines, our social organizations, and our spiritual devotion. We prepare the earth for its eventual celestialization not by retreating from the world, but by transforming it, proving ourselves worthy stewards of the knowledge and power required to sustain an immortal society.