This might be a stupid question. I'm fine with you saying so.

You know how we don't seem to have a design for the future? We can control it somewhat by our actions today but we always end up adapting. I believe there is chaos and randomness in nature. Therefore, a design of the future is not controlling every step. There is uncertainty. Evolution seems to thrive on uncertainty.

Is it possible that there is no set design for our future after this life? Is it possible for that to be a good thing?

Hey Zee,



Yes, and yes.

Of course, "good" really has nothing to do with it. ;-)

~td~

I embrace the randomness of my life. Altogether too much of my life is controlled... I have a job to do, there are certain things I must do in order to keep my job, I can't drop my car off the edge of the cliff just because it's not a Jag (okay, that's one of those embracing randomness things people who love me put up with), etc.

I wouldn't be happy with total chaos/randomness, but I wouldn't be happy if I allowed the church to control my life like it says I'm supposed to. For example, no way am I giving up anything to the church just because they say I made a covenant with them to do so. I don't consider that they've kept their side of that bargain and I'm sure as heck not going to be held to mine.

What if god doesn't know what the future holds?

Is that a problem?

I'd be more upset if he DID know.

Well, I realize it would be a problem if he knew what was going to be up with you and I, personally.

What I'm asking is bigger than that: What if God had no idea what the structure or makeup of the future held? What if heaven had not yet been designed? There is no blueprint. It has never occurred before.

What you need to ask yourself is, whether he has or hasn't, could you right now tell the difference? Would it make any difference in your life as you know it right this instant?

My daughter was in seminary last year when the teacher gave the lesson about how if we attain the Celestial kingdom we become perfect (all knowing). In other words, we know everything and there is certainty - to know everything from the begining to the end. The teacher asked, "wouldn't that be great?"

My daughter replied, "no, it would be boring".

"Why do you say that?"

"Well because there would be no challenge, you'd know everything"

The teacher started bombing her with all these "what if's.." to turn her from her conclusion:

"..but you could create knew things and learn and progress forever"

Daughter: "No, that isn't what you said. If there is nothing you do not know, there isn't anything new. You know it already. Boring. I'd hate it."

"you could teach your children the gospel"

Daughter: "yeah, you already know who's going to win, and who's going to lose. so why bother.."

The seminary teacher got frustrated at this point seeing that the other kids were taking in some of the logic and quickly changed the subject.

Is there a design for the future? One thing I have certainty in is that when I am kind, thoughtful and create, I maintain a certain amount of inner peace and satisfaction. There's that word "certain". We can plan and design kindness. Even a caveman can do it.

This is the short answer, but I'd like to exist so long as I am energized by this phenomenon.

Thanks Inc. I'm disappointed the seminary teacher was afraid to let the discussion go free.

I can see how finding peace today and trying to be kind actually does in a way write something for your future.

Thanks to correlation, teachers are not prepared for the unexpected.

It really works.

So far as seminary teachers go, I've never known any to be wired as anything but 1 dimensional TBM's. It was a predictable response on his part. I'm pleased my daughter has this gift for thinking outside the box.

Yeah, in this case, he hit the wall.

Children can be the best catalists for confounding faulty logic - if we'll just listen to them.

Even if our actions "write" our future it doesn't mean god needed to design our future before we happened.

Hey Zee,



Guess what... heaven is not yet designed. :-)

There is no blueprint. What is to come has never before occurred.

Do you think the present was designed 13.7 billion years ago? Think of all the billions and billions and billions and billions of events that have brought existence to this point. Do you really think someone planned each and every event? Do you think there was a design for each little step? If so, then what would be the point?

IIRC we are about half way through our sun's life time. In terms of the universe, well, there is most likely at least another ten to fifteen billions years left. So, do you think it is all planned out?

I don't think we can begin to guess what is to come over the next billion years... think back and reflect on what has occurred in the past and know that the mystery is yet to unfold.

The universe is full of surprises!

Heaven? I'm not exactly sure what is to come but I can pretty much guarantee you that the heaven of Joseph Smith's creation is NOT it.

;-)

~td~