Arguing the Reality of Resurrection
It’s Easter, a holiday that often gets lost in pastel eggs and fluffy bunnies, yet it heralds the greatest event of all time: Jesus is risen! Why do we decorate with symbols of springtime instead of shouting Christ’s victory over the grave from the rooftops? I believe it’s because resurrection is so vast, so beyond our grasp, that we lean on tangible traditions to cope. Atheists challenge believers with demands for proof that can’t be pinned down, while we believers cling to faith, hoping ancient texts hold true despite scrutiny. Even the disciples, face-to-face with the risen Lord, didn’t recognize Him at first (Luke 24:13–32; John 20:14–16). They needed Jesus to eat with them, to let them touch His wounds, to prove He wasn’t a ghost. If they struggled, how are we, centuries removed, supposed to believe?
The answer, I’ve learned, is a personal witness—a spiritual spark that lights the truth within us. But wouldn’t it be wonderful to find echoes of this miracle in the world we know? I’m not here to prove resurrection with science; that’s not my aim. Instead, I want to share patterns—rhythms that dance between the mysteries of quantum physics and the revelations of LDS theology. These parallels aren’t evidence but invitations to ponder, to see how the universe’s design might whisper of divine truths, strengthening our faith in Christ’s triumph. Let me paint a picture, using ideas from physics and scripture, to make the unbelievable feel a little closer to home.
First, let’s talk about potential. Is it real? When it comes to humans, absolutely! Think of a newborn baby, bursting with a unique personality from day one. Parents see it—a spark that’s distinctly them. Science points to genes and environment, but that doesn’t fully explain why identical twins, with the same DNA, can be so different in spirit. Could this hint at a preexistent essence, a divine potential woven into each soul before birth? LDS theology says yes. Doctrine and Covenants 93:29–30 teaches, “Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence.” Our spirits, eternal and uncreated, carry divine potential, like seeds destined to grow into gods.
Now, let’s look at quantum physics—not to prove this, but to see a similar rhythm. Imagine quantum fields as invisible oceans, rippling across all space, sparking particles into being. These fields, like our eternal intelligence, are fundamental, holding infinite possibilities. In quantum field theory, particles flicker in and out of existence, yet the field endures, much like our divine spark persists through stages of existence. This isn’t a claim that physics explains souls; it’s a poetic echo, suggesting that both science and faith see reality as rooted in something eternal, brimming with potential.
To make these patterns clearer, I’ve created a chart, comparing quantum physics and LDS theology. It shows how both wrestle with existence, transformation, connection, and mystery, not as proof but as a harmony that invites awe
| Pattern | Quantum Physics | LDS Theology | Shared Conceptual Rhythm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fundamental Essence & Potential | Quantum Fields: Reality arises from fields (e.g., electron, Higgs) permeating space, with particles as excitations. Fields hold infinite potential for creation/annihilation. | Eternal Intelligence: Human intelligence (“light of truth”) is uncreated, co-eternal with God, possessing divine potential (Doctrine and Covenants 93:29–30). | Both posit a foundational, eternal “something” (fields/intelligence) that underpins existence and holds boundless possibilities for manifestation or progression. |
| Transformation & Progression | Quantum Evolution: Systems exist in superposition (multiple states) until measured, collapsing into definite outcomes. Particles transform via interactions, conserving mass-energy. | Eternal Progression: Intelligence progresses through estates (pre-mortal → spirit body → mortal body → resurrected immortal body), each building on the prior (Alma 11:43–44). | Both describe dynamic processes where entities evolve within conserved frameworks, moving from potential to actualized states through transformative steps. |
| Interconnectedness & Agency | Entanglement & Observation: Entangled particles are correlated across distances; observation influences quantum states, suggesting a participatory reality. | Agency & Divine Unity: Intelligence acts “for itself” in God’s sphere (Doctrine and Covenants 93:30), spiritually begotten and connected to God in a divine plan. | Both emphasize interconnected systems where entities influence outcomes, either through quantum correlations or divine agency within a unified cosmic order. |
| Mystery & the Ineffable | Quantum Paradoxes: Wave-particle duality, uncertainty, and the measurement problem defy intuition, leaving unresolved questions about reality’s nature. | Resurrection & Revelation: Resurrection transcends comprehension, requiring faith and personal revelation to apprehend its truth. | Both grapple with phenomena beyond human cognition, inviting awe and humility, whether through mathematical formalism or spiritual witness. |
This chart isn’t proof—it’s a window. It shows how quantum fields, like eternal intelligence, pulse with possibility; how particles transform, like our progression through estates; how entanglement mirrors divine unity; and how both fields leave us marveling at mysteries. These rhythms don’t make resurrection scientific fact, but they stir thoughts: Could the universe’s patterns reflect God’s eternal plan?
Let’s dive deeper into progression. In LDS theology, our journey begins with divine potential, becomes intelligence with agency, then a spirit body, and finally a mortal body—our “second estate.” Each stage builds on the last, like notes in a divine symphony. The Book of Abraham reveals that intelligences varied in degree, suggesting a hierarchy of potential, all aimed at becoming like God. Quantum physics sings a similar tune, not literally but poetically. The law of conservation of mass-energy says matter and energy transform but never vanish. Picture a particle flickering through states, yet its essence endures, like our spirit moving toward immortality. This isn’t to say physics explains resurrection—it doesn’t—but the pattern of transformation, of enduring through change, feels like a shadow of divine truth.
Now, the resurrection itself. Our mortal state ends with death, a temporary parting of spirit and body. But if intelligence is eternal, and matter and energy are conserved, could God, the ultimate organizer, reunite them? Amulek taught, “This mortal body is raised to an immortal body… their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption” (Alma 11:43–44). In physics, we don’t see bodies resurrected, but we see fields sparking new forms, energy shifting without loss. It’s not the same, but it’s a whisper of possibility—a hint that creation’s laws might align with God’s power to make us whole.
I’ve gone to all this trouble not to prove resurrection with equations, but to share a vision. Quantum physics, with its fields and transformations, dances to a rhythm that echoes LDS theology’s eternal progression. These patterns don’t replace faith; they enrich it, inviting us to see Christ’s rising as part of a cosmic symphony. Yet, the truest witness of Easter—of Jesus’ victory and our hope—comes not from science but from the Spirit. Personal revelation, that quiet burning in the heart, tells us He is risen. This Easter, let’s celebrate not just with eggs and bunnies, but with wonder at the patterns of eternity, asking: How might the universe’s mysteries point us to the Savior?
Happy Easter. He is risen! Ponder these parallels, and let them lift your faith higher.