The Role of Christ in Transhumanism

Mormon theology does not treat the atonement as a transaction that Christ performs on us while we watch. It treats the atonement as a work that Christ invites us into. Joseph Smith taught that the Saints are to become “saviors on Mount Zion” (Obadiah 1:21; D&C 103:9⁠–10)⁠—that the work of redemption extends through us to our ancestors and our descendants. Christ’s atonement is the archetype for our own participation, not a substitute for it. Mormon scripture is unusually direct about where this participation leads: Doctrine and Covenants 76 describes the exalted as those who “are gods, even the sons of God.”

Why read the atonement this way, rather than as a finished transaction? The reasons run deep in both the word and the doctrine. The English word atonement was coined by William Tyndale to signify the process of bringing humanity back into a state of oneness⁠—at-one-ment⁠—with God. Oneness is a relationship, and a relationship cannot be completed unilaterally; it requires the willing participation of everyone reconciled. Christian theologians have proposed many accounts of how Christ’s sacrifice saves⁠—ransom paid to liberate captive humanity, substitution satisfying the demands of justice, moral influence drawing us to follow his example⁠—and Mormon teachings share aspects of each. But Mormon scripture pointedly limits the purely substitutionary reading: the prophet Amulek taught that the law will not allow one person to be sacrificed for the sins of another, which is why the atonement must be “an infinite and eternal sacrifice” (Alma 34:10) rather than a simple penal exchange. And the risen Christ describes his sacrifice in relational, persuasive terms⁠—he was “lifted up upon the cross” that he might “draw all people” unto him (3 Nephi 27:14). An atonement that works by drawing rather than compelling (D&C 121:41⁠–46) cannot finish its work until those who are drawn respond.

The doctrinal heart of the matter is Moses 1:39: God’s “work and glory” is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life” of humanity. That outcome cannot be achieved without the voluntary participation of God’s children⁠—and to the extent it has not yet been fully achieved, the atonement is still an ongoing process, incomplete until humanity is fully reconciled with one another and with God in Christ. This is why scripture speaks of disciples not merely as beneficiaries of the atonement but as workers within it. Paul went so far as to rejoice that in his own flesh he was “completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24, NRSV). LDS practice institutionalizes the same conviction: members take Christ’s name upon themselves and extend salvation to others through humanitarian service, teaching, and vicarious work on behalf of the dead. For a fuller treatment, see the topical guide entry on atonement, including Ben Blair’s presentation “Come Follow Me: The Instrumental Atonement,” which argues that the atonement’s central purpose is to inspire us to follow Christ in taking responsibility for death and evil in the world and, with God’s help, working to overcome them.

This doctrine of participatory atonement is the bridge between Christology and transhumanism. When Mormon Transhumanists engage in longevity research, disease eradication, cognitive and moral enhancement, or the stewardship of creation, we understand these projects as concrete extensions of the work Christ began and invites us to continue: the overcoming of death and sin, the healing of bodies and communities, the consolation of the afflicted. We are not waiting for Christ to do the work alone. We are being invited to do it with him. Christ is not only our exemplar; he is our collaborator.

Grace and Works Together

Christians encountering transhumanism sometimes worry that it amounts to humanity trying to save itself⁠—works without grace. Mormon theology offers a resolution: grace and works are not opposed but inseparable phases of the same atonement. As Mormon scripture puts it, “by grace we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23). Grace is the gift of Christ’s invitation and the capacity to respond to it; works are our acceptance of and participation in that invitation.

Transhumanist projects, rightly pursued, are works in exactly this sense⁠—not an attempt to earn salvation or to ascend autonomously without God, but an acceptance of an invitation already extended. Neither pure grace (passively waiting for divine intervention) nor pure works (autonomous human ascent) captures the Mormon Transhumanist position. Christ initiates and sustains; we participate and extend.

The Body of Christ and the Shape of Our Future

As Christians and as transhumanists, we take Christ’s invitation seriously and avoid artificially limiting our role in that work. Transhumanism is the ethical use of science and technology to expand human abilities and minimize suffering. The role of Christ⁠—the role he plays as savior and redeemer and the role he asks us to share with him⁠—in transhumanism is to work toward the best, most ethical outcomes. In other words: to join God and help others do the same. This work did not end with Jesus, and will not end until all obstacles that stand between humanity and God are overcome.