# Mormonism Mandates Transhumanism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VePRByRNIAc *Recorded: 2014* Lincoln Cannon explains why he considers himself a transhumanist not despite his Mormonism but because of it. He describes Mormonism as fundamentally an immersive discipleship of Jesus Christ—an aspiration to live the religion of Jesus rather than merely a religion about Jesus—centered on becoming gods and saviors who console, heal, and raise one another. Cannon argues that Mormon scripture situates believers in a dispensation of advancing knowledge and power, with a theology of progressively improving bodies through transfiguration and resurrection, making transhumanism an implicit mandate of the faith rather than an external addition to it. ## Transcript WEBVTT 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:21.080 Mormonism is, above all other things, an immersive discipleship of Jesus Christ. That’s not So much a religion about Jesus as it is an aspiration to live the religion of Jesus. 00:00:22.599 --> 00:00:46.520 This gospel is to trust in, change. Toward and fully immerse both our bodies and our minds in the role of Christ. To become gods and saviors, to console and to heal, and to raise. Raise each other up together. This is the heart of Mormonism. 00:00:47.160 --> 00:01:09.440 This gospel of Jesus Christ underlies Mormon transhumanism. Mormons situate ourselves. Today, in what we call the dispensation of the fullness of times, as a time of great advancement in knowledge and power, when we should expect the sciences to flourish, immortality is physical, it’s embodied. 00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:23.800 There is in Mormonism this notion. Of progressively improving bodies as well. Our scriptures have this idea of a transfigured being receives a certain quality of body, but then a resurrected being receives an even better body, a more robust body. 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:41.280 I am a transhuman. not despite my Mormonism, but rather I’m a transhumanist because of my Mormonism. My Mormonism mandates transhumanism. Our scriptures require implicit transhumanism. 00:01:42.600 --> 00:01:55.240 And many Mormons are transhumanists not because we were trying to find a solution to fix our religion. Our religion led us to transhumanism. We feel a spiritual mandate to engage in transhumanism.