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This article is an examination of the Mormon doctrine of eternal progression within the context of big-bang cosmology, a description of a finite universe that appears to contradict that doctrine. I argue that a multiverse cosmology, a theory that posits a multiplicity of universes, resolves many of the problems posed by big-bang cosmology.
The doctrine of eternal progression is the centerpiece of Mormon theology. This principle "cannot be precisely defined or comprehended, yet it is fundamental to the LDS worldview." While the phrase "eternal progression" is absent from the canon of scripture, it first occurs in the discourses of Brigham Young, who said, "I wish to urge upon the people the necessity of knowing what to do with their present life, which pertains more particularly to temporalities. The very object of our existence here is to handle the temporal elements of this world and subdue the earth, multiplying those organisms of plants and animals God has designed shall dwell upon it. When we have learned to live according to the full value of the life we now possess, we are prepared for further advancement in the scale of eternal progression-for a more glorious and exalted sphere." Statements on eternal progression by Brigham Young and his successors embrace the substance of the doctrine taught by Joseph Smith in his King Follett discourse, in which Joseph declared that "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man" and that "you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves." Echoing this idea, John Taylor remarked, "What is man, that thou are mindful of him? He is not only the Son of man, but he is the Son of God also. He is a God in embryo."4
The doctrine of eternal progression-that the ultimate human potential is to become like God himself-has been reiterated by numerous modern-day Church authorities. Apostle John A. Widtsoe stated: "In short, man is a god in embryo. He comes of a race of gods, and as his eternal growth is continued, he will approach more nearly the point which to us is Godhood, and which is everlasting in its power over the elements of the universe." Widtsoe also declared, "What then is eternal progress? It is an eternity...