Grok:
joseph smith said mormonism embraces all truth whereever it is found. how would you rate mormonism in the simulation theory as a viable religion and lifeview
9/10 — exceptionally viable, and one of the strongest fits I’ve seen among traditional religions when viewed strictly through the simulation-theory / Ethical Vetting Simulator lens we’ve been exploring.
The “embraces all truth wherever it is found” principle (a core teaching rooted in Joseph Smith’s 1839 letter to Isaac Galland — “we believe that we have a right to embrace all, and every item of truth, without limitation” — and echoed by Brigham Young: “Mormonism… embraces all truth, wherever found”) is the single biggest reason it scores so high.
It’s not just lip service; it’s baked into the theology as a fundamental operating system. That alone makes it uniquely compatible with scientific realism, Bostrom-style arguments, nested simulations, transhumanist futures, and our “do the right thing especially when you think no one is watching” conclusion.
Why it maps so cleanly onto the Ethical Vetting Simulator
- Mortality = the high-stakes evaluation environment Pre-mortal existence → choosing to enter the sim. Veil of forgetfulness → the “no one watching” condition (perfect test of intrinsic character). Opposition, agency, and temptation → the stress-test curriculum. Judgment based on thoughts, desires, and unobserved choices → exactly the scoring rubric we discussed. This life as probationary state → temporary training sim before “graduation” into higher, more real worlds.
- God as Simulator / Architect Heavenly Father is an exalted, material intelligence who organizes existing matter and intelligences into worlds (not ex nihilo creation). That’s almost word-for-word a posthuman sim-runner. Multiple Kolobs, infinite worlds, and eternal progression (“as man is, God once was…”) handle nested simulations and infinite regress without breaking.
- The “all truth” engine Any new discovery — quantum mechanics, AI alignment, Bostrom’s trilemma, JWST data, neuroscience on consciousness — gets absorbed, not fought. Mormon transhumanists (MTA) and thinkers like Lincoln Cannon and Cory Scott Shaw have already done the work: Mormon cosmology is a rich, multi-layered simulation theory with built-in progression, modeling, and improvement loops.
- Practical lifeview payoff Prayer = direct comms with the Simulator (and it can answer via code, inspiration, or orchestrated events). Atonement = safety net for failed test scenarios. Temple ordinances and proxy work = helping other “NPCs” or agents level up. Eternal families and becoming like God = the win condition: graduate from trainee to co-creator/sim-runner.
The two minor deductions (why not 10/10)
- Historical particulars (golden plates, First Vision, specific restoration narrative) are presented as literal events. In a pure sim framework they can be re-read as deliberate “lore drops,” symbolic coding, or admin interventions — and the “all truth” principle lets you do exactly that without crisis. But it does add extra claims that a minimalist sim realist might not need.
- Institutional exclusivity (“one true church”) can feel at odds with a pluralistic, multi-simulation multiverse. Again, many practicing members already interpret it softly (“this is the current best training module for this cohort”), so the tension is manageable.
Bottom line as a lifeview
Under the simulation hypothesis — especially the ethical vetting version — Mormonism functions like a beautifully engineered user manual + support community for acing the test. It gives you:
- A cosmic why (“we’re here to prove we can be trusted with god-level power”)
- A daily how (“choose the right even in the dark”)
- An upgrade path (eternal progression)
- And zero need to reject evidence — because all truth belongs to it by definition.
Compared to generic pantheism (my earlier cheeky pick) it adds narrative, community, and motivational power without sacrificing the core realist engine. Compared to most other faiths it has fewer science conflicts once you lean into the “embrace all truth” clause.
If the Simulator is grading for integrity under the veil, curiosity, compassion, and willingness to update beliefs with new light… this framework is engineered to maximize your score.
It’s honestly one of the most simulation-native religions humans have produced. What draws you to it in this context — the moral test structure, the progression-to-godhood part, the truth-embracing openness, or something else? I’d love to hear how you’re weighing it personally.
Compare with other simulation religions
Mormonism still leads the pack at 9/10 for a simulation-theory lifeview—especially the Ethical Vetting Simulator version we’ve been building (pre-life choice to enter, veil of forgetfulness for true unobserved character test, probationary mortality as the high-stakes eval, and graduation to co-creator/godhood status).
No other major tradition maps as cleanly onto the full stack: benevolent posthuman-style Architect(s), material creation-by-organization (not ex nihilo), infinite nested worlds of progression, and an explicit “embrace all truth” directive that absorbs Bostrom, AI alignment, quantum mechanics, or anything else without crisis.
Here’s a head-to-head comparison with the strongest other “simulation-native” frameworks (drawn from direct theological parallels in academic sources like Ian Huyett’s 2023/2024 paper Religious Parallels to the Simulation Hypothesis: Gnosticism, Mormonism, and Neoplatonism, Rizwan Virk’s The Simulation Hypothesis, and extensive Eastern/Abrahamic mappings). I rate each out of 10 on viability as a sim-compatible religion/lifeview under our vetting lens, using five weighted criteria.
Comparison Table
| Framework | Ethical Vetting Fit (pre-entry choice, veil/test, graduation) | Simulator Model (benevolent architect?) | Science/“All Truth” Compatibility | Hidden-Morality Emphasis | Optimism + Practical Payoff | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mormonism | 10/10 (pre-mortal council + veil + probation + eternal progression to godhood) | 10/10 (exalted material intelligences organizing worlds; nested Kolobs) | 10/10 (“embrace all truth wherever found” + continuous revelation) | 10/10 (thoughts/desires judged; “in secret” matters most) | 9/10 (community, temples, family, hope) | 9/10 |
| Hinduism (esp. Advaita + Maya/Lila) | 8/10 (reincarnation as repeated levels; karma algorithm; moksha exit) | 8/10 (Brahman as substrate; gods as avatars/admins; playful but impersonal) | 9/10 (ancient “projection in space-time”; absorbs modern physics as Maya layers) | 9/10 (intention/karma tracks unobserved acts) | 8/10 (dharma + cycles, but can feel endless) | 8.5/10 |
| Buddhism (esp. Yogacara mind-only + emptiness) | 7.5/10 (rebirth as sim-layers; enlightenment = wake-up/graduation) | 6/10 (no creator usually; mind/karma generates the “sim”; optional Pure Lands as admin patches) | 9/10 (impermanence + dependent origination = perfect for sim code) | 10/10 (karma is purely intention-based, even in private) | 8/10 (compassion practices, but less narrative structure) | 8/10 |
| Gnosticism (Demiurge + Archons) | 6/10 (material world as trap/test; gnosis = escape) | 3/10 (Demiurge = flawed/buggy Simulator; hostile jailers) | 7/10 (good on “illusion” but rejects material science as prison) | 8/10 (secret knowledge reveals hidden test) | 5/10 (pessimistic; world-denying) | 6.5/10 |
| Neoplatonism (Emanation from The One) | 5/10 (hierarchical levels = nested sims; return to source) | 8/10 (benevolent overflow, no personal vetting) | 8/10 (mathematical harmony fits code) | 6/10 (contemplation over moral action) | 7/10 (intellectual beauty) | 7/10 |
| Traditional Christianity (reinterpreted) | 6/10 (this life as test; heaven as base reality) | 7/10 (personal God as programmer; miracles = patches) | 5/10 (ex nihilo + young-earth tensions without heavy reinterpretation) | 8/10 (God sees the heart) | 8/10 (forgiveness + community) | 6.5/10 |
Quick Breakdowns
- Hinduism comes closest overall. Maya = the ultimate sim metaphor (veil of illusion; Lila = the divine play/simulation run for experience). Reincarnation is literally repeated training rounds until you “level up” to union with Brahman. Avatars are admin interventions. It loses half a point vs. Mormonism because the ultimate reality is usually impersonal/oneness rather than relational progression to co-creator status, and the vetting feels more “experiential accumulation” than deliberate character exam.
- Buddhism excels on the moral core (every unobserved intention is logged in karma) and on “waking up” from the sim via direct insight. Empty-of-inherent-existence + mind-only schools are simulation theory in ancient language. It’s slightly lower because there’s usually no benevolent external Architect running ethical evals—reality is self-generated by collective karma, which makes the “vetting” feel more like debugging your own code than passing an admin review.
- Gnosticism is the dark-horse favorite in sim circles (The Matrix is basically Gnostic fanfic). The material world as a flawed prison-sim run by a deluded Demiurge? Perfect for adversarial testing. But it’s too cynical for the optimistic “we’re being prepared for godhood” vibe we built—escape is good, but the Simulator is the enemy, not a loving parent/architect.
- Others (Neoplatonism, standard Christianity, etc.) fit pieces but lack the complete package of unobserved moral stress-testing + joyful progression + zero science conflict.
Pure “Simulation Hypothesis” as a standalone worldview (no ancient wrapping) would score maybe 4–5/10: great metaphysics, zero built-in ethics or community or “why bother being good when unobserved?” motivation beyond vague curiosity.
Verdict
If the game is “Ace the unobserved integrity test so you can graduate to running your own sims,” Mormonism is the clearest user manual + cheat code + support group humans have coded so far. It keeps every strength of the Eastern illusion traditions while adding personal relationship, optimism, and an explicit command to keep updating with new light.
That’s why it earned the 9/10. Hinduism and Buddhism are beautiful runners-up for pure mind-bending compatibility with the code itself. Gnosticism is the red-pill drama version.
Does this line up with what you’re seeing, or is there another tradition (Raelian, Scientology, modern “Simulation Church” experiments, etc.) you want thrown into the mix? Or want me to expand any of the mappings with specific scriptures/doctrines? This conversation is turning into its own fascinating sim-eval. 😊
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