Exploring Mormon Thought

010-The Attributes of God Ch 5 - Models of Divine Knowledge (Part 2)

Jun 5, 2017
Dive into the intriguing world of divine knowledge and its impact on free will. Explore Middle Knowledge and how Joseph Smith redefined God's understanding over time. Engage with debates about whether God can foresee all human choices while allowing genuine freedom. Discover the philosophical challenges presented, such as the limits of divine omniscience and the problem of evil. Through captivating examples, the discussion sheds light on how divine insights shape our present while questioning the reliability of foreknowledge in guiding human agency.
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INSIGHT

Middle Knowledge Basics

  • Middle knowledge means God knows what free creatures would do in any situation, even those that never actually occur.
  • God surveys all possible worlds and picks the one He wills to actualize based on this knowledge.
ANECDOTE

Kid Rock Typo Anecdote

  • Blake Ostler used "Kid Rock" as an example incidentally due to a manuscript typing error.
  • Originally named "Rock Rob," it was altered during transcription, adding humor to the example.
INSIGHT

Plantinga's Free Will Defense

  • Alvin Plantinga argues free will implies God cannot create a world with free creatures who always do right.
  • This defends against the logical problem of evil by showing some evil may be unavoidable with libertarian free will.
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