1. Home
    1. Start Here: Study Guide
    2. Community Standards And Posting Policies
    3. Terms of Use
    4. Moderator Team
    5. Site Map
    6. Quizzes
    7. Articles
      1. Featured Articles
    8. All Blog Posts
      1. Elli's Blog / Articles
  2. Wiki
    1. Wiki Home
    2. FAQ
    3. Classical Epicureanism
    4. Files
    5. Search Assistance
    6. Not NeoEpicurean
    7. Foundations
    8. Navigation Outlines
    9. Key Pages
  3. Forum
    1. Full Forum List
    2. Welcome Threads
    3. Physics
    4. Canonics
    5. Ethics
    6. Uncategorized Forum
    7. Study Resources Forum
    8. Ancient Texts Forum
    9. Shortcuts
    10. Featured
    11. Most Discussed
  4. Latest
    1. New Activity
    2. Latest Threads
    3. Dashboard
    4. Search By Tag
    5. Complete Tag List
  5. Podcast
    1. Lucretius Today Podcast
    2. Episode Guide
    3. Lucretius Today At Youtube
    4. EpicureanFriends Youtube Page
  6. Texts
    1. Overview
    2. Diogenes Laertius
    3. Principal Doctrines
    4. Vatican Collection
    5. Lucretius
    6. Herodotus
    7. Pythocles
    8. Menoeceus
    9. Fragments - Usener Collection
    10. Torquatus On Ethics
    11. Velleius On Gods
    12. Greek/Latin Help
  7. Gallery
    1. Featured images
    2. Albums
    3. Latest Images
    4. Latest Comments
  8. Calendar
    1. Upcoming Events List
    2. Zoom Meetings
    3. This Month
    4. Sunday Zoom Meetings
    5. First Monday Zoom Meetings
    6. Wednesday Zoom Meeting
    7. Twentieth Zoom Meetings
    8. Zoom Meetings
  9. Other
    1. Featured Content
    2. Blog Posts
    3. Logbook
    4. EF ToDo List
    5. Link-Database
  • Login
  • Register
  • Search
This Thread
  • Everywhere
  • This Thread
  • This Forum
  • Forum
  • Articles
  • Blog Articles
  • Files
  • Gallery
  • Events
  • Pages
  • Wiki
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • More Options

Welcome To EpicureanFriends.com!

"Remember that you are mortal, and you have a limited time to live, and in devoting yourself to discussion of the nature of time and eternity you have seen things that have been, are now, and are to come."

Sign In Now
or
Register a new account
  1. Home
    1. Start Here: Study Guide
    2. Community Standards And Posting Policies
    3. Terms of Use
    4. Moderator Team
    5. Site Map
    6. Quizzes
    7. Articles
      1. Featured Articles
    8. All Blog Posts
      1. Elli's Blog / Articles
  2. Wiki
    1. Wiki Home
    2. FAQ
    3. Classical Epicureanism
    4. Files
    5. Search Assistance
    6. Not NeoEpicurean
    7. Foundations
    8. Navigation Outlines
    9. Key Pages
  3. Forum
    1. Full Forum List
    2. Welcome Threads
    3. Physics
    4. Canonics
    5. Ethics
    6. Uncategorized Forum
    7. Study Resources Forum
    8. Ancient Texts Forum
    9. Shortcuts
    10. Featured
    11. Most Discussed
  4. Latest
    1. New Activity
    2. Latest Threads
    3. Dashboard
    4. Search By Tag
    5. Complete Tag List
  5. Podcast
    1. Lucretius Today Podcast
    2. Episode Guide
    3. Lucretius Today At Youtube
    4. EpicureanFriends Youtube Page
  6. Texts
    1. Overview
    2. Diogenes Laertius
    3. Principal Doctrines
    4. Vatican Collection
    5. Lucretius
    6. Herodotus
    7. Pythocles
    8. Menoeceus
    9. Fragments - Usener Collection
    10. Torquatus On Ethics
    11. Velleius On Gods
    12. Greek/Latin Help
  7. Gallery
    1. Featured images
    2. Albums
    3. Latest Images
    4. Latest Comments
  8. Calendar
    1. Upcoming Events List
    2. Zoom Meetings
    3. This Month
    4. Sunday Zoom Meetings
    5. First Monday Zoom Meetings
    6. Wednesday Zoom Meeting
    7. Twentieth Zoom Meetings
    8. Zoom Meetings
  9. Other
    1. Featured Content
    2. Blog Posts
    3. Logbook
    4. EF ToDo List
    5. Link-Database
  1. Home
    1. Start Here: Study Guide
    2. Community Standards And Posting Policies
    3. Terms of Use
    4. Moderator Team
    5. Site Map
    6. Quizzes
    7. Articles
      1. Featured Articles
    8. All Blog Posts
      1. Elli's Blog / Articles
  2. Wiki
    1. Wiki Home
    2. FAQ
    3. Classical Epicureanism
    4. Files
    5. Search Assistance
    6. Not NeoEpicurean
    7. Foundations
    8. Navigation Outlines
    9. Key Pages
  3. Forum
    1. Full Forum List
    2. Welcome Threads
    3. Physics
    4. Canonics
    5. Ethics
    6. Uncategorized Forum
    7. Study Resources Forum
    8. Ancient Texts Forum
    9. Shortcuts
    10. Featured
    11. Most Discussed
  4. Latest
    1. New Activity
    2. Latest Threads
    3. Dashboard
    4. Search By Tag
    5. Complete Tag List
  5. Podcast
    1. Lucretius Today Podcast
    2. Episode Guide
    3. Lucretius Today At Youtube
    4. EpicureanFriends Youtube Page
  6. Texts
    1. Overview
    2. Diogenes Laertius
    3. Principal Doctrines
    4. Vatican Collection
    5. Lucretius
    6. Herodotus
    7. Pythocles
    8. Menoeceus
    9. Fragments - Usener Collection
    10. Torquatus On Ethics
    11. Velleius On Gods
    12. Greek/Latin Help
  7. Gallery
    1. Featured images
    2. Albums
    3. Latest Images
    4. Latest Comments
  8. Calendar
    1. Upcoming Events List
    2. Zoom Meetings
    3. This Month
    4. Sunday Zoom Meetings
    5. First Monday Zoom Meetings
    6. Wednesday Zoom Meeting
    7. Twentieth Zoom Meetings
    8. Zoom Meetings
  9. Other
    1. Featured Content
    2. Blog Posts
    3. Logbook
    4. EF ToDo List
    5. Link-Database
  1. EpicureanFriends - Home of Classical Epicurean Philosophy
  2. Forum
  3. Comparisons With Other Philosophies
  4. Epicurus vs Abraham (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
  • Sidebar
  • Sidebar

Epicurean Theology Compared to Mormon Theology

  • Cassius
  • February 13, 2021 at 8:58 AM
  • Go to last post

We are now requiring that new registrants confirm their request for an account by email.  Once you complete the "Sign Up" process to set up your user name and password, please send an email to the New Accounts Administator to obtain new account approval.

Regularly Checking In On A Small Screen Device? Bookmark THIS page!
  • Cassius
    05 - Administrator
    Points
    107,105
    Posts
    14,710
    Quizzes
    9
    Quiz rate
    100.0 %
    • February 13, 2021 at 8:58 AM
    • #1

    Does anyone here have anything more than passing knowledge of Mormon theology? What I am referring to here is that it is my understanding back some years ago when I was reading into Mormonism that there were some relatively striking ways in which Joseph Smith seems to have copied aspects of Epicurean physics. For example, I believe I have read that the Mormons hold that:

    1. There are multiple gods rather than a single pre-eminent god.
    2. That the gods have existed eternally
    3. That the universe has existed eternally
    4. The universe is infinite in size
    5. Life exists throughout the universe
    6. That the gods are not necessarily supernatural at all, in that men can become gods at some point after death and have their own planets
    7. That the universe is composed of matter and void
    8. There is no heaven
    9. There is no hell

    For example, here is the text of the Mormon hymn: "If You Could Hie To Kolob"

    1. If you could fly to Venus In the twinkling of an eye,

    And then continue onward, With that same speed to fly,

    Do you think that you would ever, Through all eternity,

    Find out a generation where gods began to be?

    2. Or see a grand beginning, Where space did not extend?

    Or view a last creation, Where gods and matter end?

    Me thinks that Nature whispers, “No man has found new space,’

    Beyond an outside curtain, Where no thing has a place.”

    3. The universe continues, And worlds and lives abound;

    Improvement and regression, Have one eternal round.

    There is no end to matter; There is no end to space;

    There was no time before time; Time has no “end” to face.

    4. There is no end to virtue; There is no end to light.

    There is no end to wisdom; There is no end to “right.”

    There are no bars to Nature, as He alone has proved,

    Or deep-set markers shaken, which gods or man can move.

    5. Our Nature is our glory; Our lives are ours to love;

    There is no fate to tame us; There is no Heaven above.

    There is no Hell below us; There is no fortune bless’d.

    And only through His vic’try, are men’s hearts brought to rest.


    So much of that has parallels with Lucretius that it would be natural to ask if Mormon theology is copied from Epicurus and Lucretius. I had not re-read this text for a while but does not the line "There are no bars to Nature, as He alone has proved, Or deep-set markers shaken, which gods or man can move..." just jump out at you as being a reflection of the opening of book one of Lucretius where he is talking about Epicurus?


    As you might expect I have reasons for asking this question, but let's defer the reasoning for now. For now, I would appreciate anyone's help in developing the facts - we can interpret them later. So the question is: "What parallels exist between Mormon theology and the Epicurean worldview?"


    I first wrote about this nine years ago (also here) and I would like to pick up the thread again. Unfortunately I am not sure that I can find my subtitled video anymore, because the mormons complained to youtube and I had to remove the video ;)

  • Cassius
    05 - Administrator
    Points
    107,105
    Posts
    14,710
    Quizzes
    9
    Quiz rate
    100.0 %
    • February 13, 2021 at 9:13 AM
    • #2

    Ok I found my original video which I will post here for now unless and until someone complains. We're obviously not making any money from this and it is purely for academic research / fair use purposes.

    I tweaked the wording of the original hymn in this version, and applied a new set of subtitles to illustrate how little change might be needed to show the parallels:

    https://www.bitchute.com/video/g2j7sERfXFlc/



    https://lbry.tv/@epicureanfriends:9/FlyToVenus:2

    https://open.lbry.com/@epicureanfrie…1eQ5NAqsuUWJc6t

    https://lbry.tv/@epicureanfriends:9/FlyToVenus:2


    Now maybe if someone could SING we could get a good version with the new words ;)

  • Kalosyni March 11, 2025 at 7:02 PM

    Moved the thread from forum General Discussion to forum Epicurus vs Abraham (Judaism, Christianity, Islam).

Finding Things At EpicureanFriends.com

What's the best strategy for finding things on EpicureanFriends.com? Here's a suggested search strategy:

  • First, familiarize yourself with the list of forums. The best way to find threads related to a particular topic is to look in the relevant forum. Over the years most people have tried to start threads according to forum topic, and we regularly move threads from our "general discussion" area over to forums with more descriptive titles.
  • Use the "Search" facility at the top right of every page. Note that the search box asks you what section of the forum you'd like to search. If you don't know, select "Everywhere." Also check the "Search Assistance" page.
  • Use the "Tag" facility, starting with the "Key Tags By Topic" in the right hand navigation pane, or using the "Search By Tag" page, or the "Tag Overview" page which contains a list of all tags alphabetically. We curate the available tags to keep them to a manageable number that is descriptive of frequently-searched topics.

Resources

  1. Getting Started At EpicureanFriends
  2. Community Standards And Posting Policies
  3. The Major Doctrines of Classical Epicurean Philosophy
  4. Introductory Videos
  5. Wiki
  6. Lucretius Today Podcast
    1. Podcast Episode Guide
  7. Key Epicurean Texts
    1. Side-By-Side Diogenes Laertius X (Bio And All Key Writings of Epicurus)
    2. Side-By-Side Lucretius - On The Nature Of Things
    3. Side-By-Side Torquatus On Ethics
    4. Side-By-Side Velleius on Divinity
    5. Lucretius Topical Outline
    6. Fragment Collection
  8. Frequently Asked Questions
    1. FAQ Discussions
  9. Full List of Forums
    1. Physics Discussions
    2. Canonics Discussions
    3. Ethics Discussions
    4. All Recent Forum Activities
  10. Image Gallery
  11. Featured Articles
  12. Featured Blog Posts
  13. Quiz Section
  14. Activities Calendar
  15. Special Resource Pages
  16. File Database
  17. Site Map
    1. Home

Frequently Used Forums

  • Frequently Asked / Introductory Questions
  • News And Announcements
  • Lucretius Today Podcast
  • Physics (The Nature of the Universe)
  • Canonics (The Tests Of Truth)
  • Ethics (How To Live)
  • Against Determinism
  • Against Skepticism
  • The "Meaning of Life" Question
  • Uncategorized Discussion
  • Comparisons With Other Philosophies
  • Historical Figures
  • Ancient Texts
  • Decline of The Ancient Epicurean Age
  • Unsolved Questions of Epicurean History
  • Welcome New Participants
  • Events - Activism - Outreach
  • Full Forum List

Latest Posts

  • Episode 306 - TD34 - Is A Life That Is 99 Percent Happy Really Happy?

    Cassius November 7, 2025 at 4:26 PM
  • Italian Artwork With Representtions of Epicurus

    Cassius November 7, 2025 at 12:19 PM
  • Diving Deep Into The History of The Tetrapharmakon / Tetrapharmakos

    Don November 7, 2025 at 7:51 AM
  • Velleius - Epicurus On The True Nature Of Divinity - New Home Page Video

    Eikadistes November 6, 2025 at 10:01 PM
  • Any Recommendations on “The Oxford Handbook of Epicurus and Epicureanism”?

    Matteng November 6, 2025 at 5:23 PM
  • Stoic view of passions / patheia vs the Epicurean view

    Matteng November 5, 2025 at 5:41 PM
  • November 3, 2025 - New Member Meet and Greet (First Monday Via Zoom 8pm ET)

    Kalosyni November 3, 2025 at 1:20 PM
  • Happy Birthday General Thread

    Cassius November 2, 2025 at 4:05 AM
  • Should Epicureans Celebrate Something Else Instead of Celebrating Halloween?

    Don November 1, 2025 at 4:37 PM
  • Episode 305 - TD33 - Shall We Stoically Be A Spectator To Life And Content Ourselves With "Virtue?"

    Cassius November 1, 2025 at 10:32 AM

Frequently Used Tags

In addition to posting in the appropriate forums, participants are encouraged to reference the following tags in their posts:

  • #Physics
    • #Atomism
    • #Gods
    • #Images
    • #Infinity
    • #Eternity
    • #Life
    • #Death
  • #Canonics
    • #Knowledge
    • #Scepticism
  • #Ethics

    • #Pleasure
    • #Pain
    • #Engagement
    • #EpicureanLiving
    • #Happiness
    • #Virtue
      • #Wisdom
      • #Temperance
      • #Courage
      • #Justice
      • #Honesty
      • #Faith (Confidence)
      • #Suavity
      • #Consideration
      • #Hope
      • #Gratitude
      • #Friendship



Click Here To Search All Tags

To Suggest Additions To This List Click Here

EpicureanFriends - Classical Epicurean Philosophy

  1. Home
    1. About Us
    2. Classical Epicurean Philosophy
  2. Wiki
    1. Getting Started
  3. Frequently Asked Questions
    1. Site Map
  4. Forum
    1. Latest Threads
    2. Featured Threads
    3. Unread Posts
  5. Texts
    1. Core Texts
    2. Biography of Epicurus
    3. Lucretius
  6. Articles
    1. Latest Articles
  7. Gallery
    1. Featured Images
  8. Calendar
    1. This Month At EpicureanFriends
Powered by WoltLab Suite™ 6.0.22
Style: Inspire by cls-design
Stylename
Inspire
Manufacturer
cls-design
Licence
Commercial styles
Help
Supportforum
Visit cls-design