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What is life ?

Darkdale

World Leader Pretend
Katzpur said:
Absolutely. And get this: Latter-day Saints believe that all life does. If you want to get technical, that would include even plant life. This is not to say that an animal spirit is the same as a human spirit or a plant spirit. But we believe that, just like with human beings, when an animal dies, its spirit leaves its body.

:) An excellent way of looking at things.
 

Flappycat

Well-Known Member
What do you mean? What makes something a living organism? What does it mean to be alive? These are very different questions. I think that a "person" is certainly something more unique and important than an amassment of cells, but the one thing that we have in common with spore mold is that we're an amassment of living cells.
 

Unedited

Active Member
michel said:
Do animals have spirits?
I actually believe that everything has a spirit. Animals, plants, rocks, things we are not yet even aware of. Even my bandage has a spirit. I think my difference of belief may be a thing of word though, differing mainly in my definition of spirit.
 

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
michel said:
So animals and plants are included in the definition of life ?
Of course. I have never encountered a definition of life that excluded plant life, nor can I conceive of one worthy of consideration.
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Unedited said:
I actually believe that everything has a spirit. Animals, plants, rocks, things we are not yet even aware of. Even my bandage has a spirit. I think my difference of belief may be a thing of word though, differing mainly in my definition of spirit.
So how would you define spirit? I'm interested in exploring this further.
 

Unedited

Active Member
Katzpur said:
So how would you define spirit? I'm interested in exploring this further.
That, I find troubling to do with the English language.

I believe that everything has this sort of energy attached to it. Most of the energy stays with the object, but some of it can depart, which is what I call a spirit. This goes with my belief that ghosts are left behind energy. And along with your statement, I believe this 'energy' makes us who we are. I've thought about making up my own word for it, as I know it doesn't really fit others' definitions, but at least using 'spirit,' people have some idea what I mean.
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Unedited said:
That, I find troubling to do with the English language.

I believe that everything has this sort of energy attached to it. Most of the energy stays with the object, but some of it can depart, which is what I call a spirit. This goes with my belief that ghosts are left behind energy. And along with your statement, I believe this 'energy' makes us who we are. I've thought about making up my own word for it, as I know it doesn't really fit others' definitions, but at least using 'spirit,' people have some idea what I mean.
That's interesting, because I've always just had a kind of a feeling that even inanimate objects have some kind of a spirit/force/energy to them. I definitely wouldn't say this is a part of LDS doctrine, and for the most part, my own beliefs do correlate quite specifically to those of my Church. But I can totally relate to what you've said, at least as it applies to inanimate objects.
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
As I understand it, human life consists of three parts:
  • Genesis 2:7 = AND THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN OF THE DUST OF THE GROUND, AND BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE; AND MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL.
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:23 = AND THE VERY GOD OF PEACE SANCTIFY YOU WHOLLY; AND I PRAY GOD YOUR WHOLE SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY BE PRESERVED BLAMELESS UNTO THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
  • Hebrews 4:12 = FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS QUICK AND POWERFUL, AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWOEDGED SWORD, PIERCING EVEN TO THE DIVIDING ASUNDER OF SOUL AND SPIRIT, AND OF THE JOINTS AND MARROW, AND IS A DISCERNER OF THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTS OF THE HEART.
  • 1 John 5:8 = AND THERE ARE THREE THAT BEAR WITNESS IN EARTH, THE SPIRIT, AND THE WATER, AND THE BLOOD: AND THESE THREE AGREE IN ONE.
Of the 4 verses quote above, we use the Thessalonians passage (since it's easiest to learn), and say that man is made up of body, soul, and spirit; broken down as follows:
  • BODY --- gives us world-consciousness through the 5 senses
  • SOUL --- gives us self-consciousness through the heart
  • SPIRIT --- gives us god-consciousness through nature and His word
The heart is further sub-divided into three areas:
  • mind
  • will
  • emotions
 
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