Transhumanism (sometimes symbolized by >H or H+) is an international intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of new sciences and technologies to enhance human mental and physical abilities and aptitudes, and ameliorate what it regards as undesirable and unnecessary aspects of the human condition, such as stupidity, suffering, disease, aging and involuntary death. Transhumanist thinkers study the possibilities and consequences of developing and using human enhancement techniques and other emerging technologies for these purposes. Possible dangers, as well as benefits, of powerful new technologies that might radically change the conditions of human life are also of concern to the transhumanist movement.
Although the first known use of the term "transhumanism" dates from 1957, the contemporary meaning is a product of the 1980s, when a group of scientists, artists, and futurists based in the United States began to organize what has since grown into the transhumanist movement. Transhumanist thinkers postulate that human beings will eventually be transformed into beings with such greatly expanded abilities as to merit the label "posthuman."
A small group of Mormons see this as compatible with the teachings and even mission of the LDS Church. They state as affirmaiton:
(1) We seek the spiritual and physical exaltation of individuals and their anatomies, as well as communities and their environments, according to their wills, desires and laws, to the extent they are not oppressive.
(2) We believe that scientific knowledge and technological power are among the means ordained of God to enable such exaltation, including realization of diverse prophetic visions of transfiguration, immortality, resurrection, renewal of this world, and the discovery and creation of worlds without end.
(3) We feel a duty to use science and technology according to wisdom and inspiration, to identify and prepare for risks and responsibilities associated with future advances, and to persuade others to do likewise.
Despite the good natured introduction of science and technology into Mormon theological understanding of salvation, the movement is flawed. They say they, "seek the spiritual and physical exaltation of individuals," in hopes of enabling God's will. Transhumanism is seen as part of the means to achieve the, "transfiguration, immortality, resurrection, renewal of this world, and the discovery and creation of worlds without end." All noble ideas, but lacking theological grounds.
From Joseph Smith Jr. to the current leadership of the Church, there has been only one way to exaltation and eternal life. It is through Faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Human technology cannot and never will achieve what this group has stated. It is a gross misunderstanding of the gospel.
From the Book of Mormon in Mormon chap. 9:12-13 we learn:
12 Behold, he created Adam, and by Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ, even the Father and the Son; and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man.
13 And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep, from which sleep all men shall be awakened by the power of God when the trump shall sound; and they shall come forth, both small and great, and all shall stand before his bar, being redeemed and loosed from this eternal band of death, which death is a temporal death.
Nephi in Second Nephi chap. 25:20 is no less insistant:
20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.
There is no mention of technology enhancements. In every instance the way to salvation is through Faith in Jesus Christ, and only through the Atonement. Interesting enough, there is no mention of this in any of the statements made by those who claim to be part of the Transhumanist movement. The Bible is, of course, just as specific on the topic. Paul states, in First Corinthians, as part of his sermon about the Resurrection:
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all asleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Again, there is no slow enhancement of the human body from biotechnological advances. In this description, it is almost an instant transformation at the time of the judgement. When Joseph Smith and others talk about, ". . . going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead . . . (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith 346-347), it is a spiritual development. A person must change the inner, and not the outer, self in order to reach perfection. And that is only because of the Grace of God through the Atonement of Jesus Christ available to all.
None of this has questioned the moral implications of biotechnological enhancements. That is an open discussion at this point. Science can and does have a positive value in Mormon metaphysics, often with critics confusing it with materialism. Sadly, it would seem some Mormons are making that mistaken connection as well. The danger is in losing our humanity (the God-like attributes of love, charity, and faith) in the quest for a perfection reserved for the eternities after death. What such physical changes as proposed does to us as spiritual individuals is more important than what it does to our bodies. The resurrection will take care of that later. I am afraid that the Mormon Transhumanists are selling Salvation for bread and pottage of lentiles (Gen. 25: 34) made out of silicon.