In Moses 6, Jehovah speaks to Adam and reveals the intriguing concept that all things spiritual and physical have a likeness to God’s character and mission. Jehovah explains that all created things “bear record of me” (Moses 6:63).

Everything has its likeness. Each night we slumber and then awake, a likeness of the Lord’s Resurrection; a morning star rises in the east, a likeness of the Millennial Messiah. The sun, moon, and stars have a likeness to the varying degrees of light among the mansions in heaven — one could go on and on like this. The physical world bears record of God’s ways.

Newton and God’s Nature

One likeness I have been thinking about lately is found in the work of Sir Isaac Newton. My thoughts were spurred on while I was helping prepare a new theological work by Professor David L. Paulsen, “Are Christians Mormon? Reassessing Joseph Smith’s Theology in His Bicentennial,” which is due out in the next issue of BYU Studies. Newton’s third law of motion states that any action has an equal and opposite reaction. Forces come in pairs — a constant action-reaction duo. So when an eagle’s wings push down (action) against the air, the air pushes the eagle upwards (reaction), allowing her to soar.

I realize in today’s post-modern scientific world, simple Newtonian law seems to have less bearing within the fantastically small realm of quantum mechanics or in the infinite realm of the universe. These realms, according to current understanding, defy classical physics in many ways. Still, in our everyday physical world, Newtonian physics is the dominant paradigm, and there is a striking likeness between this physical law and the spiritual character of God.

The scriptures state that God changes not (3 Nephi 24:6). This statement I deeply believe; the essence of his character never changes, his concern for his children is forever steadfast, and he has arrived at a state of perfection and therefore needs no improvement (which would be a change) in his virtue.

But does this mean that God’s emotions or passions never fluctuate? Does this mean that regardless of what we do, his course is fixed and nothing can prevail upon his immovable will? Is he so rigid that nothing ever moves him to rejoice at one moment and then weep at the next? Much of the theology that prevailed through the Dark Ages would have us believe just that. As reviewed in Paulsen’s article, this God was a vast, “unblinking cosmic stare.”

Thankfully, revealed scripture translated by Joseph Smith is now among us. God’s identity has there been unveiled, and we find a dynamic and compassionate God in humanlike form, whose eternal course is not only to act but also to react to human desire.

A Dynamic Reaction in Scripture

The reaction of the resurrected Lord when he visited the people in America is very telling. To me, this single reaction is worthy of a thousand inspired thinkers spilling a thousand gallons of ink to write on the ramifications of this one point. This reaction calls for continued pondering by us all. As Jesus Christ finished teaching the people in the Americas, he explained that he had other sheep that he needed to visit. He “looked round about again on the multitude, and he said unto them: Behold, my time is at hand.” He counseled them to go to their homes and ponder his words.

He then declared, “Now I go unto the Father, and also to show myself unto the lost tribes of Israel.” So the Savior had laid out his plan. He was leaving; the people were to go home. At this point, we might expect Jesus to carry out his word immediately.

And then came the miraculous part: “When Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them. And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.” The people were filled with desire for Jesus to remain, and although he said that his time to leave was at hand, he reacted to the new circumstance and instead tarried with them. Although he had told them to go to their homes, he now caused them to remain with him. In a sense, his compassion overruled his previous plan.

He then gathered their sick and healed them all; thousands knelt and kissed his feet and bathed his feet with their tears; Jesus prayed in a wondrous language that could not be recorded; he wept for joy with the people; angels descended from heaven and encircled their children with glory; the sacrament was administered; Jesus ordained his Apostles — all this took hours (3 Nephi 17¬-18). Despite his original saying that it was time to leave, the record shows that he remained with the people until little daylight was left (3 Nephi 19:2).

Different Actions Bring Different Reactions

As in Newton’s third law of motion, the people acted in a certain way, and Jesus reacted in a certain way. There was a dynamic interplay of cause and effect going on there. .

What if the people hadn’t reacted with tears and longing for the Savior to remain? What if they coolly said, “Oh yes, we understand. Go to your other business.” Would he have remained? I find it highly unlikely that he would have. A different action by the people would have caused a different reaction.

This is all very natural, really. And that is the point. God is a person with real feelings, and he has authentic, natural reactions according to his children’s faith and pleadings.

Imagine that the people had wept and pled from the depths of their souls that he should tarry, but Jesus said, “Sorry, my plan is laid out and I cannot go back on it. Goodbye.” And then left them in tears. Is that the kind of God that would inspire you to pray, wrestle in faith, or draw close to? I think not.

Of course, in the above instance his word was fulfilled, as it always is. Jesus did eventually go about his Father’s business. But it was put off for a significant time because the people so desired him to stay. This kind of responsiveness is profound and so unlike what we would normally expect from a “perfect” being.

Evidently, Godlike perfection has a reactive element, nimble and quick to respond intuitively to good action and true faith. In this light, think how profound are Moroni’s words: “O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith; ...and if [the brother of Jared] had not had faith [the mountain] would not have moved; wherefore, that workest after men have faith” (Ether 12:29–30). Notice the cause and effect in those verses!

Thanks to Dr. Paulsen for a great article on theology. Theology has a way of priming the mental pump so we are ready for insights into the mysterious ways of God. When we see that all things in nature and physical law have a likeness to God, those mysteries are more often uncovered.

The next issue of BYU Studies also includes new articles such as Terryl Given’s recent BYU devotional on Joseph Smith and the forging of community, and E. Douglas Clark’s article on Moses 1 in light of ancient Jewish traditions. To get the next issue, subscribe to the journal at byustudies.byu.edu.