As one who believes in an all knowing God, who knows the future of all things, I ask how does God know the future? We all have agency (free will) and can act as we please. So, God knows today exactly what I will be doing ten years from now. God's foreknowledge of the future cannot negate my agency, as scripture is clear that we have free will (I don't believe in predestination). One explanation is that God knows us well enough to predict how we will act in all things under given circumstances. He uses this knowledge to acurately predict what we will do. This prediction does not negate free will. I may know my kids dispositions well enough to predict how they will react in a stiuation. My predictions may be close, but not perfect, as God's will always be. I'm not comfortable with this explanation, however. If we are completely predictable, based on past behavior and current disposition, it seems to leave out the possibility for complete transformation of character. Free will seems to imply inpredictability. So, I prefer another view. God lives outside the bounds of time, or at least outside the bounds of time, as we know time to be. All things past, present and future and before Him at all times. He sees the future as He sees the hear and now. God knows what will happen because he observes it now. There is no need to predict, simply observe. Comments?
you are quite right and i struggled with this question too. but, i came to the conclusion that while we may be "unpredictable" God's knowledge of us is far superior to our knowledge of our children because we existed for eons before we came to be mortal.
God resides in a place that is described by prophets through revelation as a "sea of fire and glass" where "all things are made known, past, present, and future. in a certain ceremony when you recieve the new name on a "white rock" that is your key to the urim and thummim that the earth will become as the celestial kingdom. the earth will become a urim and thummim. Yes, we do have free will. we always had it and we do not suprise god because he set forth a plan in motion that cannot be broken by people's actions, he always has a backup plan. If Joseph smith did not restore the gospel like he was destined to, it would have been someone else.
One good example of this is Jonah, who did not want to be a prophet and thought he could run from god. God knew his potential, and wanted him to accept the plan God had for him, but he rebelled, did god know he would rebel? yes because he knew of the possibility that he would. but he also persisted because he had a plan in place for him. if Jonah had ran away and did not fulfill the commandments of god he would not have been called a prophet and someone else would have been prepared in his stead.
Indeed we do have free will and while we do not "suprise" God, either he will delight in our actions, or he does not. and if he does not, he cannot bless us, but if he has a plan he has a backup in store.
The only minor difference or deviation from this idea is Christ. Christ did not have the veil over his eyes, he retained a full knowledge of the gospel plan and his pre-mortal life. the reason was because he would be the sacrifice to redeem god's children.
Even the fall Adam had the choice, God could not make him fall although it was nessicary for him to fall. God gave him two conflicting commandments and he knew based on his experience with Adam and Eve how they would react. Satan played right into God's plan by tempting Eve to become mortal, and Adam followed suit, this had to hapen for them to multiply and replenish the earth. God did not create them as mortal and imperfect because if God created something imperfect he would cease to be God.
