It has occurred to me that even if one's study of science and philosophy led them away from a literal belief in religion and more toward some form of nihilism; Mormonism, as a Life Philosophy, can provide some existential utility. Similar to Nietzsche's active nihilism, a "Mormon Pragmatism" or "Mormon Existentialism" as an anti-nihilism, would see Joseph Smith as a dramatic artist (as Fawn Brodie put it) and a religion-making genius (as Harold Bloom put it). On this view, similar to Nietzsche, Joseph Smith would be seen as being concerned about the growing societal degeneration in his day from the versions of atheism and nihilism in the 1800s. Joseph Smith's theological work therefore can be interpreted as in part a way to counteract the growing nihilism of his day. From this perspective, LDS philosophy can act as an antidote to passive nihilism and negative attitudes of life such as Schopenhauerianism (or philosophical pessimism, as depicted by Rust Chole). Just as Nietzsche (and others) counteract philosophical pessimism, we can see Joseph Smith doing something similar in regards to the growing skepticism and nihilism of his day. For more details and scholarly support for this point of view, see Joseph Smith’s Response to Skepticism by Robert N. Hullinger.
Part of Nietzsche's solution, or remedy, to the psychological ills of passive-nihilism was his writing of
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, which he described as a "holy book" (as he referred to it once in a letter), and what he called the "fifth gospel." The goal of this "atheistic gospel" was to get his readers to fully embrace mortalism and his life-affirming dionysian pantheism; and the focus on breeding the Superhuman species, which would give "meaning to the earth" and overcome nihilism.
In writing his Zarathrustra, Nietzsche was appealing to the "spiritual side" (nonscientific camber of the brain) of his readers, as in his goal was for his readers to basically transfer their spiritual beliefs in the monotheistic Deity and hope in the afterlife, into instead hope in the future Superhumans. Thus, not being merely rational and scientific (or left-brained), but allowing their spiritual side or artistic creative side of themselves the organic release of these "spiritual" forces of imaginative hopefulness within them through the earthly pursuit of a more noble species (the Superhumans) in the ongoing process of cosmic evolution.
I find that from an "existentialist perspective," Joseph Smith was doing something similar to Nietzche (in trying to overcome passive nihilism) with his own book of scripture, as "Another Testament of Jesus Christ"; which in part was a way to fight against the tides of nihilism in his day (See Joseph Smith and Modernism by Richard Lyman Bushman). By the 1840s, Joseph's ultimate remedy or solution to the rising tides of nihihism, was to get his readers to embrace his life-affirming Abrahamic Expansionism. This would overcome skepticism, pessimistic nihilism, divisive sectaranism, and the life-denying ascetic ideas in the sectarian Creeds (with their deity "without parts or passions" that denied the generative bodily powers of the Abrahamic God). As Joseph's Abrahamic Theology would not repress and deny the body and the lifeward energies but instead direct one's bodily energies toward living more fully in their procreative body with joy: by learning to be like the embodied Gods themselves one would more fully embrace Life and the bodily drives to thrive through an active hope in becoming exalted as future Supercouples through an endowment of power (See D&C 132: 19, 63 and Abr. 2:11). Thus one would overcome nihilism and give meaning to life through this artistic recreation of themselves as not depraved sinners whose bodily drives God hates (as in Protestantism), but instead would affirm organic life as sexual beings that become like God by becoming sexual Supercouples forming a family; advancing incrementally up the ladders of success toward exaltation as all the Gods had done before.
Just as the reader of Nietzsche's work doesn't necessarily need to believe in the ideal of breeding Superhuman(s), to benefit from from the psychical energy of Nietzsche's "get off your butt and do something extraordinary" type energy; the reader of Joseph Smith's religion-making dramatic artistry, can get caught up in the theatrical wind of believing in a potential Transcendent Realm and the life affirming grandeur of his romantic vision; while appreciating his attempt to overcome nihilism and Augustinian asceticism by instead embracing life more fully and heroically. In other words, one does not need to believe that one needs to be married in Mormon temples to become literal male and female Gods that create worlds, to benefit from Joseph's life affirming Mythos: that says yes to the organic body, and says sexual desire and the sex act itself I'm committed relationships is good and holy and in fact the very way of the Gods! Thus changing the psychology from "despising the body" with a vision of a bodiless God that hates sex, to instead a vision of God that has sex Himself with His wife and wants you to enjoy sex as well with your wife which is the object and design of your existence.
This view of LDS theo-philosophy is thus pragmatic in the way Marcus Borg and Jordan Peterson interpret scripture: as useful symbolic structures for creating Meaning in Life, Inspiration, and a basis for Truth and the Good. Thus it is a pragmatic solution to passive nihilism. For it affirms organic life in the body and the Here and Now, thus framing existence as good and living fully as righteous.
As Lise van Boxel explains in her book, Warspeak: Nietzsche’s Victory over Nihilism, the question is about the author's "physio-psychology," that is the biology, physiology, temperament, and psyche of the poet philosopher. So that a religion or philosophy is either the byproduct of a strong, healthy and robust psyche or a weak and degenerative "sickly" psyche. From this interpretive lens, Joseph Smith would be seen as a poetic artist with a strong, healthy and robust psyche; a physio-psychology of generative nobility combined with his fair-minded Dream of Zion. In other words, Joseph's physio-psychology generated Scripture and a Church Structure that synthesized and balanced the Greco-Roman noble virtues and the Judeo-Christian ethical virtues. Hence, it ideally both emboldens and unifies.
So if Joseph Smith's Scripture is judged by its psychical "energy effect," rather than only its scientific veracity, then it could be valued for its generative effect on individuals and culture. If seen as dramatic art, not so much as archaeological or laboratory science (although there is some evidence in these areas of inquiry), then its existentialist theatrical effect on the psyche and culture can be better appreciated for it's meaning-making, inspiring, and unifying utility.
The better question then becomes, in regards to the spiritual-philosophy of Mormonism is:
Does it inspire and civilize, i.e. empower and synergize?
Does it bring out one's inner Lion and the spirit of Zion?
Are the Mormon People as a culture more physio-psychologically generative than others?
Are they healthier, wealthier, happier (with less divorce, more married couples, and functional families) in general?
Note that this is not an endorsement of the Utah-based Church itself necessarily. For, as I write this I am not a member of the LDS Church. I am merely pointing out that something is going on with the psychical energy within the Restoration Movement itself. I'm arguing that that philosophical energy can be utilized by anyone, including existentialists and humanists, etc.
