Anti-Mormons in the pre-existence (another problem)

[_Gadianton]

Here's another one. This one has an answer though. It is hard. But because it has a clear answer, and is not a philosophical question, it's substantially easier than the other problem. I'm again transforming the problem so as to make googling the answer more difficult. However, after satisfying myself I had the answer -- and this was a few years ago or so -- the websites I read solutions from didn't explain it fully. At least to my understand, which could be wrong. Again, if you know the real riddle this is derived from etc., PM me if you could instead of letting the cat out of the bag.
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We were all living in heaven as spirit children of a superficially loving, but deeply passive-aggressive Heavenly Father. He had a plan for us, some might have called it a mind game. He realized that a thousand of his children were so smart -- yea, even perfected logicians -- that they'd never willingly buy into his plan of salvation, so he decided to make those the antagonists of his game and spirit-brand them anti-Mormons. He put an "A" on their foreheads. None of them, of course, knew they'd been branded. They could see the brands on each other, but not themselves. And since ghosts don't have reflections, they'd be out of luck from ever empirically discovering the truth about who they were.

They all read from the spirit books about God's laws and plans and met together in their spiritual school every day. They knew that they could not ever, under any circumstances communicate about the branding in any way. Not a word. In fact, what they read in the books was simple, IF there should ever be a spirit with a branded spirit "A" on his spirit head, then the next day, that spirit will leave the pre-existence and depart for earth as a devil.

Heavenly Father had decided his plan called for someone to stir up trouble, and those 1000 could do so by speaking reason and truth, or in other words, anti-Mormonism to men in the flesh. The rest, who would not so readily grasp the truth, he could bank on accepting his plan on blind faith. But first, he'd make them all sweat, and in a twist of irony, let the smart ones condemn themselves.

For eons, God really had fun rubbing his hands together and watching all of his children worry. They'd meet for school and each one would clearly see every other one. They all saw 999 marked foreheads everyday, most saw 1000. They all knew the very real possibility that they could in fact bear the mark themselves. But since those 1000 had no idea who they were, they stewed along with all the rest, and never condemned themselves to banishment.

When the time was right, Jesus walked into the midst of the spirit school and said, loud enough for everyone to hear and raising his arm to the square, "Verily, I say unto you, there are anti-Mormons amongst us who wear the mark of shame. Dismiss thyselves from the presence of the Father." Surely, the righteous and faithful were thinking, "What?? Everyone already knows there are anti-Mormons among us, we see the brands, hundreds of them, every day! And everyone already knows, every single last one, that if they come to know they are branded, that they must leave the very next day!" Yet to the amazement of these true and noble ones, and to the confirmation of their testimonies, God's mysterious ways prevailed, and exactly 1000 days later, every single evil spirit, all 1000 who wore the mark of anti-Mormon shame departed their heavenly home together and hurled themselves towards earth as the demonic antagonists of men.

[_Gadianton]

bump...maybe some of the lurkers are thinking about this one.

oh it's not easy, but it has an answer. and it's really, really cool...

[_Moniker]

Uh, I dunno how many lurkers are looking but I do know there are 42 views and I've clicked on it close to 30 times. :)

[_Moniker]

Okay Jersey Girl, help me out here!

I've read this problem close to 30 times. Actually printed it out. I need someone else to kick start my brain, I suppose?

Whatcha think?

[_Jersey Girl]

Okay Jersey Girl, help me out here!

I've read this problem close to 30 times. Actually printed it out. I need someone else to kick start my brain, I suppose?

Whatcha think?

Hey, I'll get back to this.

[_asbestosman]

Hmm, I think I get it. Maybe, maybe not. Gad'll probably embarass me with how wrong I was. I don't think I got the really clever part.

[_The Nehor]

I like it Gad ;)

[Guest]

If there were ONE marked spirit he would think "There are/is marked antis. I see none, so I am the lucky one."
Then he leaves at once, at that very first day.

If there were TWO, both of them think "I see one mark. If he is the only, he should leave at first day."
As none of them leave at 1st, both of them think the next day "He should leave yesterday, if I hadn't a mark. So I have too."
Then they leave at 2nd day.

If there were THREE, they think "I see two mark. If I hadn't it then they should leave at 2nd day."
As at 2nd day nobody leave, they know that the other two see two mark, as themselves.

And so on. If there were 273 marked, every one of them would deduce at the 272. day to their own mark, so they would leave at 273.

Due to this deduction, mathematicians call it "full induction" .

_______________________
- Do You, mathematicians can imagine Your numbers, letters, symbols as we common people can imagine a table, a dog or other real thing?
- Whaaat? Do You think our symbols are not real?

[_Gadianton]

Ludwig is right. Also, Asb's PM, which I won't reveal to anyone but Scratch (for the usual fee) is correct. The version I heard from my friend was with brown and blue eye monks who can't communicate.

To me, the most fascinating aspect of the story is how the whole thing unravels just by (in the case of the number of monks or spirits greater than 1) information that it would seem everyone already has.

[_Moniker]

Well shoot! I didn't like this problem!!

by the way, all PMs between Gad and I are not to be shared with Mr. Scratch! eep.