Think Wink.

Tomorrow I will again meet with some missionaries from the LDS church. This makes my fourth pair since I have relocated here to KC-MO. I have since done some more research into Mormonism and specifically the Book of Mormon (here on out referred to as BoM). I noticed a massive inconsistency with what I heard from last week’s missionaries and what I read in BoM. I will briefly summarize what the missionaries stated about Heavenly Father, Jesus, and Holy Ghost and compare it to the BoM.

First the missionaries. They spoke of three gods: Heavenly Father, Jesus, and Holy Ghost. Heavenly Father and Jesus both had physical bodies while Holy Ghost did not because he must indwell believers in Christ. Heavenly Father is the God (his OT name is Elohim) is the God they worship. Jesus (his OT name is Jehovah) and Holy Ghost aren’t to be worshiped as Heavenly Father but rather point us to him. There is almost–but not quite–a hierarchy among the three gods. This is not an exhaustive treatment of the Mormon belief on their polytheistic view of god (Yes, the missionaries said that Mormonism is polytheistic, though rather hesitantly). Now when I pressed them on some of the texts that will be presented below and also in the Bible, the “one God” spoken of is “one of purpose.” Here are links to two sermons by Joseph Smith Jr. on his belief in a plurality of gods: King Follet Sermon; THE CHRISTIAN GODHEAD—PLURALITY OF GODS. These will help form a basis for those who are not familiar with Mormonism.

Now let me present a few passages from the BoM that do not present polytheism (many gods, poly means “many”). First is 1 Nephi 13:41 which says,

And they must come according to the words which shall be established by the mouth of the Lamb; and the words of the Lamb shall be made known in the records of thy seed, as well as in the records of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; wherefore they both shall be established in one; for there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth.

I don’t think one can say that BoM teaches here in 1 Nephi 13:41 that Heavenly Father is of one purpose with Jesus and Holy Ghost, the three are not even in view of the text. The next text is 2 Nephi 31:21 which says,

And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

Here BoM is positing that Heavenly Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost is one God. Now here is one place where Mormon’s might say that it is one purpose, not one God in being. But I ask, where is this in the text of 2 Nephi 31:21? The next text is Mosiah 15:1-5 which says,

And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people. 2 And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son— 3 The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son— 4 And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth. 5 And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people.

This is the passage that the missionaries cited as Jesus and the Father being one in purpose. But again I ask, where is that in the text? It says “God himself shall come down among the children of men.” Because God dwells “in the flesh he shall be called the Son of God.” Because he is conceived by the power of God he is “the Father.” The power of God makes him the Father and being in the flesh makes him the Son. But God is both here. Thus when 15:4 says they are “one God,” it is not one in purpose, it is one in being. The next passage is Alma 11:25-39 which is a lengthy passage that says,

25And now thou hast lied before God unto me. Thou saidst unto me—Behold these six onties, which are of great worth, I will give unto thee—when thou hadst it in thy heart to retain them from me; and it was only thy desire that I should deny the true and living God, that thou mightest have cause to destroy me. And now behold, for this great evil thou shalt have thy reward. 26 And Zeezrom said unto him: Thou sayest there is a true and living God? 27 And Amulek said: Yea, there is a true and living God. 28 Now Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God? 29 And he answered, No. 30 Now Zeezrom said unto him again: How knowest thou these things? 31 And he said: An angel hath made them known unto me. 32 And Zeezrom said again: Who is he that shall come? Is it the Son of God? 33 And he said unto him, Yea. 34 And Zeezrom said again: Shall he save his people in their sins? And Amulek answered and said unto him: I say unto you he shall not, for it is impossible for him to deny his word. 35 Now Zeezrom said unto the people: See that ye remember these things; for he said there is but one God; yet he saith that the Son of God shall come, but he shall not save his people—as though he had authority to command God. 36 Now Amulek saith again unto him: Behold thou hast lied, for thou sayest that I spake as though I had authority to command God because I said he shall not save his people in their sins. 37 And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins. 38 Now Zeezrom saith again unto him: Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father? 39 And Amulek said unto him: Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth, and all things which in them are; he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last;

When Zeezrom asks, “Is there more than one God,” Amulek answers” No” (Alma 11:28-29). Then in Alma 11:38 Zeezrom asks, “Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father?” Amulek’s answer is, “Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth” (Alma 11:39) How can that be taken as “one in purpose”? The text cannot be anymore clear! The Son is the Father and the Father is the Son. This is not polytheism, this is not a plurality of gods. This is monotheism in the form of modalism. It is not biblical, but it is not what I heard from the missionaries. The final text is Mormon 7:7 which says,

And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.

I cannot see how one can teach that this is “one in purpose.” Mormon 7:7 cannot be more clear than what it is, “the Father and…the Son, and…the Holy Ghost, which are one God.” I can only draw one conclusion from these passages: BoM teaches that there is one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. There is no other option from these texts.

When I bring this up to the missionaries tomorrow, I wonder how they will react. Will they try to go against the plain meaning of the texts? Or will they let them stand? If the texts stand, then how can they, being followers of BoM, account for the inconsistency of the passage? Has the Holy Ghost contradicted itself in what the prophets of the LDS church have handed down? If they take the “one in purpose” tract, where do they get this from the texts presented? Again, the question of the Holy Ghost contradicting itself arises. If there are any Momons reading this post, how do you react with this inconsistency (or contradiction, may be?)? My conclusion, the concept of three gods developed in Smith’s thought and was not revealed to him by Holy Ghost.

Related posts:

Changing A Single Word…

Can a Person say that?

Two Unexpected Visitors