PRESENT LDS TEACHINGS

Today the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons or LDS) teaches that God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ both have resurrected bodies of flesh and bones, but the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit(1 - this is an endnote number). They are three separate Gods, but are called one God, in that they are one in purpose(2). God the Father was once a man, as we are now. He died, was resurrected and progressed to become a God.(3)

Have these always been the teachings of the Mormon Church since its founding in 1830 as the Lord's allegedly one true church?(4)

ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

As we examine what the Mormon Church claims are the attributes of God we will look at two of the important telling differences. How have these attributes changed since the Mormon Church's founding in 1830?

IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD?

The Bible tells us it is important to know Him, see John 17:3 and 2 Thessalonians 1:8

In 1835 Joseph Smith also said it was necessary to have a correct idea of God's character, perfections and attributes if you wanted faith in God unto life and salvation.

- Let us here observe, that three things are necessary, in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation...Secondly, a correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes. (1835 D&C, "Lecture Third of Faith", 3:2, 4, page 36, first edition. The Lectures On Faith were in the D&C from 1835 to 1920, when they were quietly removed)

At the April 1844 general conference (an official LDS meeting) Smith reinforced this statement:

- It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God, and to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another... (April 1844, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, by Joseph Fielding Smith, p. 345; History of the Church, 6:305; Journal of Discourses. 6:3)

I believe most Christians would agree that it is critical, even vital, to know the attributes of God.

SHOULD THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD CHANGE?

Some say that some attributes of God will change. The following Book of Mormon and Doctrine & Covenants verses say this is not possible: 2 Nephi 29:7, 9; Moroni 7:22, 8:18; Mormon 9:9; D&C 20:12, 17 ( April 1830). The text for these verses can be found just below under item #1. These LDS verses make it clear that God does not change. The Bible has the same message, see Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8.

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

1. HAS GOD, AS GOD, ALWAYS EXISTED?

The Book of Mormon: Let us examine what the Book of Mormon says about God, as God, from all eternity.

- ...the Lord your God... that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure... (2 Nephi 29:7, 9)

- For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting...For I know that God is not a partial God; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity. (Moroni 7:22; 8:18)

- For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and to him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing? (Mormon 9:9)

Note how these declare the unchangeable God. Even an alleged revelation of the same time period agrees:

- Thereby showing that he is the same God yesterday, today, and forever...By these things we know that there is a God in heaven, who is infinite and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting the same unchangeable God, the framer of heaven and earth, and all things which in them are;...Which Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one God, infinite and eternal, without end. Amen. (April 1830; D&C 20:12, 17, 28)

Joseph Smith at the April 1844 general conference taught that the Father was once a man like us before becoming a God.

- God an Exalted Man --- I will go back to the beginning before the world was, to show what kind of being God is. What sort of a being was God in the beginning? Open your ears and hear,...God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!...you would see him like a man in form ­­ like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man;...it is necessary we should understand the character and being of God and how he came to be so; for I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity(5). I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see....(April 1844, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, by Joseph Fielding Smith, p. 345; History of the Church 6:305)

It is not possible for God the Father to have once been a man like us, who died and was resurrected and progressed to Godhood, and at the same time for him to have been God, as God, from all eternity. Both cannot be correct. These concepts are 100% opposite each other!

As you consider the contradictions above and below, note the dates of the reference and keep in mind that the Book of Mormon and the last Doctrine and Covenants reference stating that God has always been God, were written well before Joseph Smith changed his teachings in 1842-1844. Is it God that cannot get the description of his attributes correct? 1 Corinthians 14:33 and D&C 132:8 tell us God is not the author of confusion.

The Bible also says that God has been God from eternity to eternity:

- Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. (Psalm 90:2)

Also see Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 93:2, 103:17, 147:4-5; Hebrews 13:8. Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon contradict Joseph Smith and the present day teachings of the Mormon Church.

2. IS THERE ONLY ONE GOD?

The Book of Mormon says there is only one God.

- ...honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen. ("The Testimony of Three Witnesses," the last line)

- ...Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God... (Alma 11:44)

- 3 Nephi 11:27, 36; Alma 11:28-29 and Mormon 7:7 are similar.

The Mormon Church and Joseph Smith say there are many Gods. In 1839 Joseph Smith received an interesting revelation:

- A time to come in the which nothing shall be withheld, whether there be one God or many gods, they shall be manifest. (March 20, 1839, D&C 121:28)

By 1844 Joseph Smith had shifted his opinion and was able to say:

- In the beginning, the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods; and they came together and concocted a plan to create the world and people it. (April 1844, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 349; History of the Church 6:308)

- I will preach on the plurality of Gods. I have selected this text for that express purpose. I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods. It has been preached by the Elders for fifteen years.(6) (June 16, 1844, ibid, p. 370, also see p. 373 for an interesting statement)

- ...they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth. (Abraham 4:1; also see 4:2-29)

A plurality of Gods is taught in a Mormon Church's teaching manual:

- President Joseph Fielding Smith said: "Our Father in heaven according to the Prophet, had a Father, and since there has been a condition of this kind through all eternity, each Father had a Father" (Doctrines of Salvation 2:47)....President Joseph F. Smith taught: "I know that God is a being with body, parts and passions....Man was born of woman; Christ, the Savior, was born of woman; and God, the Father was born of woman" (Church News, 19 Sept, 1936, p.2). (Search These Commandments, Melchizedek Priesthood Personal Study Guide, Copyright 1984 by Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, page 152)

The Bible says there is only one God.

- I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me...there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else...there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. (Isaiah 45:5-6, 21)

- Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. (Romans 3:30)

- For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1 Timothy 2:5)

SUMMARY

As summarized in the table just below, since its founding in 1830 the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about two major attributes of God have changed significantly.

		Mormon Church's Teachings		The Bible
		1830-1842	Now
	God always God in eternity past?	Yes	No	Yes
	Once a man that progressed?	No	Yes	No
	There is only one God?	Yes	No	Yes

If the teachings of the Mormon Church are correct now, then they were clearly wrong from 1830 until about 1842. If they were correct from 1830 to about 1842, then they are wrong now. From 1 Corinthians 14:33 we learn, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace...." How can anyone believe the Mormon Church's claim to be God's one true church (D&C 1:6, 30) with their confusion about the attributes of God. There is an evident lack of understanding of one of the most important features of Christianity, a correct knowledge of God. The Mormon Church's confusion on the subject should make any thinking person wonder about the reliability of the rest of their teachings.

QUESTIONS AND/OR CONCERNS

This paper is a summary of a 20 page booklet, Evolution Of The Mormon God and briefly deals with only two of the major attributes of God. If you have questions and/or concerns or want more information please write John Farkas, Berean Christian Ministries, P.O. Box 1091, Webster, NY 14580. If you need more information on the problems with Mormonism ask for our free Resource List or e-mail me at bcmmin@frontiernet.net.

ENDNOTES

1. Doctrine and Covenants 130:22; All of the quotes in this paper are from books published and/or copyrighted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or authored by its top leaders. In reading these you should apply Alma 13:20 ("...if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction.") and follow what Joseph Smith said: "...scriptures say what they mean and mean what they say..." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, by Joseph Fielding Smith, 1976, p. 264).

2. Ibid, p. 370; Articles of Faith, by James E. Talmage, p. 41; Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce R. McConkie, p. 317

3. See History of the Church, 6:305; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345, 373; Achieving a Celestial Marriage, pp. 129-132; Bible Dictionary footnote 3), p. 761.

4. Doctrine and Covenants 1:29-30, Nov. 1, 1831; 20:1-2, April 1830.

5. Some LDS in their effort to refute clear statements about God, as God, from eternity to eternity attempt to redefine the meaning of "eternity." If Joseph Smith thought it had other than its dictionary meaning he clearly had the opportunity to say so at this point. Instead he said "I will refute that idea and take away the veil." He chose not to change its meaning. Gospel Principles, published by the LDS Church also provides the usual dictionary definition for "eternity;" see page 376 of the 1992 edition and page 353 of the 1986 and older editions.

6. Smith must have forgotten a revelation of five years earlier: "A time to come in the which nothing shall be withheld, whether there be one God or many gods, they shall be manifest." (March 20, 1839, D&C 121:28)

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