God
- examining the Godhead of LDS theology
Latter-day Saints believe that the truth of the Godhead was
restored by God through their prophet
Joseph Smith.
From what I have read, I see some major differences in the Godhead that Joseph Smith taught:
a. The Godhead is 3 Gods instead of 1 God as other Christians believe.
b. The Father has a body of flesh and bones. Others believe God is Spirit.
c. God the Father was once a man on another planet who had to progress into becoming a God of
our Planet Earth.
d. At one time, the Godhead did not consist of 3 exalted and perfected beings because Mormon
theology teaches the Son and the Holy Spirit had to reach their exaltation.
Since these things were never taught by the early Christians, they are not things that were restored.
The Book of Mormon and one part of the Pearl of Great Price affirm there is only one God (Alma 11:26-29,
Moses 1:6).
Joseph Smith also believed this early in his life when it is said he translated both books, but then he changed.
Later in his life, the Mormon prophet began to teach a plurality of Gods. In the King Follett discourse (recorded
in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith), Mr. Smith said:
"If Abraham reasoned thus - If Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and John discovered that God the Father of Jesus
Christ had a Father, you may suppose that He had a Father also" (page 386). "Hence if Jesus had a Father, can
we not believe that He had a Father also? I despise the idea of being scared to death at such a doctrine, for the
Bible is full of it" (page 387).
There are many other Gods according to Joseph Smith.
"According to that which was ordained in the midst of the Council of the Eternal God of all other gods before this
world was, that should be reserved unto the finishing and the end thereof, when every man shall enter into his
eternal presence and into his immortal rest" (D&C 121:32).
It is worded a little differently in the 1938 version of "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith":
"Thus the head God brought forth the Gods in the grand council ... The head God called together the Gods and
sat in grand council to bring forth the world. The grand councilors sat at the head in yonder heavens and
contemplated the creation of the worlds which were created at that time" (pp. 348-349).
"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. When we begin to learn this way, we begin to learn the only true God,
and what kind of a being we have got to worship" (pp. 349-350).
These Gods are again referenced in the Pearl of Great Price (Abraham chapters 4 and 5).
Unfortunately, Joseph Smith was not entirely clear who this true God (the head of the Gods) was. Was it
Heavenly Father, Jesus, or some other God?
The Book of Mormon shows that Jesus Christ is to be worshipped (1 Nephi 17:55; 2 Nephi 25:29, 3 Nephi
19:18). The Mormon scriptures even say that Jesus is the Almighty God (Helaman 10:6,11; 12:6,8; 13:18,22;),
the Omnipotent Lord (Mosiah 3:5,17-18,21; 5:2,15), and without beginning of days, eternal, from everlasting
to everlasting (2 Nephi 27:23, D&C 20:17; 39:1; 61:1; 78:16; 109:77).
Oddly enough, Doctrine and Covenants 20:21 also calls Heavenly Father the Almighty God.
Jesus is the God of the whole world (3 Nephi 3:11:14).
More Gods, more confusion.
Isaiah 43:10 - "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know
and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be
after me."
Isaiah 44:6 - "Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and
I am the last; and beside me there is no God."
Trust in Isaiah instead.
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