The God of Mormonism
A Comparison of the LDS and Judeo-Christian Concepts of God
Written in 2002, this is an introduction to how the major western religions of the world view God, including the origins of those beliefs from the minds of the great philosophers and theologians of western society. This manuscript then covers the LDS concept of God and shows how it differs dramatically from the traditional Judeo-Christian view. It also discusses such difficult philosophical issues as the problem of evil and divine foreknowledge vs. human free will. It describes how the LDS concept of Deity deals with these difficult philosophical issues much more elegantly and rationally than the traditional view of God.
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The following is an excerpt from this manuscript:
Introduction
During my college days at Brigham Young University I was once eating lunch in the cafeteria and happened to overhear a conversation between two young men sitting on the table next to me. The conversation consisted of one man, who was clearly a member of the LDS church, trying to convert the other young man who apparently belonged to a different faith. I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation as it weaved in and out of various religious topics. At one point the discussion came to the topic of deity and whether or not Mormons are Christians. The young man who was not LDS shot out a criticism of the LDS view of God, stating that Mormons simply believe different things about God than other Christians do and therefore Mormons are not Christians. The young LDS lad was clearly getting frustrated by this point and managed a reply that not only showed his frustration, but also his lack of understanding of LDS doctrine and the criticism being offered. He boldly blurted out something to the effect of,
“That’s ridiculous. It doesn’t matter what definition you use to define a Christian, that definition will apply to Mormons as well. Mormons don’t view God any differently than any other religion.”
All respectable motives aside, I couldn’t help but wonder if this clearly incorrect statement did more damage than good to the discussion at hand. The non-Mormon must have been left in somewhat of a quandary. Either what he had been told about Mormons was incorrect and Mormons really did hold to the same beliefs about God and Christ as other churches, or this Mormon he was talking to didn’t understand the teachings of his own faith very well and therefore couldn’t be relied upon for an accurate view of Mormonism, let alone Christianity or religion in general. In any case, it placed a damper on the discussion that prohibited further progress. The non-Mormon was left unimpressed with either the discussion itself or with Mormonism in general. The discussion soon ended and the two friends shook hands and went their separate ways. As they parted ways, I speculated how the conversation might have ended had our LDS friend understood and boldly defended the differences and strengths concerning the LDS concept of God.
Since its inception, the LDS view of God has come under widespread debate and has been one of the key focal points of criticism against Mormon theology. Indeed, as illustrated in the story above, it has been one of the rallying cries of other Christian churches in an effort to point out that Mormons aren’t really Christians at all. The basic logic behind this rally has been to suggest that all true Christians view God in a certain way and that those who view God differently must, therefore, not be true Christians. As silly and narrow-minded as this argument seems, it has gained great strength and favor among various Christian denominations and anti-Mormon groups.
Unfortunately, most Latter-day Saints have not spent the time to truly delve into these differences or the LDS concept of God in general. Many Mormons themselves tend to not understand the great significance of the LDS doctrines concerning deity. As a result, we are both unable to adequately explain these differences to others and, perhaps more importantly, we miss out on some of the most important and meaningful doctrines revealed to us through the prophet Joseph Smith.
The fact that the LDS view of God is very different from the rest of the religious world can hardly be disputed. Mormonism truly stands all but alone in its view of God. With boldness bordering on audacity Joseph Smith once stated:
There are but a very few beings on earth who understand rightly the character of God. The great majority of mankind do not comprehend anything, either that which is past, or that which is to come, as respects their relationship to God...If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves. (Joseph Smith, King Follett Sermon, Millennial Star, vol. xxiii, p. 245)
I will prove that the world is wrong, by showing what God is. I am going to inquire after God; for I want you all to know Him, and to be familiar with Him; and if I am bringing you to a knowledge of Him, all persecutions against me ought to cease. You will then know that I am His servant; for I speak as one having authority. (History of the Church, Vol.6, Ch.14, p.305)
This volume was written to explain the basics of the LDS concept of God, how this concept differs from traditional views of God, and why the LDS view of God is so far superior to those provided by other religions. It is an attempt to take one of the most fundamental aspects of all western religions - the question of “What kind of being is God” - and show the absolute superiority of the principles proposed by a young farm boy from upper New York when compared to those espoused by most of the western world.
In this effort, it should be noted that this work is not intended to cover all of these topics in extreme detail. This would require a work of unwieldy size and content. Rather, it is intended to give the reader an introduction to the concepts of deity as taught by the scriptures and leaders of the LDS church. It is hoped that the reader will be encouraged by this volume to take the basic concepts discussed here and, through further study, thought, and prayer, add more detail and understanding of these views on their own. It is important to understand that this work is intended to be an introduction to these topics and should be viewed in that light.