I once asked a Mormon missionary if we could agree that the Bible teaches monotheism, he agreed. I then asked him if we could agree that the Book of Mormon itself teaches monotheism, he agreed. I then asked him why it is that he, Mormonism, now believes that there are so many gods you could not even know how many there are? The answer was all too simple: it was because the Mormon prophets have subsequently proclaimed that there are many gods. This is a clear indication of what happens when a group absconds from biblical teachings and no longer unrestrained by its doctrines go on to assert whatever the current leadership chooses to proclaim as the latest revelation.
The Book of Mormon itself teaches Trinitarian monotheism with certain overlaps into modalism. The fact that later Mormon leadership decided that there are many gods does not explain away this fact. Besides simply stating that later revelation declared henotheism, Mormonism also attempts to explain away its monotheistic scriptures. The reason for understanding their theology as being henotheistic and not polytheistic is that whenever they find monotheistic references the claim is that it is not actually teaching monotheism as such but teaching that which makes henotheism out of polytheism. In other words, when the reference is to there being one god the reinterpretation is that the text is not simply stating that there is only one god but that it is stating that there is only one god amongst the many who is to be worshipped.
Before considering why this evasion is fallacious let us review the Book of Mormon’s Trinitarian / monotheistic / modalistic statements:
1st Nephi 13:41
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.
2nd Nephi 31:21
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 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.
Mosiah 15:2-4
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—The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and the Son—And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth.
Alma 11:44b
…and they shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
3rd Nephi 11:27
And after this manner shall ye be baptized in my name; for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one.
3rd Nephi 11:36
And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.
Mormon 7:7b
…to sing ceaseless praise 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.
Mormon 9:12
And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ, even the Father and the Son; and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man.
Ether 3:14
…behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son.
The reason that the evasion does not work even when solely considering the Book of Mormon we find an absolute statement as to how many gods there are as found in Alma 11:26-29, 38-39,
“And Zeezrom said unto him: Thou sayest there is a true and living God? And Amulek said: Yea, there is a true and living God. Now Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God? And they answered, No…Now Zeezrom saith again unto him: Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father? And Amulek said unto him: Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth…”
Not only is monotheism being taught but it is specifically asked whether there is more than one God and the answer is clearly and simply “No.” Not whether there are many gods only one of whom is to be worshipped but where there are more than one in existence.
We find likewise affirmation in the Bible itself as we shall see. Yet, let us first note that Mormon apologists claim that the unity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost is in regards to purpose rather than a statement that they are ontologically one. While there is no denying that the Trinity is indeed one in purpose their unity likewise regards the very nature of God which is that He is one being revealed in three persons (notice that we are not claiming God to be three beings who is one being nor three persons who are one person).
Isaiah 43:10-11, 44:8, 45:14, 18, 46:9 states:
“‘You are My witnesses,’ says the Lord, ‘And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior…You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one…’ Surely God is in you, And there is no other; There is no other God’…I am the Lord, and there is no other…For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.”
Notice the manner in which God makes His statements; He wants us to know, believe and understand His absolute uniqueness. God firmly declares that before Him no God was formed and neither will there be one formed after Him. Moreover, He asks if there is another God besides Him and answers that He knows of no others. Mormonism’s prophets claim that there are a multitude of gods and in fact, that gods and goddesses come together and bear spirit children who later become gods themselves. Thus, God should at least be aware of His own parents who are gods.
I deal with atheism quite a bit (see list of blogs at this footnote[1]) and I am lead to wonder whether the concept of gods giving birth to gods was an early attempt to explain the philosophical / theological question “Where did God come from?”
The Mormon response is that God came from His parents who themselves were gods. The obvious and immediate problem is that the next logical question is “Where did God’s parents come from?” Apparently, this is an instance in which the term god-parents is quite literal. Again, the Mormon response is that God’s parents came from their god-parents, God’s grandparents. The problem is that we are not answering anything but are merely pushing the question backwards in time in an infinite regress which never answer where the first god came from. Moreover, if gods come about by having male and female gods copulating and giving birth to them there must have been two original gods. Thus, we are now considering dualism: two gods. Yet, these gods are not absolute gods in that they lack something, namely one lacks male characteristics and the other lacks female (keep in mind that according to Mormonism these gods have physical bodies).
Speculation aside, the question that we are interested in asking in this essay is who knows has more knowledge: God or Mormon prophets? Who is more qualified to proclaim the appropriate theology? Is it the supernatural God: the creator of the universe, the giver of life, the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent? O is it humans who claim to speak for God, mere humans who have had their wits about them for mere decades and function based upon incomplete knowledge? The logical conclusion of the claims of Mormon prophets is that they possess knowledge that not even their own God possesses.
God claims that there are and never where no other gods anywhere at all but Mormonism claims that there are—who knows better?
[1] Atheism is Dead
Atheism Dissected
Richard Dawkins – Scientist or Activist?
Sam Harris – Mythbuster or Mythmaker?
Dan Barker – One of America’s Leading Atheists
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment