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Mormon Concept of God
Mormons are not Christian?
Mormons are Christians, as their official name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, suggests. It is true that Mormons do not consider themselves "Protestant," as they do not protest the Catholic Church; the two faiths have worked extensively together on humanitarian and other projects. It is also true that we do not consider ourselves "Born-Again Christians." While we do believe that one must change his heart—must be born again—to come to God, the "Born-Again Christian" label entails far more than a belief in spiritual rebirth.
The LDS faith in Christ is based on His life as described in the New Testament. Mormons also believe that after His death and resurrection in Israel, the glorified Christ visited peoples elsewhere, including those of the ancient American continent. An account of this visit can be found in the Book of Mormon. Click here to listen to the Book of Mormon narrative, or click on the videos below, which dispel any myths regarding Mormons' dedication to Christ, depict a dramatization of Christ's visit to the ancient American continent, and describe the Mormon perspective on being "born again." The following links provide additional images and information: Christ on the American continent, the price of sin, the second coming, a portrait of Jesus.
Some of my personal essays also illustrate Christ's importance in Mormon theology. In The Master and the Message, I comment on how Christ is central to our missionary program. Golgotha and the Garden Tomb describes how I imagined Christ's life when I was a young man studying in BYU.
Mormons reject salvation through the grace of Christ? They believe good works alone bring salvation?
Mormons do believe that men and women are saved through the grace of Christ. Despite our best efforts to obey God's commandments—and obedience is important—we are all sinners. To save a sinner—even a well-intentioned but humanly imperfect sinner that, despite his or her best efforts, fails from time to time—violates God's law of justice. But to condemn the well-intentioned violates God's law of mercy. This seeming paradox is resolved through the grace of Christ, who paid the price for our sins on condition of our sincere effort and repentance.Mormons have an unchristian view of God? Mormons are polytheistic?
The concept of trinity (that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are simultaneously three separate entities and one single "substance") was formally adopted by the early Christian church in 325 AD with the Nicene Creed after much debate and with many dissenters. Mormons believe that by this date the early church had lost the authority to act in the name of God, and so we do not feel obligated to accept the decisions of the creed. As luck would have it, though, the Nicean description of trinity is so vague that it easily includes the Mormon concept of God.The concept of trinity describes one God in three persons, all three of whom, as distinct 'persons' or 'hypostases,' share a single divine essence, being, or nature. This idea is summed up in the Athanasian Creed, written some years after the Nicene Creed, which states: "We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is all one; the glory equal, the majesty coeternal." How do Mormons understand this confusing and apparently contradictorial concept?
- God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three physically distinct individuals, just as my wife and I are physically distinct. That the Father and the Son are physically distinct is evident in John 17.
- The three are of the same "essence, being, or nature" (vague terms) in the sense that they operate in perfect unity of purpose, just as my wife and I would operate in perfect unity as a single couple if we were perfect beings. (Unfortunately, only one of us is perfect!)
Other critics go even further, claiming that Mormons are polytheistic. This view is simply inaccurate. Mormons believe in one God as taught in the scriptures; they believe that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost together constitute one single "Godhead." In Mormonism, the words "God" and "Godhead" are often used interchangeably. When we say that God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent, eternal, immutable, and immortal, we do not distinguish between the Father, the Son, or the Holy Ghost but instead refer to them collectively as one single entity, the Godhead, or, often, simply God.
Mormons worship Joseph Smith?
We consider Joseph Smith to be a prophet like Moses, a man through whom Jesus Christ restored His church as it existed anciently. We respect Joseph for the work he did, but we reserve our worship for Jesus Christ and God the Father alone.In 1820, at the age of fourteen, Joseph was deeply perplexed about which church he should join. After reading a passage in the Bible that instructed any who lacked wisdom to "ask of God" (James 1:5), Joseph decided to turn directly to God for guidance.
Early one morning in the spring of 1820, Joseph went to secluded woods to ask God which church he should join. As he was praying, God the Father and the Son appeared to him. Through this divine visitation, called by Mormons the "first vision," God restored the ancient Christian church.
To listen to the story of the the restoration of the ancient church in Joseph Smith's own words, click here.
11 Comments » Leave a comment
- Thom Hendricks
When you refer to an ideal perfect couple, but in reality only one of you is perfect, I must assume that the perfect one is the wife.
Webmaster: Of course! - Anonymous
7-10-2007, 10:45:33 PM
In your section on the beliefs of the Trinity you described all the Godhead as having a physical body. Mormons do not believe, however, that the Holy Ghost has a body. I don't know if that's how you said it or not but that's what I got out of reading your article. Thank you so much for putting up this web site. It's so awesome thanks!
Webmaster: Thank you for your encouraging words and your important clarification. - Anonymous
10-12-2007, 11:11:02 PM
This is a great and an inspired page. It shows the truth about Mormons. Thank you for being there. - Savannah
12-3-2007, 06:00:14 PM
Thank You SOOOOOO much for this website! I have a friend at school, and she is totally anti-mormon. It's reassuring to know that there ARE websites out there, non-church funded, that don't spread lies about Mormonism. I had to see where she got all of the horrible things she did, and it wasn't very hard. Just ask Google! I was feeling incredibly depressed until I saw your page. It's really sad how people manipulate the church, and I really appreciate you helping spread the truth! YOU ARE AWESOME! - Erika
4-11-2008, 01:07:04 AM
Thanks lots for this website. My boyfriend is Mormon, so this really helps me understand him better than to ask awkward questions! - R. Rodriguez
5-14-2008, 07:50:29 PM
This is all very interesting to me, I have had a friend for the last twenty years who is Mormon, and never really understood how and why she chose to worship God the way Mormons do. Thank you. - Katya
5-24-2008, 04:09:06 PM
I love your site! I'm not LDS but I am a "mormon enthusiast" and have been toying for a long time with writing a thesis on the misconceptions of mormonism. - Ronnie Bray
7-31-2008, 10:14:52 PM
I have an extensive work that I either completed or abandoned a few years back. It deals with many misconceptions, but particularly deals with the anti-mormon brigades oft-repeated lies. If any of it is useful to your site, I am pleased to send you a copy of it in ms-word.
Let me know if any or all of it is of interest.
Rb
Webmaster: I'd be very interested! Please send it my way. :) - Cyril White
8-24-2008, 08:22:25 PM
I really enjoy reading other peoples comments and it fills me with joy that non members take the time to come to sites like this and leave there insight.
Being a teenager and having to deal with different views constantly some even hostile all I have to do is turn my cheek even thought sometimes it can be really hard when you get statements like "your going to hell," but we are always judged by our actions and retaliating does me and the other person no good. - Whitney Henkel
4-30-2009, 12:39:04 AM
This site it great! I'm happy to see another LDS member who is trying to clear up the many misconceptions that people have for us. Another one that you might want to add is that people think that we believe the Book of Mormon is a replacement for the Bible. In reality, the two are meant to be used together and the Bible supports LDS doctrines. :) - Kendra Black
7-3-2009, 05:02:01 PM
I'm glad you talked about "worshipping Joseph Smith". I think a lot of people get so confused because we put so much respect in this first prophet. Ultimately though, we must remember that Joseph Smith is not God. God is who we worship. Joseph Smith just happens to be a favorite amongst members :)
Webmaster: Well said, Kendra. It's a mystery to me how anyone who claims to understand Mormonism could ever suppose that we worship Joseph Smith.