Mormon Concept

1
Mormon Concept of God
By Cky J. Carrigan, Ph.D. Interfaith Evangelism,
NAMB ccarrigan_at_namb.net www.ontruth.com
2
What Do Mormons Believe About God?

• The Heavenly Father is an Exalted Man
• with a physical body of flesh and bones
• God is not a Trinity in the historic sense
• The Father, Son and Holy Ghost are
• three absolutely separate Gods
• God is NOT one in essence, but in
• purpose only

3
The Biblical and Reasonable Doctrine of
the TRI-UNITY of GOD
4

• Six Propositions on the Tri-Unity of God
• The Father is God
• The Son is God
• The Holy Spirit is God
• God is ONE
• The Bible is True and Doesnt Contradict
• The Trinity is a Unique Mystery with No
  Exact Analogy

5

• The Tri-Unity 0f God is NOT . . .
• Oneness in Purpose Only (Mormons)
• One Person Known by 3 Titles
• Three Parts of One Whole (Egg, Pie)
• One God in 3 Modes, Manifestations, Forms
• (Oneness Pentecostals)
• Expressed by the Formula 1 x 1 x 1 1
• Expressed by the Formula 3 1

6
The Tri-Unity IS Expressed By The Formula
3 1
7
The Tri-Unity of God
Three-Ness of Tri-Unity
One-Ness of Tri-Unity

• God is THREE in
• Person-hood
• Eternal Father
• Eternal Son
• Eternal Holy Spirit

• God is ONE in
• Essence
• Or Being-ness
• Or Nature

8
Father
is
is not
is not
GOD
is
is
Holy Spirit
Son
is not
9
Mormon Concept of Jesus Christ
By Cky J. Carrigan, Ph.D. Interfaith Evangelism,
NAMB ccarrigan_at_namb.net www.ontruth.com
10
Temple Square Visitors Center Salt Lake City
What Do Mormons Believe About The Son of God?
11
What Do Mormons Believe about the Son of God?

• Jesus Christ is the Twice-Sired Son of the
  Heavenly Father (First Second Estate)

12
What Do Mormons Believe about the Son of God?

• Jesus was the spiritual first-born Son of God in
  the first estate
• Like all of mankind, Jesus was a product of
  sexual intimacy between the Heavenly Father and
  His Heavenly Wife in the first estate
• Jesus was also the physical offspring of the
  Heavenly Father and Mary by means of sexual
  intimacy in the second estate

13
What Do Mormons Believe about the Son of God?

• There was a time when the Son of God was not the
  Son of God (First Estate)
• There was a time when the Son of God was not God
  (First Estate)

14
What Do Mormons Believe about the Son of God?

• The fullness of salvation, exaltation, is not the
  result of the work of Christ
• His suffering and bleeding in Gethsemane and on
  the Cross (not his death) only provides for the
  immortality of all people in a universal
  resurrection
• His suffering does not provide for the fullness
  of salvation for anyone

15

• Genuine Christianity
• Asserts the Full Deity of Christ
• Asserts the Full Humanity of Christ
• Asserts the Two Natures Uniquely
• Unified in the One Person
• of Christ

16
77 Mormon Christological Propositions Adapted
from An Assessment and Critique of
the Distinctive Christology of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) By
Cky J. Carrigan, Ph.D. Dissertation _at_
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2000
17
Pre-Incarnate Son of God Propositions about the
nature of all earth-born humans including the Son
of God 11. All earth-born humans, including
the Son of God, were the offspring of God
(Elohim) before becoming incarnate mortals. 12.
All earthborn offspring of God, including the Son
of God, therefore, have a pre-incarnate
existence. 13. All earth-born offspring of God,
including the Son of God, have existed in two
pre-incarnate states of existence. Therefore, the
Son of God is not the only pre-incarnate son of
God.
18
Pre-Incarnate Son of God 14. All earth-born
offspring of God, including the Son of God, have
existed as an eternal intelligence and a
pre-incarnate offspring of God before becoming an
incarnate mortal. 15. All earth-born offspring
of God, including the Son of God, have existed as
an eternal intelligence before becoming an
pre-incarnate offspring of God. 16. All
earth-born offspring of God, including the Son of
God, have existed as a pre-incarnate offspring of
God before becoming an incarnate mortal.
19
Pre-Incarnate Son of God 17. All pre-incarnate
offspring of God, including the Son of God, were
sired by God and given birth by a wife of God in
the first estate. 18. All pre-incarnate
offspring of God, including the Son of God, were
sired in the same manner as all offspring are
sired in every context, by the sexual union of a
male (the Heavenly Father) and a female (a
Heavenly Mother). 19. All pre-incarnate
offspring of God, including the Son of God, were
probably sired, born, and raised in the physical
celestial dwelling place of God called Kolob,
which is near a star, or planet, by the same name.
20
The Nature of the Son of God 110. The Son of
God was the offspring of God before becoming an
incarnate mortal. 111. The Son of God,
therefore, has a pre-incarnate existence. 112.
The Son of God has existed in three pre-incarnate
states of existence. 113. The Son of God
existed as an eternal intelligence, a
pre-incarnate offspring of God and a
pre-incarnate God before becoming an incarnate
mortal.
21
The Nature of the Son of God 114. The Son of
God existed as an eternal intelligence before
becoming a pre-incarnate offspring of God.
Therefore, the Son of God has not always been an
offspring of God. 115. The Son of God existed
as a pre-incarnate offspring of God before
becoming a pre-incarnate God. Therefore, the Son
of God has not always been a pre-incarnate God.
116. The Son of God existed as a pre-incarnate
God before becoming an incarnate mortal.
22
The Nature of the Son of God 117. The Son of
God was the only offspring of God to become a
pre-incarnate God. Therefore his status as
pre-incarnate God is unique among the offspring
of God. 118. The Son of God, during his
existence as a pre-incarnate God, possessed a
spirit-body that was the same in appearance as
his incarnate mortal body. 119. The Son of God
was the first-born pre-incarnate offspring of
God. Therefore, the Son of God is unique in the
order of his conception in the first estate.
23
The Nature of the Son of God 120. The
pre-incarnate Son of God was sired by God and
given birth by a wife of God in the first estate.
121. The pre-incarnate Son of God was sired in
the same manner as all offspring are sired in
every context, by the sexual union of a male
(Elohim the Heavenly Father) and a female (a
Heavenly Mother). 122. The pre-incarnate Son of
God was sired, born, and raised in the physical
celestial dwelling place of God called Kolob,
which is near a star, or planet, by the same name.
24
The Incarnate Mortal Origin of the Son 123. All
incarnate mortals, including the Son of God, are
sired in the same manner as all offspring are
sired in every context--by the sexual union of a
male and a female. 124. The Son of God was
sired in such a manner that a corporeal God
(Elohim) caused the pregnancy of Mary so that the
incarnate mortal Son of God possessed the
biological substance of both Elohim and Mary.
25
The Incarnate Mortal Origin of the Son 125. The
Son of God was sired in the same manner as all
offspring are sired in every context--by the
sexual union of a male (Elohim) and a female
(Mary). 126. The Son of God is the only
incarnate mortal offspring of God. Therefore, the
Son God enjoys a unique status as the only
incarnate mortal offspring of God. 127. The Son
of God was born on 4-6-1 B.C.
26
The Relationship of the Son of God to the Father
and the Holy Ghost in the Godhead 228. The
Father (Elohim), the Son (Jehovah) and the Holy
Ghost (Holy Spirit) constitute one Godhead
composed of three Gods. 229. The Godhead of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost is one Godhead
with reference to sharing one common mind, one
common spirit, one common purpose, one common
power, and a common body of attributes. 230.
The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are three
physically separate and distinct Gods, persons,
or substances.
27
The Relationship of the Son of God to the Father
and the Holy Ghost in the Godhead 231. The
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are not one
Godhead with reference to one ontological being,
one nature, or one essence. 232. The Father is
the supreme member of the Godhead and the Son is
subordinate to the Father on the basis that the
Father became a God before the Son became a God,
and on the basis that the Son derived his Godhood
from the Father.
28
The Exclusive Identity of the Son of God as
Jehovah of the Old Testament 233. Since the
Heavenly Father and the Son are separate Gods, as
a rule, terms, or titles, for God used in LDS
Scripture usually refer to only one of the Gods
in the Godhead. There are a few exceptions to
this rule, however. 234. The Hebrew word
"Elohim," is the exclusive name for the Heavenly
Father in the Bible.
29
The Exclusive Identity of the Son of God as
Jehovah of the Old Testament 235. The Hebrew
word "Jehovah" is the exclusive name for the Son
of God in the Bible. 236. Elohim (Heavenly
Father) never directly encountered man after the
fall except to testify of the Son. Therefore,
nearly all references to God in LDS Scripture are
references to the Son.
30
The Figurative Fatherhood of the Son 237. The
Son of God is the figurative Father of creation
in the sense of his role in creation. 238. The
Son of God is the figurative Father of mankind in
the sense of his role in redemption. 239. The
Son of God is the figurative Father in the sense
that Elohim has invested power and authority in
the Son. 240. The Son of God is not, however,
the figurative Father in the sense that the
Father is identified as Elohim.
31
The Marital Parental Status of the Son of God
241. The Son of God was married to multiple
wives during his existence as an incarnate mortal
on earth. 242. The Son of God physically sired
children who were born during his existence as an
incarnate mortal on earth. 243. The Son of God
was married to multiple wives and physically
sired children in the flesh because to do so is
to fulfill the requirements of righteousness and
incarnate Godhood.
32
The Salvation of the Son of God 244. The Son of
God worked out his own salvation. The Son is a
saved being who required, and will benefit from,
Elohim's plan of salvation so as to experience
eternal life. The Son is not, however, saved from
sin or death.
33
The Role of the Son of God in Creation by
Organization 345. Matter is eternal, or
necessarily existent. 346. No one in the
Godhead is capable of originating matter or
destroying it. 347. The Son of God did not
create ex nihilo, but rather by organizing
existing unorganized matter, or
creation-by-organization. 348. The Son of God
created-by-organization many worlds in the
Heavenly Father's domain.
34
The Role of the Son of God in Creation by
Organization 349. The Son of God first
created-by-organiza-tion a spiritual realm, which
corresponded to the physical realm, before he
created-by-organization the physical realm.
350. The Son of God created-by-organization
with the help of other high-ranking pre-incarnate
offspring of the Heavenly Father. 351. The Son
of God did not create-by-organization the
physical bodies of Adam and Eve. This creative or
procreative task was reserved for the Heavenly
Father.
35
The Application of the Atonement of
the Son of God 352. There are two
applications of the atonement of the Son of God
universal-unconditional and individual-conditional
. 353. The direct object of the
universal-unconditional application of the
atonement of the Son of God is the transgression
of Adam, which resulted in death and separation
from God for Adam and his entire family. 354.
The indirect beneficiary of the
universal-unconditional application of the
atonement of the Son of God is the entire family
of Adam.
36
The Application of the Atonement of
the Son of God 355. The universal-unconditio
nal application of the atonement of the Son of
God produces im-mortality in the resurrection for
the entire family of Adam. 356. The
universal-unconditional application of the
atonement of the Son of God does not produce the
highest degree of salvation (eternal life) for
any individual in the family of Adam. 357. The
individual-conditional application of the
atonement of the Son of God applies only to those
individuals who meet the conditions for eternal
life.
37
Application of the Atonement of the Son of God
358. The conditions for eternal life are
directly related to the individual's degree of
repentance and obedience. Those who repent and
obey to a greater degree receive a greater kind
of immortal body and are assigned to a greater
realm at the resurrection. The reverse is true as
well. 359. The individual-conditional
application of the atonement of the Son of God
also applies to earth-born humans who died after
their eighth birthday never having heard the LDS
Gospel. These persons are given the opportunity
to meet the conditions for eternal life during a
probationary period in the realm of the dead.
38
The Manner of the Atonement of the Son of God
362. The atonement of the Son of God was not
directly achieved by his death on the cross. The
actual death of the Son was only a necessary
event preceding his resurrection. 363. The
atonement of the Son of God was directly related
to his suffering and the flow of blood. 364.
The atonement of the Son of God occurred during
the simultaneous suffering and bleeding of the
Son in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross.
39
The Manner of the Atonement of the Son of God
365. The suffering of the Son of God was
primarily the result of the Father's withdrawing
of his Spirit from the Son. The Father withdrew
his Spirit while the Son was in the Garden and on
the cross. 366. The Son of God bled in the
Garden and on the cross. The blood of the Son of
God flowed from his pores in the Garden and from
his wounds on the cross.
40
The Post-Ascension Bodily Appearances of the Son
of God to 1st Cent. Mesoamericans to 19th Cent.
Latter-day Saints 367. The Son of God appeared
bodily to the Hebrew descendants of Lehi in
Mesoamerica after his ascension from Judea in
A.D. 33. This appearance lasted three days and
occurred near the temple at Bountiful. 368. The
Son of God appeared bodily with the Heavenly
Father to Joseph Smith in the spring of 1820,
near Palmyra, New York. 369. The Son of God
appeared bodily to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon
on February 16, 1832, in Hiram, Ohio.
41
The Post-Ascension Bodily Appearances of the Son
of God to 1st Cent. Mesoamericans to 19th Cent.
Latter-day Saints 370. The Son of God appeared
bodily to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on
April 3, 1836, in the Kirtland, Ohio Temple.
371. The Son of God appeared bodily to Saints
on at least three occasions during the first
decade of the restoration. 372. The Son of God
appeared bodily to Apostle Lorenzo Snow in 1898.
42
The Return of the Son in the Eschaton 373. The
Son of God will appear openly to the world
sometime in the beginning of the seventh thousand
years of the earth's physical existence. 374.
The Son of God will make a secret bodily
appearance with Adam in Davies County, Missouri
before appearing globally at the eschaton. 375.
The Son of God will be endowed with the authority
to rule in the millennium during his secret
appearance with Adam in Davies County, Missouri.
43
The Return of the Son in the Eschaton 376. The
Son of God will make a limited bodily appearance
to righteous Saints in New Jerusalem
(Independence, Missouri) before appearing
globally at the eschaton. 377. The Son of God
will make a limited bodily appearance to Jews in
Jerusalem, Judea before appearing globally at the
eschaton.