What Was the Real View of God Held By Early Christians? Part 2

The following is excerpted from Gospel Topics Essay: Are Mormons Christian? The article is written by Eric Johnson. This post is a continuation from my previous post.

As with the previous post, where in the original article Eric underlines the statements from the LDS essay, I will use italics instead. I will then put Eric’s rebuttal in blue except when he is quoting Scripture and then it will be in red. 

Latter-day Saints believe the melding of early Christian theology with Greek philosophy was a grave error. Chief among the doctrines lost in this process was the nature of the Godhead. The true nature of God the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Which version of Joseph Smith’s teaching ought we to accept when it comes to the Godhead. The earlier version according to the Book of Mormon claimed:

*God was only one God (Alma 11:26-29; 2 Nephi 31:21; Mosiah 13:34, 15:1-4; Alma 11:44; 3 Nephi 11:27, 36; Mormon 7:7)

*God is unchangeable and eternal progression is impossible (Mos. 3:5; 3 Nephi 24:6; Mormon 9:9-10; Mormon 9:19; Moroni 7:22, 8:18)

*God is a spirit and could not be a glorified man (Alma 18:2-5, 18:24-28, 22:9-11)

Or should we accept the later version, as taught by Joseph Smith in the last couple years of his life?

*“I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods” (History of the Church 6:474).

*“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 345).

*“We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 345).

*“The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” (D&C 130:22).

*“The idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false” (D&C 130:3. Oddly enough, the Book of Mormon teaches the Lord does dwell in the hearts of the righteous. See Alma 34:36).

If any religion has gone through changes from the original, Mormonism is surely the candidate!

….

As a consequence, Latter-day Saints hold that God the Father is an embodied being, a belief consistent with the attributes ascribed to God by many early Christians. This Latter-day Saint belief differs from the post-New Testament creeds.

No supporting evidence is given to support such a claim.

Whatever the doctrinal differences that exist between the Latter-day Saints and members of other Christian religions, the roles Latter-day Saints ascribe to members of the Godhead largely correspond with the views of others in the Christian world. Latter-day Saints believe that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and all-loving, …

While Mormons might say their God is “all-loving” and point to the LDS rejection of hell, one must ask, Why did God kick one-third of his children out of pre-existence, never to be given the chance to have a body, based on one error in judgment (choosing Lucifer over Jesus)? While their version of hell (outer darkness) might be impossible to ever attain, a good number of souls will never have the chance to experience one of the three kingdoms.

Another premise used in arguing that Latter-day Saints are not Christians is that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not descend from the traditional line of today’s Christian churches: Latter-day Saints are not Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestant. Latter-day Saints believe that by the ministering of angels to Joseph Smith priesthood authority to act in God’s name was returned or brought back to earth. This is the “restored,” not a “reformed,” church of Jesus Christ. The Latter-day Saint belief in a restored Christianity helps explain why so many Latter-day Saints, from the 1830s to the present, have converted from other Christian denominations. These converts did not, and do not, perceive themselves as leaving the Christian fold; they are simply grateful to learn about and become part of the restored Church of Jesus Christ, which they believe offers the fulness of the Lord’s gospel, a more complete and rich Christian church—spiritually, organizationally, and doctrinally.

While Mormons may say their church has never criticized other churches, this is just inaccurate. Check out this article to see a number of quotes where the leadership blasted Christianity.  To claim that your church is the “only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth” shows that all others are lacking in authority. Indeed, according to LDS leaders, the Mormon Church is, by itself, the only true church….

What Was the Real View of God Held By Early Christians?

The following is excerpted from Gospel Topics Essay: Are Mormons Christian? The article is written by Eric Johnson. 

In the original article Eric underlines the statements from the LDS essay but I will use italics instead. I will then put Eric’s rebuttal in blue except when he is quoting Scripture and then it will be in red. So let’s get started:

Latter-day Saints Do Not Accept the Creeds of Post–New Testament Christianity.

Scholars have long acknowledged that the view of God held by the earliest Christians changed dramatically over the course of centuries. Early Christian views of God were more personal, more anthropomorphic, and less abstract than those that emerged later from the creeds written over the next several hundred years. The key ideological shift that began in the second century A.D., after the loss of apostolic authority, resulted from a conceptual merger of Christian doctrine with Greek philosophy.

This is utter nonsense. No support is provided to show how earlier worship in the times of the Bible evolved.

In 1947, a shepherd boy stumbled upon the first cave that contained what was later known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Inside this cave were two copies of the Old Testament book of Isaiah, dating to before the time of Jesus. In fact, the earliest copy we had before (the Masoretic text) was dated the 10th century AD. It would seem that this would help us understand if the Bible was transmitted correctly. Using this, allow me to quote from the English translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls:

Isaiah 43:10: You are my witnesses, says YHWH, and my servant whom I have chosen: so that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, nor after me will there be.

Isaiah 44:6-8:  Thus says YHWH the King of Israel, and his Redeemer YHWH of hosts [+is his name]; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. . . . you are my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? There is no god of stone that I know.

Isaiah 45:5-7:  I am YHWH, and there is no one else, and beside me there is no God I girded you, and you did not know me: So that they will know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am YHWH, and there is no one else.

Meanwhile, we have almost 6,000 Greek manuscripts of the Koine Greek of the New Testament and 24,000 total manuscripts. We have pieces of the Bible going back to the second century, with complete manuscripts as early as the fourth century. The Mormon must show how there was a loss of apostolic authority and how there was a “merger” with Greek philosophy.

But the Mormon scholar must not only show that Christianity merged with the Greeks. If they want to present a case for their own religion, they must show in “former-day” Christianity where doctrines similar to theirs were taught. They must produce evidence that it was once believed that God is composed of a body of flesh and bones and that he once existed in another world. They must explain that the temple contained ordinances similar to theirs, including secret handshakes and baptisms for those already dead. And they must present evidence that people (other than the Levites) could hold the priesthood. In fact, there are a host of other issues that must be thoroughly explained to show that Mormonism is closer to the original than Christianity. One cannot merely claim that there were a number of changes without doing this second part. As Aaron Shafovaloff has stated, “If all their creeds are an abomination, why is much of the Nicene Creed to be found in D&C 20:17-28?” Good question. In addition, Sharon Lindbloom writes this thought-provoking blog article here.

First Vision Lacking God

What follows is from a file I have which I acquired several years ago from www.josephlied.com.  I have a note which says it was written by Michal Norton but I can't find it on that site any more, nor can I find it anywhere else.  Nevertheless, I think it should be available for those seeking the truth about the cult of Mormonism (Latter-day Saints).

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Most people even slightly familiar with the Mormon Church have heard of the "first vision" of Joseph smith.   In the Spring of 1820 at the age of 14, Joseph claimed to have  had a "vision" of God the Father and Jesus Christ.  However,  take a look at what Joseph and several of the early leaders of  the Church (and even Joseph's Mother and one of his brothers)  had to say about the "first vision" (emphasis in bold is mine).

Brigham Young - "The Lord did not come with the armies of  heaven ... but He did send his angel to this same obscure  person, Joseph Smith jun., who afterwards became a Prophet,  Seer, and Revelator, and informed him that he should not join any of the religious sects of the day, for they were all wrong" Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p. 171 (1855)

Wilford Woodruff - "The same organization and Gospel that Christ died for ... is again established in this generation.  How did it come? By the ministering of an holy angel from God, out of heaven, who held converse with man, and revealed unto him the darkness that enveloped the world ... He told him the Gospel was not among men, and that there was not a true organization of His kingdom in the world" Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p. 196 (1855)

Orson Hyde - "Some one may say, 'If this work of the last days  be true, why did not the Saviour come himself to communicate this intelligence to the world?' Because to the angels was committed the power of reaping the earth, and it was committed to none else." Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p. 335 (1854)

George A. Smith - "...he [Joseph Smith] went humbly before the Lord and inquired of Him, and the Lord answered his prayer, and revealed to Joseph, by the ministration of angels , the true condition of the religious world. When the holy angel appeared , Joseph inquired which of all these denominations was right and which he should join, and was told they were all wrong" Journal of Discourses, vol. 12, p. 334 (1863)

George A. Smith - "[Joseph] was enlightened by the vision of an holy angel. When this personage appeared to him, one of the first inquiries was 'Which of the denominations of Christians in the vicinity was right?' " Journal of Discourses, vol. 13,  p. 78 (1869)

John Taylor - "None of them was right, just as it was when the Prophet Joseph asked the angel which of the sects was right that he might join it. The answer was that none of them are right." Journal of Discourses, vol. 20, p. 167 (1879)

George Q. Cannon-"But suppose that the statement that Joseph Smith says the angel made to him should be true-that there was  no church upon the face of the earth whom God recognized as His, and whose acts He acknowledged-suppose this were true..."    Journal of Discourses, vol. 24, pg. 135 (1889)

William Smith- "He accordingly went out into the woods and falling upon his knees called for a long time upon the Lord for wisdom and knowledge.  While engaged in prayer a light appeared in the heavens, and descended until it rested upon  the trees where he was.  It appeared like fire.  But to his great astonishment, did not burn the trees.  An angel then appeared to him and conversed with him upon many things.  He told him that none of the sects were right..." William Smith 

On Mormonism , By William Smith, Joseph Smith's brother. pg. 5 (1883) "The angel again forbade Joseph to join any of these churches, and he promised that the true and everlasting Gospel should be revealed to him at some future time.  Joseph continues: 'Many other things did he (the angel) say unto me which I cannot write at this time' " Church Historical Record,  Vol. 7, January, 1888 [It should be noted here that in this quote the first reference to "the angel" was later changed to "the Holy Being" and the second reference to "the angel" was changed to "the Christ"]

Joseph Smith, Nov. 1835 - "...I received the first visitation of Angels when I was about 14 years old..." Personal writings of Joseph Smith, pg. 84 [It should be noted that this entry has been changed in the History of the Church, Vol. 2, pg. 312. It now reads "my first vision" instead of "visitation of Angels"]

Brigham Young - " Do we believe that the Lord sent his messengers to Joseph Smith, and commanded him to refrain from joining any Christian church, and to refrain from the wickedness he saw in the churches, and finally delivered to him a message informing him that the Lord was about to establish his kingdom on the earth..." Journal of Discourses, Vol. 18, pg. 239

Isn't it odd that over 40 years after Joseph's alleged "first vision", Church leaders like Brigham Young and John Taylor were still unaware of Joseph Smith's claim of seeing God the Father and Jesus Christ?  That's because Joseph's "first vision" was a consistently changing story that was virtually unknown to early Latter-day Saints.  Over the years Joseph's story changed from an event in the year 1823 to 1821 to 1820. His motive for seeking God in prayer also changed significantly over the years.  From no motive (a spirit appears with news of gold plates), to a desire to know if God exists, to a desire for forgiveness of sins, and finally, to a local religious revival.  Most importantly, even the heavenly visitor(s) that he saw were constantly changing.  Depending on the account Joseph 

gave, it was either a spirit, an angel, two angels, many angels, Jesus, and finally, the Father and the Son. LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley stood in General Conference and said "Our whole strength rests on the validity of that vision. It either occurred or it did not occur. If it did not, then this work is a fraud." (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Marvelous Foundation of Our Faith,” Ensign, Nov. 2002, pg.78)  If this "First Vision" of Joseph Smith did occur, it certainly didn't happen the way the Church wants us to believe it did.