The Mormon Doctrine of Deity: The Roberts-Van Der Donckt Discussion: To which is added a discourse, Jesus Christ, the revelation of God; also a collection of authoritative Mormon utterances on the being and nature of GodRoberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
The Mormon Doctrine of Deity: The Roberts-Van Der Donckt Discussion: To which is added a discourse, Jesus Christ, the revelation of God; also a collection of authoritative Mormon utterances on the being and nature of God
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Doctrines; God (Christianity); Jesus Christ -- Mormon interpretations; Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
Illustration. The Latter-day Saints believe that God creates the souls
of men, long before their conception. Man is a composite being, spirit
and flesh being the component parts. Man is evidently posterior to his
elements; in other words, before a human being can exist, there must
first be a spirit, a soul; and in the second place there must be the
embryo (or foetus); and, thirdly, both of these existing elements must
be united before a human being comes into existence. No need of more
illustration. Fancy a clock, an engine, a shoe, or any composite being.
The parts must exist before the whole. Then to have the compound, some
one or something must do the compounding, or put the ingredients or
elements together. Who then did compound the Eternal? Not himself, as
no one can work before he exists: not another being, as no other being
existed before it was created by God. God is the necessary Being; _i.
e._ who could not not exist. Something exists; therefore, there exists
the Necessary Being. Everything that exists is produced or unproduced.
Now all things cannot be produced; for _whatever is produced or made
is produced by another,_ (otherwise it would have made itself, which
is impossible, as nothing can act before it exists). _This other_
(the producer) _is either a necessary being or a produced being._ If
produced, it must have been produced by another. Thus we must finally
come to a being that was not produced, or a necessary being. That
necessary being (who was not made and who always existed) is God.
If God were an aggregate of parts, these parts would be either
necessary beings or contingent (that do not necessarily exist); or some
would be necessary and some contingent. None of these suppositions are
tenable, therefore, God is not an aggregate of parts.
First supposition: If the parts of God were necessary beings there
would be several independent beings, which the infinity of God
precludes. God would not be infinite, if there were even one other
being independent of him, as his power, etc., would not reach that
being.
Second supposition: The Necessary Being would be the aggregate of
several contingent beings. An unreasonable supposition: contingent
beings cannot by their addition or collection lose their essential
predicate of contingency; in other words, the nature of the parts
clings to the whole.
The third supposition is equally absurd, for if some part exit
necessarily, it must be infinite in every perfection; therefore, it
would of itself be sufficient to constitute God, and could not be
improved by the addition of other parts.
_The Necessary Being must be infinite,_ or illimitable. Nothing is done
without a cause. No cause of limitation to the Necessary Being can be
found.
If finite, or limited, he must be limited by his own essence, or by
another, or by himself.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account