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
At this point Dr. Paden made his address, first taking up some
of the standard writings on "Mormon" doctrine and reading from
them the ideas of God as incorporated in the "Mormon" faith. He
read from the Catechism in relation to the Godhead, wherein it is
stated that there are not only more Gods than one, but that God
is a being of parts, with a body like that of a man. He then read
from the Doctrine and Covenants, where it is stated that the words
of the priesthood are the words of God. After calling attention
to the material view of God as set forth in these teachings, the
speaker said that he thought he could see a tendency towards a
more spiritual idea of God among the younger and more enlightened
members of the dominant church, and noticed this in the writings
of Dr. Talmage especially. Referring to the Adam-God idea, the
speaker said that he had not investigated it much, but thought that
the "Mormon" Church was ashamed of such an idea. He placed special
stress on the idea that when men attempted to give God a human
form they fashioned him after their own weaknesses and frailties.
A carnal man, he said, had a carnal God, and a spiritual man a
spiritual God. The teaching of a material God, said he, and of a
plurality of Gods, I think is heathenish. The material conception
of God is the crudest possible conception.
I take it that we may classify under three heads the complaints here
made against us with reference to the doctrine of Deity.
First, we believe that God is a being with a body in form like man's;
that he possesses body, parts and passions; that in a word, God is an
exalted, perfected man.
Second, we believe in a plurality of Gods.
Third, we believe that somewhere and some time in the ages to come,
through development, through enlargement, through purification until
perfection is attained, man at last, may become like God--a God.
I think these three complaints may be said to cover the whole ground
of what our reverend critics regard as our error in doctrine on the
subject of Deity.
The task before me, on this occasion, is to take this subject and
present to you what in reality the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day
Saints teaches with reference to the Godhead.
Very naturally, one stands in awe of the subject, so large it is, and
so sacred it is. One can only approach it with feelings of reverential
awe, and with a deep sense of his own inability to grasp the truth
and make it plain to the understandings of men. In the presence of
such a task, one feels like invoking the powers divine to aid him in
his undertaking; and paraphrasing Milton a little, one could well cry
aloud, what in me is dark, illumine; what low, raise and support, that
to the height of this great argument I may justify to men the faith we
hold of God.
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