I have a question regarding God having a physical body. I unlike most that are giving the Book of Mormon have done my reading. I don’t claim to be better, nor do I claim to be a great theologian. I had many questions for my missionary friends that would come over, and they were astonished as to how much I would read. I actually went and bought the the whole BOM. As I have stated in my other post, I want to convert, but I have so many questions as I have a Christian background. In the Book of Mormon I read these scriptures and it states the total opposite of what is being taught. My question is; which is correct?
God is one Supreme Spirit – Alma 11: 22, 26-31; 18: 26-28
The one God is composed of three personal essences – Mormon 7: 7; 3 Nephi 11: 27, 36
God is an Unchangeable Being – Mormon 9: 9-11, 19; Moroni 8: 18
Jesus is God – Alma 11: 38-39; 2 Nephi 11: 7; 26: 12; Mosiah 7: 27; 15: 1-4; 16: 15
The virgin birth of Christ was by the Holy Ghost, not by the Father – Alma 7: 9-10
2 Responses to “I have a question regarding God having a physical body. I un…”
Ricardo Ramos
2011-06-20 07:05:06
Since it was first published in English in 1830, the Book of Mormon has been fully translated into 72 languages.
Hi again Fernando. I'm happy you've been studying the gospel so carefully. Let me answer your questions.
1) Mormons do believe that God is a Spirit. Though God is obviously very different than we are, He is similar in that He is a spiritual being who has chosen to inhabit a physical body. We often speak of God having a physical body, but that does not negate the fact that He is also a spiritual being. He is simultaneously physical and spiritual.
2) Your description of God as one being with three essences is not a Mormon or even an early Christian idea. I think you may be understandably imposing your pre-conceived beliefs on the Book-of-Mormon text. Like creedal Christians, Mormons believe God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Ghost are simultaneously one and three. They are three in that they are physically distinct, but they are perfectly united in purpose and so function as one monotheistic unit, God, or, more specifically stated, the Godhead. It is thus not incorrect to emphasize the oneness of God, nor is it inappropriate to emphasize their "threeness." Both divine characteristics are simultaneously true.
3) Different Mormons may have different opinions regarding the unchangability of God. I can only express my own view, which I believe to be pretty orthodox. According to my understanding, it's important to differentiate between personality/knowledge changes and experiential changes. God is omniscient, so He cannot increase in knowledge or understanding. He already knows and understands everything. However, like all fathers, God the Father takes great glory in the development of His children. As we progress spiritually, we honor God our creator. He thus undergoes experiential change because he has chosen to take glory in our progress. I hope this explanation makes sense. Please let me know if further explanation is required.
4) Mormons do believe that Jesus Christ is God. The Church's official proclamation "The Living Christ" makes it clear that He should be worshiped.
5) Mormons do not claim to understand the detailed mechanics of Christ's conception. Clearly He is the Son of God; He said so Himself on multiple occasions. On the other hand, Matthew 1:18 says He was conceived by the Holy Ghost. What that means, and how specifically it happened, is unknown.
6) Mormons also believe in being born again, though our view is perhaps more similar to Catholic than Protestant thought. Clearly being born again is associated with baptism (John 3:5). Following baptism, the conversion process continues for the rest of one's life. Being born again, then, is a transformative process rather than a single event. We spend our whole lives being transformed into better disciples of Christ.
Richard
2011-06-20 02:17:12
Correct is: Joseph Smith and the first vision. All the other scriptures you can take and prove yourself and God spirit or mortal or whatever.. Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus His Christ and they did in reality speak to him, just like Jehovah spoke face to face with Moses, and a few other OT prophets.
The virgin birth of Jesus was through the Power of the HG commanded by the Father.
To be born again is just to work on giving up the natural man through and with Christ.
The church is True, the rest we'll understand more about later.
1) Mormons do believe that God is a Spirit. Though God is obviously very different than we are, He is similar in that He is a spiritual being who has chosen to inhabit a physical body. We often speak of God having a physical body, but that does not negate the fact that He is also a spiritual being. He is simultaneously physical and spiritual.
2) Your description of God as one being with three essences is not a Mormon or even an early Christian idea. I think you may be understandably imposing your pre-conceived beliefs on the Book-of-Mormon text. Like creedal Christians, Mormons believe God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Ghost are simultaneously one and three. They are three in that they are physically distinct, but they are perfectly united in purpose and so function as one monotheistic unit, God, or, more specifically stated, the Godhead. It is thus not incorrect to emphasize the oneness of God, nor is it inappropriate to emphasize their "threeness." Both divine characteristics are simultaneously true.
3) Different Mormons may have different opinions regarding the unchangability of God. I can only express my own view, which I believe to be pretty orthodox. According to my understanding, it's important to differentiate between personality/knowledge changes and experiential changes. God is omniscient, so He cannot increase in knowledge or understanding. He already knows and understands everything. However, like all fathers, God the Father takes great glory in the development of His children. As we progress spiritually, we honor God our creator. He thus undergoes experiential change because he has chosen to take glory in our progress. I hope this explanation makes sense. Please let me know if further explanation is required.
4) Mormons do believe that Jesus Christ is God. The Church's official proclamation "The Living Christ" makes it clear that He should be worshiped.
5) Mormons do not claim to understand the detailed mechanics of Christ's conception. Clearly He is the Son of God; He said so Himself on multiple occasions. On the other hand, Matthew 1:18 says He was conceived by the Holy Ghost. What that means, and how specifically it happened, is unknown.
6) Mormons also believe in being born again, though our view is perhaps more similar to Catholic than Protestant thought. Clearly being born again is associated with baptism (John 3:5). Following baptism, the conversion process continues for the rest of one's life. Being born again, then, is a transformative process rather than a single event. We spend our whole lives being transformed into better disciples of Christ.
The virgin birth of Jesus was through the Power of the HG commanded by the Father.
To be born again is just to work on giving up the natural man through and with Christ.
The church is True, the rest we'll understand more about later.