Why do Mormons believe God has a physical body? For me, having a body means I am restrained by my physical strength, the speed with which my brain processes my surroundings, my emotions, etc. But obviously God is not like this at all. He is not restrained by time and there are no limits on his understanding.
If God does have a body, it is so incredibly different from our own that it should be redefined, and not just called a body. I know that Mormons term it a “perfect body,” but something like that is so different than what we know a body to be, it seems foolish to try to relate it to our own bodies. I feel that we Mormons say he has a body as a means of better relating to him, so that we might feel more comfortable in praising and worshiping him.
What difference does it make if he has a body or not? If he didn’t have a body would that really make me love him less? I think we are perfectly capable of heeding the commandments and worshiping a being without him being having a body “just like me.” The scriptures do claim he has a body, but is there any real value in this, other than comforting our human minds?
One Response to “Why do Mormons believe God has a physical body? For me,…”
Mateo Campos
2013-01-05 11:07:59
Hi friend. I agree that the concept of a corporeal deity is not, strictly speaking, the most theologically important Mormon belief. That having been said, the reality of whether or not God has a physical body has nothing to do with whether or not we as mortals "claim [He] has a physical body," whether or not we would esteem Him less if He didn't have a body, whether or not we would be capable of keeping the commandments even if God had no physical body, or whether or not the idea of an embodied God comforts our minds. God exists independent of human thought. We should strive not to impose our beliefs about the nature of God on God Himself; God tells us about His nature directly through revelation and through the scriptures. It is not that Mormons wanted to relate to God better so we created a theology that included a corporeal deity. Rather, God told us He is a corporeal deity, and we believed Him.
It's true that God's physical body is very different from ours. While the scriptures teach that His body has the same general appearance as ours (i.e., we were "created in His image"), the details of His physiology are certainly different and probably beyond human comprehension. He has none of the human limitations that you mentioned; His body in no way limits His power. It is not Mormon teaching that God's body resembles a mortal body beyond being somewhat similar in outward appearance. The Church, of course, does not claim to know the details of the nature of God's body, but because God is all-powerful and all-knowing and we humans are not and cannot be, we can only suppose that His body must be vastly superior to ours.
It's true that God's physical body is very different from ours. While the scriptures teach that His body has the same general appearance as ours (i.e., we were "created in His image"), the details of His physiology are certainly different and probably beyond human comprehension. He has none of the human limitations that you mentioned; His body in no way limits His power. It is not Mormon teaching that God's body resembles a mortal body beyond being somewhat similar in outward appearance. The Church, of course, does not claim to know the details of the nature of God's body, but because God is all-powerful and all-knowing and we humans are not and cannot be, we can only suppose that His body must be vastly superior to ours.