Tag: Trinity

The Contradiction of Mormonism

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The Mormon church has experienced quite a bit of growth over the past several years, and with that growth has come the birth (or perhaps rebirth) of LDS apologetics and online influencers. This has sparked major debates between Mormons and members of other faiths or no faith at all. It has also sparked the creation of major online accounts on Youtube and other platforms critiquing the Mormon church by ex-members. Most importantly, from my perspective, it’s sparked intense debate between Latter Day saints and members of mainstream Christian denominations. One of these debates is a particularly fascinating dialogue between Gavin Ortlund and Jacob Hansen on the Trinity, if you’re interested feel free to check it out HERE.

Today though I wanted to give my perspective on the Mormon religion and why I don’t believe in it, nor consider it a genuine expression of the Christian faith. Growing up I was told by other Christians that they believed a lot of crazy things like having a bunch of kids is necessary so that “alien spirits” can possess them. Having studied Mormonism more thoroughly I’ve shed a lot of the misconceptions, but my main reason for rejecting it is their stance on the Trinity. 

To put it simply, Mormons don’t believe in the Trinity. They believe that God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are part of the “Godhead”, meaning that they share the same doctrine and purpose, but they are not one in nature. The Trinity teaches that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are indeed three distinct persons but also sharing one indivisible divine nature. Unpacking the doctrine of the Trinity and explaining why it’s an orthodox Christian belief however requires a separate post, so I’ll save that for another time. 

Back to the Mormon view of the Godhead, their interpretation of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit’s relationship I think is demonstrated clearly in these quotes from various elders: 

“Latter-day Saints pray to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. They acknowledge the Father as the ultimate object of their worship, the Son as Lord and Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit as the messenger and revealer of the Father and the Son. But where Latter-day Saints differ from other Christian religions is in their belief that God and Jesus Christ are glorified, physical beings and that each member of the Godhead is a separate being. The true doctrine of the Godhead was lost in the apostasy that followed the Savior’s mortal ministry and the deaths of His Apostles.- churchofjesuschrist.org., “Godhead.”

“We do not believe in what the Christian world calls the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. In his First Vision, Joseph Smith saw two distinct personages, two beings, thus clarifying that the then-prevailing beliefs concerning God and the Godhead were not true…We know that the three members of the Godhead are separate and distinct beings. We know this from instruction given by the Prophet Joseph Smith: “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.” – Dallin H. Oaks, “The Godhead and the Plan of Salvation.”

“We declare it is self-evident from the scriptures that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate persons, three divine beings, noting such unequivocal illustrations as the Savior’s great Intercessory Prayer just mentioned, His baptism at the hands of John, the experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, and the martyrdom of Stephen—to name just four.” – Jeffrey R Holland, “The Only True God And Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent.”

Contrary to the doctrine of the Trinity, the Mormon church confesses that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are completely separate beings that don’t share the same divine substance. Scripture though paints a much different picture, starting at the very first chapter of Genesis: 

“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created mankind in his own image in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” – Genesis 1:26-27

“I and the Father are one.” – John 10:30.

“For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” – 1 John 5:7 (Note: this passage only exists in the KJV, but that’s the version that the Mormon church uses for their copies of the Old and New Testament.)

This is far from an exhaustive list, but I choose these verses specifically because they demonstrate how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one. When you take passages like these alongside Jesus praying to the Father, Him being seated at the right hand of God at Stephens martyrdom, and all three persons of the Trinity being present at His baptism (as mentioned by Holland above), you get a good foundation for what we Christians refer to as the Trinity. I should mention that Latter Day saints don’t ignore verses like these, some people will set you up for making you look silly by not pointing that out. 

Rather, they’ll argue that while the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are “one” in the sense of having one purpose, they aren’t one being. Notice though that in Genesis 1:27 after God says He’ll make man in “His own image”, alongside “our image” in verse 26. This shows a singularity between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit along with the distinct personages referenced in the previous verses. If verses talking about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being “one” meant that they shared one purpose, these texts would’ve said so. 

More than that however, I want to call attention to what might be the biggest defeater for the Mormon church’s interpretation/rejection of the Trinity: The Book of Mormon itself. 

“An Angel prophesies: ‘For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men…And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning…” Mosiah 3:5-8

“Amulek declares: ‘Now Zeezrom saith again unto him: Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father? And Amulek said unto him: Yeah, he is the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth, and all things which in them are; he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” – Alma 11:38-39

“The resurrected Jesus speaks to the Nephites: ‘Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the whole world.” – 3 Nephi 11:14

“Samuel the Lamanite prophesies:…’and ye shall know of his coming and know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning.” – Helaman 14:12

“Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.” – Ether 3:14

“And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.”  – 2 Nephi 31:21

“And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.” – Mormon 7:7

These verses clearly speak of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as distinct persons but consisting of one being, not three distinct persons with one purpose. Jesus is said to be the Father, and all three persons of the Trinity are said to be one God. 

Conclusion

When speaking with Mormon missionaries, you’ll often be told to prayerfully read the Book of Mormon with an open mind and heart. This, they say, will lead you to realize that the Book of Mormon is true and another testament of Jesus Christ. But as shown above, if you were to take what it says about Jesus’ divinity and the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it will likely lead you to a Trinitarian understanding of God that flies in the face of what the Mormon church has taught elsewhere. Of course I don’t accept that the Book of Mormon is another testament we can add to the Bible, but if I did, I’d be grateful for the further prooftexts that demonstrate the truth of the Trinity. 

If you’re a Latter Day saint, I’d encourage your feedback on this post. I welcome comments and (constructive) criticism, and if there’s anything I may have missed in my critique of your religion, please let me know. For now though I think the reasons I’ve outlined above are sufficient not to accept Mormonism as an authentic expression of the Christian faith. 

Did Jesus Claim To Be God?

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One of the biggest objections to Christianity is that Jesus Christ allegedly never claimed to be God in any of the Gospel accounts. People who argue this say that the idea of Jesus’ divinity was a later accretion, by either an apostle or some other theologian in church history. So to put this accusation to rest I’ve compiled a list of passages from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that demonstrate that Jesus was God. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but I think what I’ve written here is enough to prove my argument. I’ll provide additional commentary as I see fit.

“Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic,  “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”  Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” – Mark 2:7-12

“Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? “But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—He said to the paralytic—“I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.” – Luke 5:20-26

This instance clearly demonstrates that Jesus was God for two reasons.

First, when the Pharisees accuse him of blasphemy by claiming to be God, Jesus doesn’t deny the accusation. In fact, he affirms his authority to forgive sins, an authority every Jew both then and now understood to belong to God alone. If this was not a claim to be God, the Pharisees would never have accused him of blasphemy – and thus, would never have attempted to stone him or have him crucified.

Second, when Jesus heals the man, he doesn’t appeal to any authority other than himself. In the Old Testament when healings were performed, the healer had to rely on God’s power to accomplish it. Jesus uniquely does not require reliance on any power but his own to perform healings, which is further evidence of his divinity.

“ Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” – Matthew 14:33.

“And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.” – Matthew 28:9

“When they [the disciples] saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted.” – Matthew 28:17

Notice that Jesus accepted his disciples’ worship without correcting them, showing that he saw himself as equal with God. The Greek word used here for worship, proskuneo, is used when Jesus affirms that God alone is to be worshipped (Matthew 4:10), and when an angel rebukes the apostle John for almost worshipping him, saying that kind of reverence is for God alone. (Revelation 22:9.)

“The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I SAID, YOU ARE GODS’? “If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp.” – John 10:31-39.

“Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” – John 20:27-29.

As with before, note the lack of correction on Jesus’ part. He does not contradict Thomas when Thomas calls him “My God.”

“The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.’ “Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.” – John 8:52-59

The “I am” statement Jesus uses here are the same words God uses to describe Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14. In the Jewish culture of that day, such a statement would be interpreted as a claim to be God. Again, if Jesus didn’t mean that, the Pharisees would never have tried to stone him. 

Conclusion

Jesus Christ didn’t go around telling people, “I am God, second person of the Holy Trinity” during his years on Earth. But as demonstrated above, that wasn’t necessary at all for him to show that he was God incarnate. To deny that Jesus claimed to be God would be like saying a man who walked up to you and said, “You’re under arrest. Put your hands behind your back. You have the right to remain silent…” never claimed to be a police officer. Jesus’ words and actions (and in some cases, lack of action) showed that he saw himself as being equal to God, and this was understood by his apostles and by every Christian that’s ever lived since.