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Mormonism and polytheism

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 3:05 am
by _Mittens
The Mormon beliefs are clearly shown and easily contradicted by both the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

There are many gods (polytheism)

"How many Gods there are, I do not know. But there never was a time when there were not Gods and worlds..."

-Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol.7, pg331, 10/8/1859

Men can become gods

"Gods exist, and we better strive to be prepared to be one with them."

-Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol.7, pg237, 9/1/1859

"The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy. Others attain unto a glory and may even be permitted to come into the presence of the Father and the Son; but they cannot reign as kings in glory, because they had blessings offered unto them, and they refused to accept them."

- Brigham Young Journal of Discourses, Vol.11, pg266, 8/19/1866

God was once a man (Adam-God Theory)

"He is our Father--the Father of our spirits, and was once a man in mortal flesh as we are, and is now an exalted Being."

-Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol.7, pg331, 10/8/1859

"When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. He is Michael, the Archangel, the Ancient of Days, about whom holy men have written and spoken--He is our father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do."

-Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol 1, p50, 4/9/1852

God is made of flesh and bones

"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."

-Doctrine and Covenants, Sections 130:22

THE TRUTH

There is only one God, the God who created the Universe. We can't become gods.

Book of Mormon
•I Nephi 13:41 "...for there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth."
•Mosiah 8:16 "...except he should possess the power of God, which no man can..."
•Alma 11:26-29 "And Zeezrom said unto him:... is there more than one God? And he [Amulek] answered, No"
•Alma 11:35 "...for he said there is but one God..."

Bible
• Deuteronomy 4:39: "Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else."
• Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord"
• Joshua 3:10 "And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the LIVING God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites..."
•Job 10:8 "Thine hands have made me and fashioned me..."
•Isaiah 42:5 "Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein."
•Isaiah 43:10 "Before me there was no god formed, neither shall there be after me."
•Isaiah 43:11 "I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour."
•Isaiah 44:6 "I am the first and I am the last; and beside me there is no God."
•Isaiah 44:8 "You are my witnesses. ; Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one"
•Isaiah 45:5-6 "I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God..."
•Isaiah 45:12 "I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded"
•Isaiah 46:9 "for I am God, and there is none else; I am God and there is none like me."
•Mark 12:32 "for there is one God; and there is none other but he."
•John 1:3 "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
•Hebrews 1:2 "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds."
•Hebrews 1:10-11 "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish: but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment."
•Colossians 1:16 "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him."

God is not a man, made of flesh and bone.

Book of Mormon
•Mosiah 7:27 "...that God should come down among the children of men, and take upon him flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth-"
•Joseph Smith (Lectures on Faith: 5th Lecture 5:2) "...The Father being a personage of spirit, glory, and power, possesing all perfection and fullness..."

Bible
•Genesis 1:26-27 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...So God created man in his own image."
•Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that he should lie..."
•Hosea 11:9 "...For I am God, and not man."
•John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..."
•I Corinthians 15:50 "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God."

http://www.mormonismdisproved.org/polytheism.html


James Talmage, a Mormon Apostle, said Psalm 82:6 is not about becoming gods.
"In Psalm 82:6, judges invested by divine appointment are called 'gods.' To this scripture the Savior referred in His reply to the Jews in Solomon's Porch. Judges so authorized officiated as the representatives of God and are honored by the exalted title 'gods.' Compare the similar appellation applied to Moses (Exo. 4:16; 7:1). Jesus Christ possessed divine authorization, not through the word of God transmitted to Him by man, but as an inherent attribute. The inconsistency of calling human judges 'gods,' and of ascribing blasphemy to the Christ who called Himself the Son of God, would have been apparent to the Jews but for their sin-darkened minds." (James Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 501). -- Mormons often quote Psalm 82:6 which Jesus quoted in John 10:30-34 to show that we can become gods. Rather than them believing the truth from a Christian, perhaps they will believe it from their own apostle.

Re: Mormonism and polytheism

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 3:28 am
by _SteelHead
Ooooh yea. My Bible verses can beat up your Bible verses. Let me get the popcorn.

This ought to be as fun and entertaining as watching two flat earthers debate how many turtles compose the tower.

Re: Mormonism and polytheism

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 6:42 am
by _ldsfaqs
Mittens wrote:James Talmage, a Mormon Apostle, said Psalm 82:6 is not about becoming gods.
"In Psalm 82:6, judges invested by divine appointment are called 'gods.' To this scripture the Savior referred in His reply to the Jews in Solomon's Porch. Judges so authorized officiated as the representatives of God and are honored by the exalted title 'gods.' Compare the similar appellation applied to Moses (Exo. 4:16; 7:1). Jesus Christ possessed divine authorization, not through the word of God transmitted to Him by man, but as an inherent attribute. The inconsistency of calling human judges 'gods,' and of ascribing blasphemy to the Christ who called Himself the Son of God, would have been apparent to the Jews but for their sin-darkened minds." (James Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 501).

-- Mormons often quote Psalm 82:6 which Jesus quoted in John 10:30-34 to show that we can become gods. Rather than them believing the truth from a Christian, perhaps they will believe it from their own apostle.


Hey Mittens, you (or whoever you are quoting) should read for comprehension before you actually quote things to try and support your claims.

The LDS Apostle is not at all embracing Evangelical belief concerning those scriptures, in fact the last sentence makes it clear. He is being supportive of the LDS position.

Christ was being stoned for calling himself God, yet he was teaching them their own hypocrisy when the same usage is also found in their Scripture, which is exactly the point of the last sentence. You see the word "judges" and falsely assume that what he's saying those verses mean. We know it's addressing judges, that's not the problem. The point is is they are called gods, so what's the problem when Christ is also called the Son of God?

And as to "Polytheism". Well, by your logic you must also accept Muslim attacks against Christianity when they accuse you also of "Polytheism" by your Trinity. LDS may not be "strict" Monotheists, but we certainly aren't Polytheists. But, if you really think we are, then you are also with your Trinity. After all, three "persons" is THREE, not ONE, not MONO.

So, if you like bearing false witness of Mormonism, again, you must love Muslim bearing false witness of Christianity. Oh wait.... you don't??? Ding Ding Ding.... Then stop using the same kind of false arguments they use.

Re: Mormonism and polytheism

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 7:08 am
by _ludwigm
SteelHead wrote:This ought to be as fun and entertaining as watching two flat earthers debate how many turtles compose the tower.

see my comment: viewtopic.php?p=607504#p607504

(from the good old days, when I had the pictures...)

Re: Mormonism and polytheism

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 12:27 pm
by _DrW
ludwigm wrote:
SteelHead wrote:This ought to be as fun and entertaining as watching two flat earthers debate how many turtles compose the tower.

see my comment: http://www.mormondiscussions.com/phpBB3 ... 04#p607504

(from the good old days, when I had the pictures...)

ludwigm wrote:"turtles all the way down"

Image

Super-turtle! To avoid an infinite regress (the bottomless tower of turtles) one might consider a levitating superturtle, which is self-explaining and self-supporting. Theologians call this “a necessary being,” and some have tried to prove that such a being exists.

Re: Mormonism and polytheism

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 7:44 pm
by _Albion
And you, ldsfaqs, are guilty of your own charge by attributing Mittens' stated interpretation of the scripture as being only the "evangelical" view. It stands as the interpretation not only of Judaeism but of all Christianity...unless you know of any Christian faith system that believes to the contrary.

Re: Mormonism and polytheism

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 2:45 pm
by _subgenius
The turtles all the way down argument is so narrow and shallow and is best to illuminate the typical shortcomings of an atheist trying to think beyond his/her capacity.

Surely if one considers divine power in the expanse of space and time then why could a deity not hold the earth for a few billion years?

Jñanaraja argued: "A vulture, which has only little strength, rests in the sky holding a snake in its beak for a prahara [three hours]. Why can [the deity] in the form of a tortoise, who possesses an inconceivable potency, not hold the Earth in the sky for a kalpa [billions of years]?
http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Washington?A2 ... =PP&P=1612

Re: Mormonism and polytheism

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:53 pm
by _consiglieri
What's so bad about polytheism?

Re: Mormonism and polytheism

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:56 pm
by _just me
consiglieri wrote:What's so bad about polytheism?


That's kinda what I was thinking. Who cares?

Re: Mormonism and polytheism

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:58 pm
by _consiglieri
And if I've got a million gods on my team and mittens has only the one, guess which side is sure to win the Masters of the Universe competition?