DiscussMormonism.com

https://backyardprofessor.org/2022/11/b ... ph-smiths/

I share many insights from Charles Harrell's book "This is My Doctrine" in this insightful podcast showing the changing and contradictory nature of Mormonism's God today from Joseph Smith's God in his day.

I think it's safe to say that Elohim and Jehovah were interchangeable in Old Testament theology and was the expression of the one God who was singular in identity and plural in majesty. The doctrine of the One God in the Jewish religion was absolute and was the very foundation of their entire religion. Their God could manifest in a multiplicity of ways within the human mind and even physically such as in wind, fire, smoke, and even in the appearance of human form.

The Book of Mormon (Mosiah) makes it absolutely clear that the premortal Jesus Christ is the "VERY ETERNAL FATHER" of heaven and earth. Hence, Jesus was the very Heavenly Father BEFORE the earth was ever made! This Father came down out of heaven in bodily form in which Mary ("Mother of God") gave birth to the Father who became the Son -- a divine manifestation of God in physical form.

The Book of Mormon teaches traditional Trinitarian doctrine that existed in the Christian churches of Smith's time. The Book of Mormon contains multiple prophecies that criticizes futuristic Christian churches as being apostate religion. But this criticism does not imply that the latter-day churches taught an incorrect view of the Godhead. Book of Mormon prophecy affirms that churches in the last days teach correct notions and principles of the Christian God but that their hearts are far from God and their hearts were set on riches and getting gain. Where in the Book of Mormon does it ever say that the churches in Smith's day taught incorrect principles of who and what God is?

The King Follett Sermon in 1844 was the pivotal point in which Smith abandoned his former understanding of who and what God is and fully adopted and expressed the plurality of the Gods. In Nauvoo, Smith apostatized from his own religion in order to rebrand Mormonism and set himself up as a prophet, king, and god! Smith wanted it all. He wanted to be President of the United States. He wanted to be a king of the world. He wanted to be a god over his harem of women. And, Joseph loved many women and girls.

An example in the Book of Mormon where the manifestation of Old testament God is shown in the form of a man is when Nephi has a vision of a virgin who becomes the mother of God. The very Eternal Father is made flesh and is manifested as the Son of God. The conversation between Nephi and God is reminiscent of personal conversations between God and man in the Old Testament when God is seen in human form in order to make his presence known in the most intimate manner.

1 Nephi 11:11 wrote:And I said unto him: To know the  interpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another.

Thank God, God changes for believers over time. If God remained as he was first conceived of, he'd be more of a monster than he currently is. Not a fan of believers going back to old traditions. Once they start pushing that they tend to condemn certain groups. We're still stuck with religious folks condemning LGBTQ on such thinking...and plenty of others. If Joseph Smith's God persisted to today, we'd likely see a much more intolerant Mormonism. If the Old Testament God persisted, we'd see a ton more murdering and maiming.

I'm about half way in. Good stuff.