Criticism of Mormonism/Books/The Changing World of Mormonism/Chapter 7


Chapter 6
A FAIR Analysis of:
Criticism of Mormonism/Books
A work by author: Jerald and Sandra Tanner
 Chapter 8

Claims made in Chapter 7: The Godhead

Page Claim Response Author's sources

172

 The Book of Mormon teaches that God is a spirit.
  •  [ATTENTION!]

173

 The Book of Moses says that God created the earth, but the Book of Abraham says that "the Gods" created the earth.
  •  Author(s) impose(s) own fundamentalism on the Saints
  • "God" may be properly spoken of as one in some senses, and as plural in other senses.
  • Are Mormons polytheists?
  •  [ATTENTION!]

177

 God is "just an exalted man."
  •  Prejudicial or loaded language: The Saints do not believe that God is "just" anything. The word "just" shows the authors' biases, and their predetermined conclusion that the creedal view of God is automatically "better."
  • Deification of man
  •  [ATTENTION!]

178

 There is a "Heavenly Mother."
  •  [ATTENTION!]

180

 Jesus Christ was conceived through a physical act rather than by the power of the Holy Ghost.
  •  Prejudicial or loaded language
  •  The author's claim is false: LDS scripture teaches that Jesus was conceived when Mary "was carried away in the Spirit" (1 Nephi 11꞉19). We know of no details beyond this, save that God the Father was Jesus' literal Father; there is nothing allegorical about Jesus' parentage.
  • Jesus Christ's conception
  •  [ATTENTION!]

183

 1 Nephi 13:40 was changed from "Christ is the Eternal Father" to "the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world."
  • Book of Mormon, 1830 edition, p. 32
  • 1 Nephi 13:40.

183

 1 Nephi 11:18 was changed from "the mother of God" to "the mother of the Son of God"
  • Book of Mormon, 1830 edition, p. 25
  • 1 Nephi 11:18

183

 1 Nephi 11:21 was changed from "the Lamb of God, yea, even the Eternal Father" to "the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father."
  • Book of Mormon, 1830 edition, p. 26
  • 1 Nephi 11:21

183

 1 Nephi 11:32 was changed from "the Everlasting God" to "the Son of the everlasting God."
  • Book of Mormon, 1830 edition, p. 26
  • 1 Nephi 11:32

185

 The Lectures on Faith state that God is a spirit.
  •  [ATTENTION!]

185

 The Lectures on Faith were removed from the Doctrine and Covenants.
  •  [ATTENTION!]

187

 The Book of Mormon teaches that God is "unchangable," but LDS leaders taught otherwise.
  •  [ATTENTION!]

188

 The Lectures on Faith indicate that there are only two personages in the Godhead, and that their mind is the Holy Spirit.
  •  [ATTENTION!]

190

 LDS leaders can't explain why the Holy Ghost should be denied a body since the Father has one.
  •  [ATTENTION!]

190

 The Holy Ghost can't be a God since he doesn't have a body.
  •  [ATTENTION!]

191

 During the First Vision, Joseph learned that the Father and Jesus Christ have bodies of flesh and bones.
  •  History unclear or in error: It is not clear when Joseph learned that the Father and Son had physical bodies.
  • The First Vision taught Joseph that body was "incorporated"—i.e., he had form and some location in physical space. But it is not clear that Joseph immediately understood that this corporeality was made of flesh and bone (e.g., he could have been seeing 'spirit bodies' which still have form and location, but not flesh and bone.)
  • Corporeality of God
  • Joseph Smith's early concept of God
  •  [ATTENTION!]
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