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QUESTION 5b: Priesthood: Why were blacks denied the Priesthood?

Short answer

For a time, LDS priesthood authority was not given to men of African descent. The reasons behind this policy are not entirely clear. This policy was rescinded in 1978 and Latter-day Saints rejoiced at this announcement. We are grateful that God has extended this privilege to all worthy men of the Church and hope that every man so blessed will use that priesthood to bless his family, his fellow members, and his community.

Longer answer

For a time, LDS priesthood authority was not given to men of African descent. The reasons behind this policy are not entirely clear. This policy was rescinded in 1978 and Latter-day Saints rejoiced at this announcement. We are grateful that God has extended this privilege to all worthy men of the Church and hope that every man so blessed will use that priesthood to bless his family, his fellow members, and his community.

Interestingly, in the early days of the Church, Joseph Smith approved the ordination of blacks, but this was later discontinued. Most early Latter-day Saints were opposed to slavery, and they suffered significant persecution because of this.

Because the Church regards the priesthood as God’s authority, leaders and members did not feel entitled to reverse the priesthood restriction without revelation from God. Many Church leaders had asked the Lord for such a revelation, and it was finally received in 1978 by Church President Spencer W. Kimball, and was then accepted and sustained by other Church leaders and the Church membership in general. Since then, the priesthood has been conferred upon worthy men without regard to race.

Past and present-day leaders of the Church have repeatedly spoken against racism or intolerance as unbecoming true disciples of Christ.

Additional resources

• http://en.fairmormon.org/Blacks_and_the_priesthood

QUESTION 6a: Nature of God: What does the church believe our potential to become as God is?

Short answer

God has promised that those who have faith in His Son and follow His commandments will become joint-heirs of His Glory with Christ (Romans 8:17). We do not know all that is meant by that, but we know that we will be “like him; for we shall see him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

Longer answer

God has promised that those who have faith in His Son and follow His commandments will become joint-heirs of His Glory with Christ (Romans 8:17). We do not know all that is meant by that, but we know that we will be “like him; for we shall see him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

Latter-day Saints believe that all humans are spirit children of God. Like all good parents, God wants us to be happy, and wants us to develop to our full potential. He also knew that we could not do so on our own. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us from our mistakes and sorrows. Jesus promises us that if we will follow Him and trust Him, He will share everything He has with us. As He said, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Revelation 3:21).

Additional resources

Both Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians believe that “theosis” or deification was taught by the apostles and was a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theosis and http://www.antiochian.org/node/16916 for examples.

The International Bulletin of Missionary Research (an ecumenical publication) reported in an item in May 2001 that: “There are … somewhat over one billion Roman Catholics … 215 million Orthodox,” 80 million Anglicans, and 342 million “other Protestants.” Since Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox seem to agree with us on this point, there are, according to these figures, roughly 1.2 billion Christians that would take issue with those who condemn “theosis.” Since our critics are presenting an opinion shared by only about 340 million Christians, they are misleading other into believing that their position represents Christianity, when in fact it represents, at best, only about 28% of the total Christians listed above. The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology on the subject of “Deification” states:

Deification (Greek theosis) is for Orthodoxy the goal of every Christian. Man, according to the Bible, is ‘made in the image and likeness of God’.... It is possible for man to become like God, to become deified, to become god by grace. This doctrine is based on many passages of both [Old Testament] and [New Testament] (e.g. Ps. 82 (81).6; [NOTE: What does this Psalm reference mean? It appears to be pointing to two different psalms.] 2 Peter 1.4), and it is essentially the teaching both of St. Paul, though he tends to use the language of filial adoption (cf. Rom. 8.9-17; Gal. 4.5-7), and the Fourth Gospel (cf. 17.21-23).

The language of 2 Peter is taken up by St. Irenaeus, in his famous phrase, ‘if the word has been made man, it is so that man may be made gods’ (Adv. Haer, V, Pref.), and becomes the standard in Greek theology. In the fourth century St. Athanasius repeats Irenaeus almost word for word, and in the fifth century St. Cyril of Alexandria says that we shall become sons ‘by participation’ (Greek methexis). Deification is the central idea in the spirituality of St. Maximus the Confessor, for whom the doctrine is the corollary of the Incarnation: ‘Deification, briefly, is the encompassing and fulfillment of all times and ages’,... and St. Symeon the New Theologian at the end of the tenth century writes, ‘He who is God by nature converses with those whom he has made gods by grace, as a friend converses with his friends, face to face.

Finally, it should be noted that deification does not mean absorption into God, since the deified creature remains itself and distinct. It is the whole human being, body and soul, who is transfigured in the Spirit into the likeness of the divine nature, and deification is the goal of every Christian. (Symeon Lash, The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology, ed. Alan Richardson and John Bowden, Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1983, pp. 147-48; as quoted in Are Mormons Christian, p. 62)

QUESTION 6b: Nature of God: What does the Church believe about the Trinity?

Short answer

The Church’s first article of faith states, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” These three beings make up what Latter-day Saints call "the Godhead," sometimes called the Trinity. Through modern revelation we know that there are three distinct beings, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, who comprise the Godhead and that they are one in love, purpose, and plan in bringing about the salvation of man.

Longer answer

The Church’s first article of faith states, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” These three beings make up the Godhead, sometimes called the Trinity. Through modern revelation we know that there are three distinct beings, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, who comprise the Godhead and that they are one in love, purpose, and plan in bringing about the salvation of man.

The Bible likewise teaches that there is “one God.” A central issue in Christian thought is how to reconcile these two ideas: How can there be three beings regarded as divine, while there is only “one God”?

Much of modern Christianity descends from groups who approached this problem by applying concepts from Greek philosophy. This approach resulted in the Nicene and other Christian Creeds.

Latter-day Saints believe in the trinity, but do not accept the Nicene or other Christian Creeds as properly resolving the issues raised by the verses of scripture mentioned above. Instead, they regard each of the divine beings as a distinct person. These persons are united in a perfect harmony of intent and love, and may be therefore said to be “One.”

John 10:30 states “I and my Father are one” and Latter-day Saints interpret this to mean that they are one in purpose, similar to what is stated in John 17:11, 21-23:

11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (bold and italics added)

Additional resources

• http://en.fairmormon.org/Nature_of_God/Trinity/Nicene_creed
• http://en.fairmormon.org/Nature_of_God/Deification_of_man

QUESTION 6c: Nature of God: Does God have a body?

Short answer

Yes. Latter-day Saints believe that human beings are created in the form and image of a God who has a physical body (Genesis 1:26). In Joseph Smith’s First Vision, he saw that God the Father and Jesus Christ were two separate and distinct beings, each possessing a physical body. As stated in Doctrine & Covenants 130:22, “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s...”

Longer answer

Latter-day Saints believe that human beings are created in the form and image of a God who has a physical body (Genesis 1:26). In Joseph Smith’s First Vision, he saw that God the Father and Jesus Christ were two separate and distinct beings, each possessing a physical body. As stated in DC 130꞉22, “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s...”

In addition to God the Father having a physical body, Jesus Christ has a physical body as well. Like most Christians, Latter-day Saints regard Jesus as God. Jesus was born, lived as a mortal, and then died for the sins of all humanity. One of Christianity’s most joyful messages is that Jesus was resurrected—that is, His spirit returned to his physical body. Jesus took the opportunity to prove to His apostles that He had been resurrected, by having them touch Him and by eating with them (Luke 24:39-43). There is no indication in the scriptures that Jesus later discarded his resurrected body, and Joseph Smith, in his First Vision, clearly saw that Jesus Christ continues to possess a physical body.

Additional resources

• http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/God_the_Father
• http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Resurrection
• http://en.fairmormon.org/Nature_of_God/Corporeality_of_God
• http://en.fairmormon.org/Nature_of_God/God_is_a_Spirit

QUESTION 7: Book of Mormon (What is the Book of Mormon?)

Short answer

We believe the Book of Mormon was written by a group of Israelites who fled Jerusalem just before its destruction by Babylonians. They brought with them scriptures that resemble our Old Testament, and the Book of Mormon was intended to compliment the Old Testament - in particular it describes the relationship these peoples had with God, the covenants God made with them, and the revelations they received through their own prophets. Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of the LDS Church was led to the hiding place of the record, and translated it by the power of God. Today, members of the LDS Church consider the Book of Mormon to be scripture, alongside both the Old and New Testaments.

Longer answer

We believe the Book of Mormon was written by a group of Israelites who fled Jerusalem just before its destruction by Babylonians. They brought with them scriptures that resemble our Old Testament, and the Book of Mormon was intended to compliment the Old Testament - in particular it describes the relationship these peoples had with God, the covenants God made with them, and the revelations they received through their own prophets. Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of the LDS Church was led to the hiding place of the record, and translated it by the power of God. Today, members of the LDS Church consider the Book of Mormon to be scripture, alongside both the Old and New Testaments.

In 1821, Joseph Smith was directed to the hiding place of the plates by a visitation from an angel. After he was able to retrieve the plates, he translated them by the power of God into the Book of Mormon text that is used today. Members of the LDS faith hold the Book of Mormon to be scripture with the Old and New Testaments in the Bible, and claim it to be another testament of Jesus Christ. Like the New Testament, the Book of Mormon contains many teachings of the Savior as well as providing other revelations on the gospel and God's plan of salvation for mankind.

The Book of Mormon also excels in leading men to Christ in that it provides us with a clear definition of the Gospel and the plan of salvation (2 Nephi 31; 3 Nephi 27; Moroni 8:24-26; see also Sep 92 Ensign, pp. 7-13). As such it contains the fullness of the Gospel (D&C 20:9; 27:5; 42:12).

Additional resources

• www.lds.org – gospel topics – Book of Mormon
• http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Book_of_Mormon
• http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon_basics

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