New Poll: Nature of the Godhead

[pelagius]

ChinoCoug's poll is a good one, but I think that maybe what it primarily did was point out that people are uncomfortable about talking or thinking about God using philosophical or metaphysical language and constructs. This make sense to me because to me Mormonism is fundamentally a revealed religion where theology has never been systematized (and I am not sure it really can be).'

On the other hand, suppose we frame the poll about the Godhead this way. Do you believe the following are true:

(21) And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. 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

28 Which Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one God, infinite and eternal, without end. Amen. --D&C 20:28[1]

and

22 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. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us. -- D&C 130:22

So the question then becomes do you believe that God (meaning the Godhead) is one and yet separate in that the Father has a body, the son has a body, and the Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit?

If you do then you are a monotheist (and not a tritheist) because you believe in One God. Now, some will respond that Mormons believe that the Godhead is one in unity of purpose, thought, and glory and that is not enough to achieve monotheism. In my view that misses the point. Whatever the nature of indwelling of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, it has to be strong enough so that those scriptures proclaiming oneness are true but D&C 130:22 is also true. Given that, I think we can safely say we are monotheistic.



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[1] You can certainly disagree with these two first scriptures. First, we do not believe scriptures are inerrant. Second, some people believe that early Mormon theology is essentially modalistic (a heretical form of traditional trinitarinism), but that later revelations moved away from that understanding.

[MikeWaters]

We are montheistic because we worship the Father. Christians are polytheistic because they worship a macaroni and cheese version of the Godhead.

[pelagius]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

We are montheistic because we worship the Father. Christians are polytheistic because they worship a macaroni and cheese version of the Godhead.

MW, I worship One God: The Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost (and I understand it in the sense given above).

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

We are montheistic because we worship the Father. Christians are polytheistic because they worship a macaroni and cheese version of the Godhead.

You mean Mormons worship Father Jehova? The big guy upstairs in the Old Testament? That's what you mean, right. Please confirm. Thanks in advance.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by pelagius

MW, I worship One God: The Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost (and I understand it in the sense given above).

You worship the Holy Ghost? I've never heard that nor read that anywhere.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

You worship the Holy Ghost? I've never heard that nor read that anywhere.

Mike, I don't understand your conception of the godhead. Can you give me a cite with an explanation like Pelagius did? Thanks in advance.

[MikeWaters]

I'm like Bloom. I don't need to cite anything.

We pray to the Father. We worship the father in the name of Christ.

All glory goes to the Father. This is from Christ's lips.

[pelagius]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

You worship the Holy Ghost? I've never heard that nor read that anywhere.

MW, this, of course, will quickly devolve into silly semantics, but I accept the following:

(1) I worship God.
(2) I accept that there is one God (in the sense outlined above): The Father, The Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Whatever that implies, I accept. I know I pray to the Father.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

I'm like Bloom. I don't need to cite anything.

We pray to the Father. We worship the father in the name of Christ.

All glory goes to the Father. This is from Christ's lips.

Bloom doesn't even recognize Jesus Christ as anything other than an irreverent Jew who was killed off for inciting the rabble, if not a complete figment of Paul's imagination.

[All-American]

Kids, this is going nowhere fast. Somebody sound the retreat.