Tonight’s Challenge… God
Joseph Smith said “My first object is to find out the character of the only wise and true, God, and what kind of a being He is; and if I am so fortunate as to be the man to comprehend God, and explain or convey the principles to your hearts, so that the Spirit seals them upon you, then let every man and woman henceforth sit in silence, put their hands on their mouths, and never lift their hands or voices, or say anything against the man of God or the servants of God again. But if I fail to do it, it becomes my duty to renounce all further pretensions to revelations and inspirations, or to be a prophet; and I should be like the rest of the world—a false teacher, …”
God himself. was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by His power, was to make himself visible,—I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God, and received instruction from, and walked, talked and conversed with Him, as one man talks and communes with another.
Another one of their leaders coined the phrase: “As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become” (The Gospel Through the Ages, Hunter, p.105-106). Brigham Young preached: “It appears ridiculous to the world, under their darkened and erroneous traditions, that God has once been a finite being” (Deseret News, Nov. 16, 1859, p. 290).
Elohiym: Genesis 1:1 God is the word ‘elohiym it’s a plural form of el (in the Hebrew it means more than two, and without a number given it is assumed to be three)
(single, duel, plural)
Deuteronomy 6:1-5 (LORD = Jehovah and God = ‘Elohiym)
Other uses…Exodus 21:6, 22:8-9, … the word judges is elohiym.
Psalm 82:1 god’s and judges… both elohiym.
Trinity Concept: God is one absolutely perfect being eternally existent in three persons. They are called persons because they relate to one another in personal ways.
(Trinity simply means TRI-unity) one essence, three persons, one God
More than 60 passages mention the three together.
Matt. 3:16-17, Matt. 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14, Eph. 4:4-6, Titus 3:4-6,
John 3:34-35, 14:26, 15:26, 16:13, Rom. 14:17-18, 15:13-17, 15:30
1Cor. 1:21-22, 2Cor. 3:4-6, Gal. 2:21-3:2, 4:6, Eph. 2:18, Col. 1:6-8,
1Thess. 1:1-5, 4:2&8, 5:18-19 2Thess. 3:5, Heb. 9:14, 1Pet. 1:2,
1John 3:23-24, 4:13-14, Jude 20-21…
Divine attributes: Father Son Holy Spirit
Eternal Rom. 16:26-27 Rev. 1:17 Heb. 9:14
Creator Psalm 100:3 Col. 1:16 Psalm 104:30
Omnipresent Jer. 23:24 Eph. 1:23 Psalm 139:7
Omniscient 1John 3:20 John 21:17 1Cor. 2:10
Gives life Psalm 138:3 Phil. 4:13 Eph. 3:16
Image of God…Genesis 1:26-27
(John 4:24 & Luke 24:39) “being created in God’s image means that humans share, though imperfectly and finitely, in God’s nature, that is, in His communicable attributes (life, personality, truth, wisdom, love, holiness, justice), and so have the capacity for spiritual fellowship with Him.”
God is not a man! ( Hosea 11:9, Numbers 23:19, Romans 1:22-23, Isaiah 45:12)
(Alma 22:10, Alma 31:15) [ not scripture as I would define it.]
The Father is invisible! (1 Timothy 1:17, Colossians 1:15, John 1:18, Hebrews 11:27, Romans 1:20, Deuteronomy 4:15)
God never changes! Malachi 3:6, James 1:17, Psalm 102:26-27, Psalm 90:2,
(Moroni 8:18)
Other descriptions: right hand, rock, fortress, strong tower,
face to face… Exodus 33:11 (Jehovah or Jesus)
(Exodus 33:18-23) (answered in the same passage) figures of speech.
Isaiah chapters 43-48….
Lets let God tell you who He is…
Who is God?
He is the creator of all…Genesis 1:1, Job 38-39, Isaiah 44:24
He is the self existing one…Exodus 3:14
He always was and always will be, The Everlasting…Genesis 21:33,
Isaiah 44:6
There are no others like Him…Isaiah 43:10
Everywhere present…Amos 9:3, Psalm 90:8, 139, Jeremiah 23:24
All powerful…Ezekiel 12:25, Psalm139
All knowing. Jeremiah 49:10, Psalm 139
He is Judge…Romans 1:32, 2:2, Revelation 20:11
He alone is to be worshiped…Exodus 34:14, Psalm 81:9
Any other god or lord is an idol… 1Corinthians 8:4-7, Exodus 20:3-4, Matthew 4:10
Info just for you
Any Latter-day Saint who denounces or opposes, whether actively or otherwise, any plan or doctrine advocated by the “prophets, seers, and revelators” of the Church is cultivating the spirit of apostasy … Lucifer … wins a great victory when he can get members of the Church to speak against their leaders and to do their own thinking? …
When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done. When they propose a plan-it is God’s plan. When they point the way, there is no other which is safe. When they give direction, it should mark the end of controversy. (Improvement Era 6-1945)
How ironic that Joseph Smith himself said:
The only way of ascertaining a true prophet is to compare his prophecies with the ancient Word of God, and see if they agree … When, therefore, any man, no matter who, or how high his standing may be, utters, or publishes, anything that afterwards proves to be untrue, he is a false prophet. (The Evening and Morning Star 7-1833)
God says: Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
Mark 12 :33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Luke 10: 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Proverbs 2:1-6 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
God expects you to use the brain He gave you. He is not scared of you or your questions. He welcomes them.