Joseph Smith and the Trinity

16 June

False Prophecies of Joseph Smith, The Trinity

Joseph created a problem for himself when he started declaring that God is an exalted man.  In the beginning of his self-proclaimed career as a prophet the majority of his teachings went along with orthodox, biblical Christianity.

As time went on and people began flocking around the charismatic young man, something in Smith’s mind took a turn for the worst.

There are numerous examples of his inconsistencies so we’ll start right where Smith did – the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants.

2 Nephi 31:21; 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.

D&C 76:1-4;Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior.2 Great is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings none can find out.3 His purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay his hand.4 From eternity to eternity he is the same, and his years never fail.” – February 16, 1832

A decade later the disparity of Smith’s teachings had become abundantly clear.

D&C 130:22; 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.” – April 2, 1843

At the funeral of Elder King Follett (a devoted Mormon), Smith delivered the eulogy while declaring this new found revelation of the Mormon god.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 345; 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…” – General Conference, April 1844

Just two months later in a grove east of the Nauvoo Temple, Smith gave another sermon shortly before his death on June 16, 1844.  The earlier message that God is an exalted man was once again taught.

TPJS, pg. 372; Many men say there is one God; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are only one God. I say that is a strange God anyhow—three in one, and one in three! It is a curious organization. “Father, I pray not for the world, but I pray for them which thou hast given me.” “Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are.” All are to be crammed into one God, according to sectarianism. It would make the biggest God in all the world. He would be a wonderfully big God—he would be a giant or a monster.

As the reader can plainly see Smith’s idea on the nature of God had taken a 180 degree turn.  The false teaching of God is enough to determine that Smith was a false prophet.

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3 Responses to “Joseph Smith and the Trinity”

  1. shematwater June 17, 2011 at 2:01 am #

    Again, not a prophecy.

    As to the actual teaching, there is no contradiction or turning of doctrine. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one, in the same basic way that Paul uses the term in describing the saints: One in purpose, one in power, one in attributes.
    However, they are not one being.

    There is no contradiction in any of this, when it is understood correctly (which is shown clearly in the Bible if one just opens theirs eyes).

    • lifeafterministry June 17, 2011 at 2:25 am #

      “Understood correctly” meaning it requires one to put on the Mormon blinders as they place their trust in the words of Joseph Smith vs. God. Got it! 😉 – Melissa Grimes

  2. shematwater June 17, 2011 at 10:23 pm #

    What it means is that if you try to learn LDS doctrine from a non-LDS perspective you will never understand it. You cannot compare LDS doctrine to that of other faiths and declare a contradiction because the comparrison is faulty.
    I really don’t care if our doctrine contradicts yours; in fact I am glad it does. However, it does not contradict itself.
    Whether you believe in it or not has nothing to do with understanding it, and it is not “blinders” that are required. It is simple logical reasoning and an intelligent approach to learning that is needed to see what I am talking about.

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