In our previous study, we began looking at how to defend the Virgin Birth against the charges brought by the Mormons. Here’s a quick refresher of what we learned.
Defense – The birth of Jesus Christ was a miracle. God the Father did not have sexual relations with the virgin Mary. She would not have been a virgin if a flesh and blood man had sex with her. God the Father does not have a body and is not flesh and blood. He was never a man. God is Eternal and Self-Existent. The Holy Spirit came upon the young virgin Mary and the power of the Highest overshadowed her and she became pregnant, as a virgin, with the Eternal/Self-Existent Son of God, Who is equal with God the Father and God the Spirit.
Evidence – The evidence is clear in the Bible, but remember that Mormons are taught the Christian Bible has been corrupted. They believe it is fallible. They believe the Book of Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price are infallible. They also believe the words spoken by LDS presidents are also infallible. As you present evidence for the Eternal Nature and Essence of God the Father and God the Son, you will most likely have to demonstrate to them that their scriptures are wrong.
As we’ve seen in earlier studies, the Christian Bible we read today contains the same Hebrew Scriptures Jesus quoted and the same Greek Scriptures 1st and 2nd century Christians used in their preaching and teaching. The argument that the current Christian Bible has been corrupted does not hold water historically or textually.
Because of the reliability of Christian Scriptures, the Mormon scriptures are greatly suspect. The Apostle Paul wrote Christians in the region of Galatia that “even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8-9)
Strong language from the Apostle and for good reason. The Holy Spirit Who inspired Paul’s writings knew that Satan would appear as an angel to men in the future and give them a different gospel to preach than the Gospel Paul had preached. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians is an important document to support the fact that the Book of Mormon is not from God, and if the Book of Mormon is not true neither are Doctrines and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price since they are based on the Book of Mormon. That also means what a sitting LDS president says is not the infallible Word of God.
You cannot say that Paul’s Gospel and a different gospel are the same. What Paul taught about God the Father and Jesus Christ is much different than what Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and other Mormons taught about God and Jesus. A big part of your evidence is proving that point to a Mormon or someone considering Mormonism as a belief system.
This is where we start taking the top off Mormonism. Mormons need to see the error of their scriptures in order to be open to the Truth of God’s Word. You can do that by comparing Christian teaching with Mormon teaching.
Brigham Young is quoted in the Journal of Discourses as saying, “How many Gods there are, I do not know. But there never was a time when there were not Gods.”
What does Christianity teach about that?
- “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!” Deuteronomy 6:4
- “Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me.” Isaiah 43:10
- “I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me.” Isaiah 45:5
That seems pretty clear. God says He is the only God and there is no God besides Him. He also says there was no God “formed,” which is the Hebrew word yasar. It means “created, fashioned, made.” God says that no one created Him.
Joseph Smith is quoted as saying, “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man … I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in a form-like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man.” (Teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 1973 ed. p. 346) In Doctrines and Covenants 130:22 we read, “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also.”
What does the Bible say about this?
John the Apostle wrote that “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” (John 1:18) In speaking about God the Father, Jesus said that people had “neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.” (John 5:37) When speaking about Himself, Jesus told people, “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.” Why couldn’t anyone else see God the Father? Because He is not a man and not made of flesh and bone. God is Spirit.
- “For I am God, and not man, The Holy One in your midst.” Hosea 11:9
- “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24
- “For a spirit does not have flesh and bones.” Luke 24:39
In the next part of our study, we’ll look at how we defend the Virgin Birth against the Mormon charges that God the Father became God by being obedient to His God and that our God took a goddess as His wife, procreated and birthed many spirit children.
In Christ’s Love and Grace,
Mark McGee
Faith Defense
Building Confidence Through Evidence
“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
Faith & Self Defense 