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The Polytheistic Trinity of MormonismWhen orthodox Christians use the word Trinity they are referring to one God revealed in three Persons that are coequal, coeternal and eternally distinct (See How do I explain the Trinity to My Mormon friend?). Mormonism uses a different definition for this word. The Trinity in Mormonism consists of three separate beings, and each being is a separate god. Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon church, is the originator of this false doctrine, saying: "I will preach on the plurality of Gods…. I wish to declare that I have always and in all congregations when I preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods. It has been preached by the Elders for fifteen years. I have always declared God [the Father] to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and the Holy Spirit was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods. If this is in accordance with the New Testament, lo and behold! We have three Gods, anyhow, and they are plural; and who can contradict it?" (Joseph F. Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 370) Joseph Smith also ridiculed the Biblical and historical doctrine of the Trinity: "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 on three! It is a curious organization… All are to be crammed into one God, according to sectarianism. It would make the biggest God on all the world. He would be a wonderfully big God - he would be a giant or a monster." (Joseph F. Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 370, 372, insert added) The belief in more than one god is known as polytheism. This is a most fitting description in the case of Mormonism. The LDS church teaches that an infinite number of gods exist1. Most Mormons do not like being referred to as polytheists. In an attempt to shake this some have argued that polytheism implies the worship of multiple gods, not the belief in multiple gods. This would make Mormons henotheists, or worshipers of one God while believing in multiple gods. This, however, is only a smokescreen designed to cover the real issue, which is that the Bible teaches that only one true God has ever and will ever exist. It should also be remembered that there are few Mormons that would admit to worshiping God the Father and not Jesus Christ. Worship of both would make Mormon polytheistic by definition. All that aside, the Bible is crystal clear that only one God exists and will ever exist. Through the prophet Isaiah God said "Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." (Isaiah 43:10, KJV) For a more detailed definition of the Trinity and how this differs from the LDS concept of God we recommend reading our article entitled How do I explain the Trinity to my Mormon friend?
Second LDS president Brigham Young said "How many Gods there are, I do not know. But there never was a time when there were not Gods and worlds, and when men were not passing through the same ordeals that we are now passing through. That course has been from all eternity, and it will be to all eternity." (Brigham Young, in Discourses of Brigham Young arranged by John A. Widtsoe, pp.22-23) Former LDS apostle Bruce McConkie wrote, "as each of these persons is a God, it is evident, from this standpoint alone, that a plurality of Gods exists. To us, speaking in the proper finite sense, these three are the only Gods we worship. But in addition there is an infinite number of holy personages, drawn from worlds without number, who have passed on to exaltation and are thus gods." (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.319) Back to No Comparison or The Trinity |
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