Question from my son

[Mirium]

My less active teenage son has asked me to post this question on his behalf. Please, when replying, reply as if your responding to him, not me. Thankyou

If God created everything then who or what created God?

[pam]

We just had this discussion on another thread. Let me see if I can find it.

[gabelpa]

I believe that God did not create the Universe, but rather He organised existing materials into the Universe as it exists today, over billions of years. God as we know Him, has always been God.

Have you done any mathematics that deal with infinite values? We can't actually comprehend this construct, as to us mortals, everything must have a beginning, and an end. This is not so with God, He can comprehend infinity, and has been a God for an infinite amount of time.

[Maxel]

The least circular answer is:

We don't know. We cannot comprehend where the 'circle of life' began; we cannot fully comprehend the origins of God. However, we cannot comprehend the origins of time, space, matter, etc. either. We can't let the things we don't know stop us from acting on the things we do know. For example, simply because I cannot comprehend the process that created the law of gravity, that does not mean I can escape it, or even ignore it. My body must act in accordance to the law of gravity if I wish to move around, play sports, or even keep my feet planted on Earth. In the same vein, because we cannot understand God's origins does not excuse us from living His laws.

I hope that helps! My best wishes to you, son-of-Mirium.

Edited February 15, 2009 by Maxel

[Dr T]

My answer would be that "Nothing" (or nobody) created God. God is the only being to not have a creator-He has always been. He created everything else and what we now know as time.

[tubaloth]

You don't create "God" you become like them.

God, has a body of flesh and bones like we do. That was created at some point in time. (we don't know when or by who).

God lived the plan of salvation (to some extent) When and where we don't know.

God past the test of his "mortal" life. We don't know what kind of mortal life God had.

Having Past the test, God gained all knowlege, attrabutes, and power that God has.

God then become God, and is now trying to help us do the same thing.

[Maya]

I think God has not given us a revelation ... an excact one on this, as it really has nothing to do with our possibilities in the eternity. To Him it is more relevant if we take Jesus Christ as our personal saviour. Even though the matter is left open we can speculate on it, but it may be that we dont excactly know before we are in eternity. But if it bothers you, you should study the scriptures and ask upstairs, you may get an answer in your heart. You can also read writtings by other wise men... make them LDS.

My teacher once said ... (she was lutheran) If it is so easy to get to "heaven" that all we need to do is say: I believe, so what do we loose if we say it... then again if it is true what do we loose if we dont! I as LDS say almost the same ... adding that ok we loose the use of alcohol, the headaces, throwups, dangers it gets us in, we loose to get smoked, we loose some sport on Sundays, we loose to hate and look down at our parents, we loose some "friends" that think all that is soo cool. And waht do we gain... We gain inner peace, we gain often health, we gain good friends that back us up, we gain all memorise of everything we do, we gain the respect of out parents, we gain iternal life in glory.

[Moksha]

I read something once that started out, "In the Beginning God...". That seems sufficient in itself to accept as a premise. There were no "before that" additions mentioned.

[Lbybug]

is this the thread you're thinking of pam?

http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/17265-just-thought.html

[Traveler]

My less active teenage son has asked me to post this question on his behalf. Please, when replying, reply as if your responding to him, not me. Thankyou

If God created everything then who or what created God?

Everything in this universe was created by G-d. Beyond this event horizon of creation (for religions) or Big Bang (for science) we have no means or way to have reliable information all we have is wild speculation. There is no solid information for what created that which comprised G-d prior to the creation given in scripture. Likewise there is no solid information of what transpired in science prior to the Big Bang. In science we do not even have a workable theory as to what “contained” the Big Bang.

We are required to progress in enlightenment by faith in G-d. The catalyst and incentive for faith is that our universe does exist and that there is a possible “good” purpose that gives credence to love and compassion. Is love and compassion worth considering to your son as a reason for all that he experiences that is in existence?

The Traveler

[Mirium]

Thankyou for your responses. I will print them off for him to read and ponder, including the other thread.

[FunkyTown]

My answer would be that "Nothing" (or nobody) created God. God is the only being to not have a creator-He has always been. He created everything else and what we now know as time.

Dr. T is absolutely, one hundred percent correct on this. Anything other than this gets in to pseudo-doctrine and does nothing other than alienate people.

One might even say he is the Alpha and the Omega.

[Hemidakota]

My less active teenage son has asked me to post this question on his behalf. Please, when replying, reply as if your responding to him, not me. Thankyou

If God created everything then who or what created God?

A GOD before HIM; HIS father.

[recon]

And before that Hemi?

when do we get to the very first? there had to be a first right? the scriptures do say that there is even one greater than him, I think even greater than any of them is the law (laws) itself

[Tru2u4eternity]

I think that question is one of those ones that we can't comprehend during mortality. When I try to comprehend it my brain can olny go so far and then I'm dumbfounded by that it but I think Heavenly father wants it that way. There is a reason we are given olny so much knowledge. He is our supreme creator he knows all to well what we are ready to know in this life and what we are not. I except that full heartedly and I eagerly hold tight to the knowledge he has allowed me and I look forward to learning more during my progression. Thats the awesome thing about progression...we don't have to have all the answers right now...we get to keep learning and growing...isn't that awesome!!

[FunkyTown]

A GOD before HIM; HIS father.

And who created Him, Hemi? And the one before that? And the one before that? And the one before that? Which was the first?

Frankly, I worry about this. Especially since Gordon B. Hinckley himself when interviewed about this very thing said, "I don't know that we teach that."

If a Prophet said he doesn't know, then I certainly am not going to overstep my bounds.

[jolee65]

Well if your less then active maybe understanding the less complicated is best.

[Maxel]

And who created Him, Hemi? And the one before that? And the one before that? And the one before that? Which was the first?

Frankly, I worry about this. Especially since Gordon B. Hinckley himself when interviewed about this very thing said, "I don't know that we teach that."

If a Prophet said he doesn't know, then I certainly am not going to overstep my bounds.

I agree with your message, Funky, but I also agree with jolee and want to comment.

It goes back to the 'milk before meat' doctrine. I think Gordon B. Hinckley did know, while on this Earth, the truth about the infinite progression of Gods- but he's not going to tell anyone who's not ready to receive it. Some people learn things that they flat out refuse to tell people, even faithful LDS members, because that knowledge was given to them under the strictest command not to share, except as guided by the spirit.

President Hinckley had to weigh the virtue of being 100% honest vs. the virtue of not giving unto babes the meat intended for healthy adults. Obviously, the second won out. However, he is 110% correct- there is no official doctrine of the LDS Church that lays out the full groundwork of this doctrine. Yes, there's the King Follet Discourse, Lorenzo Snow's couplet, and a thousand other non-canonical support for it, but it's not official for a reason.

[Snow]

My less active teenage son has asked me to post this question on his behalf. Please, when replying, reply as if your responding to him, not me. Thankyou

If God created everything then who or what created God?

Why does God have to have a creator?