Questions about Jesus according to mormon theology

[Doctrine_Guy]

4.This will seem contradictory but I don't know how to explain it except in contradictions

The scripture says we all are children of God through faith in Jesus Christ ..

But I also believe that we may be children of God in the sense that we are created by God

So those who believe both I dont have a conflict with in that sense . But for me the jury is still out on the later but God has already ruled on the former ..And Christians are children of God by the new birth .

Now to your question about Joseph Smith and God and Christ .. No I don't believe that .God is one .If you are in the presence of Christ you are in the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit ..There is one God in three divine persons ..One does not exist with out the other ..I understand that you do not believe that .. As for the vision Joseph Smith made how many accounts was it ? Was it four or seven ? Now that being said and I want you to understand this ..That does not mean I do not believe that God the father and Jesus Christ could have appeared to Joseph Smith in a vision .. I do not believe the account that he gave of his vision .. Or at least the account that is taken as truth by the LDS. Keep in mind you are asking a protestant these questions and you will get protestant answers .

Do I believe that all members of the LDS worship a false Christ ..I could not say ..To say that would be to assume to know the heart of each and every one and i don't even know my own heart .. so no i could not answer that ..

Forgive me for butting into the discussion at this late interval, but I wanted to touch on just a couple of things from your last post.

First, I think your bit about children of God touches on a point of doctrine that is very confusing to even some members of the church. We know Christ as our elder brother, our savior and redeemer, and also as our father. But in knowing him as father, it is not the same "Father" as our Father in Heaven. Confusing, huh?

Let me try to break it down.

1 - we are all the Children of God the Father in that He created us spiritually. (created a.k.a organized from intelligences as previously discussed) Christ, or Jehovah, was the first of these intelligences that was organized by God the Father, and in that way is a spiritual sibling, hence the "elder brother".

2 - Christ, in the pre-mortal realm distinguished himself as the most valiant of the Father's "spirit children". He was so perfectly in tune and united with the purposes of God the Father, that for all intents and purposes they are one, and Christ is God the son. As such, he volunteered and was chosen to be the savior of the world. At the direction of God the Father, he created the Earth (again, organized it from existing matter) and all things on it including the physical bodies of Adam and Eve. Hence, Christ is our "Father" or the father of our physical bodies.

3 - Christ himself took on a mortal physical body and was born of Mary. While in this life, he was the perfect, sinless example for us. He also spent his ministry organizing his church, teaching his disciples, and conferring his priesthood on the apostles. But the biggest thing he did was the atonement, wherein he took upon himself the pains, sorrows, and sins of all people upon condition of their repentance and acceptance of his sacrifice. Further, he overcame the bands of death to be resurrected, and thus opened the door for all mankind to be resurrected. Hence, he is our savior, redeemer, and the "father" of our salvation meaning 'our father of the new birth'.

So when asked "who is a child of God". It really depends on which context your talking about as to how to answer. Which is pretty much what your position is, so we agree on that point.

As for the second point. You said he is "one God in three divine persons". This phrase is from the Athenasian creed, and I have never understood it, nor have I ever met anyone who could explain it to me. Is there one, or are there three? And if there are three how can there only be one? Does God physically divide himself into three parts? And if there are three parts, how can there only been one?

Can you explain it? I sincerely would like to know because as it is I just can't understand why so many of my friends believe what I see as a completely non-scriptural description. Generally I just get "well, you have to take it on Faith because God can't be comprehended". But that contradicts John 17:3 "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." We're supposed to know God, not be confused by him.

The thing is, that the doctrine of the Trinity is really not that much different than the doctrine of the Godhead. The only real difference is that those who believe in a trinity believe God is a spirit, while we who believe in a Godhead recognize that the Father and son each have flesh and bone bodies, while the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit. In either case, we agree that the three are completely unified in thought, purpose, and power and are therefore "one God".

Further, in response to your assertion that Joseph Smith couldn't have seen two personages. How do you explain Acts 7:55-56 where Stephen saw God and Jesus Christ as two separate personages?

"55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."

Why can't Joseph have seen the same kind of vision?