Home Questions to Mormons ALL QUESTIONS How can there be multiple Gods?
How can there be multiple Gods?
Written by Josh
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Can you explain how the multiple Gods idea (see entire book of Abraham, for example) of the doctrine of eternal progression is not a HUGE contradiction to the following verses?
And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God. (Exodus 8:10)
Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him. (Deuteronomy 4:35)
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (Deuteronomy 6:4)
See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. (Deuteronomy 32:39)
There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. (Deuteronomy 33:26)
There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides Thee, nor is there any rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:2)
Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. (2 Samuel 7:22)
And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their (1 Kings 8:23)
That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else. (1 Kings 8:60)
AO Lord, there is none like Thee, neither is there any God besides Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. (1 Chronicles 17:20)
And said, O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their (2 Chronicles 6:14)
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. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. (Isaiah 43:10-11)
Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. (Isaiah 44:6)
Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. (Isaiah 44:8)
I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I (Isaiah 45:5-6)
Thus saith Jehovah, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God. (Isaiah 45:14)
Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:21-22)
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, (Isaiah 46:9)
Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Jehovah; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. (Jeremiah 10:6)
Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me. (Hosea 13:4)
And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. (Joel 2:27)
Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? (Malachi 2:10)
"Those who are worthy to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ become “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17) of all that the Father has. They will return to live with Heavenly Father and with their families in His eternal glory."null
This, however, does not mean that we worship multiple gods. This refers to the fact that we can inherit all that God has. There is but one God who we worship and pray to.
Everything, and I mean everything, we see, experience, taste, smell, touch-- anything and everything was made and created by our God who created us. He is the only God that is relevant to us and our salvation. We only worship Him, and He is the only one who has created all we know. We believe there are other Gods, who have created worlds etc. but we are not theirs and they won't give us eternal life. Because only the God that created us gives us Eternal life, other Gods are irrelevant to us. why spend our efforts learning about them? The God that created us is all we need to focus on, no other. For us, He is the only God.
In ancient cultures, it was common for people to worship multiple gods. There were gods for nations, gods for villages, gods for the acts of nature, etc. etc. The worship of these many gods was an integral part of the ancient people's concept of reality. A modern version of the same kind of idol worship might be the passion some people feel for their cars, boats, and other material possessions. The God of Israel, Jehovah, the Great I AM commanded His followers to worship only Him and abandon these false dieties. That is the context for the scriptures quoted above. The concept that there are multiple gods taught by the prophet Joseph Smith is from a completely different perspective than that of the ancient world. It has to do with the order of things in the eternities, not with who we as humans should worship here on earth. We worship God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. The revelations of Joseph Smith provide new light on the nature of God that helps us understand the verses you quoted. Thanks for sharing.
We do not believe in multiple Gods and never will. We believe in and worship the One True God Elohim and his Son Jehovah (Jesus Christ).
We do believe in gods (the lack of a capital G makes a world of difference). God is the supreme ruler of the universe and there is no other like him. A god is an exalted being (The Father, Son, and Holy Ghosts are each a god) through Christ all mankind can become a god, but none will ever be God. There is only One God and even though we are joint heirs of Christ are receive the same power and glory as the Father and Christ have we are still below them since we only receive our glory and become a god through our savior Jesus Christ. Hence the fact that there is One God, but many gods!
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