Ah, yes. The old “God is like a Bishopric” analogy. That’s a bit like saying the Trinity is just three guys in matching suits who share an office. Cute, but woefully inadequate.
The problem is this: the Bible doesn’t say “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our Gods, the Lord is a committee.” It says the Lord is one. If your analogy reduces the Creator of heaven and earth to the rough equivalent of a PTA board, then you’ve already shown your theology belongs in the sandbox, not the sanctuary.
And as for the claim that “one being, three persons” doesn’t make sense, that’s exactly the point. Of course the infinite God is beyond your neat little filing system of “makes sense to me.” If God were no bigger than your capacity to diagram Him on a chalkboard, He wouldn’t be God. The biblical Trinity isn’t an arbitrary puzzle; it’s the only way to affirm that God is one, that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God, all without slipping into polytheism.
Mormonism solves the mystery by throwing the truth overboard. They trade monotheism for tri-theism, and then act like it’s just good plain common sense. But saying “God is like a Bishopric” is about as theologically helpful as saying “marriage is like three bachelors living together.” The analogy explains nothing; it only reveals the bankruptcy of the system.
I'm not splitting hairs. This is basic apologetics for dealing with mormons. Something I have done hundreds and hundreds of times.
How many times have you had discussions, debates, or given the gospel to Mormons exactly?
I got good at this because I did it so much along with other brothers from my church.
I feel like this is an area where you should be asking questions, not making assertions. That's how you gain wisdom.
I've heard other Christian denominations talk about God and his son as being two separate people. The Mormons aren't the only ones. They'll say stuff like God sent his only begotten son down to die on the cross for all of our sins. They'll say the God, the son, and the holy ghost make up the holy trinity. From my experience of visiting several different Christian churches, is that they all seem to have similar beliefs. The only thing different about the Mormons is they believe that a family left Jerusalem back in 600BC to go to America and that's what the Book Of Mormon is based on. I'd suggest that you read the book before formulating an opinion on it. For example: I have never read the Quran; therefore I have no opinion on it.
Well, personally I've had issues understanding the Trinity myself, because strictly speaking, if it was true, then God committed suicide when Jesus died on the cross.
It also brings into question how much of a sacrifice Jesus actually made if he and God are the same, seeing as how he would have known he wouldn't stay dead....
You’ve managed to stack misunderstandings like cordwood, and I’ll go ahead and light the match.
First, when historic Christian churches talk about the Father sending the Son, they are not saying “two separate beings.” They are distinguishing persons within the one being of God. That’s not hair-splitting, that’s the creedal backbone of Christianity going back to Nicaea. If you can’t tell the difference between Trinitarian orthodoxy and Mormon tri-theism, then you’re like someone who can’t tell the difference between a steak and a cardboard cutout of a cow.
Second, the notion that the “only” difference between Mormons and Christians is a family hopping on a boat to America is like saying the only difference between whiskey and turpentine is the label on the bottle. No, the difference is lethal. Mormonism teaches a different God, a different Christ, and a different gospel. That’s not a side story; that’s the main story.
Third, “read the book before you criticize it” sounds very pious, but it’s also very silly. I don’t need to drink bleach before concluding it’s not orange juice. The Book of Mormon can be weighed and found wanting on historical, theological, and textual grounds without my slogging through every page of it like it’s War and Peace with a bad plot twist.
And finally, the comparison with the Quran doesn’t help your case. I don’t need to be a Koranic scholar to say Islam denies the Trinity, just like I don’t need to memorize the Book of Mormon to know Mormonism denies the one true God. When a system explicitly tells me it rejects the God who says, “Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me,” I don’t need to read their appendix to know we’re not talking about the same faith.
That being said I have read the book of mormon, the pearl of great price, and have books with the teachings of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young that were in sermons.
I, unlike you, I'm not only experienced in this area, but I'm also very well read as well. So much so that many Mormons haven't seen some of the things that I've shown them before.... Much less some stranger on the internet that isn't even a Mormon at all and doesn't do Christian apologetics to Mormons. (That's you)
Here are five direct quotes from Joseph Smith and other LDS leaders that come straight out of their canon or official sermons—passages most Mormons have never read or don’t realize exist. These are the “oh wow” texts that get swept under the rug:
King Follett Discourse (Joseph Smith, 1844) – God was once a man
“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret.”
(History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 305–306)
Book of Abraham (Pearl of Great Price, ch. 3) – Kolob and strange cosmology
“Kolob is set nigh unto the throne of God, to govern all those planets which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest.”
(Book of Abraham 3:9)
Doctrine and Covenants 132:61–62 – Plural wives commanded
“If any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent… then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him… for they are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment.”
Journal of Discourses 1:50–51 (Brigham Young, 1852) – Adam–God Doctrine
“When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body… He is our Father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do.”
Journal of Discourses 4:53 (Brigham Young, 1856) – Blood Atonement
“There are sins that men commit for which they cannot receive forgiveness in this world, or in that which is to come, and if they had their eyes open to see their true condition, they would be perfectly willing to have their blood spilt upon the ground.”
Why this matters
These aren’t fringe crank quotes; they’re from the founder and second prophet of Mormonism and from their canonized texts.
They teach polytheism, man-to-god exaltation, strange cosmology, polygamy as a divine law, and extra-biblical atonement requirements.
Modern LDS missionaries never bring these up, but historically they were taught as binding doctrine.
Thank you for taking the time to post your multiple very informed and important comments on this thread. None of that minimizes the evil horror the LDS people have experienced this weekend.
The "man-to-god exaltation" point, for me, is particularly a massive issue. Luciferian ascension is subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) a part of almost all false beliefs. Now I don't believe Q meant it that way by "Ascension" but if it were proven to be true beyond any doubt, I would run as far as I could from Q and never look back.
"In the beginning the Word was with God and was God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." It's too easy to underestimate what an incredible act of holy love that was for God to do for us. He decided to take on the form of man as God the Son so He could bear the just punishment for our sin so that we could be reconciled to Him - NOT so that we could become Him.
Because Jesus did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped, He humbled Himself and was obedient to the Father even to death on the cross. THAT's why the Father has elevated Him (the only God-Man) with a name of above all names Whose throne will endure forever. Everything about Jesus' being / essence and His Life is the polar opposite of Luciferian ascension.
Edit: I think you'll really enjoy the video referenced in this post (linked below in this comment). You probably already know everything he exposes about LDS, but maybe the video itself would be a useful tool in your arsenal. Thank you again for your comments!
Ah, yes. The old “God is like a Bishopric” analogy. That’s a bit like saying the Trinity is just three guys in matching suits who share an office. Cute, but woefully inadequate.
The problem is this: the Bible doesn’t say “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our Gods, the Lord is a committee.” It says the Lord is one. If your analogy reduces the Creator of heaven and earth to the rough equivalent of a PTA board, then you’ve already shown your theology belongs in the sandbox, not the sanctuary.
And as for the claim that “one being, three persons” doesn’t make sense, that’s exactly the point. Of course the infinite God is beyond your neat little filing system of “makes sense to me.” If God were no bigger than your capacity to diagram Him on a chalkboard, He wouldn’t be God. The biblical Trinity isn’t an arbitrary puzzle; it’s the only way to affirm that God is one, that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God, all without slipping into polytheism.
Mormonism solves the mystery by throwing the truth overboard. They trade monotheism for tri-theism, and then act like it’s just good plain common sense. But saying “God is like a Bishopric” is about as theologically helpful as saying “marriage is like three bachelors living together.” The analogy explains nothing; it only reveals the bankruptcy of the system.
I'm not splitting hairs. This is basic apologetics for dealing with mormons. Something I have done hundreds and hundreds of times.
How many times have you had discussions, debates, or given the gospel to Mormons exactly?
I got good at this because I did it so much along with other brothers from my church.
I feel like this is an area where you should be asking questions, not making assertions. That's how you gain wisdom.
I've heard other Christian denominations talk about God and his son as being two separate people. The Mormons aren't the only ones. They'll say stuff like God sent his only begotten son down to die on the cross for all of our sins. They'll say the God, the son, and the holy ghost make up the holy trinity. From my experience of visiting several different Christian churches, is that they all seem to have similar beliefs. The only thing different about the Mormons is they believe that a family left Jerusalem back in 600BC to go to America and that's what the Book Of Mormon is based on. I'd suggest that you read the book before formulating an opinion on it. For example: I have never read the Quran; therefore I have no opinion on it.
Well, personally I've had issues understanding the Trinity myself, because strictly speaking, if it was true, then God committed suicide when Jesus died on the cross.
It also brings into question how much of a sacrifice Jesus actually made if he and God are the same, seeing as how he would have known he wouldn't stay dead....
But, 🤷‍♀️. I'm no theologian.
You’ve managed to stack misunderstandings like cordwood, and I’ll go ahead and light the match.
First, when historic Christian churches talk about the Father sending the Son, they are not saying “two separate beings.” They are distinguishing persons within the one being of God. That’s not hair-splitting, that’s the creedal backbone of Christianity going back to Nicaea. If you can’t tell the difference between Trinitarian orthodoxy and Mormon tri-theism, then you’re like someone who can’t tell the difference between a steak and a cardboard cutout of a cow.
Second, the notion that the “only” difference between Mormons and Christians is a family hopping on a boat to America is like saying the only difference between whiskey and turpentine is the label on the bottle. No, the difference is lethal. Mormonism teaches a different God, a different Christ, and a different gospel. That’s not a side story; that’s the main story.
Third, “read the book before you criticize it” sounds very pious, but it’s also very silly. I don’t need to drink bleach before concluding it’s not orange juice. The Book of Mormon can be weighed and found wanting on historical, theological, and textual grounds without my slogging through every page of it like it’s War and Peace with a bad plot twist.
And finally, the comparison with the Quran doesn’t help your case. I don’t need to be a Koranic scholar to say Islam denies the Trinity, just like I don’t need to memorize the Book of Mormon to know Mormonism denies the one true God. When a system explicitly tells me it rejects the God who says, “Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me,” I don’t need to read their appendix to know we’re not talking about the same faith.
That being said I have read the book of mormon, the pearl of great price, and have books with the teachings of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young that were in sermons.
I, unlike you, I'm not only experienced in this area, but I'm also very well read as well. So much so that many Mormons haven't seen some of the things that I've shown them before.... Much less some stranger on the internet that isn't even a Mormon at all and doesn't do Christian apologetics to Mormons. (That's you)
Here are five direct quotes from Joseph Smith and other LDS leaders that come straight out of their canon or official sermons—passages most Mormons have never read or don’t realize exist. These are the “oh wow” texts that get swept under the rug:
Why this matters
These aren’t fringe crank quotes; they’re from the founder and second prophet of Mormonism and from their canonized texts.
They teach polytheism, man-to-god exaltation, strange cosmology, polygamy as a divine law, and extra-biblical atonement requirements.
Modern LDS missionaries never bring these up, but historically they were taught as binding doctrine.
Thank you for taking the time to post your multiple very informed and important comments on this thread. None of that minimizes the evil horror the LDS people have experienced this weekend.
The "man-to-god exaltation" point, for me, is particularly a massive issue. Luciferian ascension is subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) a part of almost all false beliefs. Now I don't believe Q meant it that way by "Ascension" but if it were proven to be true beyond any doubt, I would run as far as I could from Q and never look back.
"In the beginning the Word was with God and was God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." It's too easy to underestimate what an incredible act of holy love that was for God to do for us. He decided to take on the form of man as God the Son so He could bear the just punishment for our sin so that we could be reconciled to Him - NOT so that we could become Him.
Because Jesus did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped, He humbled Himself and was obedient to the Father even to death on the cross. THAT's why the Father has elevated Him (the only God-Man) with a name of above all names Whose throne will endure forever. Everything about Jesus' being / essence and His Life is the polar opposite of Luciferian ascension.
Edit: I think you'll really enjoy the video referenced in this post (linked below in this comment). You probably already know everything he exposes about LDS, but maybe the video itself would be a useful tool in your arsenal. Thank you again for your comments!
https://greatawakening.win/p/19BZz55w26/the-biggest-lie-in-the-world-god/c/