When you read the Book of Mormon and the Lectures on Faith and compare them with some of Joseph Smith’s later speeches like King Follett and Plurality of Gods, some people notice an apparent difference in the description of God, and claim he “evolved”. I never believed this, but I never knew enough to prove it. Now, I do. Thanks to prayer, revelation, scripture study, and a few good ideas from other sources. If this were just a theory, I would call it “The Unified Theory on God”, but it is more than a theory. It is truth, and it ties together so many separate conflicting ideas about God. I thought it was a mystery and I couldn’t reveal it, but something prompted me to tell it to somebody on Facebook. He said “You nailed it.” I told it to somebody else who said “But, isn’t that obvious?” Then, I started writing it up, and I discovered a Mormon philosopher who had thoughts along the same lines.
This is not the trinity. This is not Adam-God. This is not what the church teaches. But this is what the scriptures teach.
I recommend you download both documents (about 35 pages each) and read them in order.
The thing you must realize about anything you are taught about God is subject to bias: your own and that of the writer or speaker. Even if we receive something directly from God, we must take into account our own culture, understanding, and traditions and seek as much as possible to eliminate those from the pure truth we receive. We must realize also that God can also speak to us in terms of our culture and understanding in order to get a truth across to us. So much of what any church teaches us: traditional Christianity, or restored Mormonism, is based on somebody’s interpretation or translation of scripture. Given all of this, we have to be constantly discerning for truth.
Blake Thomas Ostler is an American philosopher, theologian, and lawyer. He has written numerous articles on the topics of Mormon theology, philosophy, and thought. This paper deserves to be better known and find a more prominent place in Mormon thought.
Blake Ostler offers a new way to perceive God and the Godhead, based on scriptural evidence, which I believe is much more truthful than the traditional Christian or Mormon interpretations of God. It resonates with the scriptures, with what Joseph Smith taught, and with my understanding of what the Lord is teaching me. Do not mistake any of what you have previously heard or read or what you will now read for the final word about what God is. Instead, take it as a giant step forward in our understanding of God and our quest to know Him, and thus, obtain Life Eternal. Then, having built on a better foundation, I heartily invite you to continue your search for God and obtain an even greater understanding. But, to know God is more than just to know about God. You actually have to understand the heart and mind of God. I hope this discussion of the mechanics of God helps you somewhat to both know and love God in a better more complete way.
John144 