The Mormon puzzle, and how to solve it

by R. W. Beers

II. Doctrines and Practices.

1. Their idea of God is materialistic. While they profess to believe the Trinity, they say that God was once a man, who has advanced in intelligence and power so much that now He may be called perfect; but He has still the form and figure of a man.

One of the standard Mormon works is called a “Key to the Science of Theology,” written by Parley P. Pratt, who, while he lived, was one of the Twelve Apostles. It is now used as a text-book among the people. In confirmation of the statement that they hold grossly corporeal ideas concerning God, it says: “God has an organized individual tabernacle embodied in material form and composed of material substance, in the likeness of man, and possessing every organ, limb, and physical part that man possesses.”

Christ, too, is believed to have been the offspring of the material union on the plains of Palestine of God and the Virgin Mary. Yet Christ is believed to have had a previous existence, and His worship is enjoined as Lord of all. The Holy Ghost, or Paraclete, is also material. Thus do they lower the divinity to humanity instead of lifting up humanity to the divinity.

2. Another doctrine is that of Plurality of gods.

Though there is one God supreme, there are many other beings entitled to the name because possessed of the attributes of God, such as creative power. All these gods were once men, and all men are potential gods. The book of Parley Pratt, already quoted, says: “It will be recollected that the last chapter recognizes a family of gods, or, in other words, a species of beings who have physical tabernacles of flesh and bones in the form of man, but so constructed as to be capable of eternal life.... A general assembly, quorum, or grand council of the gods, with their president at their head, constitute the designing and creating power.... Wisdom inspires the gods to multiply their species and to lay the foundation for all the forms of life to increase in numbers, and for each to enjoy himself in the sphere to which he is adapted.”

Adam is said to be the god of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ the god of Joseph Smith, and Joseph Smith the god of this generation. They teach their children that Joseph Smith is their god, and their little ones hear more of him than they do of Jesus. Even in their hymns is this great error taught. I will give one of the hymns found in their “Primary Hymn-Book,” which is sung by the children in the Mormon Sunday-schools, called by them “Primary Associations.” It is as follows:

“The seer, the seer, Joseph the seer!
I’ll sing of the Prophet ever dear;
His equal now cannot be found
By searching the wide world around.
With gods he soared in the realms of day,
And men he taught the heavenly way.
The earthly Sun, the Heavenly Sun!
I love to dwell on his memory dear;
The chosen of God and the friend of man—
He brought the Priesthood back again;
He gazed on the past; on the present, too,
And opened the heavenly world to view.
“Of noble seed, of heavenly birth,
He came to bless the sons of earth.
With keys by the Almighty given
He opened the full rich stores of heaven.
O’er the world that was wrapt in sable night,
Like the sun he spread his golden light.
He strove, oh, how he strove to stay
The stream of crime in its reckless way;
With a mighty mind and a noble aim,
He urged the wayward to reclaim;
’Mid the foaming billows of angry strife
He stood at the helm of the ship of life.
The Saints, the Saints, his only pride!
For them he lived, for them he died.
Their joys were his—their sorrows, too;
He loved the Saints and he loved Nauvoo.
Unchanged by death, with a Saviour’s love
He pleads their cause in the courts above.
The seer, the seer, Joseph the seer!
Oh, how I love his memory dear
The just and wise, the pure and free,
A father he was and is to me.
Let friends now rage in their dark hour,
No matter—he is beyond their power.
“He’s free! He’s free! the Prophet’s free!
He is where he will ever be
Beyond the reach of mobs and strife.
He rests unharmed, in endless life;
His home’s in the sky, he dwells with the gods,
Far from the furious rage of mobs.
He died, he died for those he loved—
He reigns, he reigns in the realms above!
He waits with the just who have gone before
To welcome the saints to Zion’s shore.
Shout, shout, ye Saints! this boon is given—
We’ll meet our martyred seer in heaven.”

Thus are the Mormon children early taught to think of Joseph Smith as their Saviour, and as divine. Brigham Young, too, was regarded as God by some of his followers even before his death; and no doubt before long, when they forget to some extent his misdeeds that have been brought to light since his death, they will deify him as well as Joseph Smith. Indeed, they teach that all Mormons may, by obedience and holiness, become gods in the celestial world, and people and rule a kingdom forever. Helped by polygamy, men may become makers of worlds like this, of which Adam was the fashioner; and in those worlds their posterity become the creatures over whom they bear sway.

3. Another doctrine is The Pre-existence of Souls.