Jun 9, 2014
Mormons have some quite distinctive views of God, but do most Mormons realize it? In almost every theological area, ranging from the nature of God as Creator (creating "from nothing" or as organizer of eternal element?) to the four major "omnis"--omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent, and omnipresent--Mormons have a take that is sometimes quite different from traditional Judeo-Christian theism. Yet, even though Mormon theology takes these angles, we often find them seemingly forgotten by those "in the pews." Other than when speaking about Mormonism's minority position among Christians that God has a tangible body, most Latter-day Saints sound more like mainstream Christians when speaking about God’s power and foreknowledge and the nature of eternity than they do Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, the Pratt brothers, and most Mormon theologians. Why? And would it be to their (and the wider community’s) benefit if we showed more consistency in the theological positions that we discuss? In this episode, panelists Charley Harrell, Jim McLachlan, and Lorie Winder Stromberg join Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon for a big discussion of Mormonism’s God. The focus ends up on the subjects mentioned above, moving the topic of God’s physical embodiment, including being gendered, to a future discussion.