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Is The LDS Church Deliberately Deceiving Its Members?

A while back, I made the comment on a friend's fb page that I think the LDS church is
deliberately deceiving its people. An LDS man took issue with what I said, and we
engaged in a discussion over email. He wanted to know, what examples did I have? Well,
I didn't know where to start. The "faith-promoting events" like the Mormon Miracle
Pageant, which cover-up the true history to be more "faith-promoting"? The Topical
Guide and other reference materials that come with the Standard Works? What you are
taught about the temple, and the "sacred" stuff that goes on there, and what it's really
like? Where to start?

I began with 1 Corinthians 8. (All added emphasis is mine).

If you have an LDS Bible, you'll notice that they've posted a "helpful" little comment at
the beginning of each chapter. The one on 1 Cor. 8 says: "There are gods many and lords
many -- To us there is one God (the Father) and one Lord, who is Christ".

This may not seem like anything to get excited about. But wait until you hear the rest :)

I told the LDS man that when I was a kid (teenager), I had a hard time reading the Bible,
so I would look to the "chapter headings" to give me an idea about the contents of each
chapter. Now, I'm asking you, like I did him, if that's not what the "chapter headings" are
there for, what ARE THEY THERE FOR?

Anyway, this chapter heading clearly picks a piece of verse 5 and 6 out as representative
of this chapter. What do verses 5 and 6 say?

"For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be
gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all
things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by
him."

Ok so their chapter heading,sort of, came from the chapter. But let's read the whole
chapter, to see what it IS about. (It's not THAT long! Read it with me!) And, is it talking
about the reality of many gods?

"Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge.
Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

That was verse one, and already we have a "theme". Don't take my word for it, read it
yourself and see. But this chapter is going to be about "idols" (graven images), and
whether or not it is okay to eat food that was offered to them.

Verses 2-4: "And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as
he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him. As concerning
therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that
an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one."

Verses 5-6 were quoted above.

Verses 7-13: "Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with
conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their
conscience being weak is defiled. But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we
eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any
means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any
man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the
conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to
idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against
Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world
standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."

This is what the LDS man said, after reading the chapter at my request.

"I assume you were hoping I would pay special attention to Paul's discussion of there
only being "one God" and "one Lord." The other major point I saw in the chapter was
Paul's take on Christian liberty (not allowing our freedom to cause others to
stumble)...When I read the chapter heading, I don't get (and never have gotten) the sense
that the heading is referring to actual Gods. Instead I have always seen it as summarizing
Paul's point that there are many idols in the world that are falsely called "gods". I asked
my wife (who is also a life-long LDS member) to look at the heading and she voiced a
similar opinion."

Well, I can't argue with how someone perceives something, so we let it drop.

See, I really believe that many LDS people, like I was, are misled into believing that 1
Cor 8 supports the Mormon belief that there are "many real gods".

Phase two (this one is shorter):

About a month later, I was looking in "The History of the Church" volumes that Joseph
Smith wrote. And I came across this:

June 16, 1844 (volume 6): Joseph Smith says: "'I will preach on the plurality of Gods. I
have selected this text for that express purpose. I wish to declare I have always and in all
congregations when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality
of Gods....Paul says there are Gods many and Lords many. I want to set it forth in a
plain and simple manner; but to us there is but one God that is pertaining to us; and he is
in all and through all, but if Joseph Smith says there are Gods many and Lords many,
they cry, "Away with him! Crucify him! crucify him!"'

and on June 11, 1843 (volume 5): "There is much said about God and the Godhead. The
scriptures say there are Gods many and Lords many, but to us there is but one
living and true God, and the heaven of heavens could not contain him; for he took the
liberty to go into other heavens. The teachers of the day say that thy Father is God,
the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, and they are all in one body and one
God. Jesus prayed that those that the Father had given him out of the world might be
made one in them, as they were one; [one in spirit, in mind, in purpose]. If I were to
testify that the Christian world were wrong on this point, my testimony would be
true."

Well, that clears it up for me. How about you? At least, on the intention of this chapter
heading. Joseph Smith definitely used 1 Cor. 8 to support this idea, and McConkie(?),
who studied all of JS's works, has inserted what JS wrote/said.

One last thought, relevant to what Joseph Smith said above, about the "trinity" that
Christianity believes in. He didn't always disagree with it, not even after his supposed
"First Vision".

D&C 20:38 (written by Joseph Smith as a "revelation", April 1830)


"Which Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one God, infinite and eternal, without end.
Amen."

He didn't just say that they are "one", like "one in purpose" or something might be
inferred out of. No, explicitly he said the Father, Son and Holy Ghost "ARE ONE GOD".
Also see The Testimony of the Three Witnesses, contemporaries of JS, for the same
description.

So, was I right, saying the LDS church is deliberately deceiving it's members? Well, I
didn't prove it in this paper. But Joseph Smith definitely thought those verses supported
his "plurality of gods" idea.

Do you?

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