God with a physical body of flesh and bones

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LdsMarco
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God with a physical body of flesh and bones

Post by LdsMarco »

How can Latter-day Saints believe in a God with a physical body of flesh and bones when the scriptures clearly teach that “God is a spirit”(John 4:24)?

We as Latter-day Saints believe what we believe about the corporeal nature of God as a result of modern revelation. As early as 1830 Joseph Smith recorded the following, which is now in the Pearl of Great Price:

“In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; in the image of his own body, male and female, created he them, and blessed them”(Moses 6:8–9).

In 1841 the Prophet declared: “That which is without body, parts and passions is nothing. There is no other God in heaven but that God who has flesh and bones.”

In April 1843 Joseph taught that “the Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit”(D&C 130:22).

Two months later he explained: “As the Father hath power in Himself, so hath the Son power in Himself . . . so He has a body of His own. . . . Each one [God and Christ] will be in His own body; and yet the sectarian world believe the body of the Son is identical with the Father’s.”

Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote that the statement “God is a spirit”(John 4:24) has been “interpreted by the Christian world to mean that God is a spirit essence that fills all space, has no form or substance, and dwells in human hearts. It might properly be said that ‘God is a Spirit’if by that is meant that he has a spiritual or resurrected body in harmony with Paul’s statement relative to the resurrection that the body ‘is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.’”

The word spiritual, as used in the New Testament and in Latter-day Saint scripture, means immortal, not subject to death. Thus, the mortal body is temporal and corrupt, whereas the resurrected, immortal body is incorruptible and spiritual, meaning that it is no longer subject to the pulls and passions of life and the ever-present reality of physical death (1 Corinthians 15:44).

One Book of Mormon prophet affirmed that “this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption”(Alma 11:45). Likewise modern revelation, in speaking of the resurrection of individuals, points out that “notwithstanding they die, they also shall rise again, a spiritual body”(D&C 88:27).

Finally, the correct translation of John 4:24 is not “God is a spirit,” but rather “God is spirit” (NKJV, NIV, NRSV, NEB). That is to say, God is approached and known in spiritual ways, or he is known not at all; indeed, God stands revealed, or he remains forever unknown. Because we are made up of both body and spirit, and because our spirit is the real, inner, eternal part of ourselves, modern revelation teaches that “man is spirit”as well (D&C 93:33).

“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God”(1 Corinthians 2:11).

brianj
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Re: God with a physical body of flesh and bones

Post by brianj »

It is also worth noting the Joseph Smith Translation of John 4:24: "For unto such hath God promised his Spirit. And they who worship him, must worship in spirit and in truth. "

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Red
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Re: God with a physical body of flesh and bones

Post by Red »

Ether 3
4 And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.

5 Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men.

6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.

7 And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen?

8 And he saith unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.

9 And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this?

10 And he answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me.

11 And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak?

12 And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie.

13 And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you.

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