Nature of God and humanity
Main article: God in Mormonism
In traditional Christianity, as expressed for example in the Athanasian Creed, God is conceived both as a unity and a Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are described as three persons of one uncreated divine being, equally infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. [citation needed] Though modern Mormons share with traditional Christianity a belief that the object of their worship comprises three distinct persons who are "co-eternal" in a sense, Mormons disagree that the three persons of their "Godhead" are the same being, that they are infinite, and that they are unchangeable. (The theology of Community of Christ Mormons is very trinitarian in nature, however.)
Mormons are constrained by the language of the Book of Mormon to regard the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as "one", but to Mormons, this "oneness" does not have the same meaning as within traditional Christianity. Modern Mormons regard God as plural. [ 51 ] They regard God the Father as the biblical god Elohim, and they believe that the Son, a distinct being, is both Jesus and the biblical god Jehovah. [ 52 ] The two of them, together with the Holy Spirit, are believed to form a heavenly counsel which Mormons call the "Godhead". They are "one" in the sense of being lovingly united in purpose or will, a view sometimes called social trinitarianism. [ 53 ] Unlike traditional Christians, modern Mormons do not regard the Father and the Son as co-equal; rather, they generally regard the Son as subordinate to the Father. [ 54 ]
Unlike traditional Christianity, Mormons since the 1840s have believed that God is changeable. They believe that the Father (like the Son) was twice "born"—once as a spirit, and again as a mortal man. [ 55 ] After he lived a mortal life, Mormons believe that the Father died, was resurrected, and achieved his godhood [ 56 ] along with at least one wife whom Mormons refer to as the Heavenly Mother. [ 57 ] The Heavenly Father and Mother then gave birth to the spirits of humanity through a sexual union. [ 58 ] Modern Mormons believe that Jesus, the Son, was the first born of these spirits. [ 59 ]
Thus, while Mormons might agree with the statement that the Father and the Son are "uncreated", their understanding of "creation" differs from that of traditional Christianity. Mormons do not believe, as do traditional Christians, that God created the universe ex nihilo (from nothing). [ 60 ] Rather, to Mormons the act of creation is to organize or reorganize pre-existing matter or intelligence. Traditional Christians consider God to be a "necessary being", meaning that he cannot not exist, while all other creations are "contingent beings". In Mormonism, by contrast, every god and human is equally a necessary being. [ 61 ]
The Mormon sense of "eternal" differs from that of traditional Christians, who believe that God's eternal nature exists outside of space and time. Some situate the Mormon God within space and time. [ 62 ] However, Mormon scripture states that "time is measured only unto man." [ 63 ] They believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are "co-eternal", but they also believe that all of humanity is "co-eternal" with the Father [ 64 ] in the sense that the underlying spark of all intelligence has always existed (in space and time) and never was created.
Mormons believe that God is scrutable [ 65 ] and anthropomorphic. [ 66 ] In contrast to traditional Christian notions that God is omnipotent and omniscient, modern Mormons regard God as governed by natural law. [ 67 ]
