Changing Mormon Stories #2

As previously mentioned, Changing Mormon Stories is a special edition of this blog where I will compare a current LDS belief, doctrine, or scripture and compare it with the original belief, doctrine, or scripture. According to the LDS church, if any religion changes it's beliefs over time, then it has apostatized and is no longer true. Let's point the finger of blame right back at them!

This topic is one of the more damning to the church because it deals with the very nature of god himself!

Let's go to the current version of the Doctrine & Covenants, Section 130, Verse 22...

22 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. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.

According to the header of this section, this was given by revelation to Joseph Smith on April 2, 1843. If that really was the case, why was it the official belief of the church for 86 years that god is a spirit?

Now I can boldly say that it was their official belief because it was puplished in the D&C from 1835 to 1921. All versions of the D&C published between 1835 and 1921 included a collection of Joseph Smith's writings known as the Lectures on Faith. They have now been removed and forgotten about. It is in these writings that Joseph Smith himself taught that god is only a spirit being.

In the Fifth Lecture, starting on page 52 of the 1835 D&C, the following was said:

"We shall, in this lecture speak of the Godhead, we mean the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There are two personages who constitute the great, matchless, governing and supreme power over all things - by whom all things were created and made, that are created and made, whether visible or invisible; whether in heaven, on earth, or in the earth, under the earth, or throughout the immensity of space - They are the Father and the Son... The Father being a personage of spirit, glory and power: possessing all perfection and fulness: The Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, a personage of tabernacle, made, or fashioned like unto man, or being in the form and likeness of man, or, rather, man was formed after his likeness, and in his image..." (bold added for emphasis)



I have provided scans of pages 52 and 53 of the Fifth Lecture, directly from an 1835 D&C. See the proof for yourself...

It is very clear that god is a spirit and man was made after the image of Jesus, not god, according to Joseph Smith.

In 1921 The Lectures on Faith were removed from the D&C and were replaced by section 130 of the D&C which officially changed the Mormons scripture and doctrine from god being a spirit to god having a body of flesh and bone.

So which is it, LDS church? Once again, you are changing what your great founder and leader taught. The LDS church is guilty of apostacy and if it ever was true, it certainly isn't now! If Joseph Smith was inspired directly by god, why do you feel the need to hide his original teachings and change them around? If Joseph Smith supposedly saw god and Jesus, don't you think he would have stuck to one description of god? Don't you think the church would too?

Please keep in mind that this was originally published in 1835 and the section 130 "revelation" was supposedly received in 1843. That is a difference of 8 years, with the god-spirit doctrine being taught first. If the section 130 revelation really was received in 1843, how come it wasn't included in the D&C until 1921?

Once again, the church is calling Joseph Smith a liar!

Don't believe me? You can go to any Deseret Book bookstore and buy a copy of the Lectures on Faith. Go there and read the fifth lecture. If the church sells it, then it can't possibly be a lie made up by the devil and all his evil apostates!