The Gods Are Many
Utah Missions Inc.
www.umi.org	John Ankerberg

How do we know that the Mormon concept of God is pagan? Merely by examining its teachings.

The Encyclopedia Britannica defines paganism as "practices and beliefs that are incompatible with monotheism." According to the normal understanding of "pagan," any religion teaching that 1) there are many gods and that 2) God is finite; He evolves and changes and 3) that matter and spirit are eternal, then Mormonism is properly classified as a heathen religion offering pagan theology.

Monotheism is the belief in one Supreme God stands in contrast to paganism which rejects that central belief. The three great monotheistic religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, all teach that there is one eternal, sovereign, immutable and merciful God who created the universe. By contrast, unlike many polytheistic occult religions of the East they do not teach that God changes over the aeons (that God is finite), or that there are many gods (which is polytheism) or that matter and God are both eternal and inseparably divine.

Of course, Mormons are very uncomfortable with the charge of polytheism and rightly so. Historically, polytheism has been a teaching of great consequence in the world.

It is thus not surprising that Mormons emphatically deny they are polytheists and that they wish to consider such charges false and "damnable." No less a church authority than Bruce McConkie categorically insists that "the saints [Mormons] are not polytheists" (Mormon Doctrine, p. 579). Stephen Robinson, chairman of the Department of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University and author of Are Mormons Christians? (which he emphatically affirms), argues that "the Latter-day Saints [doctrine does not] . . .constitute genuine polytheism" (Are Mormons Christians?, p. 65). And he takes pains to argue that "the Latter-day Saints [should] be considered worshipers of the one true God" (Ibid., p. 69). He argues that only by "distorting and misinterpreting our doctrine" can others charge Mormonism with polytheism (Ibid.).

But if Mormons are really polytheists, why do they think they are monotheists? Principally, it is through the uncritical acceptance of the statements of church authorities, and secondarily, it is by a process of seemingly deliberate self-deception caused by the improper use of words. When Mormons deny the charge of polytheism, they illustrate a characteristic feature of Mormon apologetics - equivocation. Equivocation involves the ambiguous use of words in order to conceal something or duplicity of meaning in a word.

The truth is that Mormons are polytheists by any standard definition of the term. For example, the Oxford American Dictionary defines polytheism as "belief in or worship of more than one god" (s.v., "polytheism").

Technically, Mormon theology is "henotheistic" a form of polytheism which stresses a central deity. In Mormonism, the central deity is Elohim, whom Mormons call "God the Father." But henotheism also accepts other deities. In Mormonism the other deities accepted include Jesus, the Holy Ghost, and endless other gods who were once men and have now evolved into godhood. As noted earlier, even the Encyclopedia Britannica classifies Mormonism as polytheistic.

The fact is, when pressed, Mormons must confess that they are polytheists, not monotheists. In his discussion of polytheism in Mormon Doctrine, Bruce McConkie freely declares that Mormons believe in "'three Gods" (pp. 576-577).

Nevertheless, he equivocates by vainly attempting to distinguish pagan polytheism from Mormon polytheism.

Further, only by stressing their primary belief in Elohim, are Mormons able to convince themselves they are really monotheists. But this is self-deception.

Mormons claim they are "'monotheistic" merely because their principal concern is with the one central deity, the earth god Elohim. In other words, even though they freely confess, at least when pressed, to be doctrinal polytheists (John Ankerberg, Mormon Officials, p. 1), they think they are practical monotheists. But whatever Mormons may claim, they are equally concerned with at least two other gods, the earth God Jesus and the strange God they call the Holy Ghost.

Consider the following discussion in the student manual used at Brigham Young University, Doctrines of the Gospel. Note the initial claim to worship one supreme, absolute being: "By definition, God (generally meaning the Father) is the one supreme and absolute Being; . . .God is the only supreme governor Ö who is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient; without beginning of days or end of life" (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Doctrines of the Gospel, p. 8).

This sounds like monotheism, but as we read further the discussion digresses from monotheism to henotheism. Thus, "'Our relationship with the Father is supreme, paramount, and preeminent over an others [i.e., Mormon relationships with other gods]. He is the God we worship. . . . He is the one who was once as we are now [i.e., a man]" (Ibid.).

Further, the three members of the Godhead (the Father, Son and Holy Ghost), all of whom were once men, remain "three separate and distinct entities. Each occupies space and is and can be in but one place at one time, but each has power and influence that is everywhere present" (Ibid.).

In an attempt to quell the charge of polytheism, the manual resorts to equivocation: "There is a oneness in the Godhead as well as distinctness of personality. This oneness is emphasized in the sayings and writings of prophets and apostles in order to guard against the erroneous idea that these three may be distinct and independent deities" (Ibid., emphasis added).

In other words, the claim is clearly made that the Father, Son and Spirit are not "distinct and independent deities." But just a few pages later, in this very same text appears: "Both the Father and Son, being omnipotent Gods, are designated by the name-titles, Almighty. . . Almighty God. . . Lord Almighty. . . and Lord God Almighty. . . . These holy beings have all power and unlimited might" (Ibid., p. 10).

Joseph Smith himself is quoted as declaring, "In the beginning, the head ,of the Gods called a council of the Gods; and they came together and concocted a plan to create the world and people in it" (Ibid., p. 16). This is polytheism, not monotheism.

(Excerpted from John Ankerberg and John Weldon, Behind the Mask of Mormonism, Harvest House, 1992, pp. 98-100,).