Unchangeable God
LDS Summary:
The LDS followed an incorrect "God changes" doctrine started by Brigham Young for 110 years until corrected back to consistency with the scriptures in 1954 ("God does not change")
RLDS Summary:
The RLDS always followed doctrine that God does not change
 Bible Comparison:The Bible states that God does not change | |
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King James Version, Psalm 89 34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. King James Version, Malachi 3 6 For I am the Lord, I change not; King James Version, James 1 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. |
Inspired Version, Psalm 89 34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Inspired Version, Malachi 3 6 For I am the LORD, I change not; Inspired Version, James 1 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. |
Book of Mormon Comparison:Both the LDS and RLDS Book of Mormon agree that God does not change | |
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LDS Book of Mormon, Mormon 9 18 And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty miracles? And there were many mighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles. 19 And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. LDS Book of Mormon, Moroni 8 18 For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity. |
RLDS Book of Mormon, Mormon 4 79 And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty miracles? 80 And there were many mighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles. 81 And if there were miracles wrought, then why has God ceased to be a God of miracles, and yet be an unchangeable being. 82 And behold I say unto you, He changeth not; if so, he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. RLDS Book of Mormon, Moroni 8 19 For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity. |
Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) Comparison:Both the LDS and RLDS Doctrine and Covenants agree that God is unchangeable | |
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LDS D&C Section 20 17 By these things we know that there is a God in heaven, who is infinite and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting the same unchangeable God, the framer of heaven and earth, and all things which are in them; 18 And that he created man, male and female, after his own image and in his own likeness, created he them; 19 And gave unto them commandments that they should love and serve him, the only living and true God, and that he should be the only being whom they should worship. |
RLDS D&C Section 17 4a By these things we know that there is a God in heaven who is infinite and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting the same unchangeable God, the framer of heaven and earth and all things which are in them, and that he created man male and female; 4b after his own image and in his own likeness created he them, and gave unto them commandments that they should love and serve him the only living and true God, and that he should be the only being whom they should worship. |
April 6th 1845LDS President Brigham Young states that Joseph Smith Jr did not receive complete instructions for redemption and stated a need for changes | |
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Times and Seasons, Vol. 6, No. 12, page 955, July 1, 1845 Joseph in his life time did not receive every thing connected with the doctrine of redemption, but he has left the key with those who understand how to obtain and teach to this great people all that is necessary for their salvation and exaltation in the celestial kingdom of our God. We have got to learn how to be faithful with the few things, you know the promise is, if we are faithful in a few things we shall be made rulers over many things. If we improve upon the small things, greater will be given unto us. | |
December 6, 1857LDS Apostle Wilford Woodruff described God as increasing in knowledge (ever changing) | |
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Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, page 120 Wilford Woodruff discourse on "Blessings of the Saints" If there was a point where man in his progression could not proceed any further, the very idea would throw a gloom over every intelligent and reflecting mind. God himself is increasing and progressing in knowledge, power, and dominion, and will do so, worlds without end. | |
January 13, 1867LDS President Brigham Young preached that God was progressing eternally (ever changing) | |
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Journal of Discourses, Vol. 11, page 286 Brigham Young discourse on "Weakness of the Human Mind" Some men seem as if they could learn so much and no more. They appear to be bounded in their capacity for acquiring knowledge, as Brother Orson Pratt, has in theory, bounded the capacity of God. According to his theory, God can progress no further in knowledge and power; but the God that I serve is progressing eternally, and so are his children: they will increase to all eternity, if they are faithful. | |
March 1, 1896Joseph Luff explains "That which has been is now, that which is to be hath already been" as a different way of saying that God is the same for eternity | |
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The Gospel Banner, Vol. 3. Mar. 1, 1896. Extra B. No. 1., pages 2-3 When we read with faith a statement such as is made in the first two verses I have read, one thing appears certain and that is, the Almighty differs from the children of men in one respect, at least, and in that one respect our safety in depending upon him is insured. Nearly every success in life that is achieved by man has been preceded by a number of failures; one man learns by the mistakes another man has made; each seeks to improve upon that which has been set before him, and in which some defect has been shown. God starts right; never makes any mistakes, never has had occasion to apologize for anything he ever did, and has never found it necessary to send a man forth to tell us that he has since failed to "appreciate the importance of the work he undertook to perform, or the necessities that would be revealed in connection with it at a period later than when he began his work." To me, it seems that human necessity, in the spiritual sense, never changes. That which was the necessity of man six thousand years ago is the necessity of man today; that which will be man's spiritual necessity a thousand years from now (if this world should continue that long), will be the same as what has been the necessity of man in the past. "That which has been is now, that which is to be hath already been." [Eccl 3:14-15] When the Almighty devised a saving plan, or a redemptive scheme, he did not enquire as to what would be necessary to meet Adam's case, Abraham's case, the case of Moses, or the case of Paul or Peter, but he stood as a great Father, and he beheld from the beginning all that would transpire to the end, in connection with the development of his creative work, and he had the last man as closely in mind, when he introduced the gospel scheme, as the first man that had been created; what he did, in his providence, had as much reference to the last man, and to the men in the intermediate periods of human history, as it had to the requirements of those figuring in the early morning of the world's history. Having all these before him, he considered the common family necessity, and like a father, wisely ordained for the good of the family - not any few favorites in the family. He provided something in which he might be as clearly revealed and understood ten thousand years afterwards, as in the time when it was said or declared. | |
1954LDS Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith declared Brigham Young as incorrect - contrary to Brigham Young's statements that he was never wrong | |
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Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, page 6, published 1954 Where has the Lord ever revealed to us that he is lacking in knowledge? That he is still learning new truth; discovering new laws that are unknown to him? I think this kind of doctrine is very dangerous. I don't know where the Lord has ever declared such a thing. It is not contained in any revelation that I have read. Man's opinion unaided by the revelations of the Lord, does not make it so. | |
1986LDS President Ezra Taft Benson acknowledges Moroni 8:18 [RLDS 8:19] – completely opposite from Wilford Woodruff and Brigham Young - and back to being consistent with the scriptures | |
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He Lives, Current LDS Website Third, God changes not. Mormon revealed that God is not "a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity" (Moro. 8:18). | |
