AboutMike Smith Expertise I can answer all questions about the life and and maturing as a teenager in the LDS life style. I can answer most questions about the historical aspects as well.
Experience I have been a lived my entire life as a Mormon and studied hard in classes and Seminary.
Question QUESTION: Does God exist in a physical body? A body of flesh and bone? Did God start with a mortal body (like mine) and develop into being God (as he is now)?
I have just recently started reading the Book of Mormon after living a life as a Lutheran
ANSWER: Hey Charlie.
God does have a physical body, but unlike ours, His is perfect and has no flaws. He did start with a mortal body like ours and we can also become like Him because of the Atonement of Christ. This way, we are forgiven of our sins so that justice is still satisfied with mercy. Hope this helps.
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QUESTION: If he started with a mortal body and changed to an immortal body, that would go against these next scriptures...Please do not take offense for I do seek the truth,
Especially the last part with ref to Psalm and Moroni.
1) The question of is God of flesh and bone I have found these references in the Bible, how do they fit into the Mormon Doctrine?
John 4:24 (King James Version)
24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Luke 24:37-39 (King James Version)
37But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
Matthew 16:15-17 (King James Version)
16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
And as to the question of God progressing to perfection and becoming a god I found these troubling verses, please answer this question...If God was as we are how can it be explained that he is unchangeable from eternity to eternity?
Numbers 23:19 (King James Version)
19God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man,
Malachi 3:6 (King James Version)
6For I am the LORD, I change not;
Hosea 11:9 (King James Version)
9I ...: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee:
Psalm 90:2 (King James Version)
2Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
Romans 1:22-23 (King James Version)
22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man,
Mormon 9:9
For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?
10 And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles.
Moroni 8:18
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.
From reading Psalm 90:2 and Moroni8:18 I think it is very clear that God has always been God and never changed from all eternity to all eternity, I am not sure how anything else could come from this...It tells me God is, was and will be always and never different.
I hope that these questions are not too personal for me to ask, but I do feel that there is some confusion on my part as to the constancy to which the scriptures can or can not support the teachings of a changeable god to the never changing God.
working to understand
Charlie
Answer God is a difficult figure to define, not only because some religions change Him to fit their needs, but because some interpret the scriptures differently. You see, and I'm not sure if you know this or not, but God in the Old Testament is Jesus Christ, speaking on behalf of God. There are actually few times when God Himself has shown Himself to men. Also, God, the Holy Ghost/Spirt and Jesus, in the LDS standpoint, are different people. I am not the best authority on God in the world, and that is probably obvious. I do know that we can become gods in the future if we truely repent and if we can, is it not possible that God was not like us? If you read the Doctrine and Covenants carefully, you will find a number of scriptures that point to this.
