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<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=90 BGCOLOR="#CC9900" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="043005a0dwnjzk.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="EDWARD WATSONS WEBWORLD"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B> | </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>EDWARD WATS</B><B>ON'S WEBWORLD</B></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION"><U><B>SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1"><U><B>1</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id66.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2"><U><B>2</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id67.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="3"><U><B>3</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id68.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="4"><U><B>4</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="5"><U><B>5</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="6"><U><B>6</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id59.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="7"><U><B>7</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="8"><U><B>8</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="9"><U><B>9</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="10"><U><B>10</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="11"><U><B>11</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id74.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="12"><U><B>12</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="13"><U><B>13</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="14"><U><B>14</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><B>15</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="16"><U><B>16</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id79.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="17"><U><B>17</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id80.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="18"><U><B>18</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id81.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="APPENDIX"><U><B>APPENDIX</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id82.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SECTION 1: CONCLUSION"><U><B>SECTION 1: CONCLUSION</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ABBREVIATIONS"><U><B>ABBREVIATIONS</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>[MORMONISM. The Faith of the Twenty-first Century. Volume 1. Edward K. Watson. (Liahona Publications. Copyright © 1998 Edward K. Watson.) pp. 144-147. MORMONISM: Section 1, Chapter 15. All rights reserved.]</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <U>CHAPTER 15</U></div> <bR> <div> <B>Is Heavenly Father Only a God of this World? / </B></div> <div> <B>Is He Still Progressing? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>A) Is Heavenly Father only a God of this world?</B> </div> <bR> <div>      Opponents of the LDS church frequently accuse us of believing Heavenly Father is only a God of this one earth. They will attack this concept and will point out that God preceded this universe and created all things according to the Bible.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >1</FONT> Is it true that Mormonism teaches God is only a God of this one earth? No. The Latter-day Scriptures are very clear that  God created the entire universe and he is not a god of this one earth but rules over the entire universe. Our critics are guilty of portraying a distorted view of the Mormon concept, but unfortunately, are helped to a considerable degree by Mormons who fail to make an effort to examine our own doctrine concerning the nature of God and its relation to the scriptural view. The  henotheistic universe model that some Mormons have advocated explicitly contradicts the Scriptures. </div> <div>      Let us examine what the Latter-day Scriptures actually say on this topic:</div> <bR> <div>   (1) Mos<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT> 1:33-38 And<I> worlds without number have I created</I>; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten. And the first man of all men have I called Adam, which is many. But only an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you. For behold,<I> there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man</I>; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them. And it came to pass that Moses spake unto the Lord, saying: Be merciful unto thy servant, O God, and tell me concerning this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, and also the heavens, and then thy servant will be content And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying:<I> The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine. And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works,</I> neither to my words.</div> <bR> <div>   (2) Mos<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT> 7:30 And<I> were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations;</I> and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever.</div> <bR> <div>      These two passages in the Pearl of Great Price are sufficient to prove that the official Mormon doctrine on this topic is <B>Heavenly Father is a God of the entire universe and not just this one planet</B>. It is not humanly possible to count the number of worlds God has created. Mormons are obligated to accept this fact and those who advocate a  henotheistic universe must abandon this false teaching. </div> <div>      Because I accept the general concept of the inflationary theory, I believe God created an  infinite number of universes (Mos  1:4,38; Abr  3:12) and not just this one universe. </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BernhardMod BT" > </FONT> (3) 2 Ne<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT> 2:14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for <I>there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are,</I> both things to act and things to be acted upon.</div> <bR> <div>   (4) Mosi<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT> 4:9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that <I>he created all things, both in heaven and in earth;</I> believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.</div> <bR> <div>   (5) D&C <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>45:1 Hearken, O ye people of my church, to whom the kingdom has been given; hearken ye and give ear to him who laid the foundation of the earth, <I>who made the heavens and all the hosts thereof</I>, and by whom all things were made which live, and move, and have being.</div> <bR> <div>   (6) D&C <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>76:24 That<I> by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.</I></div> <bR> <div>   (7) D&C <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>93:10 <I>The worlds were made by him</I>; men were made by him; <I>all things were made by him,</I> and through him, and of him.</div> <bR> <div>   (8) Mos<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT> 1:4 And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and <I>I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end</I>, and also my words, for <I>they never cease.</I></div> <bR> <div>   (9) Abr<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT> 3:12 And he said unto me: My son, my son (and his hand was stretched out), behold I will show you all these. And he put his hand upon mine eyes, and<I> I saw those things which his hands had made, which were many; and they multiplied before mine eyes, and I could not see the end thereof.</I></div> <bR> <div>      It is obvious to anyone that the official Mormon stance of God is he created the entire universe via Jesus Christ and is not only a god of this planet (cf., John  1:1-3; Rom  11:32-36; 1 Cor  8:6; Eph  3:9; Col  1:13-17; Heb  1:2;  2:10;  11:3; Rev  3:14; Mosi  5:15;  7:27; 3 Ne  9:15; D&C  38:1,3;  45:1-3 ). Our critics are wrong to suggest otherwise. There is no beginning or end to God's works in our universe (D&C  29:33). </div> <div>     This is also why Christ' s infinite atonement (2 Ne  9:7;  25:16; Alma  34:10,12,14) covers all the sins that Heavenly Father's children will ever commit in the entire universe and not of this one planet alone.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >2 </FONT>I believe there are two kinds of creatures in this universe. The most important are the offspring of God and the second are creations. Heavenly Father is the literal father of our spirits, not our physical bodies. It just so happens that our physical bodies are fashioned after God's physical body. This doesn't have to be the case everywhere. I believe it's possible there exists offspring of God on other worlds whose physical bodies are unlike our own but are still our spiritual siblings who will qualify for exaltation since Christ's atonement also covers them . It doesn't make sense for him to create the entire universe and atone for only one infinitesimal portion of his creation. When man colonizes space, won't humans born on other planets or outside earth be covered by the Atonement of Christ? Of course they will. Admittedly, there isn't a scriptural passage that states it explicitly, but it follows as a matter of logic.</div> <div>      A further case in point is the retroactive aspect of his Sacrifice which enables not only those after the fact, but also those who lived before his Atonement. By extending the efficacy of his sacrifice in both directions, as it was an  infinite sacrifice, we come up with a sacrifice that encompasses the entire universe.</div> <div>      There isn't any doubt that anyone who claims Heavenly Father is only a God of this earth is gravely mistaken. <B>The Latter-day Scriptures clearly describe Heavenly Father to be the God of the entire universe and not of only this one world.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>B) Is Heavenly Father still progressing?</B> </div> <bR> <div>      This is one topic where alternate views have been speculated by church leaders because of the absence of revelation on the matter. I believe, in the strict meaning of the word, no. There is nothing Heavenly Father can learn in the future of our universe that he does not, at the present, know. Neither will he be able to create something in the future that he cannot now create. He can't become more wise, loving, honest, pure or righteous than he is now. Because of these things, he can't progress any more and is in a state of  perfection. I view “perfection” to mean incapable of improvement just as a test that has thirty questions normally has only thirty correct answers. If I get thirty correct, I got a “perfect” score and there is no such thing as improving on that test. I can never get thirty-one or thirty-two correct answers. </div> <div>      God's course is “one eternal round” (1 Ne  10:19; Alma  7:20;  37:12; D&C  3:2;  35:1). A metal strip has a beginning and an end. When bent into a nonspiral arc it will eventually go back on itself and become a round ring without beginning or ending. No matter how far one travels down its arc, one can never reach the end or beginning. <B>The ring is in a state of perfection and infinite despite it previously wasn't.</B> Likewise with God. He is in a state of infinite  perfection, despite previously being mortal and non-omniscient in another universe.</div> <div>      On the other hand, God will always have an increase in dominion because he can always create more worlds and universes, and will always have an increase in posterity. Since we view ourselves to be “genus” of God, any increase in our status brings additional glory to our Heavenly Father. My father had nine offspring with us having our own children. My father will <I>always</I> have more descendants, (and consequently glory and honor) than myself since all of my descendants are his, including myself. Any increase of our descendants automatically brings more honor and glory to my father. Any success of any of his descendants reflects favorably upon him, not necessarily upon me if the successful person was a descendant of one of my siblings (the pyramid is always getting bigger). This is the core of the increase of God's glory in our view of Eternal Progression. These will cause Heavenly Father to receive more glory and honor as the eternities go by especially when his children advance and progress.</div> <bR> <div> <B>[ENDNOTES]:</B></div> <bR> <div> 1.e.g., LME. pp. 51, 56-61, 173-195.</div> <div> 2.The Scriptures are very clear that Jesus created the entire universe. Since this is so, why would his atonement only cover one planet out of the billions and trillions he made? The Almighty Creator of the universe was born in an insignificant stable in an insignificant town, in an insignificant country on an insignificant world, in an insignificant star system, in an insignificant galaxy in an insignificant section of the universe. There isn't anything special about our world that billions of other worlds don't have. Why then did Heavenly Father appoint our world to be the one his only Begotten Son would be born on? We don't know. The only thing we know is of all the worlds in this vast universe, our world was chosen, and this honor will forever be remembered.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="mailto:ewatson@shaw.ca" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:ewatson@shaw.ca"><U>e-mail me!</U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>