The Book of Mormon and one part of the Pearl of Great Price affirm there is only one God (Alma 11:26-29, Moses 1:6).

Joseph Smith also believed this early in his life when it is said he translated both books, but then he changed.

Later in his life, the Mormon prophet began to teach a plurality of Gods. In the King Follett discourse (recorded in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith), Mr. Smith said:

"If Abraham reasoned thus - If Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and John discovered that God the Father of Jesus Christ had a Father, you may suppose that He had a Father also" (page 386). "Hence if Jesus had a Father, can we not believe that He had a Father also? I despise the idea of being scared to death at such a doctrine, for the Bible is full of it" (page 387).

There are many other Gods according to Joseph Smith.

"According to that which was ordained in the midst of the Council of the Eternal God of all other gods before this world was, that should be reserved unto the finishing and the end thereof, when every man shall enter into his eternal presence and into his immortal rest" (D&C 121:32).

It is worded a little differently in the 1938 version of "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith":

"Thus the head God brought forth the Gods in the grand council ... The head God called together the Gods and sat in grand council to bring forth the world. The grand councilors sat at the head in yonder heavens and contemplated the creation of the worlds which were created at that time" (pp. 348-349).

"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 it. When we begin to learn this way, we begin to learn the only true God, and what kind of a being we have got to worship" (pp. 349-350).

These Gods are again referenced in the Pearl of Great Price (Abraham chapters 4 and 5).

Unfortunately, Joseph Smith was not entirely clear who this true God (the head of the Gods) was. Was it Heavenly Father, Jesus, or some other God?

The Book of Mormon shows that Jesus Christ is to be worshipped (1 Nephi 17:55; 2 Nephi 25:29, 3 Nephi 19:18). The Mormon scriptures even say that Jesus is the Almighty God (Helaman 10:6,11; 12:6,8; 13:18,22;), the Omnipotent Lord (Mosiah 3:5,17-18,21; 5:2,15), and without beginning of days, eternal, from everlasting to everlasting (2 Nephi 27:23, D&C 20:17; 39:1; 61:1; 78:16; 109:77).

Oddly enough, Doctrine and Covenants 20:21 also calls Heavenly Father the Almighty God.

Jesus is the God of the whole world (3 Nephi 3:11:14).

More Gods, more confusion.

Isaiah 43:10 - "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me."

Isaiah 44:6 - "Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God."

Trust in Isaiah instead.


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