Tag Archives: Fox News

Q15: What specifically does the Mormon Church say about African-Americans and Native Americans?

A: Mormons believe that all mankind are sons and daughters of God and should be loved and respected as such. The blessings of the gospel are available to all.

This is what the LDS Church says now, but this is not all that they have taught on the subject. Until 1978 Blacks were withheld the priesthood because of their theology. The LDS Church teaches that before this world was created and populated, there was a war in heaven. Jesus and one of His brothers, Lucifer, both put forth their bids to be the savior for Mankind. Harold B. Lee states on page 219 of Stand Ye in Holy Places,

“When there was war in heaven, Lucifer, a son of God in the spirit world before the earth was formed, proposed a plan under which mortals would be saved without
glory and honor of God.”

His plan was rejected and the plan of Jesus was accepted. Lucifer persuaded one third of God’s sons to rebel and war broke out in heaven. Speaking of this war and it’s participants late LDS apostle Bruce McConkie wrote,

“In the pre-existent eternity various degrees of valiance and devotion to the truth were exhibited by different groups of our Father’s spirit offspring… some were more valiant than others… Those who were less valiant in pre-existence and who thereby had certain spiritual restrictions imposed upon them during mortality are known to us as the negroes. Such spirits are sent to earth through the lineage of Cain, the mark put upon him for his rebellion against God and his murder of Abel being a black skin… Negroes in this life are denied the priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty… The present status of the negro rests purely and simply on the foundation of pre-existence… The negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of certain spiritual blessings are concerned, particularly the priesthood and the temple blessings that flow therefrom, but this inequality is not of man’s origin. It is the Lord’s doing, is based on his eternal laws of justice, and grows out of the lack of spiritual valiance of those concerned in
their first estate.” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1st ed. [Salt Lake
City: Bookcraft, 1958], 476-477.)

Note that this quote is 20 years before the 1978 change. Regarding Native Americans, Mormonism teaches that they are really Jews who migrated to the new world hundreds of years before the birth of Christ.

Q16: What are or were the “Golden Plates”?

A: The Book of Mormon was translated by Joseph Smith from records made on plates of gold, similar to metal plates that have been found in other ancient cultures. It contained a history of peoples in the Western Hemisphere including an appearance by the Savior to them. As such, the Book of Mormon is considered a second testimony of Jesus Christ.

This answer is adequate although I would add that we do not have these plates to verify their accuracy or even their existence.

Q17: Are consumption of alcohol and tobacco prohibited or simply discouraged?

A: It is against the teachings of the Church to use alcohol and tobacco or to drink tea and coffee.

Not only are they prohibited, it is taught that failing to obey this commandment will bar one from the presence of God. Boyd K. Packer said,

“The Word of Wisdom put restrictions on members of the
Church. To this day those regulations apply to every member and to everyone who
seeks to join the Church. They are so compelling that no one is to be baptized
into the Church without first agreeing to live by them. No one will be called to
teach or to lead unless they accept them. When you want to go to the temple, you
will be asked if you keep the Word of Wisdom. If you do not, you cannot go to
the house of the Lord until you are fully worthy.” The Word of Wisdom: The
Principle and the Promises, President Boyd K. Packer” Ensign, May 1996

Q18: Does the Church also ban the consumption of “hot drinks”? And does that apply specifically to caffeinated drinks?

A: It is against the teachings of the Church to use alcohol and tobacco or to drink tea and coffee.

My personal belief is that this question was not answered because there is no official declaration on what is and is not to be included into the Word of Wisdom, which is the LDS revelation that prohibits tobacco, strong drinks and hot drinks. From personal experience I find that there are almost as many interpretation of what is prohibited as there are Mormons. Bruce McConkie did speak on the subject though.

“Three types of things are prohibited to man by the Word of Wisdom — tobacco,
strong drinks, and hot drinks. By strong drinks is meant alcoholic beverages; hot drinks, according to the Prophet’s own statement, mean tea and coffee. Accordingly the negative side of the Word of Wisdom is a command to abstain from tea, coffee, tobacco, and liquor.

Abstinence from these four things has been accepted by the Church as a measuring rod to determine in part the personal worthiness of church members. When decisions are made relative to the granting of temple recommends or approving brethren for church positions or ordinations, inquiry is made relative to these four items.

Obviously the standard of judgment must be uniform throughout the Church, and local officers are not at liberty to add other items to this list. However, there are many other substances which have a harmful effect on the human body, though such particular things are not specifically prohibited by the Word of Wisdom. Certainly the partaking of cola drinks, though not included within the measuring standard here set out, is in violation of the spirit of the Word of Wisdom. Harmful drugs of any sort are in a like category.” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966], 845.)

Q19: Why do Mormons go from door to door?

A: Christ admonished his disciples to take the gospel to the world. The Church follows that admonition and sends missionaries throughout the world.

This is a sufficient answer.

Q20: What do the Mormons believe about the family?

A: Mormons believe that the family is the foundation for this life and the life to come.

True enough, but what does this mean to the Mormon? Mormonism teaches that the fullness of salvation, i.e. Godhood can only be attained as a family unit. When Mormons are married in their temples, they are considered married for all time and eternity. Once a couple is exalted together in Godhood there is the need for them to procreate spirit children who will then populate the world created by this “God-couple.” Those spirit children will have the same relationship to their heavenly parents as we supposedly do to ours. My previous answer to question number 10 will help understand this.

Q21: Can someone who may never marry in life have eternal marriage?

A: God will not withhold blessings from any of his children who may not have the opportunity to marry in this life.

This is why the majority of the rituals performed in LDS temples are performed on behalf of the dead. After performing these ordinances for themselves, living Mormons have the responsibility to seek out their deceased relatives, and anyone else who has not had the opportunity to participate, and carry out these ordinances on their behalf.

In describing how this works Joseph Fielding Smith wrote,

“We are going to take substitutes who will act vicariously, which means one acting for another, and in the temples they will stand for those who are dead and there, in the behalf of the dead, receive all these blessings for them. When they do this, if the dead accept the labor performed, it is accounted unto them the same as if they had acted for themselves.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., edited by Bruce R. McConkie [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-1956], 2: 161.)

He also stated,

“Baptism, confirmation, ordination, endowment, and sealings all pertain to this
mortal life and are ordinances required of those who are in mortality. Provision
has been made for these ordinances to be performed vicariously for those who are
worthy but who died without the opportunity in this life of receiving these
ordinances in person.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols.,
edited by Bruce R. McConkie [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-1956], 2: 178.)

As you can see from reading my answers, there is a tremendous amount of information that was left out of the LDS Churches response. While I agree that Mormons have the right to dictate, define and explain their own doctrine, they also have the responsibility to give forth-right answers that their audience will understand.

Instead, we find that the LDS spokesperson has taken advantage of the apparent ignorance of the reporter’s poorly worded questions. Rather than answering the spirit of the question, the Mormon Church takes the path of least resistance and attempts to mislead the public as to its core beliefs. As long as this policy remains prominent with those speaking on behalf of Mormonism, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will always be thought a cult. There are plenty of misunderstandings about Mormonism and their answers to these 21 questions are a perfect example of why that is the case.

For a clear explanation of the Mormon World view, read what I believe to be the best description from an official LDS Church teaching manual.

Q8: Does the Mormon Church believe Jesus appeared in North America after his crucifixion and resurrection?

A: The appearance of Jesus in the Western Hemisphere shortly after his resurrection is described in the Book of Mormon. Mormons believe that when Christ told his disciples in the Bible He had other ‘sheep’ who should receive his message he was referring to those people in the Western Hemisphere.

This answer is accurate.

Q9: If so, when did this happen? And under what circumstances?

A: The appearance of Jesus in the Western Hemisphere shortly after his resurrection is described in the Book of Mormon. Mormons believe that when Christ told his disciples in the Bible He had other ‘sheep’ who should receive his message he was referring to those people in the Western Hemisphere.

This answer is accurate.

Q10: Does the Mormon Church believe its followers can become “gods and goddesses” after death?

A: We believe that the apostle Peter’s biblical reference to partaking of the divine nature and the apostle Paul’s reference to being ‘joint heirs with Christ’ reflect the intent that children of God should strive to emulate their Heavenly Father in every way. Throughout the eternities, Mormons believe, they will reverence and worship God the Father and Jesus Christ. The goal is not to equal them or to achieve parity with them but to imitate and someday acquire their perfect goodness, love and other divine attributes.

There is a whole lot more to this answer that the LDS Church does not provide. The official LDS Church manual, Achieving a Celestial Marriage gives a wonderfully clear explanation of the Mormon world view and addresses this very question in sections 1-18 and 1-19 on page 132.

(1-18) Celestial Marriage Makes Women Queens and Priestesses unto
Their Husbands

“If righteous men have power through the gospel and its crowning
ordinance of celestial marriage to become kings and priests to rule in
exaltation forever, it follows that the women by their side (without whom they cannot attain exaltation) will be queens and priestesses. ( Rev. 1: 6; 5:10.) Exaltation grows out of the eternal union of a man and his wife. Of those whose marriage endures in eternity, the Lord says, ‘Then shall they be gods’ (D. & C. 132:20); that is, each of them, the man and the woman, will be a god. As such they will rule over their dominions forever.” (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.613.)

(1-19) Celestial Marriage Makes It Possible for Us to Claim Our Mortal
Children in Eternity As Well As to Propagate Ourselves Throughout Eternity

“Parents will have eternal claim upon their posterity and will have the gift of eternal increase, if they obtain the exaltation. This is the crowning glory in the kingdom of God, and they will have no end. When the Lord says they will have no end, he means that all who attain to this glory will have the blessing of the continuation of the ‘seeds’ forever. Those who fail to obtain this blessing come to the ‘deaths,’ which means that they will have no in crease, forever. All who obtain this exaltation will have the privilege of completing the full measure of their existence, and they will have a posterity that will be as innumerable as the stars of heaven…”

“The Father has promised us that through our faithfulness we shall be blessed with the fulness (sic) of his kingdom. In other words we will have the privilege of becoming like him. To become like him we must have all the powers of godhood; thus a man and his wife when glorified will have spirit children who eventually will go on an earth like this one we are on and pass through the same kind of experiences, being subject
to mortal conditions, and if faithful, then they also will receive the fulness (sic) of exaltation and partake of the same blessings. There is no end to this development; it will go on forever. We will become gods and have jurisdiction over worlds, and these worlds will be peopled by our own offspring. We will have an endless eternity for this.” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:43-44, 48.)

When the LDS Church continuously and purposely fails to give forth-right and clear explanation of its doctrine, I am reminded of the first question in this Fox News article.

Q11: Does the Mormon Church believe that women can only gain access to heaven with a special pass or codewords?

A: No.

This question is ambiguous since Mormonism teaches that all but the sons of perdition will attain to one of three levels of heaven. If the question is referring to the necessity of using a special pass or codeword to enter into God’s presence, then the answer is unequivocally, Yes!, but this applies to both men and women. The following quote appears in a number of official LDS Church teaching manuals.

“Your endowment is to receive all those ordinances in theHouse of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the Holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell. (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, selected and arranged by John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954], 416.)

Part of the Mormon temple ceremony is to learn special words, names and handshakes.

Q12: Does the Mormon Church believe that women must serve men on both Earth and in heaven?

A: Absolutely not. Mormons believe that women and men are complete equals before God and in relation to the blessings available in the Church.

This is an interesting answer in light of the following comments by Elder Erastus Snow.

“Are all the families of Israel and every woman striving herself to play well her part and reverence her husband as her lord; for he is her lord. Will she ever have another? No, never; and if she ever expects to have another, she has not learned “Mormonism” aright. She may tear herself loose from him and attach another, but she may have a worse one: she ought to have a worse one. If she cannot learn to honour him, the next one she gets, if she is permitted to have another, ought to be a worse one. How shall women honour their husbands? Just as we honour brother Brigham in his place, and the authorities of the Wards in their places; because upon him is laid the responsibility of that family, and he cannot get rid of it. He is in duty bound to purge them of their follies, and they are in duty bound to listen to his reproofs and honour him and pray for him, that he may be led aright.

Do the women, when they pray, remember their husbands? Do you pray for brother Brigham? Yes, you should always pray for him. But when you pray for him, do you pray also for your own husband, that he may have the inspiration of the Almighty to lead and govern his family as the lord? Do you uphold your husband before God as your lord? “What!—my husband to be my lord?” I ask, Can you get into the celestial kingdom without him? Have any of you been there? You will remember that you never got into the celestial kingdom without the aid of your husband. If you did, it was because your husband was away, and some one had to act proxy for him. No woman will get into the celestial kingdom, except her husband receives her, if she is
worthy to have a husband; and if not, somebody will receive her as a servant.”
(Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints’ Book Depot, 1854-1886], 5: 291.)

To be fair, I must say that neither Mormon men nor women will be allowed into the Celestial Kingdom without each other. While this may have the appearance of equality, this does not take into consideration the necessity of polygamy in order to receive the fullness of salvation. Even though the LDS Church has temporarily ceased this practice since 1890, it still is a requirement for those who desire to live in the presence of God.

Doctrine and Covenants section 132: 1-4 states,

“Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you
have inquired of my hand to know and understand wherein I, the Lord, justified
my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses, David and Solomon, my
servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and
concubines—

2 Behold, and lo, I am the Lord thy God, and will answer thee as touching this matter.

3 Therefore, prepare thy heart to receive and obey the instructions which I am about to give unto you; for all those who have this law revealed unto them must obey the same.

4 For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide
not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and
be permitted to enter into my glory.

Speaking about the above revelation, Brigham Young said, “Now, we as Christians desire to be saved in the kingdom of God. We desire to attain to the possession of all the blessings there are for the most faithful man or people that ever lived upon the face of the earth, even him who is said to be the father of the faithful, Abraham of old. We wish to obtain all that father Abraham obtained. I wish here to say to the Elders of Israel, and to all the members of this Church and kingdom, that it is in the hearts of many of them to wish that the doctrine of polygamy was not taught and practiced by us. It may be hard for many, and especially for the ladies, yet it is no harder for them than it is for the gentlemen. It is the word of the Lord, and I wish to say to you, and all the world, that if you desire with all your hearts to obtain the blessings which Abraham obtained, you will be polygamists at lest in your faith, or you will come short of enjoying the salvation and the glory which Abraham has obtained. This is as true as that God lives. You who wish that there were no such thing in existence, if you have in your hearts to say: “We will pass along in the Church without obeying or submitting to it in our faith or believing this order, because, for aught that we know, this community may be broken up yet, and we may have lucrative offices offered to us; we will not, therefore, be polygamists lest we should fail in obtaining some earthly honor, character and office, etc,”—the man that has that in his heart, and will continue to persist in pursuing that policy, will come short of dwelling in the presence of the Father and the Son, in celestial glory. The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy. Others attain unto a glory and may even be permitted to come into the presence of the Father and the Son; but they cannot reign as kings in glory, because they had blessings offered unto them, and they refused to accept them. The Lord gave a revelation through Joseph Smith, His servant; and we have believed and practiced it.”
(Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints’ Book Depot, 1854-1886], 11: 269.)

Q13: Is there such a thing as Mormon “underwear”? if so, are all Mormons required to wear it? What does it symbolize?

A: Like members of many religious faiths, Latter-day Saints wear religious clothing. But members of other faiths — typically those involved in permanent pastoral ministries or religious services — usually wear religious garments as outer ceremonial vestments or symbols of recognition. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, garments are worn beneath street clothing as a personal and private reminder of commitments to God.
Garments are considered sacred by Church members and are not regarded as a topic for casual conversation.

Although I agree that someone’s under wear is usually not regarded as a topic for casual conversation, I do not believe that this applies in the case of LDS garments. If a theology is going to require that wearing special undergarments is necessary to live in the presence of God, then this is a fair, if not essential topic for discussion.

To answer and the Fox News question, Yes, there are special under garments that temple worthy Mormons are expected to wear underneath their normal underwear. The average Mormon does not wear these garments because the practice is reserved for only the most faithful Mormons who have obtained a temple recommend. In order to receive a recommend Mormons must answer a series of questions about their “personal worthiness.” These questions range from whether or not they are abstaining from coffee, tea and alcohol to proving that they are paying a full 10 percent of their gross earnings to the LDS Church.

I would like to provide a scriptural reference for the LDS garments that explains their use and how they are to be worn, but there are none. Not even in the scriptures of the LDS Church.

Q14: Does the Mormon Church believe in the existence of another physical planet or planets, where Mormons will “rule” after their death and ascension?

A: No.

At first glance this answer seems to be a lie until you realize that there is an ambiguous loophole. The only reason why this answer is not a lie is because within LDS theology each God will create their own planets. In other words, if I were to become a Mormon god, the planets I will rule over are not in existence because I have yet to created them. The LDS Church just answered “No” instead of explaining the whole concept of being the God of your own planet and having your children worship you as God, just as we worship our father in heaven.

In all fairness, I do have to admit that the question is poorly worded. A better question would have been, “Does the LDS church teach that worthy members will become Gods and rule over other worlds just as the God of this planet is ruler over this earth?” A “No” answer to that question would be a bold-faced lie.

This information is in response to the article (same title as above) that appeared on the Fox News web site December 18, 2007. I have been asked by a number of people to respond to these questions. This will be a three part series where I will answer seven questions each day for the next three days.

Having studied Mormonism for more than 15 years, I was amazed at some of the half-truths and blatant misrepresentations given by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In order to set the record straight, I have provided the answers to each one of the questions along with quotes and references so that accuracy and context can be verified. The original questions will be in italicized white, the LDS Churches answers will be in pink and my answers will be in blue.

Q1: Why do some call the Church a cult?

A: For the most part, this seems to stem from a lack of understanding about the Church and its core doctrines and beliefs. Under those circumstances it is too easy to label a religion or other organization that is not well-known with an inflammatory term like ‘cult.’ Famed scholar of religion Martin Marty has said a cult means a church you don’t personally happen to like. We don’t believe any organization should be subjected to a label that has come to be as pejorative as that one.

While I do agree that there is a lack of understanding regarding Mormonism, I believe that the LDS Church must accept some of the responsibility for that fact. The LDS Church knows full well that if they practiced full disclosure, they would have a much harder time making converts. Cults must deceive in order to grow.

There are many ways to define what a cult is, but my preferred method is the B.I.T.E. model. I prefer this model because each of its components (Behavior, Information, Thought and Emotional Control) describe what cults do and not what they believe. A perfect example of the information control component can be seen by reading the answers of these 21 questions given by the LDS Church. I will point this out as I answer each question.

Q2: Does the Mormon Church believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God?

A: Mormons believe Jesus Christ is literally the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer, who died for the sins of humankind and rose from the dead on the third day with an immortal body. God, the Father, also has an immortal body.

The LDS Churches answer to this question is clear from an LDS perspective, but not to those who know little of the religion. That is why it is so important that in religious dialogue, there must be some time given to talking about differences. Mormons use the same words that Christians do, but they very rarely mean that same thing. When the LDS Church says they believe that Jesus is literally the Son of God, they mean that in a physical sense. God the Father physically procreated the body of Jesus with the help of Mary. I will go into more detail of this topic in Q7.

Q3: Does the Church believe in the divinity of Jesus?

A: Mormons believe Jesus Christ is literally the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer, who died for the sins of humankind and rose from the dead on the third day with an immortal body. God, the Father, also has an immortal body.

I do not understand why the LDS Church does not answer this question separately from Q2. Again, this answer makes sense to the LDS audience, but it does not do a good job of communicating real Mormon doctrine to the non-Mormons reading this answer. This type of answer is exactly what I mean when I say that if there are misunderstandings regarding Mormonism, the LDS Church must accept some responsibility for it.
Not only do Mormons believe in the divinity of Jesus, but they also believe that all humans are divine. The official Mormon Church manual, Achieving a Celestial Marriage Student Manual, states on page 130,

“MEN ARE GODS IN EMBRYO… We Have the Potential to Become like Our Heavenly Parents.

‘Man is the child of God, formed in the divine image and endowed with divine attributes, and even as the infant son of our earthly father and mother is capable in due time of becoming a man, so the undeveloped offspring of celestial parentage is capable, by experience through ages of aeons, of evolving into a God.’”

Mormonism teaches that men, angels and gods are all the same species. The LDS work, Mormon Doctrine states on page 465;

“Two of the names of God the Father are, Man of Holiness, and Man of Counsel
(Moses 6:57; 7:35); that is, God is a holy Man, a Man who is perfect in counsel. All beings who are his offspring, who are members of his family, are also men. This applies to the pre-existent spirits, including those who rebelled and were cast out with Lucifer to suffer eternally as sons of perdition (Isa. 14:16); to embodied spirits living on earth as mortal men; to translated beings such as those who are awaiting the day of their resurrection; and to the beings whom we call angels, beings who either as spirits or having tangible bodies are sent as messengers to minister to mortal men… Man and God are of the same race, and it is within the power of righteous man to become like his Father, that is to become a holy Man, a Man of Holiness.”

Q4: Does the Church believe that God is a physical being?

A: Mormons believe Jesus Christ is literally the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer, who died for the sins of humankind and rose from the dead on the third day with an immortal body. God, the Father, also has an immortal body.

Once again, the same vague answer. It would be more helpful to have quoted the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, when he answered the question, “What sort of a being was God in the beginning?”

“I will go back to the beginning before the world was, to show what kind of being God is. What sort of a being was God in the beginning? Open your ears and hear, all ye ends of the earth, for I am going to prove it to you by the Bible, and to tell you the designs of God in relation to the human race, and why He interferes with the affairs of man.

God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by his power, was to make himself visible,—I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God, and received instruction from, and walked, talked and conversed with him, as one man
talks and communes with another.

In order to understand the subject of the dead, for consolation of those who mourn for the loss of their friends, it is necessary we should understand the character and being of God and how he came to be so; for I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see.

These are incomprehensible ideas to some, but they are simple. It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God, and to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did; and I will show it from the Bible.” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], 345.)

The second Mormon prophet, Brigham Young, said,

“We cannot believe for a moment that God is destitute ofbody, parts, passions, or attributes… Our God and Father in Heaven, is a being of tabernacle, or, in other words, he has a body, with parts the same as you and I have; and is capable of showing forth his works to organized beings, as for instance, in the world in which we live, it is the result of the knowledge and infinite wisdom that dwell in his organized body. His Son Jesus Christ has become a personage of tabernacle, and has a body like his Father. (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, selected and arranged by John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954], 23-24.)

Q5: If so, does the Church believe that God lives on a planet named Kolob?

A: ‘Kolob’ is a term found in ancient records translated by Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith did not provide a full description or explanation of Kolob nor did he assign the idea particular significance in relation to the Church’s core doctrines.

The ancient records spoken about in the LDS answer is most likely from the book of Abraham found in The Pearl of Great Price. Abraham 3:2-3 says of Kolob,

“And I saw the stars, that they were very great, and that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God; and there were many great ones which were near unto it; And the Lord said unto me: These are the governing ones; and the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near unto me, for I am the Lord thy God: I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest.”

Facsimile No. 2 from the book of Abraham explains that Kolob is “the first creation, nearest to the celestial, or the residence of God.”

Q6: Where is the planet Kolob? What significance does the planet have to Mormons?

A: ‘Kolob’ is a term found in ancient records translated by Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith did not provide a full description or explanation of Kolob nor did he assign the idea particular significance in relation to the Church’s core doctrines.

Answered above.

Q7: Does the Mormon Church believe that God and Mary had physical sex to conceive Jesus?

A: The Church does not claim to know how Jesus was conceived but believes the Bible and Book of Mormon references to Jesus being born of the Virgin Mary.

In the past, LDS authorities have spoken much more explicitly on the issue. Note that in Q2 the LDS answer was that Jesus is “literally the Son of God” and that “the Father, …has an immortal body.” What the Mormon Church does not want to explain is how a physical being can literally be the father of someone else without sexual relations. Let us look at what LDS leaders have taught in the past.

In an official LDS Church manual, sixth Mormon President Joseph F. Smith taught:

“Now, we are told in scriptures that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God in the flesh. Well, now for the benefit of the older ones, how are children begotten? I answer just as Jesus Christ was begotten of his father… Jesus is the only person who had our Heavenly Father as the father of his body” (Family Home Evening Manual, 1972, Joseph F. Smith, p.125, 126).

On page 126 of this official LDS Church manual, the following graphic is shown of the figures of a man, woman, and child. LDS parents are advised how they should use this graphic to illustrate to their children “how Jesus was the only begotten Son of God.” Daddy plus Mommy equals you; Heavenly Father plus Mary equals Jesus.

One of the most outspoken authorities of the LDS Church on this issue was late apostle, Bruce R. McConkie. Even though I vehemently disagree with what he taught, I appreciate his frankness and straight-forwardness on what he believed. Pay attention to McConkie’s explicit language.

“Christ was Begotten by an immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers” (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 547).

“And Christ was born into the world as the literal Son of this Holy Being; he was born in the same personal, real, and literal sense that any mortal son is born to a mortal father. There is nothing figurative about his paternity; he was begotten, conceived and born in the normal and natural course of events, for he is the Son of God, and that designation means what it says” (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 742).

“These name-titles all signify that our Lord is the only Son of the Father in the flesh. Each of the words is to be understood literally. Only means only; Begotten means begotten; and Son means son. Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers.” (Mormon Doctrine, 1979, pages 546-47)

Their testimony is that Mary’s son is God’s Son; that he was conceived and begotten in the normal way; that he took upon himself mortality by the natural birth processes; that he inherited the power of mortality from his mother and the power of immortality from his Father-in consequence of all of which he was able to work out the infinite and eternal atonement” (The Promised Messiah: The First Coming of Christ, p. 473).

This last quote is one that has some interesting language. Jesus was conceived in a normal way. I have had Mormons tell me that it is possible that Mary was artificially inseminated. I am quick to point out that this is not normal. One last thing. The fact that the LDS Church did not answer this question with a resounding “No!,” leaves open the possibility for an affirmative answer to this question. If the LDS Church does not believe that God and Mary had sex, why not just say so?