Saturday, June 13, 2020

Texts that Speak of the Father and Son being "One" in terms of Unity of Purpose and In-Dwelling Unity

Recently, Dr. Dunning-Kruger, in a youtube video on his recent anti-Mormon book, has argued that there is no LDS scriptural texts that speaks of the person of the Godhead being united as “one God” in the sense of shared purpose, etc. Here is one from the New Testament and two from uniquely LDS texts that speak of the Father and Son being "one" in such a way (e.g., in-dwelling unity [cf. the concept of perichoresis]):

 

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:20-23)

 

And that I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one—The Father because he gave me of his fulness, and the Son because I was in the world and made flesh my tabernacle, and dwelt among the sons of men. (D&C 93:3-4)

 

And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son---the Father because he was conceived by the power of God, and the Son because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and the Son; and they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth. (Mosiah 15:2-4; for a discussion of Mosiah 15 and the [errant] claim early LDS Christology was that of Modaism, see my friend Blake Ostler's article Re-vision-ing the Mormon Concept of Deity)

 

In the article linked above from Blake Ostler, note the following about D&C 93 and how it teaches "how" the Father and Son are "one" and how we can be "one" with the Father and the Son (cf. the John 17 text quoted above):


[D&C 93] explains how the Son becomes divine because the Father communicates to the Son a fulness of power, knowledge and presence. This same fulness of power, knowledge and presence is communicated to the Saints:
 
 

The Son of God

 The Sons of God

I was in the beginning with the Father. (93:21) 

Ye were also in the beginning with the Father. (93:22)

I am the Firstborn. (93:21)

All who are begotten through me ... are the Church of the Firstborn. (93:20)

and he received not of the fulness at first; but continued from grace to grace, until  he received a fulness. (93:13)

If ye keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness ... Ye shall receive grace for grace. (93:20)

I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one.... (93:3) And the glory of the Father was with him, for he dwelt in him. (93:17)

You shall... be glorified in me as I am inthe Father. (93:20)

And he received a fulness of truth, yea, even all truth. (93:26)

 He that keepeth the commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is
glorified in truth and knoweth all things. (93:28)

He received all power both in heaven and on earth. (93:17) 

Then shall they be gods because they shall have all power. (132:20)

And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at first. (93:14)

Wherefore it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God. (76:58)


What is often overlooked is the multi-valency of the term "God" in both Trinitarian and LDS theologies. A Trinitarian may balk, but "God" can refer to the being of God and yet be predicated upon the persons, too, and none of the persons is God in that sense (Jesus is not "the Trinity" but he is "God," for e.g.)


For those familiar with the Cecile Richards (*) of anti-Mormonism and his work, such is par for the course--make crap up, pretend to be fair and scholarly, and dupe your Protestant audience, hook, line, and sinker.


(*) I know some may find this odd, if not offensive, keep this in mind (and I say this as someone who is Pro-Life to the max): Protestantism is more of an evil than abortion. Jesus taught us that that one who can destroy the soul is more dangerous than one who can destroy the body (Matt 10:28), so one who defends Protestantism and wishes to deceive Latter-day Saints into such a system is worse than any president of Planned Parenthood or doctor in their employ.