Chapter 8 (BOMC)

In the Book of Mormon we learn that God is Spirit, not with flesh and bones, just like the Bible teaches. However, in the core teachings of Mormonism, the Father has a body of flesh and bones. He is like Jesus, having a glorified body. At a young age, they teach children in their church this false doctrine. In a lesson for kids, the teacher instructs the following. “To help each child understand that Heavenly Father is a real person, with a perfected body of flesh and bones, and that we are made in his image.” (Heavenly Father has a body) But how do they explain away the following verses in their Book of Mormon? It is written, “and Ammon began to speak unto him with boldness, and said unto him: Believest thou that there is a God? And he answered, and said unto him: I do not know what that meaneth. And then Ammon said: Believest thou that there is a Great Spirit? And he said, Yea. And Ammon said: This is God. And Ammon said unto him again: Believest thou that this Great Spirit, who is God, created all things which are in heaven and in the earth? And he said: Yea, I believe that he created all things which are in the earth; but I do not know the heavens.” (Alma 18:24-29)

God the Father is Spirit only.  It is written, “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21-24) It doesn’t say that God the Father has a body with His Spirit, but a Spirt only. And as a Spirit only, He is also an invisible God. Paul said, “giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” (Colossians 1:12-15) Spiritual beings may look like they have a body like us, but still, they are Spirit only. This is why God can be at any place and at any time.

The Bible teaches that the Father is Spirit, not having a body with flesh and bones. Jesus said this three times, while the apostle Paul taught this as well. Jesus said, “behold 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.” (Luke 24:39) Therefore, a Spirit has no flesh and bones. “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23,24) The Father is Spirit, and we worship Him in spirit and truth. “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” (John 14:8-10) The Father’s Spirit is able to dwell in Jesus. Lastly, Paul said, “in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” (Colossians 1:14,15) Being Spirit, the Father is also invisible to people on earth to see.

Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, once taught that the Father is Spirit. How He does not have a physical body like the Son. You can see this taught in the “Lectures Of Faith” publication. He said the following…

“In our former lectures we treated of the being, character, perfections, and attributes of God. What we mean by perfections is, the perfections which belong to all the attributes of his nature. We shall in this lecture speak of the Godhead; we mean the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There are two personages who constitute the great, matchless, governing, and supreme power over all things – by whom all things were created and made that are created and made, whether visible or invisible; whether in heaven, on earth, or in the earth, under the earth, or throughout the immensity of space. They are the Father and the Son: The Father being a personage of spirit, glory, and power, possessing all perfection and fullness. The Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, a personage of tabernacle, made or fashioned like unto man, or being in the form and likeness of man – or rather, man was formed after his likeness and in his image. He is also the express image and likeness of the personage of the Father, possessing all the fullness of the Father, or the same fullness with the Father, being begotten of him; and was ordained from before the foundation of the world to be a propitiation for the sins of all those who should believe on his name; and is called the Son because of the flesh.” (Lecture Of Faith, Section 5)

In Joseph's own book, the Book of Mormon, he also teaches that the Father is Spirit.  This goes right along with what Joseph Smith originally taught. These verses read…

“And Ammon began to speak unto him with boldness, and said unto him: Believest thou that there is a God? And he answered, and said unto him: I do not know what that meaneth. And then Ammon said: Believest thou that there is a Great Spirit? And he said, Yea. And Ammon said: This is God. And Ammon said unto him again: Believest thou that this Great Spirit, who is God, created all things which are in heaven and in the earth? And he said: Yea, I believe that he created all things which are in the earth; but I do not know the heavens.” (Alma 18:24-29)

“And the king said: Is God that Great Spirit that brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem? And Aaron said unto him: Yea, he is that Great Spirit, and he created all things both in heaven and in earth. Believest thou this? And he said: Yea, I believe that the Great Spirit created all things, and I desire that ye should tell me concerning all these things, and I will believe thy words.” (Alma 22:9-11)

This is where the tide turns in Mormonism. Near the end of Joseph Smith’s ministry on earth, his opinion changed.  In his latest declaration, he stated that the Father has a body of flesh and bones like we have. You can find this teaching in Doctrine and Covenants.  It reads…

“The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22)

It is interesting that Mormons believe that the Father has a physical body and not just Spirit.  In the Book of Mormon, we learn that the Father is Spirit with no mention of a body. This can be found in Alma, chapters 18 and 22. It is in Doctrine and Covenants 130:22 that things change, which has caused the LDS people to believe that the Father has a body. How interesting that the verse says that the Holy Spirit dwells in us, making Him Spirit, but they don’t realize that the Father dwells in the Son. Wouldn’t the Father also be Spirit if He dwells in the Son, like the Holy Spirit dwells in us? Jesus said, “believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” (John 14:10) This makes sense, since Jesus became flesh, and not the Father. Jesus and the Father were once only Spirits. Jesus came down and became flesh. He died for our sins and rose to a glorified body in heaven.

Jesus said the Father is a spirit, for He dwells in Him, the same way the Holy Spirit dwells in us. As the Father dwells in the Son, he also does not have a body. Jesus said, “woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21-24) He also taught that spirits do not have a body of flesh and bones. This means that our Father in heaven is Spirit only. It is written, “and as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold 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.” (Luke 24:36-39)

Either the Spirit of God dwells in us or He doesn’t. We cannot have it both ways. Thankfully, we have the Biblical text that agree that God dwells in those who believe in Him. And not only this, we know that the Father dwells in the Son also. This is how God the Father can be in more than one place at once. God is not limited by time or space like humans because He is everywhere, being omnipresent. This is because, as Jesus said, spirits do not have flesh and bones as he has. Jesus even said that his Father is spirit, and we are to worship Him in spirit and in truth. For this reason, God is able to hear our prayers when we call upon His Name. This happens in any place all around the world. When you pray and sense God's presence, it means that God is with you, uplifting you and providing you with the hope and peace to continue on. This is true since God is omnipresent.  It is important to let the Bible speak when it comes to this topic.  See the following teachings about God the Father being spirit and how this is possible…

If you are a spirit, then you don’t have flesh and bones.
“And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold 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.” (Luke 24:38,39)

God the Father is spirit.
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23,24)

The spirit of God dwells in the Son, as God the Father is spirit.
"And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name; for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one." (3 Nephi 11:27)

“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” (John 14:10)

The spirit of God dwells in us, not in temples made with hands.
“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.” (Acts 17:24-26)

As we read in the verses above, the Bible does not contradict itself when it teaches that God the Father is spirit. The Book of Mormon disagrees with the official Mormon doctrine regarding God the Father having a physical body. Instead, it teaches that God’s spirit is able to dwell in our hearts. This is not possible if the Father has a body of flesh and bones. LDS Doctrines have limited God’s ability to be omnipresent. Seeing that they believe he has a physical body, this changes everything. It tells me that they are anti the true God of the Bible and not for Him. If you think that this is not a salvific issue, then you are wrong. Mormons teach and promote a false god that is made up of flesh and bones. This god does not save anyone. Therefore, salvation does not come through Mormonism. They have denied what Jesus taught about spirits not having flesh and bones. The worst part is that they deny that the Father is spirit. Lastly, see below how the Book of Mormon contradicts the Doctrine and Covenants…

The spirit of God dwells in us.
“And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb.” (Alma 34:36)

God is unable to dwell in us, for He has a body of flesh and bones.
“the Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22)

So, who will you believe? Christianity and the Bible alone, or what Mormonism teaches?  Where in the Mormon church, the Father could have a body or Spirit only? The spirit of truth is in the Bible, whereas the spirit of confusion is in Mormonism. If I were you, and were in the LDS church, I would leave it behind.  Do this once and for all. Don’t allow people to run your life with their extra laws, rules, regulations, covenants, and ordinances. Instead, allow God to govern Your life the right way. It doesn’t have to be complicated. What the Bible teaches is for today, as it has been for every generation. God's Word is His love letter left for mankind.

Lastly, Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us.  He was Spirit before gaining a body of flesh and bones.  As the Father was never born, He remains Spirit.  As for the denomination we are part of, it does not matter. Never say that only your church is true, for this is a false statement. The Spirit of God dwells in the hearts of every believer, of many different Bible-believing churches all throughout the world. It doesn’t matter what skin color a person has. God looks upon the heart and knows if we are for or against Him. This world is dark and going in the wrong direction, so decide today to worship the Father in spirit and truth. True worshipers do this while giving into His wisdom and knowledge for their lives. We are different in Christ Jesus, having been reborn in the spirit with God’s Spirit. God bless you! Keep seeking Jesus daily, while reading the Bible and praying often. Amen.

Let us pray:
Oh Lord, thank You for teaching us that the Father is Spirit. Your Word speaks and says God’s Spirit dwells in You, Jesus, which makes Him Spirit. I love to think about this in the same fashion as the Holy Spirit dwells in us, Your true believers. This analogy helps me relay this truth to the Mormon people. If only they would have a heart to listen, then the truth could come to light in their lives also. You taught that we worship the Father, for He is Spirit. How a Spirit does not have a body of flesh and bones as You have. Truly, you are my teacher, not the teachers of men. The false prophets in Mormonism need to be stopped. They are telling people that You have a body, Father, which causes confusion among Your people. If only they knew how false this teaching really is, then people would come to You and be saved. I believe in You, Jesus. I trust in You, God. Amen.