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Close Topic OptionsCan God Not Do Certain Things?
Can God Things - Mormon Doctrine Studies - Posted: 2nd Jan, 2006 - 11:00am
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Post Date: 1st Jan, 2005 - 10:05pm / Post ID: #
Can God Not Do Certain Things?
Can God Not Do Certain Things?
| Message Edited! This thread's messages was moved out of the "What About The Holy Ghost's Body?" thread due to the content being offtopic. It is continued here with related parts from the last topic being removed. |
| QUOTE (JB@Trinidad @ 6-Jan 04, 3:25 PM) |
3. It also makes you wonder what the Holy Ghost can do that the Father is not designated to do? For instance why can't Heavenly Father not eminate truth? Since the Holy Ghost resides in one place but can be felt anywhere then Father could do the same, but I am to believe that it is possible that Heavenly Father really cannot do much with this world because of the 'test' and thus has to do everything through His Son and the Holy Ghost. |
This almost makes it sound like we don't believe in a God who is omnipotent, all powerful. If his powers are limited, then he is not all-powerful.
It makes sense to me that the Holy Ghost would be an office rather than a specific person. It's rather like a calling at church. A certain person who is extremely righteous, but has not been born yet and is still a spirit could receive that calling for a time before they are born and then when they are born another worthy spirit receives the calling.
I had actually never heard this concept before, but it does make sense. Just as it makes sense that God uses others to accomplish some of his work.
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| QUOTE (Melodilynn) |
| This almost makes it sound like we don't believe in a God who is omnipotent, all powerful. If his powers are limited, then he is not all-powerful. |
How so? Does proposing a thought of study mean that we doubt Heavenly Father or that we are trying to understand Him? To assume this is to play as other religions or even some Members do... "Don't ask that". The question is quite valid... why is the Holy Ghost needed if Heavenly Father can emanate truth and for the answer was actually in the same text you quoted...
| QUOTE (JB@Trinidad) |
| Heavenly Father really cannot do much with this world because of the 'test' and thus has to do everything through His Son and the Holy Ghost. |
Thus being all powerful does not mean He (Father) must also be Himself the Sacrifice and also the First Comforter.
Post Date: 1st Jan, 2005 - 10:40pm / Post ID: #
Can God Not Do Certain Things? Studies Doctrine Mormon
| QUOTE (JB@Trinidad @ 1-Jan 06, 5:11 PM) | ||
To assume this is to play as other religions or even some Members do... "Don't ask that". The question is quite valid... why is the Holy Ghost needed if Heavenly Father can emanate truth and for the answer was actually in the same text you quoted...
Thus being all powerful does not mean He (Father) must also be Himself the Sacrifice and also the First Comforter. |
I prefer the wording that Heavenly Father chooses to not intervene because of the test of mortal life. It's not that he can't. Of course he can. He's all powerful. He can do whatever he decides he wants to do. However, for the sake of the world and his children, which He loves above all else, Heavenly Father chooses not to intervene and thus uses Jesus and the Holy Ghost to fill the roles that they fill.
I wasn't trying to shut down the conversation by saying we can't ask such things. I was just saying that by saying that Heavenly Father can't do certain things we are in essence saying that he is not all powerful, yet we know that he is.
For what it's worth, I also believe that is why each of us must become as Heavenly Father is in order to become Gods. We can't just act charitable and act with love, we have to become charitable and become love. Otherwise, can you imagine an uncharitable person having unlimited power? Quite scary.
Things Do God Can
| QUOTE |
| I wasn't trying to shut down the conversation by saying we can't ask such things. I was just saying that by saying that Heavenly Father can't do certain things we are in essence saying that he is not all powerful, yet we know that he is. |
Then you need to add to your beginning assessment, "In my opinion..." as needed.
| QUOTE |
| I prefer the wording that Heavenly Father chooses to not intervene because of the test of mortal life. |
You may need to look at other threads related to this topic or maybe Skousen's 'Atonement'. Heavenly Father cannot do certain things because he would cease to be God. He cannot choose to have the Savior's role because that would counteract everything - it just would not make sense. The Book of Mormon teaches this clearly. He can choose to do something that is not in keeping with His own teachings and then not be God again... maybe that does not make sense on the surface, but when we think about 'What makes God, in fact God' then it can be understood.
Post Date: 1st Jan, 2005 - 11:45pm / Post ID: #
Things Do God Can
| QUOTE (JB@Trinidad @ 1-Jan 06, 5:50 PM) |
| You may need to look at other threads related to this topic or maybe Skousen's 'Atonement'. Heavenly Father cannot do certain things because he would cease to be God. He cannot choose to have the Savior's role because that would counteract everything - it just would not make sense. The Book of Mormon teaches this clearly. He can choose to do something that is not in keeping with His own teachings and then not be God again... maybe that does not make sense on the surface, but when we think about 'What makes God, in fact God' then it can be understood. |
I think we are basically saying the same thing, but the semantics is getting in the way. God cannot do certain things, not because he doesn't have the power to do them... he does, but because he chooses not to do them. If he did them, then as you say he would cease to God. By choosing not to do certain things then God remains God.
So, it's not that he doesn't have the power to exert his influence or the power to save all mankind no matter what, it's that he chooses not to exert that power because if he did then he would cease to be God.
Basically it's the same as saying that he cannot do certain things. In a sense he can't because he is God and he won't choose to do something that would cause him to quit being God. So really, we are both saying the same thing just placing the emphasis in slightly different ways.
As far as adding "in my opinion" I kind of thought that was a given unless I was quoting someone else, in which case I would make that clear. Everything I write is in my opinion unless I'm quoting someone else.
Sheryl
Can God Not Do Certain Things?
Interesting topic. I think I understand what JB and Melodilynn are trying to say although both of them are talking about two completely different views. I do agree with JB's opinion and in part with Melodilynn. We know Heavenly Father is the Almighty God, yet he cannot do certain things, yes...I am not using the word "choosing not", I am saying exactly and literally that, he cannotdo certain things. Because of that, a Savior was put into this world and the Holy Ghost as our Comforter. God cannot possible be the Savior. There is a universal law that must be obeyed by all things and individuals (including God). He cannot be God, the Savior and the Holy Ghost all at the same time, otherwise he would no longer be God, he would cease to be God. Or do we forget that he is not the only God in existence?. He is the God for this Universe but we as Latter Day Saints know how he obtained that Godhood therefore whoever was watching over Him (His God) must have also abide by the law of his own God and so on. There are certain things that God just cannot do.
Can God Do Things
| QUOTE (Melodilynn) |
| I think we are basically saying the same thing, but the semantics is getting in the way. |
No, we are not saying the same thing. I am saying clearly what I want to say: God cannot do certain things, because if he chooses to do them then He would cease to be God. You have chosen to focus on one word in another topic, make it an off topic, disagree and then say we are saying the same thing? Read again what I wrote above, plus what LDS_forever just put which may explain better what I am trying to say.
Post Date: 2nd Jan, 2006 - 11:00am / Post ID: #
Can God Do Things Mormon Doctrine Studies
You're in a computer lab and the network administrator gives you a workstation to go play Sim City. You're all happy watching those little sims drive around the town you built. They go shopping, go to work, and live in their little houses, and maybe go visit that shiny new museum you just placed.
But some of your sims are kind of mean and start rioting near your house. As sim mobs are wont to do, they tend to start being arsonists and burn your buildings down. So you could send in your little fireman sims and little policeman sims to go settle things down. Or you could use a cheat program to make your sims behave. But if you did the latter, the network administrator would swoop down and kick you off for cheating.
Perhaps God is to us as we are to the sims of Sim City?
TOPIC: Can God Not Do Certain Things?