Mormon Polygamy

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. According to Philip Roberts in the book Mormonism Unmasked, “ Jesus Christ is the central figure in their theology and daily living” (65). He says that, “also, there is no question that Mormons affirm the historical validity of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. They often refer to Jesus as their savior, as their Lord, as the son of God, even as God incarnate as man” (Roberts 65).
Mormons believe, though, that God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are separate deities. They believe that God was just another man in another world. “Elohim” is another name for God in Mormon Theology. As written in Inside Mormonism: What Mormons
Really Believe, by Isaiah Bennett, say that, “…the biblical name ‘Elohim’ refers always and only to God the Father” (282). They believe that God has physical body, not only do they believe this about God but they also believe this to be true for Jesus. Bennett states that, “Mormons commonly appeal to passages speaking of man as being created in the image of God…and passages mentioning a particular body part in connection with God…” (267). They also believe that Christ was exactly the same as every human or angel. Jesus was not unique among men (Roberts 66). Mormon also have some interesting beliefs about Jesus Christ.
To Mormons, Jesus was preexisted until God literally impregnated Mary. In detail, Mormon theology teaches that God had a spirit wife and which Jesus was conceived in the preexisted realm. They, too, believe that, “the Father also directly participated in the Lord’s conception” (Bennett). They believe that Jesus is our literal brother. According to Cult Watch, written by John Ankerberg and John Weldon, says that Jesus Christ is “a self-progressing deity (“Jehovah” of the Old Testament) and the first spirit child of ‘Elohim’ and his wife” (18). Jesus existed as a “spirit Son of a heavenly Father and a heavenly Mother” (Roberts 66). Mormons believe that Jesus was the first-born Son of God. They believe that Lucifer is another one of God’s son. Mormons believe that Jesus is literally their older brother; they also believe that we are literally Jesus’ younger siblings.
Mormon theology teaches that Christ had to go through his own salvation to reach his status of divinity.
McKeever and Johnson state that, “Jesus was under obligation of the law has been taught by a number of [Mormon] leaders” (55). In order to reach salvation, one must have multiple wives to reproduce in the eternal life. Roberts stated that, “Jesus did attain, while in his pre-earth existence, a level of divinity” (66). Therefore, Mormons believe that Jesus practiced polygamy. Bennett states that, “…Mormon leaders have asserted that Christ taught his apostles polygamy and that this was one of the key factors leading to his crucifixion” (300). They also believe this to be true of God as well.
Mormon Christology teaches that Jesus cannot be in more than one place at time (McKeever & Johnson 43). Mormonism Unmasked talks about how Mormons believe that Jesus did not only visit Palestine but made a visit to the new world. Mormons also believe that Jesus literally sits on the right side of God in heaven (Roberts 72-73).
These are the beliefs that Mormons hold unto about God and Jesus Christ. Mormon will argue that orthodox view is not biblical. Robert says that, “they frequently argue that it actually reflects the influence of pagan philosophy on the early creeds, which they maintain were forced on the early church by corrupt pagan Roman emperors and church councils”
(68).