Why Mormons Don’t Believe In The Trinity … Part I

One of the primary reasons that Christians don’t consider members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be Christian, stems from their unbelief in “The Trinity”. This has led people in the direction of saying that Mormons (a nickname based on the Book of Mormon) believe in a different Jesus than is found in the New Testament.

mishy

Perform a quick experiment for me if you get the chance.

Go and ask any Christian, of any denomination if they believe in the Trinity. They will resolutely say, “Yes…of course I do”. Quickly follow up by saying, “What is the trinity”? Watch a grin slowly come across their face and then look for words like “supernatural”, “incomprehensible”, “not for me to understand”, and you might get a few other adjectives. Maybe the most prevalent description you’ll get back will be the word “Mystery”.

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So I’ve tried to determine how it is that believing in the Trinity became a requirement for being a Christian. Honestly how can a person even have a chance to believe in the Trinity if no one else can explain it sufficiently. I’ve asked a bunch of people and every person’s understanding is different. So what am I supposed to do?

Describing Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost as an egg or as one of the various forms of H2O just doesn’t cut it for me.egg

All I know is that John 17:3 says that it is “eternal life to know God…and Jesus Christ, whom God had sent”. (Notice that God sent His Son…keyword; SENT) I’m kind of feeling like its sort of important for me to know who and what God is so that I can become like Him. Not only that, but Christ set it forth as a requirement for “eternal life” to know Him and His Father. If He was a giant incomprehensible mystery, then how am I supposed to know how to become like him?

Here is what I don’t understand.

Why does all of Christendom say that Mormons don’t worship the correct Jesus or believe the Bible when they themselves are basing their entire belief in God not on the Bible but on a creed that was pieced together by the Roman pagans and politicians of the 4th century? I never heard Peter or Paul or John or Christ or anyone else in the New Testament talk about the trinity. But now I need to accept it to be labeled a Christian?

I wonder if Paul had some of the same thoughts I’m having when he cruised into Athens and saw an inscription on an altar that said “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD”. He was horrified! An unknown God?!

The rest of the apostles were horrified at the thought as well. They were watching the true understanding of the nature and character of God slip away right before their eyes, and they knew the impact it would have on the Church. By the end of the first century…no one had a clue. Christians had been driven, scattered, and left leaderless. The next 10 Roman emperors starting with Nero set out to exterminate the Christians until Constantine came around and sought to unify the Christians and the pagans for political reasons. Constantine, a pagan himself, called a council at Nicea for the express purpose of defining God in order to establish harmony between Pagans and Christians.

These politicians and a few clergymen voted on how to define God at Nicea and it became later known as the Athanasian creed. The council was a debate between essentially two men; Arius and Athanasius. Arius believed that The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost were separate entities, of one mind, but individuals nonetheless. Athanasius believed that the three were “of one substance”. Athanasius was more vocal, more convincing, and had more friends. He won the vote and Arius was cast out as a heretic.

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But think about this for a second! If Arius had of been just a little bit cooler than Athanasius at the time…the entire Christian world would be thinking that The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were three separate beings…and then Mormons wouldn’t be so strange after all!

Funny how things work out sometimes.

So when someone tells me that I need to believe in the trinity…it’s hard for me to understand why. Because Athanasius said so? Who is he to me?!

Now this is where it gets really strange. Protestants seem to be the most vocal against Mormons for not believing in the trinitarian creeds. But check out the first sentence of the Athanasian creed!

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith.

Geeee. So…since all other Christian reformers came out of the Catholic Church…it’s hard to believe there are so many protestants that would hold that creed so dear to their hearts…even dear enough that they would send Mormons out of Christianity just for not believing it. That creed just told them that there is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church!

Talk about a mystery!

So a man named Joseph Smith came around and said “If you don’t comprehend the character of God, then you don’t comprehend yourself.” It seems pretty logical to want to ask “what kind of being is God.” After all…Christ did say “Come follow me” with John later confirming that the next time we see Him, “we shall be like Him”.

[Tweet “”If you don’t comprehend the character of God, then you don’t comprehend yourself””]

It’s pretty difficult to have faith in a being and worship that being, unless you know what kind of being He is, especially when your goal should be to become like Him. In order to comprehend your own divine potential and divine destination, you’ve got to comprehend the being that you are striving to become like.

I don’t know of another religion in the world that is more New Testament Bible-centric as it relates to their belief and understanding of the character and attributes of Christ and I’ll give some undeniable evidence of that in Part 2.

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27 thoughts on “Why Mormons Don’t Believe In The Trinity … Part I

  1. Holly

    Wow.It is interesting as some friends and I were having a hamburger before we went to see “Meet the Mormons” last night..we were coincidentally discussing this very topic. We brought out some of the very same points you did.It is so refreshing to see we are not alone in our thoughts! (Now get out of my head..lol!)

  2. Theophilus

    Sadly, Most Catholics don’t fully understand the Nicean creed. My best friend was “very” Catholic growing up – alter boy, catholic school right through high school. When he asked what the difference was between the Catholics and the Mormons I started with this creed. I said, “you believe the three are one. We believe they are 3 distinct individuals with one purpose.” He said – “no we believe they’re distinct.” He started rattling off scriptures showing how they were distinct…why would someone pray to himself? Why would someone say “not my will but thine be done” if they were the same…..How could he have “thrown” his voice at his own baptism and say he was “well pleased” with himself? Who was standing on the right hand of God at Stephen’s stoning….. I said, you’re absolutely right!!! Now…go study your doctrine. Most catholics who are well-read will tell you they’ve always believed they were distinct. They know the Nicean creed is wrong. Probably a good time to start looking for the true and living church of Jesus Christ………… I guarantee it’s out there. :o)

    • Erin

      Many “faiths” also do not love and honor the Blessed Mother as the Catholic faith does ( I realize this isn’t in response to what I believe as a cradle and proud Catholic re the Holy Trinity which is 3 persons in one God) She is the Immaculate Conception and the mother of God, why shouldn’t she then be loved and respected and honored? I actually feel sorrow for those that disregard her as just another woman and sorrow for those who do not believe in the holy sacraments, we as Catholics believe that at Mass we receive the true body and blood of Jesus Christ, we also are born with original sin and that is why we are baptized as infants. I am not here to debate but to share my love of the one true church the Catholic church. Does that mean that I believe that only Catholics will enter heaven? No. God is merciful and I pray the rosary every day for peace in our hearts.

  3. jdf28

    The concept: “become like Him” or to become like God that you mention as being important is totally foreign to most “Christians.” As a matter of fact, it is one of the Mormon concepts that causes Protestants to reject Mormons as Christian and label them as a cult. To believe in the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost as three separate and distinct beings is one thing; to believe that we can actually become like God blows their minds.

  4. Horsegal

    You are absolutely right, Greg. I have been a Christian for many years, but have never believed in the “Trinity” as such. Obviously there are 3 distinct persons. I have even sung songs about the Trinity, but as I say, have never believed in it. Thank you so much for writing the truth so I can understand it, and leading me in the right direction.

  5. kurtfk

    The Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in the Trinity, either. They
    believe in a “Monody”, where there is only one God – Jehovah. Jesus
    Christ is demoted to some kind of secondary role, but to them he is not
    “God”, and never has been. They are very close to the Arian doctrine, in
    that sense.Of course, this position is just as untenable and unbiblical as the Trinity

    • onecoolbrother

      Old post, but the reason it is untenable is because the entire Christian and even Mormon sects are using post original manuscripts of Scripture such as the King James in which the name of the Holy Father has been replaced by the all caps LORD. This transgression was due to Jewish tradition, but since there was never any other Lord to the Jews, but one, there was never the thought that there would be the confusion of Scripture as of today’s doctrines who don’t realize that they are in a subliminal unconscious battle of “competing Lords”; LORD vs Lord, one being the Father and one being the Son. The Catholic translators and transcribers were quite aware of this and even clearly state this in the preface of their bibles, today, such as the Good News Bible. This is no small glitch, by the way. The name was not just used in spots, it was used over 7000 times in the original manuscripts and throughout the New Testament in referrals back to previous Scriptures. This is clear biblical history, but one that no “supposed” Christian religion will accept because it would kill the entire position of their entire structured belief in Christ and their religion itself. Without accepting this fact of history, the Witnesses, therefore, look crazy in their beliefs, but with it, the Trinity and such becomes a much different debate. Just on the matter of Jesus, his position in reference to the Father is made clear in that he is to only rule the Kingdom for 1000 years and then give authority back to His Father. That sounds extremely like an earthly and distinct father-son relationship rather than some extremely mysterious inexplicable one that seems to be purported by most of Christianity.

  6. Ann Weigler

    Thank you so much for this article Greg. I have been a Christian for a long time, but have never believed in the Trinity as some state it. God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are separate entities.. It just doesn’t make sense to make them all one. Thank you for your articles, which I find very interesting as well as leading me to the Truth. At 82, I really feel I am on the WAY!

  7. Greg Trimble

    These are good points Ron. It adds validity to the fact that there was an apostasy. Many of the ECF’s did believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were separate…but those guys were long gone by the time Nicea rolled around in 325…

    It’s the creeds that are all jacked up. Not the ECF’s

    • Ron Den Boer

      The Bible is clear that a complete apostasy would not happen

      Dan 2:

      . 44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be
      destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in
      pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. 45 Inasmuch
      as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that
      it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the
      great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The
      dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”

      Head of Gold is the Babylonian Empire

      Breasts and arms of silver is the Medo-Persian Empire

      Belly and thighs of brass is the Macedonian Empire

      Legs of Iron is the Roman Empire

      Feet of iron and clay is Rome broken into Ten Kingdoms

      1. Alemanni – Germany.

      2. Franks – France.

      3. Burgundians – Switzerland.

      4. Suevi – Portugal.

      5. Vandals – Exterminated.

      6. Visigoths – Spain.

      7. Anglo-Saxons – England.

      8. Ostrogoths – Exterminated.

      9. Lombards – Italy.

      10. Heruli – Exterminated.

      Notice in verse 44

      God would set up a kingdom which would never be destroyed during the Roman Empire and it would fill the whole earth. In Daniel the Kingdom would be set up during the time of these Kings and specifically the Roman Empire and that is when Jesus set up the GOSPEL KINGDOM..

  8. Klint Johnson

    Greg, I did like your article and I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, there are a few corrections to your story that may be in order. First, catholic as stated in your article does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church. It means “universal” and the claim made by most non-RC faith groups is that the doctrine of the Trinity is central to their faith as well. Lastly, John 17:3 says that we are to know Jesus Christ, not be like Him. You make a jump from that scripture into doctrine of becoming like him, but it does not specifically state this in the verse quoted. Though that verse is part of the doctrine, it is not explicitly stated in that verse. “Like” and “Know” may equate to the same thing in LDS doctrine, but it does not necessarily translate the same way for other denominations.

  9. lindasdf

    Joseph Smith once said that he taught correct principles, and let the Saints govern themselves. Meaning, there are things that some Mormons believe and other Mormons don’t, but doesn’t invalidate them as being good Mormons.

  10. Believer

    All I can say to all these ramblings is this. God is God
    God he is one …though shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt though serve. If it was three it would have said and them three shalt thou serve period. God is omnipotent and omnipresent. Jesus was God in the form of man on earth. He is The Son of God….not a son of God like you or I may be…the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God that descended on Him as he followed the process of having to be tested in the desert for forty days and forty nights and came forth perfect. He was baptized representing that he was not going to serve anyone but God dead to self as He was our example, that not that He needed to be baptized for self but for the reason of the way we must come and what our baptism means towards Him. Only an adult can be baptized.. Not an infant or child you have to understand why your being baptized.. Your saying I’m not going to live for this flesh anymore I’m going into this water and coming out alive in Jesus. The Holy Spirit descended not that they were separate, it was a continued process an example for us of what He had to do before his ministry began and He to be tested in the desert which He overcame and after He had come of the dessert , He finds John baptizing. Later after He had been resurected when they were trying to cling to Him and He said I have to leave so I can send the comforter. Not separate entities… It was the Spirit of God. The same one that is restraining the man of lawlessness now. God is not a religion or creed that is all man’s making. I believe in the God of Abraham, Isach, and Jacob the people of the promise. The King of the Jews the people of God, who He caused to reject my Blessed Savior Jesus Yeshua!…So that none would perish but that all may be saved. So that the gentiles could enter the Kingdom of God. Stop your arguments about your religions, this is all man’s works and ways not God’s way. For all have sinned and come short of the glory do God. I am the way the truth and the light no man cometh unto the Father but by Me!…Seek Jesus and all these things (the truth) will be added unto you. You fight and argue over your flesh man’s etochs not words of God. Cursed is he that leans on the arm of flesh. Lean on Jesus and you will receive the truth by The power of the Holy Spirit which is not worshiped by the way! That comes by reading the word of God…not the words of men who add to the Bible which in Revelation it says never to add to or take away from. You need the Jewish perspective to understand what Jesus is talking about He wasn’t speaking to. Mormons, Baptists,Catholics or protestants for that matter. Us gentiles didn’t even get in to the picture until latter. That’s why we must pray for the Jews to be saved because of them we have a way when there seemed to be no way. And pray for the fullness of the gentiles to come in. If you are not following this or understanding… Then you need to get into the Word of God The Holy Bible!.

  11. Believer

    All I can say to all these ramblings is this. God is God
    God he is one …though shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt though serve. If it was three it would have said and them three shalt thou serve period. God is omnipotent and omnipresent. Jesus was God in the form of man on earth. He is The Son of God….not a son of God like you or I may be…the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God that descended on Him as he followed the process of having to be tested in the desert for forty days and forty nights and came forth perfect. He was baptized representing that he was not going to serve anyone but God dead to self as He was our example, that not that He needed to be baptized for self but for the reason of the way we must come and what our baptism means towards Him. Only an adult can be baptized.. Not an infant or child you have to understand why your being baptized.. Your saying I’m not going to live for this flesh anymore I’m going into this water and coming out alive in Jesus. The Holy Spirit descended not that they were separate, it was a continued process an example for us of what He had to do before his ministry began and He to be tested in the desert which He overcame and after He had come of the dessert , He finds John baptizing. Later after He had been resurected when they were trying to cling to Him and He said I have to leave so I can send the comforter. Not separate entities… It was the Spirit of God. The same one that is restraining the man of lawlessness now. God is not a religion or creed that is all man’s making. I believe in the God of Abraham, Isach, and Jacob the people of the promise. The King of the Jews the people of God, who He caused to reject my Blessed Savior Jesus Yeshua!…So that none would perish but that all may be saved. So that the gentiles could enter the Kingdom of God. Stop your arguments about your religions, this is all man’s works and ways not God’s way. For all have sinned and come short of the glory do God. I am the way the truth and the light no man cometh unto the Father but by Me!…Seek Jesus and all these things (the truth) will be added unto you. You fight and argue over your flesh man’s etochs not words of God. Cursed is he that leans on the arm of flesh. Lean on Jesus and you will receive the truth by The power of the Holy Spirit which is not worshiped by the way! That comes by reading the word of God…not the words of men who add to the Bible which in Revelation it says never to add to or take away from. You need the Jewish perspective to understand what Jesus is talking about He wasn’t speaking to. Mormons, Baptists,Catholics or protestants for that matter. Us gentiles didn’t even get in to the picture until latter. That’s why we must pray for the Jews to be saved because of them we have a way when there seemed to be no way. And pray for the fullness of the gentiles to come in. If you are not following this or understanding… Then you need to get into the Word of God!….The Holy Bible
    Good book to read for some clarity on what’s to come “Harpazo”…by Jacob Prasch

  12. Amy Phillips

    Let me just clear up the fact that I believe what I do because of what the Bible says, not because of a creed, but just for the argument let’s say that I do believe in the trienty because some guy said so, is it not the same for mormons? What if Joseph Smith had not been so popular? Read the book of John. It opens up saying in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. You will never find the words trinity, or rapture in the Bible, but you will find the meaning of the words in the Bible.

  13. Maggie

    “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus is often called the Word in the Bible) the Word was with God and the Word WAS God” John 1:1 explain to me how this verse (I know Mormon stuff accept the Bible in some ways) isn’t evidence of the teinity. Also there is Philippians 2:5-8, Colossians 2:9, Colossians 1:15-17, john 15:26, john 10:30-36 here jesus says “I and the father are one”, john 14:9 “I am in the father and the father is in me”, 1 john 5:1-21, romans 10:9 “if you confess with your mouth that jesus is Lord (capitalized because Lord is another name for God) and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. John 20:28-29, Isaiah 48:16-29.

    There is so much evedince all you do is ignore it. You read right over you it, you pick out verses that only fit your criteria and you bypass the BIGGEST and facts that jesus and God are one in the same. My heart aches for your nievety.

  14. Dayle Hudson

    We cannot never become like God because we are in a fallen world. That’s why Jesus had to be sacrificed. He was the perfect human that could be a sacrifice for our salvation

  15. Elizabeth

    Briefly reading through the comments and the article it’s clear no one seems to actually understand first grade level Catholic theology on the Trinity…..
    Catholics believe God exists as three persons. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost… three separate equal persons.
    My own Father in Heaven loved me so much he died for me. Amazing!

  16. Rob

    Greg,

    I moved to Utah 4 years ago. When I moved here I was a Christian, but didn’t know much (if anything) about Mormonism. I had met a Mormon once before in my life – in 10th grade. I’m 45 now.

    Since moving here I’ve come to appreciate the people in Utah, but I’m getting more and more concerned about the (good intentioned), but ever so slightly twisted theology of Mormonism. Its clear to me Mormons are trained to ask Christians about the Trinity – and most Christians don’t know how to answer that question. It is answerable, I’ll get to that in a minute. But I’d like to point out that Mormonism attempts to call themselves Christian, and gain acceptance into mainstream Christianity. But what Mormonism is teaching is very different, and honestly very deceptive.

    You may or may not know this, but Mormonism has re-defined many if not all the Christian terms just enough to make us talk by each other. When I say gospel it means something different than when you say it. When I say salvation it means something different than when you say it. When I say Heavenly Father it means something different than when you say it. It goes on and on…

    Mormonism has twisted Christian doctrine, and its deceptive. I’ve been told Mormon theology has changed over the years. In fact, I’ve been told 30 years ago Mormons didn’t want to be associated with Christianity, but now they do. I know you are well intentioned, but this should be concerning when it comes to staking your eternity on something.

    God claims to be the only God, yet Mormonism believes that good behaving Mormons will someday become gods themselves! God won’t share his glory with another (other than Jesus as we see in I Corinthians). This should be concerning. I don’t mean to be condescending at all. I hope I’m not coming across that way. But please look into a book called “Unveiling Grace” by Lynn Wilder. She was a BYU professor. Also, please consider the book “By his own hand upon papyrus” by Charles Larsen. This was written by an ex-Mormon man.

    As far as the Trinity – you are right on one thing – that term is not mentioned in the Bible. But the Bible is quite clear on the topic. Consider these questions.

    Question #1: Whose Spirit dwells in all believers?

    Romans 8:9a (God’s spirit)
    Romans 8:9b, 10 (Spirit of Christ)
    Romans 8:11 (Spirit of the Father)
    I Corinthians 6:19 (Holy Ghost)

    How many spirits dwell in a believer?

    I Corinthians 12:13: (ONE spirit)

    Question #2: Who raised Jesus from the dead?

    Galatians 1:1 (The Father)
    John 2:19-21 (Jesus raised himself)
    I Peter 3:18 (The Holy Ghost)

    So, did one God or several Gods raise Jesus from the dead?

    Acts 2:32 (One God)

    Question 3: Who created our world?

    Genesis 1:1 (God)
    Genesis 1:2 (The Holy Ghost)
    Genesis 2:4 (The Lord)
    Genesis 1:26 (The entire Godhead)
    John 1:1 – 3, 14 (Jesus)

    So, did one God or three Gods create the world?

    One God – Isaiah 44:24

    Question #4: Who is the father of Jesus Christ?

    John 3:16 (Heavenly Father)
    Matthew 1:18, 20 (The Holy Ghost)
    Psalm 2:7 (The Lord – Jehovah)

    Question #5: How many true God’s exist?

    ONLY ONE GOD: Isaiah 44:6, 8

    This is how we get to understand the nature of God.

    God bless you!

    Rob

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