Why does modern LdS Theology deny the Trinity when the Book of Mormon supports it?

Yet again, you did NOT answer the question. Another dodge. Another deflection. Again the question is:

"Why does modern LdS Theology deny the Trinity when the Book of Mormon supports it?"

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by Mister IT is trying to Liahona outta here on February 17th, 2010

>It isn't that the Book of Mormon supports the Trinity, but that your interpretation of the Book of Mormon is what appears to support the Trinity<

Really?

Then why is it that LdS Scholars agree with ME and contradict YOU?

'Elohim is considered to be God the Father, the father of Jehovah (or Jesus Christ) and of the human race. The Church promotes this point of view in all of its current lesson manuals, periodicals and literature.1 While there is a natural tendency to assume that this current theology has been the position of Mormonism from 1830 to the present, actually several divergent views have been held.

In fact, Mormon perceptions about God and the Godhead have passed through several phases of development.2 Mormon historian Thomas Alexander has pointed out that "before about 1835 the LDS doctrines on God and man were quite close to those of contemporary Protestant denominations."'
Jehovah As Father: The Development of the Mormon Jehovah Doctrine
By Boyd Kirkland
https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/index.php?option=com_file_index&key=1616&name=044-36-44.pdf

'The doctrines of God and man revealed in these sources [official church publications of the early 1830's] were not greatly different from those of some of the religious denominations of the time. Marvin Hill has argued that the Mormon doctrine of man in New York contained elements of both Calvinism and Arminianism, though tending toward the latter. The following evidence shows that it was much closer to the moderate Arminian position, particularly in rejecting the Calvinist emphasis on absolute and unconditional predestination, limited atonement, total depravity, and absolute perseverance of the elect. It will further demonstrate that the doctrine of God preached and believed before 1835 was essentially trinitarian, with God the Father seen as an absolute personage of Spirit, Jesus Christ as a personage of tabernacle, and the Holy Ghost as an impersonal spiritual member of the Godhead.'
'The Reconstruction of Mormon Doctrine: From Joseph Smith to Progressive Theology' by Thomas G. Alexander
https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/index.php?option=com_file_index&key=1065&name=115-6-15-29.pdf

BTW, since BOTH of these articles are award winning and considered to be watershed works in Mormon Studies I think I'll go with these LdS Scholars on this one!

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by Mister IT is trying to Liahona outta here on January 6th, 2010

>As for the passage in Mosiah, "God" refers to Jehovah the Creator (aka Jesus Christ), so it does not contradict modern LdS theology or doctrine<

But I don't understand this since Joseph believed and taught that Elohim was Jesus and Jehovah was Heavenly Father.

Further Joseph Smith appears to have started out Trinitarian, then slid into Modalism, and finally ended up in a form of Polytheism.

So either Joseph Smith was wrong or the Modern LdS Church is wrong.

This is from Boyd Kirkland's watershed article on this topic:

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by Mister IT is trying to Liahona outta here on January 5th, 2010

Jehovah As Father: The Development of the Mormon Jehovah Doctrine
By Boyd Kirkland
(Sunstone Magazine, October 1984)

"Mormon perceptions about God and the Godhead have passed through several phases of development.2 Mormon historian Thomas Alexander has pointed out that "before about 1835 the LDS doctrines on God and man were quite close to those of contemporary Protestant denominations."3 Joseph Smith's earliest statements and scriptural writings describe God as an absolute, infinite, self-existent, spiritual being, perfect in all of his attributes and alone in his supremacy.4 The Godhead was regularly defined with the trinitarian but nonbiblical formula, "the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, which is one God."5 The Book of Mormon speaks of only one God who could manifest himself either as the Father or the Son.6 While Book of Mormon theology does not reflect a truly orthodox trinitarian view as codified in the Athanasian creed, it does reflect the common Christian layman's perception that in some manner, the Father and the Son were both representations of one God.7 Several scriptural passages given through Joseph indicate clearly that he saw no contradiction in having one god simultaneously be the Father who sent Jesus, as well as be Jesus.8 For example, Ether 4:12 plainly states, "He that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father."

A close examination of Joseph Smith's translation of the Bible also reveals his early monotheistic beliefs. He consciously attempted to remove all references to a plurality of gods from the King James Bible.9 He also changed several passages to identify the Father and the Son as the same god. For example, he revised Luke 10:22 to have Jesus teaching that "no man knoweth that the Son is the Father, and the Father is the Son, but him to whom the Son will reveal it." These observations provide significant insight into understanding Book of Mormon passages which identify Jesus Christ as "God Himself," the "Holy One of Israel," the "Lord Omnipotent," the "Father of heaven and earth" who revealed himself to Moses and many of the ancient patriarchs. Apparently, Joseph's own early theology is reflected in his translation of the Book of Mormon. Similarly, some of Joseph Smith's early revelations freely switch the role of the God of Israel from the Son to the Father.10

Evidence indicates that by 1835, Joseph and other Mormon leaders began to make more of a distinction between the roles and natures of the Father and the Son. This is reflected perhaps most clearly in the Lectures on Faith published in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. The fifth lecture defined the Godhead as consisting of two personages: the Father, a personage of spirit, and the Son, a personage of tabernacle. The Holy Ghost was not considered to be a personage, but rather was defined as the "mind" of the Father and the Son.11 Also, revelations Joseph received after 1833 contain less crossover in the roles and titles of the Father and the Son.12 In fact, it appears that after May of 1833, Joseph never again referred to Jesus as the Father in any of his writings."

This is an excerpt the full article as well as links to Mr. Kirkland's lectures on this topic can be found here: http://www.concernedchristians.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=42&func=view&id=78693&catid=531

And the Thomas G. Alexander article that Mr. Kirkland refers to can be found here: http://www.concernedchristians.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=42&func=view&id=78173&catid=531

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by Mister IT is trying to Liahona outta here on January 5th, 2010