Mormonism : Is God the Father a Tangible Personage?

Mormonism's Doctrine and Covenants 130:22 states:

"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."

Below we will consider this text step by step and include its footnotes.

In a Mormon book about one of their Presidents, Joseph Fielding Smith, we find a section entitled, "The Father of our spirits is an eternal being with a body of flesh and bones." Here are some quotes from this section:

"God has a tabernacle of flesh and bone…I do not believe in the doctrine held by some that God is only a Spirit…I cannot conceive it possible that God could be a person, if he filled the immensity of space and was everywhere present at the same time. It is unreasonable, a physical, a theological inconsistency, to imagine that God the eternal Father would be in two places, as an individual, at the same moment. It is impossible…God the Father, whom we designate by the exalted name-title 'Elohim,' is the literal Parent of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."1

Note the subjective nature of statements such as-I do not believe…I cannot conceive…It is unreasonable…It is impossible. This is no way by which to determine the nature of God.

Notice two of the statements about God's nature in the above quoted texts-God the Father has a body of flesh and bone and is not a Spirit.

Stating that Elohim is the Father's name-title is a half truth. Elohim is not God's name but is rather a title only. El, Eloah, Elohim or Eloheinu are titles generically used to mean God, god, gods, goddess, judges, great, mighty, angels, power. [im being plural for a masculine Hebrew word, ot being plural for feminine words]. Therefore, biblically speaking, Elohim is not God the Father's name.

Joseph F. Smith stated that God the Father is the literal Parent of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With all due reverence for blessed Mary, think of what this is saying; if God the Father has a physical body of flesh and bone and He is the literal parent of Jesus, what does this say about the virgin birth? Besides this, the Bible states, "that which is conceived in her [Mary] is of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:20). Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit and not God the Father. This is also a proof that the Holy Spirit is God; since Jesus is the Son of God and He was conceived of the Holy Spirit then the Holy Spirit must be God.

However, Brigham Young, the second President of the Mormon church, did not believe that Jesus was begotten by the Holy Spirit:

"When the Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in his own likeness. He was not begotten by the Holy Ghost. And who is the Father? He is the first of the human family; and when he took a tabernacle, it was begotten by his Father in heaven, after the same manner as the tabernacles of Cain, Abel, and the rest of the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve; from the fruits of the earth, the first earthly tabernacles were originated by the Father, and so on in succession…

I have given you a few leading items upon this subject, but a great deal more remains to be told. Now remember from this time forth, and forever, that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost. I will repeat a little anecdote. I was in conversation with a certain learned professor upon this subject, when I replied, to this idea-'if the Son was begotten by the Holy Ghost, it would be very dangerous to baptize and confirm females, and give the Holy Ghost to them, lest he should beget children, to be palmed upon the Elders by the people, bringing the Elders into great difficulties'…

Now, let all who may hear these doctrines, pause before they make light of them, or treat them with indifference, for they will prove their salvation or damnation.'"2

It is precisely when such ideas occur to us that we are to search the scripture in order to ascertain whether these things are so. We simply must exercise enough humility so as to allow ourselves to be corrected when we concoct a thought that is contradictory to the Bible.

Here again is the text from Doctrine and Covenants:

"The (1)Father has a (2)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 (3)Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not (4)dwell in us."

Footnotes: (1) "TG [Topical Guide] God the Father-Elohim; Godhead; Man, Potential to Become Like Heavenly Father." (2) "John 4: 24 (23-24); 14:9; Acts 17:28 (25-29); Heb. 1:3. TG God, Body of (Corporeal Nature); God, Knowledge about; God, Manifestations of." (3) "TG Spirit Body." (4) "2 Tim. 1:14. TG Holy Ghost, Mission of."

Let us take this text step by step and consider the footnotes:
The Father has a body of flesh and bones-the first thing that comes to mind is that Jesus stated that God is a spirit and this is precisely where the footnote directs us:

"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24).

It is rather odd to footnote a text of scripture that states that God is a spirit into a text that seeks to prove that God is not a spirit. There are other texts that would further support the John 4 passage, namely:
"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent" (Numbers 23:19).

Mormonism actually refers to God as an exalted man. Furthermore, Jesus said:

"Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17).

A Mormon missionary's response to this verse was that the text meant that a man (human being) had not revealed it but that God the Father did so. Yes, this is what it means but the text is clear that it could also not have been an exalted man (like the Mormon God the Father) since the revealer does not have flesh and blood.

Moreover, Jesus said,

"a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have" (Luke 24:39).

Thus, God is a spirit and a spirit does not have flesh and bones. Therefore, God the Father does not have a body but is a spirit.

John 14:8-9 states,

"Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you such a long time and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. And how do you say, Show us the Father?"

Apparently, the inference being drawn is that Jesus was saying that if they want to see the Father they could look at Jesus because they both have physical bodies. The text is certainly not implying this thus, there is no reason to take a text out of context and make a pretext for a proof-text.
We comment at length on this text in Part III in our article Oneness Pentecostalism's Philosophy, where we point out that Jesus was saying to them (in a very, very loose paraphrase) hey, guys look at me, you want to see God, here I am, don't you get it yet? This appears to be the case since He states, "Have I been with you such a long time and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father." The issue was who Jesus is, His nature.

Why the footnote cites Acts 17:25-29 is not clear since this text states (starting at v. 24):

"The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of Heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is served with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives life and breath and all things to all. And He has made all nations of men of one blood to dwell on all the face of the earth, ordaining fore-appointed seasons and boundaries of their dwelling, to seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel after Him and find Him, though indeed He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also certain of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. Then being offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like gold or silver or stone, engraved by art and man's imagination."

Perhaps this text is cited for the purpose of reading various Mormons doctrines into it. They may think that since we are also His offspring He must be physical like us. But then why not think that the Godhead is like gold or silver or stone, engraved by art and man's imagination? For if He has a physical form then we very well could think of Him as such and could sculpt an image of Him.
Do note however, that if God the Father has a physical body then how could it be that He is not far from each one of us since He would always be close to some and far from others until He changed His physical location and then came close those whom he was far from and far from those He had previously been close to.

It becomes rather apparent that we are being presented with texts the context of which is not God's nature and certainly not God's physical nature. Thus, Hebrews 1:3 is used to mean that since Jesus is the express image of God's essence God must be a physical being,

"who being the shining splendor of His glory, and the express image of His essence, and upholding all things by the word of His power, through Himself cleansing of our sins, He sat down on the right of the Majesty on high."

Yet, note that the text of ch. 1 is meant to introduce us to Jesus, and why is He the express image of God's essence? Because v. 1-2, "God, who at many times and in many ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son." God had spoken through prophets but has now spoken by Jesus who is the express image of God's essence to mankind as God's ultimate revelation unto mankind.

Notice the reasoning in the text of D&C 130:22,

"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." The reason is that the Holy Spirit indwells believers and that He could not do so if He had a physical body thus, He is a spirit unlike God the Father and God the Son. They footnote 2nd Timothy 1:14 which certainly informs us of the Holy Spirit's indwelling, "Guard the good Deposit given through the Holy Spirit indwelling in us."

However, there are some scriptures that they have avoided pointing out. The Bible teaches that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit indwell believers:

Romans 8:11, "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."

1st Corinthians 6:19, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

John 14:17, 20-21, "The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you…At that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you."
Ephesians 4:6, "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

2nd Corinthians 6:16, "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

2nd Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"

Colossians 1:27, "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

These texts demonstrate that the Mormon reasoning is not only unreasonable but unscriptural.

Thus, we have learned that God is not a man but that He is a spirit. We learn that a spirit (such as God) does not have a body of flesh and bone. Jesus draws a clear distinction between one who has flesh and bone, on the one hand, and His Father on the other. Lastly, God the Father indwells believers.

1. 1. Teachings of Presidents of the Church Joseph F. Smith (Salt Lake City, Utah: Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1998), p. 354-355 quoting Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. (1939), 64, 55-56 and "The Father and the Son: A Doctrinal Exposition by the First Presidency and the Twelve," Improvement Era, Aug. 1916, 934
2. 2. Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. (London: Latter-day Saints' Book Depot, 1854-1886), 1:50-51. In this same section Young defines Adam as, "Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. He is MICHAEL, the Archangel, the ANCIENT OF DAYS! about whom holy men have written and spoken-He is our FATHER and our GOD, and the only God with whom WE have to do."