Perfection and Progression: Two Complementary Ways to Talk ...

BYU Studies Quarterly BYU Studies Quarterly

Volume 29 Issue 3 Article 3

7-1-1989

Perfection and Progression: Two Complementary Ways to Talk Perfection and Progression: Two Complementary Ways to Talk

about God about God

Eugene England

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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation England, Eugene (1989) "Perfection and Progression: Two Complementary Ways to Talk about God," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 29 : Iss. 3 , Article 3. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol29/iss3/3

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perfection and progressiontwo complementary ways

to talk about god

eugene england

on 6 april 1844 hyrum smith counselor to the prophetjoseph smith speaking at the general conference of the churchstated 1I would not serve a god that had not all wisdom andpower yet on 13 january 1867 speaking as president of thechurch in the tabernacle brigham young stated according tosome mens theory god can progress no further in knowledge

and power but the god that I1 serve is progressing eternally and soare his children 2

it is difficult to imagine a more stark contradiction in authori-tative statements about the mormon concept ofgod hyrum smithsays that god has all wisdom and power brigham young says thathe does not and is progressing in those attributes how could therebe such a dramatic reversal in dogma isnt this a simple matter offact or falsehood isnt it certain that either god is perfect with allknowledge and power or he is not how could there be directopposition at the prophetic level about something so unambiguousand fundamental

my simple thesis here is that in fact these statements are notcontradictory 3 these church leaders were using two different butcomplementary ways of talking about god based on two differentaspects of the mormon understanding of god both of which I1believe are essential to our theology and must be maintained withthe help of a basic concept that of different progressive spheresof development and of possible perfection within each sphere itis possible to believe both in gods perfection of knowledge andpower in relation to our sphere and in his progression in theseattributes in his own and higher spheres this concept was firstfirmly articulated by brigham young but it was suggested earlierin some of joseph smiths discourses and in the doctrine and

eugene england is a professor of english at brigham young university

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England: Perfection and Progression: Two Complementary Ways to Talk about

Published by BYU ScholarsArchive, 1989

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covenants and it has been employed by most of the main figuresin mormon theology from the beginning until the present

joseph smith taught both of these doctrines about god thebook of mormon and doctrine and covenants consistent with thetraditional christian scriptures refer to god as having all knowl-edge and all power 4 the churchechurchs earliest major doctrinal exposi-tion the lectures on faith actually uses the traditional christiancategories borrowed from greek philosophy of omnipresenceomniscience and omnipotence in describing god it makes theexplicit claim that without the knowledge of all things god wouldnot be able to save any portion of his creatures and if it were notfor the idea existing in the minds ofmen that god had all knowledgeit would be impossible for them to exercise faith in him 5

joseph smiths part in authoring the lectures on faith is stilluncertain they seem mainly the work of sidney rigdon and somereaders have suspected they reflect a very early stage of mormondoctrinal expression about god one still heavily influenced bytraditional christian creeds 6 for instance god is described as apersonage of spirit only christ as a personage of tabernacle and theholy ghost not as a personage at all but as a kind of unifying mindof the father and son those who quote the lectures on faithhave had to editorialize to add footnotes and explanations inorder to make it conform to later orthodox mormon thought as forinstance joseph fielding smith does at the beginning of doctrinesof salvation this problem was recognized in the inclination ofchurch authorities to revise the lectures on faith in the early1900s or at least to add a footnote and then the 1921 decisioninstead to exclude them from the doctrine and covenants 7 butjoseph smith never repudiated them it is likely that had they beenwritten later as his understanding developed he too would havequalified or explained some of the terms and concepts used therebut I1 think he saw no inherent contradiction between them and hislater understanding of gods relationship to higher spheres ofexistence

this understanding had been received and amplified over anumber of years before it was most clearly comprehensively andpublicly declared in the famous king follett discourse given atthat same april 1844 conference at which hyrum smith empha-sized gods perfection the king follett discourse itself hassomewhat questionable status because it was recorded only in therather sketchy way possible then in longhand though by fourscribes whose work was later amalgamated joseph smithnowhere in it states definitely that god is now progressing inknowledge and power but both there and in the doctrine and

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perfection and progression 33

covenants he makes it perfectly clear that god is not everywheresupreme and does not have all power by stating that there are godsabove him and by naming specific things that cannot be done evenby god god cannot create elements or anything else out ofnothing he cannot create intelligences or force salvation on themjoseph smith also clearly describes an eternal process of learningand growth by which godhood is attained and he at least impliesthat that process continues for god himself

first god himselfwho sits enthroned in yonder heavens is a man likeunto one ofyourselves that is the great secret the ffirstirstarst principleof truth and of the gospel is to know of a certainty that character ofgod and that we may converse with him that he once was a manlike one ofus you have got to leamlearn how to make yourselves god

and be kings and priests to god the same as all gods have doneby going from a small capacity to a great capacity from a smalldegree to another from grace to grace from exaltation to exalta-tion jesus said 1 I saw the father work out his kingdom with fearand trembling and I1 am doing the same too when I1 get my kingdomI1 will give it to the father and it will add to and exalt his glory hewill take a higher exaltation and I1 will take his place and also beexalted so that he obtains kingdom rolling upon kingdom

all the minds and spirits that god ever sent into the world aresusceptible of enlargement and improvement the relationship wehave with god places us in a situation to advance in knowledge godhimself found himself in the midst of spirits and glory because hewas greater he saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest whowere less in intelligence could have a privilege to advance likehimself and be exalted with him so that they might have one gloryupon another in all that knowledge power and glory 8

notice the lack of traditional christian absolutism here theemphasis seems rather to be on gods similarity to humans on godas having the same kind of being as we do and making available tous a process of growth he himself has been engaged in andapparently is still engaged in whereby the less intelligent couldhave a privilege to advance like himself the verb structureimplies he still is advancing god is a greater but not absoluteintelligence he is moving to higher and higher exaltations notto some absolute state of the highest possible exaltation one gloryis added to another in all that knowledge power and glory 9

in the winter 1978 issue of BYU studies which contains anewly amalgamated text of the king follett discourse van haledemonstrates that the concept of the plurality of gods had beentaught by joseph smith from 1835 and was clearly understood byhis close associates such as hyrum smith and brigham younghyrum himself is quoted in george laubs journal as teaching on27 april 1843 that there is a whole train and lineage of gods 10

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in fact in that very sermon hyrum provides the basic scripturaltext for the shift in perspective that makes it possible to talk aboutmany gods of ascending spheres of power and intelligence andthen to turn around and talk of one god our god perfect inintelligence and power and thus able to save his children on theearth he begins his discussion with a quotation from I11 corinthians85 6 there be gods many and lords many but to us there is butone god the father despite the context of this scripture adiscussion by paul of belief in idols brigham young B Hroberts joseph fielding smith and many others have used it as abrief explanation of how it is possible to be both a christianpolytheist technically a henotheist and a monotheist how we cantalk sometimes in an adventuresome mode about multiple orders ofgodhood and how we can consider the advanced spheres that existin the infinities and yet at the same time without contradiction wecan talk in a worshipful mode about our one god and his perfectknowledge and supreme redemptive power in the sphere of ourworld

some latter day saint prophets and theologians havebelieved the passage from corinthians serves specifically todescribe the difference between a way of talking and thinking thatfocuses on the multiple spheres of infinite existence where there aregods many and lords many and a way that focuses on the single

sphere of our immediate existence where there is but one god thefather the one to whom we are responsible and who is perfect andtherefore not progressing in our mortal sphere to me this use ofthe passage by the prophets suggests as well that both ways oftalking about god are true and orthodox and complementary

with this perspective we can understand how hyrum smithwhen he proclaims 1I would not serve a god that had not allwisdom and power is talking in that second single sphere modein which to us there is but one god the father his concern it isclear from the context is with the saints faith in christs power tosave which had perhaps been undermined by too exclusive a focuson the first multiple spheres mode

I1 want to put down all false influence if I1 thought I1 should be savedand any in the congregation be lost I1 should not be happy oursavior is competent to save all from death and hell I1 can prove it outof the revelations I1 would not serve a god that had not all wisdomand power

brigham young like hyrum smith used both ways oftalking about god at times apparently when he felt his audiencemost needed the emphasis he would speak in the single sphere

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mode focusing in classical christian terms on gods sovereigntyin our world president young often emphasized gods perfec-tions his knowledge and power absolutely sufficient to save us butat many other times especially in his ongoing debates with orsonpratt he spoke forthrightly in the multiple spheres mode rejoicingin the expansive vision he had received from joseph smith of the16eternal16eternal progression a phrase he seems to have coined that is theheart of activity and motivation for both gods and men

the first great principle that ought to occupy the attention ofmankind that should be understood by the child and the adult andwhich is the main spring of all action whether people understand itor not is the principle of improvement the principle of increase ofexaltation of adding to that we already possess is the grand movingprinciple and cause of the actions of the children ofmen the mainspring of the actions of all people those who profess to belatter day saints who have the privilege of receiving and under-standing the principles of the holy gospel are in duty bound to studyand find out and put in practice in their lives those principles that arecalculated to endure and that tend to a continual increase in this andin the world to come

all their earthly avocations should be framed upon this prin-cipleciplethiscipleThisthis alone can insure to them an exaltation this is the startingpoint in this existence to an endless progression I1

it is clear from other sermons that brigham young does not meanby progression mere quantitative increase in numbers of spiritchildren or kingdoms as we sometimes now use the term eternalincrease to mean he said we shall never cease to learn unlesswe apostatize can you understand thatthat1212I1 and this was not aperipheral notion it was central to his theology

let us not narrow ourselves up for the world with all its variety ofuseful information and its rich hoard of hidden treasure is before usand eternity with all its sparkling intelligence lofty aspirations and

is before I113I1unspeakable glories us

when we have passed into the sphere where joseph is there is stillanother department and then another and another and so on to aneternal progression in exaltation and eternal lives that is the exalta-tion I1 am looking for 14

when we have lived millions of years in the presence of god andangels shall we then cease learning no or eternity ceases 155

brigham young delighted in his expansive vision of con-tinued unlimited learning and experience it was for him both thereason for and the means of continued existence of eternal life itled him to exult in the inclusiveness of the gospel

every accomplishment every grace every useful attainment inmathematics in all science and art belongs to the saints and they

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should avail themselves as expeditiously as possible of the wealth ofknowledge the sciences offer to the diligent and perseveringscholar 16

As saints in the last days we have much to learnleam there is an eternityofknowledge before us at most we receive but very little in this stageof our progression 17

such enthusiasm led brigham young to completely reverse themedieval faust legend which implies that too much learning leadsa christian to blasphemy he claims that only when we blasphemewhen we sin against the holy ghost do we finally stop learning

if we continue to learnleam all that we can pertaining to the salvationwhich is purchased and presented to us through the son of god isthere a time when a person will cease to learnleam yes when he hassinned against god the father jesus christ the son and the holyghost gods minister when he has denied the lord defied himand committed the sin against the holy ghost that is the time whena person will cease to leamlearn and from that time forth will descend inignorance forgetting that which they formerly knew they willcease to increase but must decrease these are the only characterswho will ever cease to learnleam both in time and eternity I118I1

his belief in endless progression in knowledge was not aspeculative matter with brigham young as some other mattersclearly were about some things such as the exact status of adamhe frankly said 1I guess such and such or this subject does notimmediately concern your or my welfare but he clearly felt thatthe idea of eternal progression was indeed the mainspring of allaction including divine action and that the central concepts he hadlearned from joseph concerning progression in both humans andgod must be kept alive in the mormon heritage he reprinted theking follett discourse a number of times and referred often to

doing and teaching only what he had learned from joseph only afew months before his death he testified

from the first time I1 saw the prophet joseph I1 never lost a word thatcame from him concerning the kingdom and this is the key ofknowledge that I1 have today that I1 did hearken to the words ofjosephand treasured them up in my heart laid them away asking my fatherin the name of his son jesus to bring them to mind when needed 191

the testimony of many of the apostles who knew them both andwho like brigham were taught and trained by joseph in a concen-trated way in the last two years of his life was that brighamyoung indeed succeeded in remembering and teaching whatjoseph taught

A major motive for brigham youngs continuing andremarkably public doctrinal disagreements with orson pratt was

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his concern not only that elder pratt was wrong in insisting withoutqualification on gods absolute perfection and the impossibility ofhis further progression but that such an influential speaker andwriter would convince many to follow after him and leave toposterity the impression that only his view and emphasis had aplace in mormon thought president young felt it so crucial to keepbefore the saints his own and joseph smiths emphasis as well thathe pushed elder pratt to a public recantation in 1865 20 then hepublished the recantation in the deseret news along with a denun-ciation of specific doctrines of elder pratt signed by the firstpresidency when these documents were reprinted signed by theother apostles brigham young specifically condemned a numberof assertions elder pratt had taught in his book the seer thefollowing beliefs of elder pratt were identified as not true

1 there will be no being or beings in existence that will know oneparticle more than we know then our knowledge and wisdomand power will be infinite and cannot from thenceforth beincreased or expanded in the least degree

2 there will be nothing more to be learned3 the father and the son do not progress in knowledge and

wisdom because they already know all things past present andto come

4 none of the gods know more than another and none areprogressing in knowledge neither in the acquirement of anytruth 21

part of brigham youngs concern was with the presumptionof actually limiting god while seeming to describe him as havinglimitless power and knowledge in october 1856 he commandedthe saints now do not lariat rope off the god that I1 serve and say

I1 do believe in such character 1122111222that he cannot learn anymore not apresident youngs counselor jedediah M grant developed thesame image later that month ifgod is variatedlariatedlariated out as orson prattvariatedlariatedlariated out the gods in his theory his circle is only as far as thestring extends my god is not variatedlariatedlariated out 1123112123 it was this concernthat motivated the statement of brigham young I1 began with theone that seems to contradict hyrum smith

some men seem as if they could learnleam so much and no more theyappear to be bounded in their capacity for acquiring knowledge asbrother orson has in theory bounded the capacity of god accord-ing to his theory god can progress no further in knowledge andpower but the god that I1 serve is progressing eternally and so are hischildren they will increase to all eternity if they are faithful 24

brigham youngs concern was also with spiritual psychol-ogy the importance in motivating mankind toward salvation of

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their retaining a certain vision that what was most rewarding inearthly progression would continue forever and would make celes-tial life or godhood genuinely attractive godhood is not to be amysterious stasis or a mere endless repetition of the same processof creating spirits and saving them wilford woodruff in 1857gave pointed expression to this concern

if there was a point where man in his progression could not proceedany further the very idea would throw a gloom over every intelligentand reflecting mind god himself is still increasing and progressingin knowledge power and dominion and will do so world withoutend it is just so with us 2515

lorenzo snow who like brigham young and wilfordwoodruff knew joseph smiths teachings firsthand provided thefamous mormon couplet that summarizes memorably the conceptof a god who is in genuine relation to us humans and our processof progression As man now is god once was as god now is manmay be 26 As president of the church in 1901190igo1 president snow alsospoke clearly in the multiple spheres mode about eternal progres-sion after godhood is reached

we are immortal beings our individuality will always existour identity is insured we will be ourselves and nobody elsewhatever changes may arise whatever worlds may be made or passaway our identity will always remain the same and we will continueon improving advancing and increasing in wisdom intelligencepower and dominion worlds without end 27

in the twentieth century some church leaders began to usemainly the mortal sphere way of talking about god which empha-sizes his perfection and his ability to save us orson prattsabsolutism about god that harked back to the lectures on faith hadbeen rejected and the lectures themselves demoted in status butpresident joseph F smith like his father hyrum smith wasconcerned that some in the church were inclined to demean godto reduce too much the distance between god and man and thus toundermine confidence in gods saving power 1I remember somemormonscormons in my own youth who were so caught up with the visionof eternal progression that they could hardly wait to die to be likegod speaking in 1914 about those who would thus reduce godspower and majesty president smith said

beware of men who come to you with heresiesheresies of this kind whowould make you to think or feel that the lord almighty who madeheaven and earth and created all things is limited in his dominion ofearthly things to the capacities ofmen they would if they couldmake you believe that the son of god who possessed all powerpower to raise the dead power to unstop the ears of the dead did

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not do such things there are just a few ignoramusesignoramuses learnedfools ifyou please who would make you believe if they could thatthe almighty god is limited in his power to the capacity ofman dont you believe it not for one moment 28

joseph F smiths son joseph fielding smith jr took asimilar position in his extremely influential book doctrines ofsalvation he quotes the passage from his grandfather hyrumabout not serving a god who was not absolute and also thepassages from the lectures on faith on the perfections of god it isclear that his concern like that of his father and grandfather is withgods power in relation to humans he asks after that quotationfrom hyrum do we believe that god has all wisdom does hehave all power if so then there is nothing in which he lacks if heis lacking in wisdom and in power then he is not supreme andthere must be something greater than he is and this is absurd 2919

clearly elder smith is here speaking in the single mortalsphere mode the one bounded by the idea that to us there is only onegod the father he of course knew that both his grandfather andjoseph smith taught that in a particular sense there is somethinggreater than god that god is in fact if we speak in terms of themultiple eternal spheres not supreme that there are gods abovegod a father of god who gave him salvation and a father of thatgod and so on apparently to infinity in response to a question aboutplural gods in the second volume of answers to gospel ques-

tions he quotes a long passage from joseph smiths discourse of16 june 1844 the one most full and explicit about the challengingdoctrine joseph called the plurality ofgods there we can see theprophet joseph at ease with both modes of thinking multiple andsingle sphere because he uses in support and explanation that samepassage from corinthians that his brother hyrum had used the yearbefore in the passage quoted by joseph fielding smith he states

paul says there are gods many and lords many I1 want to set it forthin a plain and simple manner but to us there is but one god that ispertaining to us and he is in all and through all but if joseph smithsays there are gods many and lords many they cry away withhim crucify him

joseph smith then proceeds to some analysis of the hebreworiginal of genesis 1111 after which he continues

in the very beginning the bible shows there is a plurality of godsbeyond the power of refutation it is a great subject I1 am dwelling onthe word eloheimelvheim ought to be in the plural all the way throughgods the head of the gods appointed one god for us and when youtake that view of that subject it sets one free to see all the beautyholiness and perfection of the gods 3010

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after repeating this long quotation from joseph smith josephfielding smith shows his own understanding of the two differentmodes

it is perfectly true as recorded in the pearl of great price and in thebible that to us there is but one god this godhead presides overus and to us the inhabitants of this world they constitute the onlygodorgodheadGodorgod orgodhead there is none other besides them here he cites thatsame scripture from corinthians about gods many and lords manybut to us one god the father to them we are amenable and subjectto their authority and there is no other godhead unto whom we aresubject however as the prophet has shown there can be and areother gods 31

joseph fielding smith clearly recognized both the multiplesphere and single sphere perspectives and the basis of both in theteachings of the prophet joseph smith but he also shared hisfathers concern about belittling god and his grandfathers concernabout the saints losing faith in gods absolute power to save heseems to have chosen to focus his own writing and talking aboutgod in the single sphere mode

however during the same period as joseph fielding smithsearly writings others chose to emphasize the multiple spheres wayof talking about god particularly B H roberts and john Awidstoe the two twentieth century general authorities probablymost influenced by brigham young and in turn the ones mostinfluential in preserving and developing the basic philosophicalthought the eternalismetemalism of joseph smith

in his most lengthy discourse on the nature of god elderroberts after quoting extensively from joseph smith states

of course such views as those expressed above involve us in thereality of a pluralistic universe and a plurality ofgods there havebeen appointed certain exalted glorified and perfected intelligenceswho have attained unto a participation in and become partakerspartakers ofthe divine nature 2 pet 14 who have been appointed as

presidenciesPresiden cies over worlds and world systems who function in thedignity of divine intelligences or deities even as to our world andits heavens there has been appointed a godhead as taught by stpaul 32

he then goes on to quote that same passage from corinthiansused by joseph and hyrum smith to demonstrate the two perspec-tives the two modes of discourse As there be gods manyand lords many but to us that is pertaining to us there is butone god

in elder robertss mind the passage from corinthians isstrong support for his belief in a realm where there are many gods

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all progressing eternally it is a complement rather than a contradic-tion to his belief in a realm where to us mortals there is but onegod perfect in every way earlier elder roberts had taught

even with the possession of the holy spirit to guide us into all truthI1 pray you nevertheless not to look for finality in things for you willlook in vain intelligence purity truth will always remain with usrelative terms and also relative qualities ascend to what heights youmay ever beyond you will see other heights in respect of these thingsand ever as you ascend more heights will appear and it is doubtfulif we shall ever attain the absolute in respect of these qualities ourjoy will be the joy of approximating them of attaining unto everincreasing excellence without attaining the absolute it will be the joyof eternal progression 33

and in robertss famous and influential seventysSeventys course intheology published by the church and used as an official priest-hood manual he argued harking back to brigham youngsconcern about limiting god

gods immutability should not be understood as to exclude the ideaof advancement or progress of god an absolute immutabilitywould require eternal immobility which would reduce god to acondition eternally static which from the nature of things wouldbar him from participation in that enlargement of kingdom andincreasing glory that comes from the redemption and progress ofmen and is it too bold of a thought that with this progress even forthe mightiest new thoughts and new vistas may appear inviting tonew adventures and enterprises that will yield new experiencesadvancement and enlargement even for the most high34high31

john A widtsoeWidtsoe the brilliant immigrant convert who hadstudied joseph smiths thought in detail for his 1903 work josephsmith as scientist emphasizes there the prophets naturalism hisemphasis on god as organizer according to natural law and thus nottruly omnipotent in the traditional absolutistic christian sense inA rational theology elder widtsoe is even more explicit about thesimilar capability of both humans and god for eternal progression

the essential thing is that man has to undergo experience uponexperience to attain the desired mastery of the external universe andthat we of this earth are passing through an estate designed whollyfor our further education throughout eternal life increasing knowl-edge is attained and with increasing knowledge comes the greateradaptation to law and in the end an increasingly greater joy there-fore it is that eternal life is the greatest gift of god if the greatlaw ofprogression is accepted godmusthave been engaged fromom thebeginning and must now be engaged in progressive developmentAs knowledge grew into greater knowledge by the persistent effortsof will his recognition of universal laws became greater until heattained at last a conquest over the universe which to our finiteunderstanding seems absolutely complete 35

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that last sentence shows that elder widtsoe was also concerned togive the single sphere mode of thought its proper due he goes onwith that single sphere emphasis even while talking of multiplespheres

As more knowledge and power are attained growth becomesincreasingly more rapid god exalted by his glorious intelligence ismoving on into new fields of power with a rapidity of which we canhave no conception whereas man in a lower stage of developmentmoves relatively at a snaillike though increasing pace man isnevertheless moving on in eternal progression in short man is agod in embryo he comes ofa race ofgods and as this eternal growthis continued we will approach more nearly the point which to us isgodhood and which is everlasting in its power over the elements ofthe universe 3616

an emphasis on the multiple spheres mode focusing directlyon our adventure in forever progressing to higher realms continuesin the writings of president david 0 mckay A mans idea of thesignificance of the words eternal progression will largely deter-mine his philosophy of life the great secret ofhuman happinesslies in progression stagnation means death the doctrine ofeternal progression is fundamental in the church of christ 37

president mckay quotes the passage from brigham young I1 gaveearlier on the principle of improvement as the mainspring of allaction then comments

somebody has said show me a perfectly contented man and I1 willshow you a useless one so there must be some other element withcontentment some other virtue what is it progress contentmentand progress contribute to peace if we are no better tomorrow thanwe are today we are not very useful so we want to experience twothings contentment and progress progress intellectually progressphysically but above all progress spiritually and the cognizancethat we grow contributes to peace you cannot remain stationary 38

hugh B brown president mckays counselor in the firstpresidency 1962 69 also emphasized this multiple spheresmode

the time will come when all men will know something of the gloryofgod butthetimebut the time will notcomenorcomenot come when I1 oranyaranyor any othermanwiflother man will arriveat a point in knowledge experience or understanding beyond whichwe cannot go in other words we believe in eternal progression 39

when we speak of eternal increase we speak not only of increase ofposterity we speak of increase of knowledge and the power thatcomes with knowledge increase of wisdom to use the knowledgeand power wisely increase of awareness and the joy that comesthrough understanding increase of intelligence which is the glory ofgod increase of all that goes to make up godhood 140I

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president brown carried on the multiple spheres adventure-some mode of talking about god until his death in 1975 and someyounger mormon thinkers have continued to explore the implica-tions of the unusual mormon belief in a finite learning god for ourconcepts of evil time prophecy etc 41 other influential voices inrecent monmormonmonnonnon doctrinal writing on the other hand have empha-sized the single sphere worshipful mode especially elderbruce Rmcconkie and his son joseph F mcconkie a professor of religionat brigham young university 42 these two and some others havethought of the two modes as opposed as mutually exclusive but itseems more useful to recognize the authoritative base for bothmodes in mormon thought and the evidence that advocacy of bothmodes by the prophets provides that god is not to be limited tomutually exclusive human categories

A few authoritative mormon thinkers have gone to greatlengths to explain how these two ways of talking about god arecomplementary how each mode can be useful and true dependingon which sphere ofgods existence and activity one is consideringthe doctrine and covenants contains the key idea including thevery word sphere that was used by brigham young to describethis harmony section 93 received by the prophet joseph in 1833tells us that all truth is independent in that sphere in which god hasplaced it to act for itself as all intelligence also otherwise there isno existence v 30 this passage seems to evoke a universe ofcoexistent perhaps concentric or more likely hyperspatial multi-dimensional spheres of truth and intelligent activity in such auniverse a statement such as that god has all knowledge and powercan be taken to be true when applied to our sphere in which godis not progressing but it is not completely true when applied tolarger or more advanced spheres where god is progressingbrigham young expressed this precise understanding

wecanbecanwe can still improve we are made forthatpurposefor that purpose our capacities areorganized to expand until we can receive into our comprehensioncelestial knowledge and wisdom and to continue worlds withoutend irmenififmenmen can understand and receive it mankind are organ-ized to receive intelligence until they become perfect in the spherethey are appointed to fill which is far ahead of us at present whenwe use the termperfectionperfect ionlon it applies to man in his present conditionas well as the heavenly beings we are now or may be as perfect inour sphere as god and angels are in theirs but the greatest intelli-gence in existence can continually ascend to greater heights ofperfection

we are created for the express purpose of increase there arenone correctly organized but can increase from birth to old agewhat is there that is not ordained after such an eternal law ofexistence it is the deity within us that causes increase 4341

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44 BYU studies

B H roberts fully aware of the emphasis throughout thescriptures on the worshipful mode of discourse the almost exclu-sive focus on gods perfection in our single sphere developed anexplanation which I1 find persuasive of why the other mode theexpansive vision of progress beyond this sphere is used so rarelyeven in modem scripture he quotes the doctrine and covenantsreference to many kingdoms greater and lesser ones filling allspace 8837 then points out that when god speaks to mosesthough he also hints of these other kingdoms of many heavens thatcannot be numbered unto man he informs moses that he will

give him only an account concerning this heaven and this earthmoses 137 21 elder roberts concludes that virtually all the

revelations in the scriptures relate only to our earth and its heavens

in other words our revelations are local they pertain to us and ourlimited order of worlds it is only here and there a glimpse of thingsoutside of our earth and its heavens is given this limitedknowledge these glimpses of the universe were doubtless displayedby the lord to these prophets at the heads of dispensations of truthbecause of the influencing power which this knowledge of the natureof the universe upon mans conception of god would have forundoubtedly such knowledge clearly influences conceptions ofgod 44

elder roberts also cites the expanding modem scientific awarenessof a limitless universe and concludes

this universe must be more than a mere creation for definiterelationships to our earth and god must be conceived of ashaving larger interests and immensely greater objectives than theaffairs of the race inhabiting our world the very limited reve-lations given concerning our earth and its heavens are not adequateas an explanation of the universe at large 4541

such an expansive vision of the cosmos a vision alsoworshipful and deeply ennobling in its ultimate humility seems tome vital to the mormon spirit and to mormon thought it must notbe lost in our very proper emphasis on the equally true andimportant vision of gods perfections and the human dependenceon him for salvation I1 appreciate the influence of those mormontheologians who speaking in the single sphere mode might helpcorrect as joseph F smith and joseph fielding smith did anytendency to belittle god or reduce faith in his saving power but itis also important not to polarize mormon doctrine about god or toobscure the grand vision of eternal progression that has tradition-ally energized it

I1 do not expect that to happen modem writers as diverse infocus and orientation as genitgerritgenit de jong jr and hyrum andrus

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accept the reconciliation between the two modes of discoursesuggested by brigham young that is that perfection in one sphereis possible but then so is progress in a higher sphere or realm 4641

with a little discussion perplexed students who encounter whatseem to them contradictory statements by their church leaders andother authorities can be helped with analogies for instance abeing who is learning and progressing in a four dimensional realmor hyperspace can at the same time have all knowledge and powerthat is available to beings in only three dimensions and all that isnecessary for their salvation 4741 the anxiety often voiced against theidea that god is still learning that he might therefore makedisastrous errors or be unable to save us can be calmed with theanalogy that a person can know algebra perfectly and make abso-lutely no mistakes in using it but can still be learning new thingsin calculus without endangering the realm of algebra in a similarway god can have all knowledge and power in our realm orsphere and still be learning in higher spheres without in any wayendangering his absolute ability to save us in this sphere or torephrase pauls letter to the corinthians in the cosmos there area multitude of progressing gods but pertaining to us there isone god with all knowledge and power we should be able tohear and appreciate the emphasis and the apostolic witness of bothhyrum smith and brigham young of both hugh B brown andjoseph fielding smith monmormonmonnonnon thinkers of various orientationscan unite in this task while continuing to use whichever way oftalking about god is more appropriate to what they choose toemphasize in their ongoing struggle to know god adventure orworship potential or dependence progress or perfection themultiple spheres of our ultimate vision or the single sphere of ourimmediate concern

I1 realize that thinking of god as genuinely progressing andtherefore in some sense less than absolutely perfect is fearful I1 feelthat fear that ultimate insecurity myself when I1 think there is nosource of all the answers no final bulwark against all danger andfrustration and change and loss nothing to prevent even godfrom weeping but enoch tells us that god does indeed weepmoses 728 and the alternative to that weeping and my fear the

absolute changeless impassive and thus necessarily impersonalgod of traditional christianity and of the philosophers is evenmore fearful I1 must accept the witness of the prophet joseph thatthe universe is ultimately open an invitation to adventureand change that the very divinity of god demands as brighamyoung taught not only dependence but creation and qualitativeincrease and that my own related divinity demands the same

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46 BYU studies

NOTES

quoted in joseph fielding smith doctrines of salvation comp by bruce R mcconkieMcConmcconklekiekicklesalt lake city bookcraft 1954 5 from history of the church 63006 300

journal ofdiscoursesof discourses 1128611 286james R harrishams also attempts a reconciliation of seemingly contradictory statements from

church leaders about progression and perfection as they apply to god he quotes conflicting statementsinin parallel columns and tries to explain how it can be that god isis able tornowtoknowto know all thingsandthinthingsgsandand at the sametime to progress eternally inin light and truth but he docsdoes this with a move that seems to me untrue tothe clear meaning ofvariousvailousvallousvarious leadcrsstatcmentsleaders statements about the nature ofgodsofgods progression inin knowledge andpower see james R harrishams eternal progression and the foreknowledge of god brigham younguniversity studies 8 autumn 196719671 3737646

seeseesec 2 ncne 9209 20 alma 263526 35 dac 38138 1 22882.88887139321887713937 1393211393 212621.2626lectures on faith 44 inin all editions of the doctrine and covenants before 19211921

ongon authorship and decanonizationdccanonizationdccanonization seesec leland H gentry what of the lectures on faithBYU studiesstudiesl9fall19 falifailfall 197851978 5 19 and richard S van wagoner steven C walker and allenalienailen D robertstheme lectures on faith A case study inin decanonization dialogue A journal of mormon thought

20 fall 1987 71 77 for a consideration of apparent changes inin doctrine that may have led to thedecanonizationdccanonization seesec thomas G alexander the reconstruction of mormon doctrine inin line uponline essays on mormon doctrine cded gary james bergera salt lake city signature books 198953466536653 46666 and for a critique of alexander see robert L millett joseph smith and modem mormonismorthodoxy neoorthodoxyncoorthodoxyorthodoxyNeoNco tension and tradition on pages 49 68 of this issue

tnin editing the history odtheoftheof the church B H roberts noted that the lectures on faith were notof equal authority inin matters of doctrine compared with the regular sections of the doctrine andcovenants because when they were originally presented to the church for acceptance they had beenseparately designated as not inspired revelation though judicially written and profitable for doctrinehistory of the church 21762 176

stan larson theme king follet discourse A newly amalgamated text BYU studies 18

winter 19782002032041978 200203204200203.204harrishams quotes one of these passages from the king follett discourse that implies progression but

then goes on to define eternal progression as meaning godsgoos progression by which harrishams means merelygods perfect unionunion with the patriarchal order of exalted fathers and thus perfect access to theirtheuabsolute power and knowledge this of course removes the crucial elementclement of change inin any usefulnotion of progression harrishams eternal progression 3743443743 44 for more on brigham youngs beliefinin a progressing god seesec boyd kirkland eternal progression and the second death inin the theology ofbrighambnghambangham young inin line upon line essays on mormon doctrine cded gary james bergerabergena salt lakecity signature books 1989 1741747575

10 10georgegeorge laubs nauvoo journal ed eugene england BYU studies 18 winter 1978 176journal ofdiscoursesof discourses 2902 90 6 february 1853ibid 32033 203ibid 898 9bidibid 33753 375ibid 63446 344 these quotations were compiled by hugh nibley educating the saints inNibley

on the timely and the timeless cded truman madsen salt lake city bookcraft 1979 235journal ofdiscoursesof discourses 1022410 224ibid 33543 354ibid 33023 302deseret news 6 june 1877thisIMswms experience isis thoroughly reviewed inin gary J bergeraberBcrgermgeragema thene orson pratt brigham young

controversies dialogue 13 summer 198071980 7 49 and inin breck england thethelifetheliseliaelife andthought oforsonof orsonpratt salt lake city university of utah press 1985 209 17

deseret news 25 july 1865 162 63 this statement together with additional comments andsigned as well by the apostles was reprinted inin the deseret news of 23 august 186518653721865.372372 73

deseretDesereijeretteret news weekly 2230922 309009journal of discourses 41264 126 27

bidibid 1128611 2861313 january 1867151bidibid 6206 2066 december 1857

theme onginoriginangin of this couplet isis explained inin eliza R snow smith biography and family recordoflorenzoof Lorenzo snow salt lake city deseret news 1884 46464747

conference report april 1901190122conference report april 1914 5smith doctrines ofsalvationof salvation 151 5

10joseph fielding smith answers to gospel questions 5 vols salt lake city bookcraft195821401958 2140

311bid311bidibid 142

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discourses ofblofb H roberts salt lake city deseret press 1948 93 94B H roberts relation of inspiration and revelation to church government improvement

era 8 march 1905 36911bB H roberts the seventysSeventys course inin theology salt lake city deseret news press 1911

69 7033john A widtsoeWidtsoe A rational theology salt lake city general priesthood committee of the

LDS church 1915 30 3311 emphasis addedibid 23 25david 0 mckay pathways to happiness salt lake city bookcraft 1957 260

38 ibid 292hugh39hugh B brown the abundant life salt lake city bookcraft 1965 116

4ohughhugh B brown continuing the quest salt lake city deseret press 1961 4see for example gary james bergera does god progress inin knowledge 9 dialogue 15

spring 1982 179 8811 blake ostlerostier the concept of a finite god as an adequate object of worshipinin line upon line 77 82 and kent E robson omnipotence omnipresence and omniscience ininmormon theology inin line upon line essaysessaysonEssaysonon mormon doctrine ed gary james bergera salt lakecity signature books 1989 67 75

see bruce R mcconkiesMcConkies january 1974 address the lord god of joseph smith brighamyoung university devotional addresses 55 provo BYU press 1972 1 8 in which elder mcconkiestates that god has attained a state where he knows all things and nothing isis withheld 7 theme sevendeadly heresiesHeresies BYU speeches odtheoftheof the yearIWiw19801980 74 80 inm which eldermcconkieeldereider mcconkiemcconkle lists belibellbeilbeliefbellefefinin godsprogression as one of the heresiesheresies robert L millet and joseph fielding mcconkie the life beyondsalt lake city bookcraft 1986 1481484949 inm which the authors declare our fathers development and

progression over an infinitely long period of time has brought him to a point at which he now presides asgod almighty he who isis omnipotent ommsicientonmisicient and by means ofhis holy spirit omnipresent he hasall power all knowledge and isis through the light of chist inm and through all things

brigham young sermon preached inm the old tabernacle salt lake city 13 june 1852 quotedinm hugh B brown continuing the quest 4 emphasis added

journal ofdiscoursesof discourses 1921 92 9345 ibid 93

gerrit de jong jr living the gospel 1956 sunday school lesson manual salt lake citydeseret press 19561381956 138 hyrum andrusandiusdoctnnaldoctrinal commentary on the pearl ofgreatofgreafgreat price salt lakecity deseret press 1967 507

47 see robert P burton and bruce F webster some thoughts on higher dimensional realmsBYU studies 20 spring 1980 281 96 see also an unpublished but excellently reasoned paper by BYU

student jonathan visick god man and hyperspace multidimensional viewsviews on philosophy andreligion on file inin the BYU honors program

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