This is one in a series of reviews of the weekly lessons found in the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To link to all of the 2022 teachings, click here. Bold face type in this article comes from the Church’s curriculum. (Note: Not every sentence written in the curriculum is being reviewed.)
May 16-22 (Deuteronomy 6-8; 15; 18; 29-30; 34)
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
Deuteronomy 6:4–7; 8:2–5, 11–17; 29:18–20; 30:6–10, 15–20
The Lord wants me to love Him with all my heart.
In his final teachings, Moses reminded the children of Israel, “These forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing,” even while in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 2:7). Now that the Israelites were entering the promised land, with “cities, which [they] buildedst not, and houses full of all good things, which [they] filledst not” (Deuteronomy 6:10–11), Moses feared that they would harden their hearts and forget the Lord.
Consider the condition of your own heart as you read Moses’s counsel. You may want to focus on the following verses and write down your impressions:
Deuteronomy 6:4–7:
The first verses that the Latter-day Saint is supposed to read and record “impressions” in this lesson is most prominent in the Old Testament. These say:
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Verse 4 clearly shows that God is “one” God. Both the Jews and Christians in the Bible acknowledged the existence of only one God. In the Old Testament, this is what separated God’s chosen people from all other religions. Today observant Jews from all perspectives cite the “Shema” every single Shabbat (Sabbath) service.
This concept (and the verses in Deuteronomy) was acknowledged by Jesus as well when He cited this passage in Mark 12:
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Notice verse 32 and how the scribe said that God is “one, and there is no other besides him.” If this man didn’t understand, Jesus certainly would not have commended Him. And how could those considering themselves authentic believers truly love God “with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength” unless they worship God for who He really is.
Other New Testament verses to support the idea that God is one include 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, Galatians 3:20, Ephesians 4:6, 1 Timothy 2:5, James 2:19.
The idea that God is “one”–not only of “purpose,” as many Latter-day Saints will say, but also of essence”–is something denied in Mormonism. Consider what 15th President Gordon B. Hinckley had to say about this subject:
I listened to a videotape the other night prepared by the Baptists. They are coming to Salt Lake to hold a convention, and they want to convert us all. But they say, among other things in that videotape, that we are not mainstream Christians. As I understand it, they believe that God the Father and the Son, Jesus, Christ, and the Holy Ghost are one being. The scriptures tell a different story. Jesus prayed to His Father in Heaven. His Father in Heaven spoke at the time of His baptism. There was a vision of His Father at the time of Transfiguration. And in that great, classic prayer, He said, “Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be thy name’ (Matthew 6:9). He said, ‘I will be your access to the Father’ (see John 14:6). They are two beings, entirely separate. And He promised the Holy Ghost as the Comforter when He should leave them. They are separate beings. Joseph Smith, I would like to submit, learned more about the nature of Deity as a 14-year-old boy in the grove of his father’s farm than the acts of all the ministers and priests and the divines who have long argued that question (Discourses of Gordon B. Hinckley, Vol. 1, 513).
So what did Smith teach?
I will preach on the plurality of Gods. I have selected this text for that express purpose. I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods. It has been preached by the elders for fifteen years” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 370).
He also insisted:
John was one of the men, and apostles declare they were made kings and priests unto God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It reads just so in the revelation. Hence, the doctrine of a plurality of Gods is as prominent in the Bible as any other doctrine. It is all over the face of the Bible. It stands beyond the power of controversy. A wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err therein (History of the Church 6:474).
Apostle John A. Widtsoe explained,
Joseph Smith the Prophet declared that there is a plurality of gods. An indication of such plurality runs through the scriptures, ancient and modern. In the very beginning of time Adam and Eve were promised that they should ‘be as gods’ (Gen. 3:5) and Jesus reminded the Jews that in their scriptures it was written “ye are gods.” (John 10:34.) Paul spoke of “lords many and gods many.” (1 Cor. 8:5.) Modern revelation presents the same truth when it says “according to that which was ordained in the midst of the Council of the Eternal God of all other gods before this world was.” (D&C 121:32) (Evidences and Reconciliations, 53).
To see how these verses ought to be interpreted, see Gen. 3:5, John 10:34, and 1 Cor. 8:5.
This idea that there are multiple gods seems to be a result of Smith’s evolving theology and bad exegesis of the Bible. As former BYU professor Charles R. Harrell describes,
One of the most distinctive doctrines of Mormonism is the belief in a plurality of Gods. This is generally understood to mean that there are innumerable Gods besides (and above) the God that we worship, all of whom are creators of worlds and objects of worship. Furthermore, these Gods were all once human, and just as they attained Godhood, so can we (Charles R. Harrell, ‘This is my Doctrine’: The Development of Mormon Theology, 114).
Harrell further explains,
The early works of Joseph Smith show a clear monotheistic leaning. When a Book of Mormon prophet was asked whether there was more than one God, the answer was a resounding “no” (Alma 11:28-29). The Book of Mormon repeatedly emphasizes that there is “one God” (see, for example, 2 Ne. 31:21; Mosiah 15:4-5; Morm. 7:7). After the publication of the Book of Mormon, Joseph began revising the Bible and seems to have “consciously attempted to remove all references to a plurality of Gods” . . . Similarly, monotheism appears to be the underlying theology in the revelations of the Doctrine and Covenants until at least 1839 (‘This is my Doctrine’: The Development of Mormon Theology, 118-119. Ellipsis mine).
In other words, in just a few years, Smith ended up contradicting his earlier teaching that there is only one God. Yet the view of multiple gods is the norm in Mormonism. Smith was not unique in this teaching that multiple gods exist and that God is not the only God. Second President Brigham Young taught,
How many Gods there are, I do not know, But there never was a time when there were not Gods and worlds, and when men were not passing through the same ordeals that we are passing through. That course has been from all eternity, and it is and will be to all eternity (October 8,1859, Journal of Discourses 7:333).
Deuteronomy 6:4 and its historic interpretation, including as it was understood by Jesus, is missed in LDS theology. How many readers do not see this at all? I’m guessing most.
For more on the idea of God’s essence, consider these articles from Crash Course Mormonism:
Deuteronomy 8:2–5:
This passage discusses how “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” This is true, as the Bible (as God’s special revelation) teaches us that God is one and there is no other. God has provided instructions on how we not only are supposed to believe but also how we are supposed to live.
Deuteronomy 29:18–20:
These verses say that a person’s heart could be turned away from God, with the result is worshiping the gods of other nations. These are not true gods, as we know there is only one God. Rather, these are false gods. Just because someone makes something into a god does not make this the true God. Deuteronomy 32:17 says, “They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded.”
Deuteronomy 30:6–10:
This is a reference to Deuteronomy 6, as believers are commanded to obey “and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Deuteronomy 30:15–20:
Again, if a person is “drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,” destruction awaits. Yet the belief in the existence of only one God is what is known as monotheism. Polytheism is the belief in multiple gods. But, if you are trusting in a false god and worshiping that god, then you are indeed worshiping others gods. A Latter-day Saint may say, “I don’t ‘worship’ other gods.” This view is still not considered “monotheism.” At best, it would be called henotheism, which is the belief in multiple gods (before and after God) but worshiping only one. The Bible clearly states that no God exists except the one true God (Is. 43:10). While it is possible to create false gods (even money, success, and even families), God doesn’t even know of other gods that truly exist (Is. 44:6,8). Very clearly, there is no other gods in reality except God Himself.
Deuteronomy 15:1–15
Helping the needy involves generous hands and willing hearts.
Deuteronomy 15:1–15 gives counsel about helping the poor and the needy, including some specific practices that aren’t followed today. But notice what these verses teach about why we should help the poor and how our attitudes about helping them matter to the Lord. What do you feel the Lord wants you to learn from these verses about serving others?
Do Christians believe in helping the needy and being generous? Of course they do. Yet this passage is talking about the issues of that day and every seventh year of canceling debts. This concept did not apply to foreigners, only those who were Jewish. How is the 21st century reader really supposed to apply these verses?
Deuteronomy 34:5–8
What happened to Moses?
Even though Deuteronomy 34:5–8 says that Moses died, latter-day understanding clarifies that he was translated, or changed so that he would not suffer pain or death until being resurrected (see Alma 45:18–19; Bible Dictionary, “Moses”; Guide to the Scriptures, “Translated Beings,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). It was necessary for Moses to be translated because he needed to have a physical body in order to give priesthood keys to Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration (see Matthew 17:1–13).
This is pure speculation and, as admitted in the commentary, goes against the biblical text. To be consistent with LDS theology, the biblical text has to be ignored (Moses did die, as the passage stated) and a whole new meaning is provided. This grasping at straws is very dangerous.
The two who appeared at the Mt. of Transfiguration in Matthew 17 were Moses–representing the Law–and Elijah, who represented the prophets. And, of course, Jesus, who represented God. There were no “priesthood keys” given in this account, something that has to be read into the text to support LDS doctrine.
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Ideas for Family Scripture Study and Home Evening
Deuteronomy 6:10–15.
These verses might prompt your family members to think of ways your family has been blessed. How can we follow the counsel to “beware lest thou forget the Lord”? (Deuteronomy 6:12). You may want to record your feelings about your blessings, perhaps in a journal or on FamilySearch.
Deuteronomy 6 provides as clear of a statement on God’s nature as any other. To “forget the Lord” means to not worship Him as who He is.
In John 4, Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman. He told her,
22 “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Citing that passage, Pastor John Piper explains,
So what would that mean, that we are to be spirit-worshipers, worshiping from the spirit, and truth, driven by truth? I think the point is that when we worship — right worship, good worship, pleasing worship — depends on a right mental grasp of the way God really is, truth. (What is Worship).
Truth matters. If Mormonism’s view that multiple gods exist, then this is not true worship and this religion ought to be avoided at all costs.
Deuteronomy 6:13, 16; 8:3.
These verses helped the Savior during an important moment in His life; to see how, read together Matthew 4:1–10. What scripture passages have helped us in times of need?
Deuteronomy 6:13 says that followers should not serve other gods because God is jealous of our worship. We are to do what is right in order that it may go well with us. Jesus cites these verses when He is tempted by Satan. Indeed, the Bible can be very useful as we deal with temptations and life in general (“times of need”), which is why reading and memorizing God’s Word is so important.
Conclusion
Just because a person worships “God” does not mean that the true God is being worshiped. This is vital if we hope to worship God in “spirit and in truth,” as Jesus explained to the Samaritan woman. Mormonism taints the biblical God as well as the biblical gospel. It produces a story of multiple gods from time past and time future. Unless the true God is acknowledged, however, Mormonism has nothing to offer anyone in terms of spiritual truth. It must therefore be rejected.