Does God ever change His mind? Some skeptics like to point to certain passages—including the book of Jonah—to show how God randomly changes His mind, thus producing a contradiction when this verse is considered. The Bible explains how God is omniscient (“all knowing”) and is surprised by nothing. From the human point of view, it may appear that God changes His mind, but He certainly hasn’t changed it from His perspective. In Jer 18:7-10, God spoke through Jeremiah by saying that when He announces judgment on a nation, it will happen unless that nation “turns from its evil.” If the nation does repent, then “I will not bring the disaster on it I had planned.” The same is true for benefits that God promises, as “by not listening to My voice, I will not bring the good I had said I would do.” These conditional promises are therefore based on human response. When God lays out a promise, ultimately it is the actions of people that bring either disaster or blessing.

For other passages discussing common passages used by Latter-day Saints, click here.