Former science educator, now healthcare professional. Constitutional Libertarian.
Joined February 2019
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“Biblical texts like Heb 11:3 and Rom 4:17 indicate creation from nothing”.
That is the interpretation from 200 AD around the time of Tatian. Prior to that the understanding was creation from chaos (often with “water” representing chaos as it was “without form and void”)
It is true that God is spirit, but so are we and that is why we worship “in spirit and in truth”. That does not mean we cannot have a physical body. A better translation for “invisible” is “not seen” (but the Bible does say those saved will “see God”). The purpose of the “kavod” is to hide the full glory of divinity because sinful humanity would perish if God were seen (unless transfigured like Moses).
It is true that theophanies do not require God, the father to have a physical body. But the way “tselem” is used elsewhere in the text fits the LDS interpretation very well.
The Hebrew for "image" (tselem) implies a physical representation like a statue, and "likeness" (demuth) suggests resemblance or form.
When Gen 5:3 says Adam fathered Seth "in his own likeness, after his image,” it means the same thing as Gen 1:26 “, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness” and Deut. 4:16 which warns making idols/statues in "the likeness of male or female"
- Gen. 5:3: Adam fathered Seth "in his own likeness, after his image" (physical resemblance).
- Exod. 20:4: "You shall not make... a carved image, or any likeness" (prohibits idols/statues).
- Deut. 4:16: Warns against corrupting by making "the likeness of male or female" (sculpted forms).
- Dan. 3:1: Nebuchadnezzar made a golden "image" (statue)
Even in the instance where “image” is translated for a “shadow”, it is because a shadow has the same shape or outline of the original physical object.
Mainstream Christian interpretations try to twist the meaning of Gen 1:26 to be something different than it is EVERYWHERE ELSE in the Biblical text. The LDS interpretation is consistent.
The Bible does teach the core truths about God’s nature and the destiny of His children that Latter-day Saints affirm.
Later Christian creeds and traditions often narrowed or reinterpreted them (ex nihilo creation for example developed around the time of Tatian about 200 AD). For LDS, modern revelation clarifies the proper interpretations of the Bible and expands on that. The claim that LDS distinctions about eternal life as exaltation or the quality of divine life are “not biblical” overlooks substantial biblical evidence and the consistent Latter-day Saint reading of those texts.
Latter-day Saints affirm that God is eternal, “from everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 90:2), infinite, unchangeable, and the source of all life and light (Doctrine and Covenants 20:17; 88:12–13). God was not created by anyone else and indeed nobody was created ex nihilo. The eternal intelligence of any being is uncreated and that certainly applies to Deity (God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit)
What Latter-day Saints reject is the later philosophical overlay (influenced by Greek thought) that God is pure spirit, wholly other, and incapable of having a tangible form or that humans cannot share in His divine nature in any real sense. Biblical theophanies starting in Genesis with Adam and Eve hearing God walk in the garden in the cool of the day exemplifies this (see also Ezekiel 1:26–28; Acts 7:55–56; Revelation 4–5). Jesus’ own embodiment as the express image of the Father (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:15) support an anthropomorphic understanding.
Joseph Smith’s First Vision and modern revelation simply confirm what the Bible already describes. Humanity is made in the image and likeness of God. The Father has a glorified body of flesh and bones (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22), consistent with the resurrected Jesus.
The Bible distinguishes mere continued existence from the quality of life God lives. All will be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:22; John 5:28–29). This is immortality, living forever in a resurrected body. Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ (John 17:3) and receiving the inheritance of joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16–17). It is the kind of life God lives… glory, dominion, and relationship… not mere endless duration. Satan and the wicked exist forever but do not have this “eternal life.”
See also
2 Peter 1:4: believers may become “partakers of the divine nature.”
1 John 3:2: “we shall be like him.”
John 10:34 / Psalm 82:6: “Ye are gods and children of the Most High” (applied by Jesus to those who receive God’s word).
Romans 8:17 and Galatians 4:7: heirs and joint-heirs with Christ.
Revelation 3:21: those who overcome will sit with Christ on His throne.
This is the biblical seed of theosis (divinization), a concept present in early Christian writers long before creedal formulations locked in different definitions. Latter-day Saints see exaltation as the full realization of what it means to be joint-heirs: living in God’s presence, in eternal family relationships, with the power and glory the Father possesses (Doctrine and Covenants 76:50–70; 132). Endless family increase is the natural extension of the biblical emphasis on covenant posterity, inheritance, and God as the Father of spirits (Hebrews 12:9; Acts 17:28–29).
As for God, “Who only hath immortality” (1 Timothy 6:16) … This does not contradict the above. At the time of writing, Jesus was the only one who had already received a resurrected, immortal body. All others would receive it later through Him. God is the source of immortality; creatures receive it as a gift.
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The “surviving Egyptian papyri” are the 11 fragments recovered in 1967 (from the Met Museum) that once belonged to Joseph Smith. Most of his collection—two main rolls plus other pieces from at least five owners—was lost, largely in the 1871 Chicago fire. Only a small fraction remains; estimates put the survivors at roughly 10–25% or less of the original length.
Yes, contemporary accounts (including Oliver Cowdery’s 1835 description) note the papyri were written in black ink with some red. Red ink was standard in Egyptian texts for emphasis or headings.
That is true… LDS believe God is eternal.
But what does that mean?
It is more than just existing from “eternity past” to “eternity future”. It is more.
(Note: The scriptures not only call covenants with mortals “eternal”, but also hills and mountains on Earth are called “eternal”. But that is another matter.)
When it comes to agents and entities … “eternal” is often referring to a quality of existence, not simply existing.
Lucifer and his followers may exist forever in the future, but that doesn’t mean they have “eternal” life.
@grok
What languages are spoken there (and what are the languages related to)?
@grok
What percentage of the collection of scrolls that Joseph Smith had survive now?
Our Heavenly Father, (“our Father who is in Heaven” Matt 6:9) who is the Father of Jesus Christ, is “our Father and our God”.
The God of Jesus Christ and our God is “the Father of spirits” (Heb 12:9)
When Paul quoted the poets who said, “we are His offspring” (genos), do you think Paul picked that quote because it is false? (Acts 18:28-29)
How about when Jesus referenced the Psalms which say humans are “children of the Most High”? (Psalms 82:6)
So.. yeah. God is the Father of ALL SPIRITS.
Uh oh… does that mean YOU are Hitler’s sister!? Why should anyone listen to you?
Random Rationality retweeted
The same people who say they’re going to sit out the general election are never the same people who were active in the primaries. That’s where the fight is supposed to take place.
The general election is about unity, not the perfect candidate. When we say unity, we mean fighting the Left. That’s it.
If someone claims to be in our party, in our wing, conservative, MAGA, America First, Republican, but they aren't fighting the Left, that's the standard. They are not to be included.
@grok
What is the population of these countries and major exports/industry?
Random Rationality retweeted
🚨 HEARTBREAKING HORROR 🚨
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin just exposed the pure evil: Innocent children trafficked across the open border were RAPED 600 TO 700 TIMES — locked in rooms, forced to service monsters day after day.
THEY ARE BABIES. THEY DON’T DESERVE THIS. NO CHILD DOES.
“We found 146,000 kids so far… but nearly 300,000 are STILL MISSING.”
I don’t care if you’re liberal, conservative, or anywhere in between — if you can’t stand up and scream SAVE OUR CHILDREN, who the hell are you?!
This is not politics. This is a national emergency. These kids are suffering in the shadows while too many look away.
ENOUGH. Share this. Demand action. Demand every missing child be found. Demand justice for the innocent.
#SaveTheChildren #ProtectOurKids #EndTheHorror
Repost if you have a soul. These babies need us NOW. 💔🙏
Random Rationality retweeted
THE CEASEFIRE HAS COMMENCED
The ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia took effect at 4:00am Moscow time on October 27, 2026.
Timing was accelerated two days ahead of schedule to protect the safety of civilians and to facilitate the delivery of critical humanitarian aid. The ceasefire’s geographic area has expanded beyond Oleshky, within the Kherson Region, to provide safe passage for the humanitarian convoys.
General Valery Gerasimov, Joint Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces has confirmed.
Random Rationality retweeted
🚨 JUST IN: US consumer confidence DESTROYS expectations and rises +7.5%, and President Trump is reveling in it
"BREAKING NEWS: Consumer Confidence is up 7.5%, an extremely big rise. Thank you! President DONALD J. TRUMP" 🔥
A bad day for the "experts!"
Consumer Confidence Index surged to 91.7 in October — blowing past the 81.5 consensus forecast by more than 10 points
Right before the midterms!
Random Rationality retweeted
The “climate crisis” is the biggest scam in scientific history. There's not one shred of empirical evidence that we are facing a crisis because the planet is slightly warmer than it was during the depths of the Little Ice Age.
When I became @UN Secretary-General, climate change was already an enormous threat.
Today, its impacts are all around us.
And those who did the least to cause the climate crisis are paying the highest price.
We need climate justice. Now.
Random Rationality retweeted
"Half my family was murdered by the actual Hitler. In addition to it being deeply offensive to Jews, to call Trump Hitler, is to call over 80 million Americans, 35% of Jewish Americans, 56% of Hispanic men, and the majority of Americans who make under $100,000 a year Nazis. Because those are the people who gave Donald Trump his victory."
Random Rationality retweeted
“Largest drop EVER” in violent crime.
Vote like your life depends on it.
Because it does. 🇺🇸
My advice is to not put your faith journey on social media.
All these decisions should be between you and God.