救恩的教義第一卷中摘錄出來的補充資料，
手邊沒有中文版的，所以放英文的上來。
HOW GOD PROGRESSES
GOD HAS ALL POWER AND WISDOM.
My grandfather, Hyrum Smith, at the conference of the Church, April, 1844, in the course of his remarks said: "I want to put down all false influences. If I thought I should be saved and any in the congregation be lost, I should not be happy. For this purpose Jesus effected a resurrection. Our Savior is competent to save all from death and hell [i.e. by repentance], I can prove it out of the revelations. I would not serve a God that had not all wisdom and all power."
Do we believe that God has all "wisdom"? If so, in that, he is absolute. If there is something he does not know, then he is not absolute in "wisdom," and to think such a thing is absurd. Does he have all "power"? If so then there is nothing in which he lacks. If he is lacking in "wisdom" and in "power" then he is not supreme and there must be something greater than he is, and this is absurd.
JOSEPH SMITH TEACHES OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD.
In the Lectures on Faith, which appeared in the earlier editions of the Doctrine and Covenants, we find the following which was prepared by the Prophet Joseph Smith:
"There are two personages [i.e, of flesh and bones] who constitute the great, matchless, governing, and supreme, power over all things, by whom all things were created and made, that are created and made, whether visible or invisible, whether in heaven, on earth, or in the earth, under the earth, or throughout the immensity of space. They are the Father and the Son-the Father being a personage of spirit, 18 glory, and power, possessing all perfection and fulness, the Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, a personage of tabernacle, made or fashioned like unto man, or being in the form and likeness of man, or rather man was formed after his likeness and in his image; he is also the express image and likeness of the personage of the Father, possessing all the fulness of the Father, or the same fulness with the Father."
"God is the only supreme governor and independent being in whom all fulness and perfection dwell; who is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient; without beginning of days or end of life; and that in him every good gift and every good principle dwell."
"Without the knowledge of all things God would not be able to save any portion of his creatures; for it is by reason of the knowledge which he has of all things, from the beginning to the end, that enables him to give that understanding to his creatures by which they are made partakers of eternal life; and if it were not for the idea existing in the minds of men that God had all knowledge it would be impossible for them to exercise faith in him."
PROGRESSION BY INCREASING HIS CREATIONS.
The Book of Moses informs us that the great work of the Father is in creating worlds and peopling them, and "there is no end to my works, neither to my words," he says, "For behold, this is my work and my glory-to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man," and in this is his progression.
Commenting on this the Prophet Joseph Smith has said: "What did Jesus do? Why; I do the things I saw my Father do when worlds come rolling into existence. My Father worked out his kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same [that is Christ must do the same]; and when I get my kingdom. I shall present it to my Father, so that he may obtain kingdom upon kingdom, and it will exalt him in glory. He will then take a higher exaltation, and I [Christ] will take his place, and thereby become exalted myself. So that Jesus treads in the tracks of his Father, and inherits what God did before; and God is thus glorified and exalted in the salvation and exaltation of all his children."
Do you not see that it is in this manner that our Eternal Father is progressing? Not by seeking knowledge which he does not have, for such a thought cannot be maintained in the light of scripture. It is not through ignorance and learning hidden truth that he progresses, for if there are truths which he does not know, then these things are greater than he, and this cannot be. Why can't we learn wisdom and believe what the Lord has revealed?
HOW GOD DOES NOT PROGRESS
FALSE NOTIONS ABOUT GOD'S PROGRESSION.
It seems very strange to me that members of the Church will hold to the doctrine, "God increases in knowledge as time goes on." Or that they can believe (as a recently published article says): "If absolute perfection were attainable, there would eventually come a time when those who had chosen the better way would reach the ultimate; and if the ultimate could be gained, progression would cease. This cannot be, for as before specified nothing in nature remains at a standstill. When progression abdicates the throne, retrogression is the degrading successor."
But, how does anyone know? Where has the Lord ever revealed to us that he is lacking in knowledge? That he is still learning new truth; discovering new laws that are unknown to him? I think this kind of doctrine is very dangerous. I don't know where the Lord has ever declared such a thing. It is not contained in any revelation that I have read. Man's opinion unaided by the revelations of the Lord, does not make it so.
PERFECTION OF GOD NOT "RELATIVE."
I believe that God knows all things and that his understanding is perfect, not "relative."
Who dares say that the quality of "virtue" is limited with our Father and his Son? Is their truthfulness only "relative"? Could they be more truthful? More honorable? More virtuous or loving? How foolish such questions are, and how much more foolish would be the answer if we said: "Yes, the Lord is limited in his truthfulness, honor, virtue." Well, if he is absolute in these qualities, is he on the road of retrogression in them? According to the argument this must be so if the absolute is reached. Then why should we say that his knowledge is limited and that hidden law and truths abound which he has not discovered. Who made those laws and where do they come from?
SCRIPTURES PROVE OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD.
I believe, literally, what is written in these scriptures:
"O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it."
"Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, the Great I AM, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven, before the world was made;
"The same which knoweth all things, for all things are present before mine eyes."
"And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn; . . .
"The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit of truth, and John bore record of me, saying: He received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth."
"Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name."
"Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
"Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite."
"He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, for ever and ever."
The next verse (42) is very significant in revealing to us something regarding the laws:
"And again, verily I say unto you, he hath given a law unto all things, by which they move in their times and their seasons."
GOD PROGRESSES BECAUSE OF KNOWLEDGE.
It is not because the Lord is ignorant of law and truth that he is able to progress, but because of his knowledge and wisdom. The Lord is constantly using his knowledge in his work. And his great work is in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. By the creation of worlds and peopling them, by building and extending, he progresses, but not because the fulness of truth is not understood by him.
WILL GOD DESTROY HIMSELF?
I cannot comprehend God in his perfection having to spend time discovering laws and truth he does not know. Such a thought to me is destructive, not progressive, Should there be truth which God has not discovered, when may he discover it, and, like a chemist who mixes certain elements and blows himself up, when will the Almighty find some hidden truth or law which will shatter all? Is there not a danger that some other personage may discover some greater truth than our Father knows? If such could be the case, what would become of God?
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