Mormon Church

The Athanasian Creed was named after St. Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria. It was once believed to have been his work, but it no longer is, in part because it was written in Latin, and in part because it deals with controversies that didn’t arise until long after the fourth century, which is when Athanasius lived.

The creed teaches the trinity of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. It also teaches that Jesus is one substance both with God and with Mary. The final section teaches, “They that have done good shall go into life everlasting: and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.”

This creed has often been controversial-the last section was fiercely debated in the nineteenth century in England-and is not used in the eastern church. It is seldom even used in the western church, having been dropped from the Catholic liturgy since Vatican II.

Mormons do not teach the Athanasius Creed. Because they are a restored church, and not a Protestant Church, they have not selected among Catholic doctrine or creeds. They don’t teach the trinity, although they do teach that how you live your earthly life will affect your eternal life.

Mormons teach that Jesus is the literal Son of God, just as is taught in the King James version of the Bible. In the King James version, people who believe in the Trinity often use the following scripture as proof of the teaching:

7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. (John 14)

A casual reading would suggest the trinity is indeed demonstrated in these verses. However, in verse 20, we’re shown the meaning of the statement that Jesus is in the Father. Verse twenty says:

20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

This offers a different look at  the above verses. Mormons teach of the Godhead:

The true doctrine of the Godhead was lost in the apostasy that followed the Savior’s mortal ministry and the deaths of His Apostles. This doctrine began to be restored when 14-year-old Joseph Smith received his First Vision (see Joseph Smith—History 1:17). From the Prophet’s account of the First Vision and from his other teachings, we know that the members of the Godhead are three separate beings. The Father and the Son have tangible bodies of flesh and bones, and the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit (see D&C 130:22).

Although the members of the Godhead are distinct beings with distinct roles, they are one in purpose and doctrine. They are perfectly united in bringing to pass Heavenly Father’s divine plan of salvation. (See LDS.org.)

In the verses above, Jesus is trying to help the apostles understand that He and His Father were completely unified. They had exactly the same values and the same mission. They taught the same truths. They were so much alike there was really very little difference between them. So the verses above were discussing a spiritual unity. Jesus then told his apostles He wanted them to be unified in the same way. He often warned them not to have disagreements. They should always be working towards a common goal-the salvation of men. When they were completely unified with each other and with the Savior, they would be unified with God and be able to most effectively carry out his plan.

The other part of the creed refers to how earthly behavior affects eternity. Mormons do teach that your choices on earth impact the rest of your life, including your life after death. If they didn’t, there would be no real purpose to life. God sent us here to be tested, and at the end of a test, there is a grade. Happily, God also provided ways for us to repent when we make mistakes, but we are expected to live according to God’s laws, as the Bible repeatedly warns us.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21, KJV of the Bible)

Most Christians teach that actions have no impact on us at all, but then state that a person must accept Jesus as their Savior-which, of course, is an act. The real question, apparently, is how many acts are required. Now, it’s true that acts alone aren’t enough. Acts don’t save us; faith does. The way we live our life is evidence of how strong our faith is. Jesus taught that faith without works is dead. It is never enough to say a certain set of words declaring our faith, and then rush off and live as we choose, instead of the way God chooses. To do so is to demonstrate that our faith is too weak to guide our actions.

On the other hand, all the good works in the world can’t save us. Only the atonement of Jesus Christ could save us, and works without faith are also dead. Our actions are our way of showing gratitude to Jesus Christ for His atonement. The greater our faith, the greater our good works and obedience will be. The two work in partnership to demonstrate to God the strength of our love and commitment to him.

Tags: Athanasius Creed, faith vs. works. saved by grace, Jesus Christ, trinity

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 at 10:17 am and is filed under Array. You can follow any responses to this entry through the /feed feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.