To Mormons: Is Heavenly Father really an "Almighty God" ?

Question

This is a sincere question. No faith bashing. I am just trying to learn so I ask the people who should know. You worship him , right?
I have just asked a few questions about eternal progression (Men becoming gods and god having once been a man with a father) and polygamy.
On the Polygamy issue, Joseph Smith seems to have taught that it was a necessary practice for exaltation to the Celestial Kingdom. Both he and Brigham Young have taught that Heavenly Father strongly endorsed the practice.
It seems if Heavenly Father were truly an "Almighty God " he would not have backed down to the Federal Government when the Feds demanded an end to the polygamy. After the feds ordered an end to the practice, Heavenly Father apparantly got scared and "revealed" to Brigham Young that Polygamy must stop and anyone who did it would be excommunicated. Shouldn't an "Almighty God" be obeying God rather than men? Maybe he is still progressing or something and isn't the "Almighty" yet.

To Mormon_4 : Your answer does not make sense. Heavenly father commanded the practice of polygamy as a necessary part of salvation. An "Everlasting Ordinance". The church at the time appears to have fully embraced the practice at all levels. Plural marriage was common. That is, till the Feds made them quit. So , if Heavenly Father commanded it, and everyone was doing it , couldn't an "Almighty God" have stood his ground against a few thousand U.S. Cavalry instead of backing down in disgrace? Then he said anybody who did it must be ex-communicated. So, 1st you go to heaven if you do it, then, you go into Outer Darkness if you do it, and all because the Feds rattled their swords a little bit.

To Hibby76: The 10 commandments were the same both times. Moses just didnt break them over the heads of the Israelites the second time.
This truly is sincere. Why should I ask the Anti's when I already know what they will say, right?
As far as Abraham is concerned , it was some kind of test I guess.
You are correct, God does apparantly change His mind which is the essence of my question, Is He the Almighty or is there another God out there who truly is the Almighty. I guess Heavenly Father had a Heavenly Father, wouldnt He be greater since he is our Heavenly Grandfather?

Answer 1

Mormonism seems to have a "infinite regression" for their gods in the pantheon. Apparently, Mormons are worshiping some sort of "4th tier"gods rather than the Unmoved Mover and Uncaused Cause, the Ultimate Creator,God Almighty.

Answer 2

Why did an Almighty God "back down" in his commandment for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? Why did an almighty god change his mind?

Why didn't an almighty god give Adam "the new gospel" instead of revealing it through Christ 3000 years later?

There is a simple answer to this question. I'm not sure that I buy your "this is a sincere question" talk, but we'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

God reveals his will to prophets. Just because what God wants for different people at different times changes, doesn't mean that God changes. If I get a Big Mac one day, and a Whopper the next, does that mean that "I've changed, and am no longer the person I was the previous day"?

It's been prophesied that "the fullness of the gospel would be revealed in the last days". I don't pretend to know all of Gods will. Plural marriage is one of those things. However, If some people do practice that in the next life, and God and everyone that is involved is happy with it, I shouldn't be one that has a right to complain.

So, Polygamy was restored for a time to fulfill prophesy so that the fullness of the gospel would be on earth in the last days. However, that doesn't mean that it has to stay on the earth after that point.

I'm sure God, in his infinite power, could have made a way for the early Saints to continue to practice polygamy. He could have sent them further South to Mexico (where it wasn't illegal at the time), had some people smitten, changed some hearts, etc. However, he chose to have it repealed.

The early saints were commanded to live the law of consecration for a time as well. It was difficult for the early saints to live both laws, and both were eventually repealed for the time being. There was no political pressure to repeal the law of consecration.

Keep in mind, something similar happened in the Old Testament. Moses was going to reveal the "higher law" to the children of Israel. When he descended from Sinai, the people were worshiping Idols. He broke the tablets, returned to the mountain, and returned to the people with the "lower law", or the 10 commandments. Again, no political pressure. Did God miss something the first time? Was he wrong? No. Some things are done for our benefit. We need to receive things in a certain orders sometimes.

Our job here on earth is to align our will with Gods will, and not the other way around. IF Joseph Smith was a Prophet chosen by God, then it's important to align your will with his.

Answer 3

Yes, Heavenly Father IS Almighty God, the Supreme Creator, The Father of us all, including Christ.

Polygamy. OH boy. What a controversial subject...
We believe in obeying, honoring and sustaining the laws of the land and being subject to kings, rulers and magistrates.
Polygamy is against the law. At the time of the commandment to be in that practice, it was not unlawful.
You should read the official declaration given by the prophet
http://scriptures.lds.org/en/od/1
I will share a short excerpt:
"The question is this: Which is the wisest course for the Latter-day Saints to pursue—to continue to attempt to practice plural marriage, with the laws of the nation against it and the opposition of sixty millions of people, and at the cost of the confiscation and loss of all the Temples, and the stopping of all the ordinances therein, both for the living and the dead, and the imprisonment of the First Presidency and Twelve and the heads of families in the Church, and the confiscation of personal property of the people (all of which of themselves would stop the practice); or, after doing and suffering what we have through our adherence to this principle to cease the practice and submit to the law, and through doing so leave the Prophets, Apostles and fathers at home, so that they can instruct the people and attend to the duties of the Church, and also leave the Temples in the hands of the Saints, so that they can attend to the ordinances of the Gospel, both for the living and the dead?"
"The Lord showed me by vision and revelation exactly what would take place if we did not stop this practice."

So. the pratice was stopped according to the Lord.

Answer 4

I suppose "Almighty God" could have used His immense power to force the US government to allow the LDS church to continue the practice of plural marriage. But, if He could not or would not do that, what is the use of making His church continue a practice that would, in effect, destroy the church? How can He force His church to do something when there is no church? The government was in the process of dis-enfranchising the church, until the Manifesto. with no church, how can the church do anything?

Answer 5

Jesus Christ lived, died and was resurrected, and lives even now, and is a resurrected being just as the Bible describes. If you saw the movie The Passion Of The Christ, at the very end of the Movie, Jesus Christ rises up after His body was in the tomb for three days. Then in the movie, He walks out of the sepulcher. That is what Mormons believe happened. Jesus Christ looks like Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has a Father that He prayed to and Jesus Christ referred to His Father in the Four Gospels many many many times. Jesus Christ was also Crucified for claiming to be the Son Of God. This is exactly what He was, and is, and has always been. God the Father is just like Jesus Christ. Like Father like Son. Those who learn about the Son, learn about the Father. They both believe in the same true gospel, which is THE truth. God The Father knows everything that there is to know. He is not a cloud of immaterial matter. There is no such thing, in fact it is an illogical contradiction in terms to even say that. God The Father, like His Beloved Son, has perfect integrity, and they both share the trait of having perfect Charity in their personalities, this is the highest trait a being can have. On this foundation a being can gain knowledge, over infinite time, and become a mighty being of purity and righteousness in the life after this life that stretches in time to infinity. So you too, have an infinite capacity to progress as a human being. On the foundation of righteousness, and charity, nothing is impossible, as long as you have faith, and live the commandments of God The Father, as did His Son Jesus Christ.