What is the current, official LDS doctrine regarding the state or condition of God's knowledge, whether it be perfect and complete or ever growing?
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This well referenced article chronicles the history of a 12 year long contention which arose in the early days of the LDS Church between Apostle Orson Pratt and (then) first president Brigham Young. While there are tangential aspects associated with this contention, the main thrust centered upon the state or condition of God's knowledge: Whether God is perfect or complete in knowledge (Pratt) or ever growing in knowledge (Young). Pratt insisted that God could not be God without perfect omniscience whereas Young insisted that such a perfection in God renders eternity a meaningless concept.
While the contention became quite intense it is to Young's credit that he continuously endeavored to maintain brotherhood and fellowship with Pratt, which thing his religion holds in very high esteem. Ultimately, Pratt acceded to the authority of the First Presidency and, although he never changed his mind about God not being God unless his knowledge was absolutely complete, he did agree to never again publish such an opinion in any LDS literature unless it was confirmed by the Presidency and he publically approved of the collection and destruction of whatever he had published which was contrary:
> I, therefore, embrace the present opportunity of publicly expressing
my most sincere regret, that I have ever published the least thing
which meets with the disapprobation of the highest authorities of the
Church; and I do most cordially join with them in the request, that you
should make such disposition of the publication alluded to, as counsel-
led in their proclamation.
Towards the end of the article it is noted that, after Brigham Young's death, vehemence against Orson Pratt's ideas waned and now such influential twentieth century church exegetes as Joseph Fielding Smith find favor with Pratt's ideas:
> "I believe that God knows all things and that his understanding is perfect, not 'relative.' I have never seen or heard of any revealed fact to the contrary. I believe that our
Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ are perfect. I offer no excuse for the
simplicity of my faith."
What is the current, official LDS doctrine regarding the state or condition of God's knowledge, whether it be perfect and complete or ever growing?
Note- All of the quotations here are taken from the linked article.
Asked by Mike Borden
(24105 rep)
Jan 4, 2024, 04:11 PM
Last activity: Jan 4, 2024, 06:15 PM
Last activity: Jan 4, 2024, 06:15 PM