Rationality in the Trinity

First off, I define the Trinity as the concept of God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost being one person in three bodies.  So, Mormons do not believe in the Trinity.

Three Gods - No and Yes.  Elohim is God, Jesus will be a God (not yet) and Its not really clear on what will happen to the Holy Ghost since you need a body to progress and he has none....perhaps he'll get one during the Final Judgement?  Who knows.  But, we do not believe the ARE Gods NOW. 

Yes, I have read the King Follett discourse.  Joseph was teaching Eternal Progression here a doctrine that only the Mormon Church believes.  Though we believe Jesus's spirit to be the literal child of God and his body to be the Son of God....we do not believe conception was through sex.  Mary conceived by a miracle, hence the virgin birth.  God did not descend and have sex with her.  That is a misconception based off of the King Follett discourse and a sermon by Brigham Young.  Brigham warned of taking everything he said literally. 

As for Muhammed , we recognize him as one of the many Prophets, but we do not believe he was the LAST PROPHET.  We do not believe there will ever be a last Prophet until Jesus returns and the Judgement happens.

As for the book you used as your reference.  I looked it up on Amazon.  Its not published by Church Distribution.  Which means its not written by the church, some of the articles in the Encyclopedia were also written by RLDS (Community of Christ) and non mormon authors.  Though it is a generally good resource, its not completely unbiased nor is it approved by the Church in doctrine or definition. Like the book Mormon Doctrine, I would not use it as your guideline to what we believe.  You should get your hands on a Gospel Priniciples book or Gospel Doctrine from http://www.deseretbook.com or http://www.seagullbook.com  The latter of the two is usually cheaper. 

I do not study Islam from Catholic scholars, I buy books published by Muslims.  The same should be said about Mormons.  There are many who have written books in the past that were taken by later authors as fact.  The best way to know our beliefs is to go to the source.  I have a set of the Teachings of the Prophets on my shelf with the educational books published by the Church.  You should also read FARMS articles to supplement your education.  I'm not saying you should believe.  But I find having a fair and balanced approach to any study is best.  My brother in law served his mission in the Yale area.  He knew a Professor who knew our doctrines better than most members.  His shelves were covered in actually LDS publications.  He was a devout atheist but found the Mormons fascinating, we're a hobby to him.  Not to prove us wrong, just to understand us.

Hi Angela,

I found these quotes from the founder of Mormonism.  Have you ever read them?

Joseph Smith boasted that he did more than Jesus to keep a church together. 

      "God is in the still small voice. In all these affidavits, indictments, it is all of the devil--all corruption. Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet . . . " (History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 408-409). 

Joseph Smith said the Book of Mormon was more correct than the Bible.

     "I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book."  (History of the Church, Vol. 4, page 461)

Joseph Smith's prophecy

      ". . .I prophesy in the name of the Lord God of Israel, unless the United States redress the wrongs committed upon the Saints in the state of Missouri and punish the crimes committed by her officers that in a few years the government will be utterly overthrown and wasted, and there will not be so much as a potsherd left . . . " (History of the Church, Vol. 5, p. 394.) 

This prophecy did not come true.

Joseph Smith said mothers have babies in eternity and some are on thrones. 

      "A question may be asked, �Will mothers have their children in eternity?' Yes! Yes! Mothers, you shall have your children." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, page 10). "Eternity is full of thrones, upon which dwell thousands of children reigning on thrones of glory, with not one cubit added to their stature." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 10).

Joseph Smith said there are many Gods. 

      "Hence, the doctrine of a plurality of Gods is as prominent in the Bible as any other doctrine. It is all over the face of the Bible . . . Paul says there are Gods many and Lords many . . . but to us there is but one God--that is pertaining to us; and he is in all and through all" (History of the Church, Vol. 6, page 474). "In the beginning, the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods; and they came together and concocted a plan to create the world and people it." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 5).

Joseph Smith said the Trinity is three gods. 

      "I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods." (Teachings of Prophet Joseph Smith p. 370).

Joseph Smith said God was once a man. 

      "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted Man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens...I say, if you were to see him to-day, you would see him like a man in form -- like yourselves, in all the person, image, and very form as a man....it is necessary that we should understand the character and being of God, and how he came to be so; for I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity,  I will refute that idea, and will take away and do away the veil, so that you may see....and that he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth the same as Jesus Christ himself did." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 3).

Joseph Smith said our greatest responsibility is to seek after our dead. 

      "The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead" (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, page 7).

Joseph Smith said that there are men living on the moon who dress like Quakers and live to be nearly 1000 years old. Since he was wrong about the moon, is it safe to trust him regarding the way to Heaven? (The Young Woman's Journal, Vol. 3, pages 263-264. See reprint in Mormonism -- Shadow or Reality? by Jerald and Sandra Tanner, page 4.)

I must say that I am learning a lot about your faith.  As I mentioned before I knew very little before I met you.  Thanks.