The Character of God

I have recently re-read the Lectures on Faith, by Joseph Smith. Something I have only recently learned, the lectures were originally part of the Doctrine and Covenants. They WERE the Doctrine, and what we have left is the Covenants. They were removed for reasons that you can find in the Church's history, if you care to look. I consider them very important, as much so as our other LDS scriptures.

Here is a part of the third lecture:

2 Let us here observe, that three things are necessary, in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation.

3 First, The idea that he actually exists.

4 Secondly, A correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes.

5 Thirdly, An actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing, is according to his will.—For without an acquaintance with these three important facts, the faith of every rational being must be imperfect and unproductive; but with this understanding, it can become perfect and fruitful, abounding in righteousness unto the praise and glory of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

So according to the vs. 4, we must have a correct idea of God's character in order to exercise true faith. That started me wondering, what do I know of God's character? Is He an all loving, merciful Father figure? A vengeful and 'jealous' God to be feared? The scriptures paint Him as both-- so what is He? Without having a real experience WITH Him, I think it is difficult to know for sure. I have been trying to have a real experience with Him. With Christ. With the Holy Spirit. I have begun to question my traditionally held belief that they are three separate beings. Even Joseph, in the 5th Lecture, states the Godhead is made up of TWO beings, God and Christ, and the Holy Spirit is simply 'the mind and will' of those TWO. So, hmmm.... not what I've always believed. Yet, I've accepted everything else Joseph taught. What to do? 

Well, first, and most importantly, I've been trying to have a real relationship with God/Jesus. Not just praying to them, but really trying to spend time communing with them in meditation. Asking for light and learning to listen to their voice, or the voice of the Spirit. It's not easy. So along with this, I've been seeking other sources of knowledge, the scriptures of course, but also books I feel led too-- knowing full well, that the learning of men can never super-cede a true knowledge of God gained only by experiencing Him. Nevertheless, I've asked God to lead me, and I believe He has. I have read 2 books lately that have changed my paradigms about God. I'm not saying that they are absolute truth, but because they presented such a radically different idea of the character of God, I was able to open my mind to the possibilities, and was therefore able to ask more specific questions during my meditation. Questions I never would have thought to ask before, based on what I already 'thought' I knew. I believe that if we don't know the right questions, God cannot give us the answers we truly need. And I believe that Mormonism does not contain ALL the truth there is to be had in this life. There is much truth in every religion of the world. 

Joseph said:

“I stated that the most prominent difference in sentiment between the Latter-day Saints and sectarians was, that the latter were all circumscribed by some peculiar creed, which deprived its members the privilege of believing anything not contained therein, whereas the Latter-day Saints … are ready to believe all true principles that exist, as they are made manifest from time to time.”

“I cannot believe in any of the creeds of the different denominations, because they all have some things in them I cannot subscribe to, though all of them have some truth. I want to come up into the presence of God, and learn all things; but the creeds set up stakes [limits], and say, ‘Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further’ [Job 38:11]; which I cannot subscribe to.”

I had become a sectarian. Exactly what Joseph could not subscribe to.

So, in my process of 'being with God', I have learned (or allowed Him) to take down all my self imposed stakes, and let Him shatter my paradigms. It has not been easy. It's not fun to realize that you do not, in fact, know everything there is to know about God and religion. Believing that I already knew everything, limited what God could teach me. It made my neck stiff, unable to look at any other possibilities, and my heart hard, that I could not be taught. What's more, I've realized that I've lived in a state of complaisance most of my life. Having believed I already knew all there was to know about God and salvation, I was on cruise control, just following my leaders, checking off my lists of 'things to do to get into heaven'.... never really consulting the God of heaven and earth, because I thought my religion had already done the hard work of seeking light and knowledge, and had just handed it to me, on a silver plater, so to speak.  

Ah, I'm rambling. Back to the topic. The Character of God. I believe there is more to know about God. I believe He wants us to know Him intimately, and to do that, we have to expand our minds, and our current belief systems. Joseph said, "A man is saved, no faster than he gains knowledge." I believed I had all the knowledge I needed, but challenges and trials in my life have forced me to seek Him. And seeking Him has made all the difference. 

I recommend these two books, to further explore the character of God:

The Shack, by Wm. Paul Young

“In seminary he had been taught that God had completely stopped any overt communication with moderns, preferring to have them only listen to and follow sacred Scripture, properly interpreted, of course. God's voice had been reduced to paper, and even that paper had to be moderated and deciphered by the proper authorities and intellects. It seemed that direct communication with God was something exclusively for the ancients and uncivilized, while educated Westerner's access to God was mediated and controlled by the intelligentsia. Nobody wanted God in a box, just in a book.” 

" Those who love me have come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims; some are Democrats, some Republicans and many don't vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some are bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved." 
"Does that mean," said Mack, "that all roads will lead to you?" 
"Not at all. Most roads don't lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you." 

“religion is about having the right answers, and some of their answers are right... but I am about the process that takes you to the living answer... it will change you from the inside. there are a lot of smart people who are able to say a lot of right things from their brain because they have been told what the right answers are, but they don't know me at all. ” 
― Wm. Paul Young

Beautiful Outlaw: Experiencing the Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality of Jesus, by John Eldredge

“He is the playfulness of creation, scandal and utter goodness, the generosity of the ocean and the ferocity of a thunderstorm; he is cunning as a snake and gentle as a whisper; the gladness of sunshine and the humility of a thirty-mile walk by foot on a dirt road.” 

“Jesus came to reveal God to us. He is the defining word on God—on what the heart of God is truly like, on what God is up to in the world, and on what God is up to in your life. An intimate encounter with Jesus is the most transforming experience of human existence. To know him as he is, is to come home. To have his life, joy, love, and presence cannot be compared. A true knowledge of Jesus is our greatest need and our greatest happiness. To be mistaken about him is the saddest mistake of all.” 
― John Eldredge