Why can doctrines in the Mormon Church change if God is unchanging?

Question

Dear Gramps,

There are many verses in the Bible that say that God is un-changing. Such as, Mal. 3:6 “I the Lord do not change.” and James 1:16 & 17 “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Why is it that LDS doctrines change if God is un-changing? Like those with black skin receiving the priesthood. Thank you for your insight.

Chris

Answer

Dear Chris,

We understand that God is unchanging. Also, He has all knowledge; there is not anything save He knoweth it. He is also the Father of the spirits of every person. When you say that He is unchanging, and then cite changes and additions in the practices and doctrines of his Church and Kingdom on the earth, you are implying that if the Church changes that means that God would also change, and therefore the Church cannot be the Church of God.

How do you interpret the scriptures that you cite that say that the Lord does not change? Do you believe that He does not change from one place to another? If He did, He would be a changeable God. So if He does not change from one place to another He would have to be an immobile God. I doubt that you would believe that. If He would be a changeable God if the doctrines of his Church were to change, the only recourse would be for him to reveal all of his doctrines at one time so that they could never be added to as need would arise. But if He revealed them all at one time He would still be a changeable God from the time before He revealed them.

The doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ that were revealed by the Lord to his Prophet, Joseph Smith, were revealed a little at a time, at a sufficient rate that they could be understood, absorbed and put into practice. As the Church grew more doctrine and church procedures were introduced until a fullness of the gospel was received. As a matter of fact, there is more yet to come. Here is one of the statements of the Lord in that regard that is recorded in Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants, as revealed to Joseph Smith in 1832, only two years after his Church was brought back to the earth after the great apostasy—

Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior.

 

Great is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings none can find out.

 

His purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay his hand.

 

From eternity to eternity he is the same, and his years never fail.

 

For thus saith the Lord–I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.

 

Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory.

 

And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom.

 

Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations.

 

And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught.

 

For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will–yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man (D&C 76:1-10).

Gramps