Mormons believe in a form of polytheism called Monolatry 1. “Monolatry” is defined as, “the worship of one god without denial of the existence of other gods” 2. This is the combination of the words monotheism and polytheism. In fact, this “monolatry” in the Mormon religion states that a really good Mormon can one day, after their life here on earth, be given a cosmos to develop and reign over 3.
But, is this belief only limited to the Mormon faith? I am finding a growing number of people that believe this without knowing what it is called. So where does this originate? Even though this might have started with Mormon faith, to develop this believe system you need look to macroevolution which is “the concept of large-scale evolution that occurs at the level of species and above” 4. Those that hold to the macroevolutionary theory believe that since life evolved here on earth then it must be a “fact that life has evolved on countless other planets” 5.
As the macroevolutionary theory has dominated our public schools, from elementary through college, we are now seeing a morphing of this thought with that of creation. This is exactly what the atheists desire. They are winning the hearts of the present, and, sadly, future generations. To them it has to be truth because our planet can’t be the only place to harbor evolution.
So what does all this have to do with the church and the belief of “monolatry?” As the atheists educate our children through every form of media today, pieces of macroevolutionary thought have clung to the subconscious of so many- whether it be that dinosaurs lived 65 millions years ago or that theistic evolution is plausible. And now, because of the bits and pieces changing the way many think, the idea that there could be Gods over other cosmos is growing. I have even heard people in the church believe that there must be life on other planets and, thus, an intelligent designer ruling over them.
The logical question to ask, then, is, “do we read of “monolatry” in the Bible?” What does the Bible say about the existence of God? Isaiah wrote, “‘You are My witnesses,’ says the Lord, ‘And My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior’” (Isaiah 43:10-11). God seems to tell Isaiah that there is no other Gods in the universe. This is very straight forward. But if that were not enough, Isaiah also records, “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God’” (Isaiah 44:6). In the Psalms the author wrote, “For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God” (Psalm 86:10). Also, “That they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord, Are the Most High over all the earth” (Psalm 83:18).
In the New Testament, Paul, writing to the church at Ephesus, proclaims that there is “one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:6). To believe that there could, in any way, be other gods over other cosmos is to call God a liar. For again He said, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). There are no other gods. Therefore, the doctrine of “monolatry” is false.
Christians must deny and teach against this false doctrine, or our children will become disillusioned and fall faster away from the ONE AND ONLY, TRUE AND LIVING GOD.
Jason Ridgeway lives in Ironton, OH and is between ministries
1 “Do Mormons Believe in Multiple Gods?/3 Mormons” 13:59, posted by “3 Mormons,” August 30, 2017, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u0F8ztDDDQ
3 3 Mormons You Tube
4 http://www.biologydictionary.net
5 http://www.creation.com/did-god-create-life-on-other-planets