The Mormon Doctrine of Deity: The Roberts-Van Der Donckt Discussion: To which is added a discourse, Jesus Christ, the revelation of God

In Short

This volume presents a structured debate over Latter-day Saint theology, centered on the physical nature of God, the plurality of divine personages, and the ultimate destiny of humanity. B. H. Roberts defends the concept of a tangible, embodied Godhead against the philosophical critiques of Father F. Van Der Donckt, a Catholic priest. Through scriptural analysis, philosophical rejoinders, and supplementary discourses, the text traces how early Christian ideas shifted toward abstract metaphysics. The book endures as a foundational defense of Latter-day Saint theology, offering a clear window into early twentieth-century interreligious dialogue and sectarian polemic.

The Story

The argument opens with the core premise that true religion requires an accurate understanding of the character and form of God. Roberts establishes that modern revelation began with a vision of two distinct, tangible personages, reasserting the biblical declaration that humanity is created in the literal image of Deity. He contends that classical post-apostolic theology abandoned this straightforward anthropomorphism in favor of an immaterial, passionless divinity borrowed from Greek philosophy.

In response, Father Van Der Donckt presents the traditional Christian position, arguing from both Old and New Testament passages that God must be a single, absolute, non-composite spirit. He contends that passages declaring the Father alone to be all-knowing prove that true Deity is strictly numerical unity, excluding separate physical beings from the Godhead. Van Der Donckt asserts that claiming God has physical limitations or parts contradicts the absolute infinity and simplicity required of the Supreme Being.

Roberts systematically counters this orthodox counterargument by examining the life, nature, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. He points out that orthodox Christian theology acknowledges Christ as fully God, yet Christ possessed a physical body, experienced passage of time, grew in stature, and received power. If Christ is the express image of the Father's person and exists as an embodied spirit without losing his divine nature, then the Father must likewise be an embodied personage. Roberts argues that the traditional creedal formulas—claiming three distinct persons in one numerical substance—are self-contradictory and reduce the divine nature to an incomprehensible mystery.

Expanding the scope of the debate, Roberts outlines a broader cosmic framework. He argues that human spirits are literally the offspring of God, possessing the innate potential to progress toward divine perfection. Drawing on physical analogies, such as the mingling of elements in a liquid, he distinguishes between a personal presence bounded by space and an omnipresent influence exerted through the divine spirit throughout the universe. The text concludes with a series of discourses reaffirming that the progression of worlds, fathers, and sons is eternal, culminating in the literal return of a glorified Christ to reign over a redeemed creation.

How It Unfolds

The primitive revelation restored Roberts opens by asserting that modern revelation restored the physical reality of the Father and the Son as two separate, glorified personages. He argues that ancient scriptural truths were corrupted when the church adopted immaterial, philosophical definitions of the divine nature.

The traditional rebuttal Van Der Donckt counters by gathering scriptural passages that emphasize divine unity, arguing that God must be an uncreated, non-composite spirit. He claims that attributes like absolute omniscience belong exclusively to a single divine essence, ruling out a plural or physical Godhead.

The Christological defense Roberts responds by pointing to Jesus Christ as the definitive revelation of the Father's personal form. He demonstrates that Christ's physical embodiment, growth, and resurrected state prove that materiality and progress are entirely compatible with full divinity.

The critique of creedal mystery Analyzing classical creeds and Catholic catechisms, Roberts argues that traditional theology relies on self-defeating logic. He asserts that declaring God to be three distinct persons yet one single, simple substance forces believers to worship an incomprehensible philosophical construct.

The eternal progression of man The argument shifts to the nature and destiny of humanity, asserting that human beings are literal spirit offspring of God. Because men and Gods belong to the same divine race, human beings possess the potential for ultimate exaltation through the gospel.

The expanse of the divine order The final section illustrates how divine power operates across an infinite cosmos of organized worlds. Through supporting discourses, the text presents an endless succession of divine fathers and sons participating in the ongoing creation, redemption, and governance of the universe.

The People

B. H. Roberts Roberts serves as the primary advocate for the Latter-day Saint position, seeking to demonstrate that God is an exalted, embodied personage. Stood in opposition to classic scholasticism, he aims to prove that his doctrines align with literal biblical readings, ending with a firm reassertion of materialist theology.

Father F. Van Der Donckt As a Catholic priest, Van Der Donckt seeks to defend classical Christian monotheism and the immaterial simplicity of God. Standing against anthropomorphic views, he relies on formal logic and traditional scriptural proofs, ultimately maintaining that God's essence transcends physical form and multiplicity.

Joseph Smith Appearing through his historical claims and recorded teachings, Smith represents the foundational catalyst of the debate. He seeks to re-establish direct communication between God and man, standing against apostate creeds to inaugurate a new dispensation centered on a tangible Father and Son.

Jesus Christ Framed as the central figure of divine revelation, Christ demonstrates the true relationship between divinity and humanity. He experiences mortal growth, suffering, and bodily resurrection, bridging the gap between absolute divine power and personal, physical existence.

In Its Own Voice

"The Old Testament truth was reaffirmed by this revelation--'God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him.'"

Roberts lays out the foundational premise that human physical form mirrors the literal appearance of Deity.

"Either the gentleman must cease to think of God as 'infinite being,' 'most simple,' 'not compound,' or he must surrender the God of his creed..."

In his rejoinder, Roberts directly challenges the logical consistency of his opponent's classical theological definitions.

"This simple illustration, however homely and commonplace, may serve as an example, on a small scale, of the nearest idea that can be formed of a literal omnipresence..."

The text uses everyday physical analogies, such as tea dissolving in water, to explain how divine influence can fill space without requiring a personage to be everywhere at once.

What It's Really About

The primary argument centers on the nature of reality itself, debating whether spirit and matter are fundamentally distinct or inextricably linked. Roberts contends that historical Christianity strayed into error by adopting Greek metaphysical concepts that rendered God immaterial, passionless, and distant. By contrast, the text argues for a universe governed by tangible substance, where divine beings possess concrete form and localized presence. Underneath the textual interpretations lies a radical redefinition of human identity: humanity is not a lower order of creation fundamentally separate from God, but the actual lineage of Deity, capable of infinite eternal growth and progression.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to readers interested in formal theological debate, early Western American religious history, and the development of Latter-day Saint thought. Reading the text feels like sitting in an early twentieth-century lecture hall, listening to two rigorous thinkers trade scriptural citations and philosophical points with grave earnestness. The prose is dense, formal, and saturated with classical rhetorical structures that demand careful attention.

Readers must navigate lengthy textual citations, Victorian-era phrasing, and the dense, technical vocabulary of nineteenth-century debate. Footnotes referencing contemporary astronomers, classical philosophers, and sectarian catechisms reflect the intellectual context of 1903. What remains compelling is the sheer clarity with which both sides articulate their positions. The text offers an unvarnished look at a pivotal moment when modern restored theology directly confronted centuries of established Christian dogma.