The LDS Church teaches that God has a physical body, and that we are essentially the same substance as God in a different phase of development.

But what does the Bible teach about this?

The Bible teaches us that:

God is a “Creator” we are “creatures”

Contrary to being conceived by, and physically born of God, the Bible teaches that we were created by Him (Genesis 2:4-7). This means that we are of an entirely different substance as God. In a sense, you could say we are different “species”.

But not only were we created, we were created “in God’s image” (Genesis 1:27). That means God has created us with the capacity to share some of His attributes.

In a similar way, if I were to paint a self-portrait, the portrait would not be human; it would be the representation of a human. While I created it “in my image” it would NEVER be able to become human. Furthermore, my wife could point to the painting and say, “Hey, that’s Adam!” That doesn’t mean that she was confused into thinking that I was actually standing there in that frame, but that she recognized the painting as an image of its creator.

As Creator, God is the only one of His kind. There never has been, and never will be another creator God. (Isaiah 43:10)

God does not have a body

Jesus specifically addressed this topic with the woman at the well. She assumed that God would only receive worship from a specific physical location. But Jesus corrected her misunderstanding by explaining:

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).

Jesus also teaches that

“a spirit does not have flesh and bones…” (Luke 24:39).

God, then, does not have a material body, like you and me.

God is limitless

Our bodies are physically limiting to us. Because I only have two ears, I cannot hear every conversation in a single room full of people (let alone the whole world). Because I have only two eyes, I cannot see both in front of and behind me at that same time. My arms can only hold a certain amount of weight, and my brain can only hold a limited amount of information. I can only be one place at any given time.

But God, being Creator and Spirit, has NONE of those restraints! And because of this, He is able to be everywhere at once; hear every sound, see every sight, and know everything that can be known. As Jesus said,

“What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27).

So what does this mean for us? 

God can be equally present everywhere

You don’t have to go to a temple to be closer to God. Because God is Spirit, whether you are in church on Sunday morning, in your car on your way to work, or in prison in a distant land, He can be equally present with you, and everyone else who is seeking Him, at the same time.

God can hear your prayers

You don’t have to wait in line to talk to God. He can hear every prayer from every person, at any given moment without limitation.

God can do anything

Unlike the rest of creation, God, as “Creator,” stands above and outside of the natural constraints of TIME and SPACE. He is not natural, He is SUPERNATURAL. He is not ordinary, He is EXTRAORDINARY. And He can do anything that He wants to do.

There is no one like God, and there never will be. He is the only creator that will ever exist, and is limitless in power. And God does not have a body.

Verse References
  • Genesis 2:4-7
  • Genesis 1:27
  • Isaiah 43:10
  • John 4:24
  • Luke 24:39
  • Luke 18:27

Unlike the rest of creation, God, as ‘Creator,’ stands above and outside of the natural constraints of time and space. He is not natural, He is supernatural. He is not ordinary, He is extraordinary. And He can do anything that He wants to do.