The Curriculum Compromise? The Good and The Beautiful Curriculum

A personal opinion piece…

Are Christians compromising when using The Good and The Beautiful?
As Christians, the facts of theology are everything.

Theology in Everything: If religious beliefs are being taught within a curriculum, then theology cannot be separated from academics. History, science, and even literature must be, should be taught through the lens of their specific doctrinal beliefs (such as the Trinity, the fall of man, and salvation by grace).

If a curriculum states it is Christian and then intentionally omits the core tenets of historic Christianity in order to remain “neutral”, isn’t it fundamentally flawed and where compromise begins…

The Clash of Mormonism and Evangelical Christianity

Do Mormon believe in the Trinity? No, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS – Mormonism) do not believe in the traditional Christian concept of the Trinity.

Instead, they believe in what they call the Godhead.

Here is a breakdown of how the LDS doctrine of the Godhead differs from the traditional Trinity:

The Trinity (Christianity)
Historically evangelical Christianity (Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox) bases its understanding of God on the Nicene Creed. This doctrine teaches that God is one infinite, eternal, and indivisible being who exists simultaneously as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. They share the exact same essence and substance.

The Godhead (Mormons)
LDS theology rejects the idea that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are the same being. Instead, they teach that the Godhead is made up of three entirely separate and distinct individuals who are completely unified in their purpose and will, but not in their substance.

• God the Father: Believed to be the literal father of all human spirits. LDS doctrine teaches that he has a glorified, perfected physical body of flesh and bone.
• Jesus Christ: The Savior and the firstborn spirit child of God the Father. Like God the Father, LDS theology teaches that Jesus has a glorified, physical body of flesh and bone, which he retained after his resurrection.
• The Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit): A separate individual who does not have a physical body, but rather a body of spirit. This allows the Holy Ghost to dwell within people to comfort and guide them.

Do Mormons teach that Jesus and satan are ‘brothers’?
Yes, in the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), Jesus and Satan are considered spirit brothers. However, this concept is often misunderstood, and understanding exactly what the LDS church means by this requires looking at their beliefs about the “pre-mortal” life.

Here is a breakdown of how this doctrine works:
Mormons believe…
1. We Are All “Spirit Children” – LDS theology teaches that before the physical world was created, all humans existed in a pre-mortal realm as spirits. In this belief system, God the Father is the literal “Father of spirits.” Because God created the spirits of every person who has ever lived, all of humanity, along with Jesus and Lucifer (Satan), are considered part of the same spiritual family. Therefore, in LDS doctrine, Jesus and Satan are brothers in the exact same way that you, me, and every other person on earth are considered spirit brothers and sisters to Jesus and to each other.

2. Jesus is the “Firstborn” – While LDS doctrine teaches that Jesus and Satan share the same spiritual parentage, it absolutely does not teach that they are equals.

• Jesus is believed to be the “firstborn” of all God’s spirit children. He is divine, was chosen from the beginning to be the Savior of the world, and willingly followed God the Father’s plan.
• Lucifer (Satan) was also a spirit child, but he rebelled against God’s plan. He wanted to force humanity to be righteous, removing their free will, and demanded God’s glory for himself. Because of his rebellion, he was cast out of heaven and became Satan.

3. How This Differs from Traditional (Evangelical) Christianity– This teaching is one of the main reasons why historically orthodox denominations (Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox) draw a strict theological line between themselves and Mormonism.

In traditional, evangelical Christianity, the idea of Jesus and Satan being brothers is entirely rejected. Evangelical theology is based on the Trinity, which teaches that Jesus is the eternal, uncreated God who has always existed. Satan, on the other hand, is a created angelic being. Because the Creator and the created are fundamentally different in nature, traditional Christianity maintains that it is impossible for Jesus and Satan to be brothers.

So how does TGATB get around all of this? How has the company designed the curriculum to appeal to evangelical Christian?

• Focus on Roles, Not Substance: The curriculum frequently talks about God and Jesus, but it focuses entirely on their roles, not their nature. For example, it will teach that God is the Creator of the universe and that Jesus is the loving Savior. It will never speak of the trinity.
  
  Isn’t substance the very basis of evangelical theology?

• Intentional Omission: You will not find the word trinity anywhere within the curriculum. TGATB company thought…when a lesson mentions Jesus or God, a Christian (evangelical) parent can read it through the lens of the Trinity, and an LDS parent can read it through the lens of the Godhead, and neither will find the text contradicting their specific beliefs.
  
  Would you call this compromise?

There has been controversy in the Christian community in the past. Not wanting to lose their Christian audience and customers, how has it changed? How has it remained the same?

Is it compromising the fundamental tenants of the evangelic faith to still choose TGATB?

What Critics Pointed out in the Past For “LDS” Influence:

• Quotes from LDS Leaders:
  In some earlier editions of the curriculum (such as the Upper Elementary levels), parents spotted quotes from LDS apostles and leaders, like Joseph B. Wirthlin and Douglas L. Callister. While the text of the quotes was completely neutral—usually focusing on appreciating nature, art, and beauty—their inclusion made some non-LDS parents uncomfortable. The company has since removed many of these to maintain a broader, unified Christian appeal.
  
  See that word “appeal”? Is that a way to get Christians to compromise?
  
  
• Theological “Buzzwords”:
  The curriculum still frequently uses phrases like “children of God” and heavily emphasizes “good works.” While these are standard Christian terms, Evangelical critics point out that they carry different theological weight in Mormonism (where humans are viewed as literal spirit children of God, and works are heavily tied to eternal exaltation).
  
  Without the gospel being taught (our evangelical gospel) there is a theological shift. It may be subtle one but a real, shift… It teaches moralism over grace.
  
  Would you call this compromise?

Again, this is my opinion.

Now that you’ve read this entire article, I hope you’ll give it some thought.

Pray about it. Is it compromise?

You decide.