No Man Has Seen God

In the Book of Mormon men see God (1 Nephi 1:8; Alma 36:22; Ether 3:13-15).  This is contradicted by the Bible, which says that no man has seen God (John 1:18, 1 John 4:12).

People see God in the Bible too (Genesis 17:1; 18:1; 26:2; 32:30; 33:11; 48:3; Exodus 24:9-11; Joshua 5:13-15; Isaiah 6:1; Matthew 11:27; Acts 7:55-56; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; 3 John 1:11; Revelation 1:17-18), and Jesus promised that “the pure in heart . . . shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). Obviously, the statements found in John’s writings need clarification.

The full text of John 1:18 reads, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” The parallel passage in Luke 10:22 reads, “no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.” From this, we understand that no one can know or see the Father except those to whom Jesus reveals him. But there are other conditions as well; only the righteous can see God. John also wrote, “He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God” (3 John 1:11). He further declared, “Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father” (John 6:46).