Mormonism and Its Two Ultimates

The assertion that there are two ultimates provides a basis for dialogue between two basic kinds of religious experience: the experience of the ultimate in a personal and impersonal form. I think this notion of two ultimates is a particularly fruitful one for theological interpretations of LDS doctrine, with its emphasis on freedom and persons. In this respect, it may be that the LDS notion of God bears a resemblance to Mahayana Buddhist understanding of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as human beings who have become perfect through their compassion for suffering creatures. I argue further that it may be more helpful for Latter-day Saint theologians and philosophers to look to other traditions for help in interpreting Mormon revelation than to look solely to the theistic tradition which has often been hostile to anything like LDS theism.

James McLachlan, Benjamin Huff