Lincoln,

I understand what you mean, but I resist using the word God because it is guaranteed to give people the wrong idea. Talking about God is a sure way to miscommunicate, it seems.

1 Corinthians 9
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

Joseph Smith:
“If a skilful mechanic, in taking a welding heat, uses borax, alum, etc., and succeeds in welding together iron or steel more perfectly than any other mechanic, is he not deserving of praise? And if by the principles of truth I succeed in uniting men of all denominations in the bonds of love, shall I not have attained a good object? If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up, and in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do, only by the force of reasoning, for truth will cut its own way.”

I do a little bit of that. I adapt what I say to the hearer. Sometimes I’ll even speak as if I believed something that I don’t (with a note) if I think it will help clarify something. But I use great care when invoking the word “God” because it’s so unstable. I try to be clear in what I say, and a hazy word which can both mean a flesh and bone man on Kolob to one person and the ground of all being (à la Brahman) to another doesn’t help clarity.

I really enjoyed the Joseph Smith quote. I actually used part of it in my Awakening story. I hadn’t heard the rest. It’s interesting how ecumenical Joseph became later on. Have you read The Grand Fundamental Principles of Mormonism: Joseph Smith’s Unfinished Reformation in the April 2006 Sunstone? I could get behind that kind of Mormonism… perhaps.