"What man is God once was, what God is man can become?" Not mocking just trying to clarify some things I had heard. This is your chance to correct a misunderstanding.
Peace Be With You,
Debra
2007-12-11 01:30:00 · 15 answers · asked by Debra M. Wishing Peace To All 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Lorenzo Snow, a President of the Church, once said "As man now is, God once was: as God now is, man may be." This controversial passage is clearly applicable to Christ, a God who became mortal for a time and yet was still and is still God. His work made it possible for us to become as He is, in a limited sense, for we can receive glorious resurrected bodies (Phil. 3:21; 1 Cor. 15:40-45), we can become "joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:14-18), we can "put on the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4-10), and we can become "like him" (1 John 3:2). Indeed, Christ even went so far as to say, "Ye are gods" (John 10:34), in reference to the divine potential of human beings.
2007-12-11 01:34:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 16⤊ 2⤋
Hi friend. Mormons do believe that through the grace of Christ we can become more like God. We do not teach that God was once a man. This is an unresolved theological question in Mormonism.
Like many other Christian denominations (specifically the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic branches of Christianity), Mormons do believe in "theosis," the idea that man can progress to become more like God. Historically, this concept was had among the earliest Christians.
Mormons believe in the Bible, which teaches: "To him that overcometh will I [Christ] grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." So we believe that we can become like God through the power of Christ, but not that we will ever be greater than God. We will always worship God the Father and Christ the Son. To use traditional Christian terminology (and not terminology that only Mormons understand), it would probably be more accurate to say that Mormons believe they can become angels in the next life (although that phrasing doesn't exactly capture Mormon belief either, and is explicitly inaccurate if one uses the Mormon definition of "angel"). It is not true that Mormons believe men and women can progress to become equal to God. We will always worship God.
http://www.allaboutmormons.com
2007-12-11 20:39:27 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are over 2 hundred church homes that the be conscious Mormon is linked with maximum are very small and that's in those small communities that pologamy remains practiced. Your particularly asking approximately LDS the only large church talked approximately as "Mormon" and the quickest growing to be Christian faith contained in the worldwide. The church has no paid clergy or maybe the missionaries save for years to pass on their 3 three hundred and sixty 5 days challenge. the ordinary tenant of LDS perception is that church homes fell faraway from Christ's teachings and doctrines earlier the founding of the church of Rome and needed to be restored. to that end the will for a well-liked Phophet. interior sight church homes could be on your telephone e book below Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church additionally has a cyber web internet site. Ask to fulfill with a pair of missionaries and that they are going to answer all your questions.
2016-10-01 08:49:56 · answer #3 · answered by Erika 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is not a lot of information dealing with this concept. Oddly enough, the most detailed presumptions of this concept are usually presented by critics of the LDS religion (they make all kinds of assumptions based on small statements) in an attempt to render the idea 'silly'. The LDS church itself says little on the subject other than to say that we do believe that we are our Father's children, and have the ability to become heirs to all He has to offer us. We know that He is God with all that that entails.
President Hinckley, the President of the LDS church has said this in a Time Magazine interview, Aug 4, 1997
"I don't know that we teach it. I don't know that we emphasize it. I haven't heard it discussed for a long time in public discourse. I don't know. I don't know all the circumstances under which that statement was made. I understand the philosophical background behind it. But I don't know a lot about it and I don't know that others know a lot about it."
That being pointed out, I will offer this in explanation.
The LDS believe in progression throughout the eternities.
If we are true and faithful in all things, we will be able to become like God our Father and live forever in the family unit, working with Him to bless and exalt our children. We believe that we are training infinitly precious children and ourselves to be heirs to all that God will offer us.
2007-12-11 02:57:41 · answer #4 · answered by phrog 7 · 8⤊ 0⤋
I am Mormon and believe in 'eternal progression." That is, in the eternities we do not just sit around and drink mint juleps, but are actively engaged in productive pursuits. We will eternally learn, eternally grow, eternally develop and gain wisdom, etc. I would think that with and eternity of growth, we would eventually develop godlike attributes. Does that mean we would overtake God and become like him. I do, in the sense that as we grow, he would be growing and progressing too and would always be that much further along, as to always be a God to us.
This is my own opinion and not official Mormon doctrine.
2007-12-11 13:42:10 · answer #5 · answered by Kerry 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, we do. This is not to say that we believe that all mankind will become as God is, or that all Mormons will become as God is, or that those who do become gods will become greater than God. We believe in the doctrine of eternal progression. This means that we believe that all mankind, Mormon or not will be resurrected and will spend eternity in a place that is perfectly suited to them and that will allow them to be happy and not anxious or miserable. We believe that through out eternity all will continue to grow and learn. Some will EVENTUALLY grow and learn enough to become like God is now. They will be given the responsibility to create worlds and spirit children just as God has done here. However, because God is already "ahead" of them they will not ever catch up to God, let alone surpass Him, so there's no reason to think that we believe that we will ever become better than God (as some think we believe).
I know I went a little overboard on my answer, but I felt it important to explain why, not just give a yes or no answer.
2007-12-11 02:32:37 · answer #6 · answered by Tonya in TX - Duck 6 · 13⤊ 0⤋
This is not doctrine. It is a couplet often mused by many in authority regarding divine purpose and eternal progression. To some extent those who are worthy will attain godly attributes and will be ruling priests and priestesses in the eternities but none shall be "God".
2007-12-11 03:17:55 · answer #7 · answered by Bangbangbangbang 4 · 7⤊ 0⤋
God is Our God and will always be our God. I have yet to meet a parent though, who doesn't want their child to inherit "All that they have" Christ inherited Immortality, and through the Savior we can return to live with God, in a perfect state of being.
If you have any questions - feel free to Email me....
Peace Be With You, in all your days...
2007-12-11 12:20:59 · answer #8 · answered by Storm Duck 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes
2007-12-11 12:10:24 · answer #9 · answered by . 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I'm not Mormon but I have studied Mormonism and yes they do believe that in the afterlife the men will be gods and the women goddess's.
Peace
2007-12-11 01:35:16 · answer #10 · answered by Lily S 4 · 9⤊ 1⤋