Do Mormons really believe that God was once a man?

Question

Just something I heard on the news, could be a lie for all I know? If it is true, how do they explain how a man with all the limitations of humans created the universe? Wouldn't the universe already have to be created for a man to exist, so what created the universe? Or do they believe in many universes, and they just worship the God of this one? Are mormons polythiests?

Answer 1

It's significant that some Mormon answers say 'No, we do not', others say, 'It's an interesting idea but speculative' whilst yet others say, 'Yes, we do.' Then there are the non-Mormon or ex-Mormon answers that quote the original sources of this doctrine as declared by Mormonism's founding fathers. What does this all add up to?

The doctrine of Eternal Progression is something Mormons would rather the public did not get wind of, until they are studying to become Mormons that is. It's a bit of an embarrassment for them, clearly, because they know it proves they cannot claim to be in the Christian fold. They are polytheists. They even have the audacity to hope to become gods of their own self-populated planets, worshipped by those they have begotten. The Mormon who watered this down with the phrase 'become more like god' is a very naughty person.

Mormons don't worship the creator of the universe - they worship the god of planet Earth who, in turn, once worshipped his father god of another planet, who worshipped his father god of yet another planet..... and so it goes on, ad infinitum. Any Mormons who are not yet aware of this doctrine need to check out those references given above. How anybody could equate any of that with Christianity is beyond me.

Answer 2

Our spirits are eternal, just as God's spirit is eternal. We came to earth to get physical bodies, just like God had a physical body. The Romans rejected this idea, in favor of the everywhere present "essence", but the Jews believed that God was a living God with a physical body. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, and their bodies were perfect like his; they didn't need to die. Moses and 73 other people saw the God of Abraham, and he was standing on a paved work of saffire stone (Exodus 24:9-11). Of course, the pre-mortal Jesus was a spirit. When he was born, he too received a body like his Heavenly father's. After he died, he was raised up to live again, never more to die - he was given an eternal body like that of Adam before the fall, like God his father had. Only then, according to the Bible, did Jesus return to the presence of his father. Do you remember what he told Mary in the garden? "Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my father." A better translation for John 4:24 would be that God is spiritual, and that we should worship him in spirit. John is not suggesting that we all commit suicide to "worship in spirit and truth". It is possible to have a physical body and still be spiritual. We don't really teach that God was once a man. That is just speculation. Jesus was once a man, so maybe his father was once a man too. When Jesus was accused of blasphemy, what was his defense? He quoted the psalmist, "Ye are Gods, and children of the most High". Then he said that the scripture cannot be broken. I guess saying that God is or was once a man, is the same as saying that we are, or will be, gods. Whatever he is, so are we.

Answer 3

What do we know about the nature of God? Jesus Christ was a man. He still had all the power and knowledge of God. He could talk to the woman at the well and know all about her life. Another woman could touch the hem of his robe and be healed, and he instantly knew. When Jesus was resurrected, he received a glorified body. He could still eat and drink and be touched. We know from the writings of Paul that Jesus is the 'express' image of the Father. The word 'express' in this case means exact. Logically then, just as any son resembles their father, so does Jesus appear like Heavenly Father.

Going further, of course Genesis talks about Adam being created in the image of God. So it is clear that man does not have the power, knowledge or righteousness of Heavenly Father. Nevertheless, it is logical to assume that we have spritual and physical characteristics like He does, and He has some like us.

Answer 4

The idea that "God was once a man" is not well established in Mormonism. Mormons, like many other Christian denominations (specifically the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic branches of Christianity), do believe in "theosis," the idea that man can progress to become more like God. Historically, this concept (which was had among the earliest Christians) has led some Mormons to speculate that if Man can become like God, perhaps God was once a man.

While this idea is interesting, it is not well-established in Mormon theology. I would classify it as "a theological question," not an official "Mormon doctrine." Gordon B. Hinckley, the current president of the LDS Church, has been asked this very question on several occasions. Here are some of his responses (verbatim or reported):

"There was a little couplet coined, 'As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become.' Now that's more of a couplet than anything else. That gets into some pretty deep theology that we don't know very much about...Well, as God is, man may become. We believe in eternal progression. Very strongly. We believe that the glory of God is intelligence and whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the Resurrection."

"President Gordon Hinckley says the concept of God having been a man is not stressed any longer, but he does believe that human beings can become [more like God] in the afterlife."

"On whether his church still holds that God the Father was once a man, he sounded uncertain. ‘I don't know that we teach it. I don't know that we emphasize it...I understand the philosophical background behind it, but I don't know a lot about it, and I don't think others know a lot about it."

To hear two Mormon theologians with differing opinions debate this topic, visit http://mormonmisc.podbean.com/2007/08/27/theology-with-blake-ostler/

To learn more about Mormonism, visit my site at http://www.allaboutmormons.com

Answer 5

The only God man there was was Jesus Christ. He was all man and all God. Man so He could die, God so he could atone the sins of the believers. Before Jesus became man He was with the Father in Heaven. Without Jesus nothing was created that was created.
" For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one."
(1 John 5:7)
Now Jesus sits at the right hand of God

Answer 6

Yes, LDS believe God was once a man. That he was created by a God. There are many universes in the galaxies out there.There is Heavenly Father. There are gods over all the worlds in the galazies. We are joint-heirs w/ God, not THE God. There is only one God. Mormons are indeed polytheistic.

Answer 7

I believe that it is a possibility. How could He be in the least bit empathetic if He Himself had never gone thru the same things that we have?

It has nothing to do with limitations. He can't be limited like a man is today, because He is a complete, perfected personage. He is no longer limited like we are, if He was like us.

Answer 8

Yes, Mormons believe that God was once man, like us - and He is now God and perfect. God no longer has human limitations. He has the knowledge and power of God.

EVERYONE who is ever born into mortality will have an opportunity to live with their spouse in Gods presence.

The question that you should ask is "Does the Mormon church teach truth". If they don't then they're wrong and there's no such thing as a Mormon heaven.

.......However, if they do teach the truth, as they claim to be, then it means several exciting things.

1. God has a prophet on the earth that he speaks to and is chosen to lead Christ's church on earth.
2. Truth can be accessed and learned.
3. That the Book of Mormon, like the Bible, teaches Gods truth and can help clarify the murky teachings of the Bible.
4. You can be baptized by someone who has the authority to do so.
5. You can receive the gift of the holy ghost as a constant companion.
6. You can learn the true gospel of happiness.
7. You can learn what is required to enter Gods presence again.
8. You can learn what must be done to live with your spouse as husband and wife forever.

So,............

-Invite the missionaries over and learn about the basic teachings
-Read the Book of Mormon humbly and sincerely
-Pray to god, with faith and real intent, and ask him to tell you if it is true of if it is false.

God teaches truth to those who seek it. Ask him, and not Yahoo Answers

Answer 9

Mormons are Christians who believe in the same Bible as other Christians with one exception- they have another book the Book of Moroni which they consider to be an addition to the Bible. Its mostly rules and regulations on how to live a good life- no alcohol, no drugs, no coffee, no cola etc. In olden days there were many polygamists ( men with multiple wives) now that is no longer part of the LDS= there are off shoots of Mormanism which do still practice polygamy.

Answer 10

# God

1. God used to be a man on another planet, Mormon Doctrine, p. 321. Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, Vol 5, pp. 613-614; Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol 2, p. 345, Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 333.)
2. "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s..." (D&C 130:22).
3. God is in the form of a man, (Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 3.)
4. "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!!! . . . We have imagined that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil, so that you may see" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345
5. God the Father had a Father, (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 476; Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, vol. 5, p. 19; Milton Hunter, First Council of the Seventy, Gospel through the Ages, p. 104-105.)
6. God resides near a star called Kolob, (Pearl of Great Price, pages 34-35; Mormon Doctrine, p. 428.)
7. God had sexual relations with Mary to make the body of Jesus, (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p. 218, 1857; vol. 8, p. 115.) - This one is disputed among many Mormons and not always 'officially' taught and believed. Nevertheless, Young, the 2nd prophet of the Mormon church taught it.
8. "Therefore we know that both the Father and the Son are in form and stature perfect men; each of them possesses a tangible body . . . of flesh and bones." (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 38).
[CARM]