Clarification requested on Mormon belief about good Mormons graduating to God-like status over other planets.?

Question

I've read that some Mormon teachings are that if one is a good Mormon on Earth, when they die they can be elevated to the status of a God of another planet.

First of all, is that truly a Mormon belief? I am not a Mormon so I am asking truly out of not knowing what the answer is or perhaps what might this belief be if stated more accurately.

Secondly, have there been any Mormons good enough to have reached this status of God of another planet, or will there be some day in the future when all those who made the grade will be released into the universe to go rule over their planets, kinda like the land rushes of the early settlers in America (and wasn't that how the first Mormons got established around Utah? Could be a theme or idea in common. I dunno.)

And Thirdly, if there are Mormons right now graduated to God-like status over other planets, are there a whole bunch of them? They must be very far away because we have not found intelligent life on other planets "near" us yet

And fourthly, who allocates which planet goes to which good Mormon turned god? I can imagine that some planets are better "real estate" than others. Did the early Mormons who came up with this belief have any concept what the terrain was like on other planets? Did they know that some planets are just desolate rock with searing heat or oceans of freezing toxic slush? Wouldn't it be a total bummer if you worked hard at being a good Mormon so you could graduate to being a god, and then the planet you were awarded were just a lifeless hunk of steaming rock? Makes getting a lump of coal in your stocking at Christmas look like a picnic by comparison (LOL).

Would Mormom gods be given lifeless planets to rule? Or would they rule over space creatures that looked like bugs but had a god-consciousness such that they would worship the good Mormon turned god?

Please explain. I almost made space exploration my life's study so I have an interest in this Mormon picture of life hereafter.

Answer 1

You seem like you are truly seeking more truth in approaching this subject in a respectful way and so I thank you for that. There is much you have asked and many have already given good answers but I will just add 1 idea for you...and that is that I am not sure what your source is for saying that "good Mormons" will get their own planet...I would be interested to see that source myself...(I am not saying it couldn't be true...maybe it is? it seems like an interesting idea...)But from what I understand...the righteous will be living on the Earth...in it's glorified and sanctified state:

Doctrine and Covenants 130:
8 The place where God resides is a great Urim and Thummim.
9 This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be Christ’s.

D&C 88:
25 And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law—
26 Wherefore, it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it.

it is a pretty deep doctrine though...We generally encourage people to first learn the basics of the gospel because we desire people to learn the principles of salvation!

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/88/25#25
http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/130
http://www.lds.org
http://www.mormon.org

Answer 2

Close, but not the way you're thinking of. We believe in eternal cycles. We believe that we were born to a heavenly Mother and Father as spirits, we are literally God's children, not figuratively. We all lived as spirit beings before we were born, but we were like Adam and Eve, we had no knowledge of good and evil (how could we? All we knew was happiness, there is no evil with God right?). So we were sent to Earth to be tested and to gain physical bodies, and we will continue our progression after we die and are judged. Yes, it is believed that after we die we shall be as gods, having our own families in heaven (which is why Mormons have such a strong focus on families), which will also eventually need to progress. However, it's not a male-ego powered thing, and we don't know about the "many wives" part, that's speculation. We also believe we all had a part in creating the universe, with God the master planner and Jesus orchestrating. Theres no discrepency between male and female, each is just as important and must work just as hard and recieve equal opportunity, we are all judged. Also, we don't believe that Adam was born on another planet, but Earth. It's all really odd sounding if the lesser doctrines aren't understood, I can now see :) . The doctrine of a pre-mortal life can be found in the Pearl of Great Price. It also goes into the war in heaven and Lucifer's fall from grace. Kjelstad- I've never ever heard doctrine on the sun or moon. Where in the journal of discourses? I couldn't find it in vol.13. If it's there, that's odd. We don't believe there are people living there. We do however believe there are other planets out there in the universe with our brothers and sisters on them. BUNNIES- That's a pretty terrible thing to say. I am completely not racially prejudiced, and I'm sure that the black family in my home ward would not appreciate it, nor the large black population of Mormons I met in London. And yeah, it sound weird, but doesn't it also sound great that we won't just be living a boring eternity floating around in heaven after we die? That we will still have our families? Gives me hope and something to look foward to!

Answer 3

Yes this is what the early Mormons taught and is still taught in todays Mormons church! Dont let any one tell you different! I was a mormon for many year and many young mormons just may have not heard about this yet (it usually taught after going through the Mormon Temple) Or they just dont want to admit it!! Cause its crazy talk!

Answer 4

Orson Pratt wrote a book called The Seer where this belief comes from. The church renounced the book and the author who was an apostle at the time of publishing. The seer contained many false doctrines that anti Mormons of today are spewing out here and there. Most LDS members don't know about the Seer published in the 1850-1860s and that it was criticized by the church. So anti Mormon use this to throw at Mormons who don't know anything about it and of
course the Anti Mormons aren't honest enough to say that the Mormon church disavowed anything to do with it.

For true Mormon doctrine on the here after....We all will be resurrected in our own bodies and judged to either of the three heavens...or if we were really bad in to mankind we won't be resurrected and will be in outer darkness.

Answer 5

If I were a Mormon goddess and my husband/god got a lifeless planet, I would turn to the planet (in-between having babies) and say "let there be life!!!!" and then "Because I said so."

Answer 6

As Pedro pointed out, it isn't doctrine. Some believe that we can progress to the point where we will be put in charge of our own civilizations in other worlds, but it will be just like our world is now. This is just pure speculation. There is not doctrine to show that.

What we do know is that we can be joint-heirs with Christ, and gain all The Father has. If that means that we become like God, then that is the way God wanted it.

I think of it this way: I am a daughter, but I'm also a mom. When I was little, I really looked up to my mom. I wanted to grow up to be just like her. There were so many cool things that she did!! As I started to grow up and learn more, my ideas of her changed. I still wanted to be like her, but I was starting to understand what it really meant to be like her. I had to learn and grow before I could understand even a tiny part of what it was like to be her.

Today, I'm a mom too. I try to be the best mom that I can, and I'm doing a lot of the same things that my mom did for us. I have become more like her, and I have learned a lot of the tricks of the trade, so to speak. But my mom is still older and wiser then I am. She always will be. I look to her for advice, love, encouragement, and a shoulder when I need one. She understands what I'm going through right now because she has had some of the same things in her life.

And, just because I'm a mom now doesn't mean that my mom is no longer my mom. She will always be my mom, and I will always look up to her and try to follow her example.

Lets look at this from the point of God now. God is our Heavenly Father. He created us. I think that means that He wants us to become more like Him. He gave us a perfect example of how we should be. That example is Christ. Through Christ, God has shown us what we are capable of. I think that God created us not just because. There was a purpose behind it. And, just like any parent, God wants us to learn and grow and to become more like Him.

Right now, we are like little kids. We don't understand everything, and we can't right now. That's the way it is supposed to be. We need to learn, grow and make our own way. I'm sure God hopes that we will all choose to be like Him, but just as any parent, He loves us no matter the choices we make. The more we learn and grow, the more like Him we will become. If we follow the example He sent for us that is.

Does becoming like him mean that we will ever be above Him, or greater than Him? No. He will always be greater than us. That's the way it is supposed to be. And, just as I look to my mom for support, we will always look to Him as our God.

None of us knows what is in store for us after this life. We can say we know, but we really don't know. We won't know until judgment day. No one has been judged yet, so we don't know what will happen. I'm leaving that up to God.

Answer 7

3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
(Pearl of Great Price | Articles of Faith 1:3)

Please do note that, it said all "mankind", by "obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel". It does not say only for Mormons.
We do believe our goal is to learn to be like our Father in Heaven, like a child learning to be his or her parents.
Just as Jesus Christ taught:

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
(New Testament | Matthew 5:48)

Perfection is a status that would be achieve beyond our life time and resurrection.

Contrary to the ignorant idea that we will rule another planet, we "Earth dwellers" will inherit the same Earth we standing on now.
As taught by Jesus Christ in the holy Scriptures:

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
(New Testament | Matthew 5:5)

21 When the earth shall be transfigured, even according to the pattern which was shown unto mine apostles......
(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 63:21)

29 For in mine own due time will I come upon the earth in judgment, and my people shall be redeemed and shall reign with me on earth.
(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 43:29)

The notion of dwelling in a lifeless planet is so unbiblical.
May I make reference to Genesis:

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

(Old Testament | Genesis 1:2 - 3)

At first, Earth was without form and void, pretty lifeless I say.
Then God made light and other things did he not?

I hope I clarify your idea about us. And please please, for your own good that you do not believe those ignorant false idea that put out by those who have no idea what they talking about.

Answer 8

I agree with martha d's comments, and with most of what pedro says, although I think I'd state things slightly differently.

We believe that God is our Father - the Father of our spirit family. Just as we might strive to be like our earthly fathers (if we have been blessed with a good one) we have the opportunity to be like our Heavenly Father. What EXACTLY that means, (ie: will we make our own planets? will we be assigned to head up different worlds?) --- it's not stuff that most of us worry about. Our focus is on learning to emulate His goodness, His patience, His charity -- the character traits that constitute His perfection.

Analogy:
When a young child tries to be like his father, he tries to act like his father (carries a briefcase, tries to shave, etc.) He doesn't worry about which meetings his Dad attends at work, or which desk he'll sit at.......
If, he continues in his father's footsteps, he'll learn about the meetings and get assigned a desk when he begins working for the company --- after he's been educated in the trade.

As a member of the LDS church, I want to be like my Heavenly Father. I want to emulate Him. If I learn what I need to know, and learn to be the kind of "being" that He is, then I'll make it to Heaven and we'll see what happens there.

As martha d stated, there are members who like to speculate a lot. Our actual doctrine is much less speculative and much more simple. We believe in family. We believe in choice & we believe in accountability. We believe in a loving and perfect Father in Heaven. We believe that we came to earth to learn and grown in a way that was not possible in heaven. We believe the our Father, sent his son, Jesus Christ to show us the way to return to Him and to prepare the way so that we could return (ie: the atonement). We believe that all men (& women) now have that opportunity - but we have to choose it and we demonstrate our choice to return by doing our best to emulate the Savior's example. That is, the basic doctrine of our religion. That is what I believe.

Answer 9

There are Mormons who believe this. They also write articles on this. There are Mormons who don't believe this. Both can be "good" Mormons. The main belief which makes a true Mormon is the faith that Jesus Christ is the Savior and that good Mormons are "doers of the Word and not hearers only", that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and that we have a prophet, named Gordon B. Hinckley who is the head of Latter-day Saints today, who like Joseph Smith Jr, the founder of our church is guided by the Holy Spirit. As to how Heavenly Father plans to handle eternity, our members love to ponder and speculate but none of this is doctrine.

Answer 10

Manifest Destiny of the stars. Sounds like a reality show in the making.