God was once a man, on an earth?


beforHim
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I know I'm beating a dead horse. I read some other threads on these forums and found no answer, and really not even a thread targeting this in specific.

What does this mean? I've seen people here and at other LDS forums say things like "He was the Father from eternity", and even "No, he never dwelt on an earth". The second saying must simply be mistaken since this is taught in your gospel principles- unless "dwelling on nan earth" means something totaly different than what we percieve it as. This could be the case, I guess.

Like I said, I went through some othewr threads (three or four, to be specific) and didn't find this addressed. I am doing az "religious panel discussion" tonight, with a baptists, catholic, unitarian, and LDS, and know stuff like this will come up (about Mormons becoming gods and such) so I really want to know the correct doctrine and beliefs. Thx a ton!

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I know I'm beating a dead horse. I read some other threads on these forums and found no answer, and really not even a thread targeting this in specific.

What does this mean? I've seen people here and at other LDS forums say things like "He was the Father from eternity", and even "No, he never dwelt on an earth". The second saying must simply be mistaken since this is taught in your gospel principles- unless "dwelling on nan earth" means something totaly different than what we percieve it as. This could be the case, I guess.

Like I said, I went through some othewr threads (three or four, to be specific) and didn't find this addressed. I am doing az "religious panel discussion" tonight, with a baptists, catholic, unitarian, and LDS, and know stuff like this will come up (about Mormons becoming gods and such) so I really want to know the correct doctrine and beliefs. Thx a ton!

We don't know. We have not been told that..............

However one can make a case that God was once las Jesus Christ was, from the occasional tidbits such as where CHrist says he only does what he's seen his father do. But that's more of reading between the lines.

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Joseph Smith gave a couple sermons regarding God. However, he was not very specific on issues regarding it, so we are left not with any specific doctrine, but possible doctrine. There is just too much to speculate upon that we don't know much beyond a couple things:

1. We can become like God. This is not fully fleshed out in LDS teachings, beyond what scriptures say: we are "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ", we will "sit upon God's throne" and rein with Christ. We will have eternal families. Anything beyond this is mostly speculation.

2. Everything which God has, he will share with us. (See the Prodigal Son for an example). Given that we do not know everything God currently has, we must speculate a lot on what that really means.

3. Whether God the Father was ever mortal, we do not know for certain. We do know that God the Son (Jesus) did become mortal and then arose from the dead to again take his place in the Godhead. Jesus stated that he only did the things he saw his Father do. Some LDS speculate that this means that even as Christ was mortal and lived a holy life, so did God the Father in another world.

As it is, these teachings neither save nor damn us. Because with the exception that God will share all things with his heirs, including his own throne, we do not know what else is truth/possible/wrong. However, we do know that these teachings are not necessary for salvation.

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I promise I'm not trolling. The reason why I ask here is because anytime I have ever confronted LDS members, whetehr elders, bishop, rgular old congregates, young or old- whoever they were, anytime I'd ask these kinds of questions, I'd get a lot of beating around the bush, a lot of "we don't teach that", a lot of "No, no, just realize we're exactly the same as you 'traditional' Christians", a lot of "that's not important, let's only talk about what's improtant".

I know that's what I'll get tonight, so I want to be more knowledgeable so as to ask these qestions and possibly get real answers. Thx to you gys who have given some info. I'ce seen the discussions over "we will be like God" and "Jesus was like God", but I've never seen discussions over what it's meant by "and he dwelt on an earth like us"- that seems to say that he did, so either he did, or else we have to say "what was really meant wea don't know" or "what was really meant was this". If this is as far as it'll ever get, then that's OK, I just don't want to mis anything.

I'm in a hurry, so sorry for any misspellings or any weird grammar.

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If you want to know our doctrine and what we teach, start with the Articles of Faith. That is our doctrine.

Also doctrine: "The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it" (TPJS, p. 121)

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I promise I'm not trolling. The reason why I ask here is because anytime I have ever confronted LDS members, whetehr elders, bishop, rgular old congregates, young or old- whoever they were, anytime I'd ask these kinds of questions, I'd get a lot of beating around the bush, a lot of "we don't teach that", a lot of "No, no, just realize we're exactly the same as you 'traditional' Christians", a lot of "that's not important, let's only talk about what's improtant".

I know that's what I'll get tonight, so I want to be more knowledgeable so as to ask these qestions and possibly get real answers. Thx to you gys who have given some info. I'ce seen the discussions over "we will be like God" and "Jesus was like God", but I've never seen discussions over what it's meant by "and he dwelt on an earth like us"- that seems to say that he did, so either he did, or else we have to say "what was really meant wea don't know" or "what was really meant was this". If this is as far as it'll ever get, then that's OK, I just don't want to mis anything.

I'm in a hurry, so sorry for any misspellings or any weird grammar.

The best example all “Christians” have of G-d is G-d the Son, Jesus Christ. Because of the fall man is separated from G-d and the society of heaven. We are given some revelation and spiritual guidance concerning G-d and the heaven society but there is a lot left to interpretation. Christians have lots of terms and words but it is most uncommon to meet a Christian that knows what they are talking about. Mostly Christians think of things divine in terms of mystery – some claiming that divine things are unknowable.

All that said, Jesus Christ is the LDS example of all things pertaining to divinity and to G-d. That is the plain and simple doctrine of Mormonism. That LDS are “men making themselves through their doctrines to be G-ds” is the exact criticism the anti-Christ used as excuse to seek the life of Jesus. (See John Chapter 10). We believe the effort of G-d in exalting man through what is called “Salvation” is an extension of the doctrine that man is in the “image” and “likeness” of G-d. That man becomes like G-d.

If there is something about G-d that is not good that we should seek to be like him – I would really like someone to explain why they believe such a thing.

The Traveler

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If you want to know our doctrine and what we teach, start with the Articles of Faith. That is our doctrine.

Also doctrine: "The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it" (TPJS, p. 121)

I've looked at those articles. I'm trying to get a bit deeper now (which I totally understand means speculation is bound to abound).

I am wondering about the statment "God dwelt on an eartrh, like us" (or is it "like our's"?). I can understand we don't have all details- I'm just wondering if we know that this means a literal "earth", and he literally lived like we are. I could ask, "Did He "eternally progress" or "is He eternally progressing", but I'm just curious about God once "dwell[ing] on an earth like us".

I realize I seem like a troll- I've not done my homework, and the panel discussion is tonight. I admit I culd've mentioned al this earlier and made the inquiry seem less troll-like. Forgive me for this. Thx for all the cooperation! :)

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rameumptom's answer is the correct answer. It may not be what you are looking for, but it is 100% correct -- very little has ever been revealed, much speculation has been done. Here is what a Prophet of God has said in an interview that touched on this very subject:

Q: There are some significant differences in your beliefs. For instance, don't Mormons believe that God was once a man?

A: I wouldn't say that. There was a 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. (President Gordon B. Hinckley with Don Lattin, the San Francisco Chronicle religion writer. The article was dated Sunday, April 13, 1997)

Q: Just another related question that comes up is the statements in the King Follet discourse by the Prophet.

A: Yeah

Q: ... about that, God the Father was once a man as we were. This is something that Christian writers are always addressing. Is this the teaching of the church today, that God the Father was once a man like we are?

A: 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.

Thats not satisfying for a lot of people, but the truth is that nothing much has been revealed on the subject (and what has been can be taken a couple of differtent ways) and anyone teaching it as fact goes against what the (last) Prophet of God has stated.

Edited by mnn727
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Hidden

In Lectures on Faith [early 1835], originally part of LDS Scripture, it is stated that the Father is a personage of Spirit (5:2). In Doctrine and Covenants 130:22 [1843], God now has a body of flesh and bones. However, the interesting part is in talking about the Holy Ghost who is "a personage of Spirit" which it is said does not ha...ve flesh and bones. If a personage of Spirit doesn't have flesh and bones (the Biblical view is this too, Luke 24:39) and God was originally a personage of spirit, why the change? Which is it? Of course the ultimate change comes in 1844 when God suddenly becomes an exalted man!

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TThe panel discussion ended up being neat.

I was able to ask questions about the specific D&C and Gospel Principles quotes, and suprisingly they answered straight up.

I can see how speculation could build around this stuff- happens all the time in my "young adult" sunday school class, and that's just us discussing seemingly simple topics like "what is faith" and stuff like that.

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  • 2 months later...

Just looked in John regarding this. These verses make it interesting.

John 5

17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

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The concept you are investigating comes from a speech given by Joseph Smith called the King Follett Discourse. I would recommend reading the entire sermon, and study the concepts. Although not canonized scripture, and therefore not doctrinally binding, you may find insight into your query.

It's only broken up into two parts for convenience.

LDS.org - Ensign Article - The King Follett Sermon Part 1

LDS.org - Ensign Article - The King Follett Sermon Part 2

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