God once being a man teaching

[Nathan6329]

I heard people talk about Joseph Smith's teaching of God once being a mortal man on another planet but I never found any information on that or understood where our beliefs come from him being the supreme creator and also a mortal?

LDS.org says nothing about God being a man on another planet so if Joseph Smith really did teach that I don't understand why.

[Vanhin]

I heard people talk about Joseph Smith's teaching of God once being a mortal man on another planet but I never found any information on that or understood where our beliefs come from him being the supreme creator and also a mortal?

LDS.org says nothing about God being a man on another planet so if Joseph Smith really did teach that I don't understand why.

It is our doctrine that God the Father is a glorified Man with an immortal body of flesh and bone, and the Son also (D&C 130:22). However, we do not know very much about His mortal experience. So, like the matter of the priesthood ban, we are wise not to speculate until God provides further light and knowledge on the matter, though many have... Our scriptures do say the following about Him -

By these things we know that there is a God in heaven, who is infinite and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting the same unchangeable God, the framer of heaven and earth, and all things which are in them; (D&C 20:17)

We do know, however, that we as his spirit offspring have the potential to become as He is (See Guide to the Scriptures: Exaltation)

Also, you might be interested in the follow FairLDS article.

Nature of God/Infinite regress of Gods - FAIRMormon

Regards,

Vanhin

[hordak]

I heard people talk about Joseph Smith's teaching of God once being a mortal man on another planet but I never found any information on that or understood where our beliefs come from him being the supreme creator and also a mortal?

LDS.org says nothing about God being a man on another planet so if Joseph Smith really did teach that I don't understand why.

Someone missed Gospel principles

Joseph Smith taught: “It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God. … He was once a man like us; … God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 345–46).

People put different emphasis in it. Either "once a man like us" or on "same as Jesus Christ"

as to whether or not he was "mortal" (of course Jesus was technically mortal or he couldn't give his life for man kind).

But yes him being a man, on an earth is in the principals manual.

[Gramajane]

John 5:19

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. "

So with that Bible scripture in mind-- what is the reasoning?

It makes sense to me. :) The Jesus follows in his Fathers footsteps and we are to follow in Jesus and be 'co in inheritors" of all that the Father hath? ( I think that is another scripture from the Bible)

[FunkyTown]

Good question! Since every one of your posts so far have been inquiring as to basic doctrine, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you're a new member and somebody is throwing out these 'facts' as those tired attempts at tripping up members. Since these questions you're asking are the forefront of most anti-mormon rhetoric and easily disproved, I thought I'd offer a voice of encouragement with this.

Jesus Christ was born a man, perfect from the beginning, the son of God. He was here to do His will in every way. And yet - According to Luke 2:52, Jesus 'Grew in wisdom and stature'. He had an increase in wisdom while on earth, which he obviously couldn't have had if he was omniscient. Can't increase in wisdom if you're already all-knowing and all-wise, right?

And yet - He says he has done nothing, save that which he has seen his father do.

Did God come to a world as Jesus did and sacrifice himself for their sins?

Traditional Christianity says 'Yes'. That He became Jesus and came to earth.

Beyond that, who knows what the truth is? We've never been told one way or the other. Some people guess. Some people assume. Some people make wild claims. The truth is that we don't know anything beyond that.

The LDS church says 'Yes'. We just disagree on the timeline.

I heard people talk about Joseph Smith's teaching of God once being a mortal man on another planet but I never found any information on that or understood where our beliefs come from him being the supreme creator and also a mortal?

LDS.org says nothing about God being a man on another planet so if Joseph Smith really did teach that I don't understand why.

[Blackmarch]

I heard people talk about Joseph Smith's teaching of God once being a mortal man on another planet but I never found any information on that or understood where our beliefs come from him being the supreme creator and also a mortal?

LDS.org says nothing about God being a man on another planet so if Joseph Smith really did teach that I don't understand why.

because there is no scripture that defines that for sure. It's logic that points us there, as well as perhaps a spersonal revelation, however that has not been a revelation given to the church as a whole.

[TheAngelPalmoni]

Scriptural Secrets

Intelligence - Palmoni Scrolls

Introduction

This is the Topic that Took me the Longest to Grasp, I think, well maybe it just hurt my brain the most. Intelligence can sometimes have a dual-meaning or even a tri-meaning in the church. First is the most common which is just knowledge and education, second I think is the proper wise application of that knowledge, and third is an unorganized Intelligence, as in, Pre Spirit Book of Abraham kind of personage. I'm really not going to be talking at all about the first two meanings at all, only the third.

Again Forgive my complete inability to put this all into words that make any sense and for the unorganized thought processes. Many of you will think this is complete speculation and that is good, some will see some truth and some will see more. And the fact is, that pretty much everyone I talk to completely disagrees with this. If anyone can add to or help me understand it better that would be Great!

The Father and the Son

Ok... I guess I will start and jump into it with a Joseph Smith King Follett Discourse quote,

“What did Jesus do? Why; I do the things I saw my Father do when worlds come rolling into existence. My Father worked out his kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same; and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to my Father, so that he may obtain kingdom upon kingdom, and it will exalt him in glory. He will then take a higher exaltation, and I will take his place, and thereby become exalted myself. So that Jesus treads in the tracks of his Father, and inherits what God did before; and God is thus glorified and exalted in the salvation and exaltation of all his children. It is plain beyond disputation, and you thus learn some of the first principles of the Gospel, about which so much hath been said.”

This is also shown in John 5:19-20,

5:19 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

5:20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

Ok so if Christ creating the Atonement lying down his life and taking it up again is only doing that which the Father in Heaven did then....

[LDSChristian]

I think the fact that God the Father is a man is very obvious. For one: God the FATHER. What nonLDS don't think of is the fact that man doesn't necessarily mean mortal.

"LDS.org says nothing about God being a man on another planet so if Joseph Smith really did teach that I don't understand why." This comes from Abraham chapter 3 but it never says Kolob is a planet. I would say people misinterpret what Abraham 3 says but there's nothing to misinterpret because it's very clear.

Abraham 3

2 And I saw the stars, that they were very great, and that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God; and there were many great ones which were near unto it;

3 And the Lord said unto me: These are the governing ones; and the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near unto me, for I am the Lord thy God: I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest.

13 And he said unto me: This is Shinehah, which is the sun. And he said unto me: Kokob, which is star. And he said unto me: Olea, which is the moon. And he said unto me: Kokaubeam, which signifies stars, or all the great lights, which were in the firmament of heaven.

Kolob is mentioned in Abraham but nowhere does it say it's a star that someone lives on. These verses plainly state it is a star. This is where the anti-'s use their tactic of pulling out just one word, not even reading the verses, and create their own meaning.

Edited January 14, 2011 by LDSChristian

[Wingnut]

There are many many threads on this topic already. Here are a few to start with:

http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/35448-god-once-man-earth.html

http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/35301-god-man-may.html

http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/33153-how-did-god-become-god.html

http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/30427-what-does-mean-god-once-man.html

http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/28160-snows-couplet.html

http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/19280-god-once-man.html

http://www.lds.net/forums/share/17806-lorenzo-snow-couplet.html

http://www.lds.net/forums/learn-about-mormon-church/12277-what-doctrine.html

[LDSChristian]

Check these out:

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;

2 Peter 1

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Could that also mean God the Father became a partaker of the divine nature?

[Palerider]

You might try this link and check out this web site

Mormon Answers (LDS FAQ): The Divine Potential of Human Beings - or Do Mormons Believe They Can Become Gods?

[RipplecutBuddha]

look at nature. When life produces offspring, that offspring carries within itself the potential to become as the parent is. It's something so blatantly obvious we often miss it.

Now for some questions...are we part of the nature of the earth? When we produce offspring, do they also carry within them the potential to become as we are? Do we posess the potential to become as our parents are?

Is God really our Father? If so, what does that mean for us? Why is it so much of a stretch to imagine we can become as he is? Have we forgotten the promise that we can become "Heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ if....we suffer with him...that we may also be glorified together." ?

What about Revelations 3:21 "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I am sat down in the throne of my Father."

This last one...if Christ is the one speaking, then we can have no doubt, for he makes the most plain promise in the most direct language I know. He recieved his inheritance, and he has promised to share the same with us....if we overcome.

[Captain_Curmudgeon]

I misread that to mean God was once a man who had a job teaching.

If He was teaching Junior High, this would explain a lot.