"As Man Is, God Once Was..."


Guest Ammon
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I think it would have been fine if President Hinckley had tackled the question head on and used it as an opportunity to share with public on of our most glorious and eternal truths. However, I think there was a point to why he answered it the way he did. And the point is, that in toto, we just don't know that much about the topic. There is precious little about it in our scripture and beyond the King Follete address, there is the Snow couplet and then just speculation.

First, the Time article left about part of President Hinckley answer. The whole answer was this.

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.

Red = part left out.

That's a correct answer. Take a look in your Priesthood or Relief Society manual and find me the lesson that teached that God was a man, just like us. I think the Church realize how little we understand on this deep water topic and so we focus on the basics, like trying to follow Christ, develope our faith and help our fellow man. 

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Originally posted by Ammon@Apr 13 2004, 03:49 PM

Any more takers want to take a swing or two at the original post questions? :)

I thought I took a swing at your question, sorry you missed it :(
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Guest bizabra

Originally posted by Starsky@Apr 12 2004, 06:14 PM

Well there are answers and there are answers...

If you are trying to find answers to 'please' the anti's ... good luck.

The Lord Knows the weaknesses of men...and the stumbling blocks...

They are both evidenced in the lack of faith. When one has faith they over look the weaknesses of others. But when they have no faith, the capitalize upon those same weaknesses that they themselves posssess.

I propose that you are not here looking for answers for someone else, but rather here to stir and fetter...like the other thread you posted ...claiming to need help...and then going off and finding almost identical answers as were given by posters on this board...and shucking all others...as if you found them for yourself.

You are shovelling it pretty thick Ammon and have no credibility with me any longer now that I know you are a lawyer....scribe...I mean.

Criminysakes! Ammon just explained that he wants to answer INVESTIGATORS questions! Hellooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is NOT interested in trying to "please the anti's".

Read carefully, It's not that hard to do.

thanks

Well, Mr. Hinkley sounds to me like the PR man he is/was. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you. . . . . . .

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Serapha,

we have already covered that part in another topic....

Somethings are personal to us, and why discuss them with others who don't understand, it would just give them something else to argue about. Isn't it easier at times to just go around it....

I also find it funny how you complain about how we act....If you notoice allot of Lds welcomed you in when you first came here and yes some were skeptical because you came from an anti site. There are just as many people in other religions who act the same as you were describing some of the people that were acting here on the board.

So....please save the amens, and hallalua's, because to me that is being more prideful than some of the people you are critisizing here. If you are as understanding about our religion as you want others to be about your, you will find peoples attitues will be allot different, even if you don't agree.

Just a thought

Laureltree

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Guest Starsky
Originally posted by bizabra+Apr 13 2004, 11:50 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (bizabra @ Apr 13 2004, 11:50 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--Starsky@Apr 12 2004, 06:14 PM

Well there are answers and there are answers...

If you are trying to find answers to 'please' the anti's ... good luck.

The Lord Knows the weaknesses of men...and the stumbling blocks...

They are both evidenced in the lack of faith.  When one has faith they over look the weaknesses of others. But when they have no faith, the capitalize upon those same weaknesses that they themselves posssess.

I propose that you are not here looking for answers for someone else, but rather here to stir and fetter...like the other thread you posted ...claiming to need help...and then going off and finding almost identical answers as were given by posters on this board...and shucking all others...as if you found them for yourself.

You are shovelling it pretty thick Ammon and have no credibility with me any longer now that I know you are a lawyer....scribe...I mean.

Criminysakes! Ammon just explained that he wants to answer INVESTIGATORS questions! Hellooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is NOT interested in trying to "please the anti's".

Read carefully, It's not that hard to do.

thanks

Well, Mr. Hinkley sounds to me like the PR man he is/was. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you. . . . . . .

That's what he said, but it wasn't the way he was posting.

Anyway....everything is going to get better so relax a little...okay?

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Guest Ammon

Originally posted by ExMormon-Jason@Apr 13 2004, 06:40 PM

"Any more takers want to take a swing or two at the original post questions?"

Im your huckleberry. ;)

Four possibilities:

1. Prez is just too dang old. He couldn't remember it, and so tried to talk around it.

2. Like has been said before, he didn't want to get into the theology on TV. (Cause it is a heretical doctrine after all...)

3. He's hoping to change LDS beliefs to move the church into a more mainstream christianity.

4. Prez has lost the spirit and is an apostate. He is the "man of sin" spoken of in the NT, and no longer holds the keys of the priesthood. (that's a Mormon Fundamentalist perspective, by the way.)

Jason

Ummmmm... thanks for your response. :unsure:

If I had to choose, I suppose your first option is best of the options provided. Perhaps that one was correct. Who knows? Nevertheless, for the record, and for what it's worth, I believe in the famous Snow Couplet. Indeed, I reiterate, as man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be. Take that to the bank. ;)

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Ammon – Here’s my 2 cents.

Just so you know, I am non-LDS; that way you have an idea where I am coming from. I see GBH’s answer this way.

He’s been a PR man most of his life. Before he was president/prophet he dealt with difficult situations, like the Mark Hofmann fiasco. I believe GBH was and is the type of man that loves the LDS church so much he would do and say anything that would protect it no matter what. Through the years you get the impression from GBH that he wants the outside world to see the LDS church as mainstream, not peculiar, which seemed to be practiced by other presidents. He seems to believe that to bring more people into the church, the church must not seem too controversial. That couplet is too controversial for most outsiders, potential converts. So in speaking to those potential converts he had to make that couplet sound as if it was not that important, as church doctrine, at present. To the reading members he could explain it away by saying that he had been misquoted. He was/is the prophet – they would have to believe him and not some magazine.

So that is how I rationalize GBH’s response to that couplet.

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