How Can An Eternal God Have Once Been A Man?

This question was posed in an online group regarding the LDS doctrine that “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1938, p. 345).  Below it I have included my response in three parts.

Question:

Premise 1: God does not change
Premise 2: God is eternal
Logical conclusion: God has always been god and could not have once been man because that would have involved him not being god eternally and changing into god.

What is the flaw in this argument?

Why Only Jesus Could Be The Christ

Q: Was Jesus the only one who could have been the Savior? Was it possible for someone else to have been the Messiah?

A: Jesus alone was anointed as Savior because He was the only one who had the right to be the Christ (or the Messiah).  He could claim that right because it was His by birthright and by righteousness, and also by covenant.

“Jesus was chosen from before the foundations of the world to be the Christ, the Anointed One…He was the birthright son, and he retained that birthright by his strict obedience” (The Life and Teachings of Jesus and his Apostles, 15).

Christ’s claim to the Messiah-ship is actually fairly well established in scripture (particularly in the Bible).  Here is the case for Jesus’ unique and exclusive claim to the title of “The Christ” as well as to the responsibility and blessings that come with that title.

5 Scriptures that Testify that God is Real

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Countless people throughout time have wondered: “Is there a God?” There are nearly as many opinions on this subject as there have been people who have lived on this planet.  For this reason, many people feel confused or uncertain about whether or not God exists, and if so, what that actually means for us humans.

Many people have rejected the notion of the existence of a God or a higher being altogether.  Still others acknowledge that there may indeed be some kind of higher being who exists in the universe, although they do not know who or what this being may be, or what form he/she/it may take.  Others choose to reserve judgment for a number of reasons, including waiting for more evidence (one way or another) to present itself.

The problem is that many of those who search for God tend to reject scripture out of hand as a reliable source of evidence.  I imagine that this is because they assume that religious texts are essentially biased.  However, this forces them to look for evidence that is inconclusive at best.  There are many who point to the workings of the natural world, and of creation as evidence of a divine presence, but there are just as many people who point to the same evidence to say there is not a god.  There are some who try to use a process of logic to reason their way to God, but once again there are many who would argue that logic suggests that there is no God.  Even some religious people might argue that God is beyond our ability to grasp through human reason alone.  I mention all of this in order to demonstrate the evidentiary value that scripture can have in an honest and open-minded investigation into the existence of God.

How Does Foreordination Work?

Q:  If someone is preordained to do something...does this mean that they can still choose not to?  Or will they just do it regardless? Also, are people preordained to do good things as well as bad? Or is it the same concept as destiny?

A:  When speaking about this principle, I think "foreordained" is a better word to use when it comes to gaining a full understanding of the concept. I choose to stress the importance of the terms we use, because misunderstandings concerning the doctrine of foreordination have caused much confusion and disagreement among Christians in all ages, and even among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  However, foreordination is a doctrine which must be understood and taught correctly (and in the proper context), because it concerns where we came from, and what our purpose was in coming here.

“The combined doctrine of God’s foreordination is one of the doctrinal roads “least traveled by.” Yet it clearly underlines how very long and how perfectly God has loved us and known us with our individual needs and capacities. Isolated from other doctrines, or mishandled, these truths can stoke the fires of fatalism, impact adversely upon agency, cause us to focus on status rather than service, and carry us over into predestination.

“Yet, though foreordination is a difficult doctrine, it has been given to us by the living God, through living prophets, for a purpose. It can actually increase our understanding of how crucial this mortal second estate is and can further encourage us in good works. This precious doctrine can also help us go the second mile because we are doubly called.”  (Neal A. Maxwell, "A More Determined Discipleship," Ensign, Feb. 1979, lds.org).

A Latter-day Saint Perspective On The Lord's Prayer

“In Luke it is recorded that one of His disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1). Jesus then gave a pattern for prayer that has become known as the Lord’s Prayer. The same is recorded in Matthew as part of the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 6:9–13)” (D. Todd Christofferson,  “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread,” CES Fireside for Young Adults, January 9, 2011.)

I have elected to use the version of the Lord’s prayer that is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, as it appears in its most complete and most recognizable form in the Sermon on the Mount.  I have arranged the Lord’s prayer verse by verse in the order that it is presented in Matthew, and I have included my own commentary, along with selected quotes and scriptures that I have arranged so as to explicate each passage.  My comments are in red, and scriptures are in italics.

The Lord's Prayer is possibly one of the most famous and beloved passages of scripture in all of Christendom, and rightly so.  In it we have recorded for us the sweet and simple teachings of the Savior concerning the correct way to approach God in humble supplication.  Some faiths have enshrined this example of prayer as a prayer to be recited verbatim in worship as well as in personal devotion.  While I disagree that this was the Savior's intent in his teachings concerning prayer, I do believe that each of us might benefit greatly if we were to pause and weigh this prayer with greater consideration than we have typically done in the past.  The Lord's Prayer does not always receive the attention that it deserves, and I believe that the words of instruction and inspiration contained in this brief prayer merit deeper reflection, pondering, and meditation, to the end that we might more fully incorporate these teachings into our own prayers, and in our own lives.

Can Men Be Gods? What the Bible says about exaltation.

My friend T. S. sent me this question the other day, and I was somewhat amused to receive it, as I have been waiting for someone to send me just such a question since I started writing this blog.

Q: I have a nonmember friend who read a chapter in a world religion book about Mormons and it said that we believe we will become God and have our own planet someday and now she thinks we are freaks.  How do you respond to this and what scriptures are there in the Bible that support such a claim?

Are You A Christian If You Don't Believe In The Trinity?

A friend of mine asked me to explain the doctrine of the trinity and its origins, and the nature of the Godhead, esp. according to the Bible. She asked me verbally at Bible study last week, so I will have to paraphrase her question.

Q: I have a friend that has several issues with the doctrines of the LDS church. One of them centers around your belief that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are each separate beings. This does not conform to the doctrine of the trinity, which he holds to be one of the basic criteria for true Christianity. Where did the doctrine of the trinity (that says that God and Jesus and the Holy Ghost are the same being) come from? What does the Bible say about it?

Is temple marriage necessary?

A friend of mine sent me this question last week, and I thought that it might be worthwhile to share it with others, since she's probably not the only one who wants to know the answer. Therefore I am publishing a modified version of her question (to preserve her anonymity) and my answer with her permission.


I was curious about some things. With all this talk lately about Temple marriage and stuff, I was wondering, is it necessary? Being sealed to your family and all that.
Reason: A friend of mine mentioned that she didn't think she would ever get married. And one of her friends said the same thing. And I think they are pretty great girls, and I actually think they will get married to someone, but whatever. My point is, what if they don't? Also, I have some good friends who are married, they are great and love each other, but what if they don't get sealed to each other? What if I don't? Is that going to stop their, or my, progression?

And what about the kids thing? Say, those girls do eventually get married to someone, neither of them want kids. And you know that my married friends don't want kids. Does that mean that's it?

Also, on a personal front, I want to get married. I want to have a family. However, I don't think that will happen. I really want to progress. I want to continue to go on a path, I just want to know what is expected. That wasn't quite the right word. I don't know how to express what I am asking here, but I am hoping that you know me enough to know what I am asking.