Promised blessings for reading the book of mormon a life. Mormons use the book of mormon as a companion book to the bible. The first thing is to have a desire to change and have hope that its possible. Latter day saints doctrine of exaltation is often reduced in media to a. Kolob is mentioned in the book of abraham, a mormon scripture that is. Does the book of mormon refute joseph smith on the nature of god. The book of mormon opens in the first year of the reign of zedekiah, ten years before the fall of jerusalem. The book of mormon is a historic record of an actual civilization who populated the american continent. Weve been exploring a few of my favorite references to the lord jesus christ found in the book of mormon. Christ is the father in several ways, which are delved deeply by others in many books, but briefly. It seems reasonable to assume that if smith was a prophet of god and was translating the book of mormon under divine inspiration, he would have known about the errors found in the king james version, and would have corrected them for when passages from the king james version appeared in the book of mormon. The essay goes on to quote bible verses suggesting men can become gods.
President ezra taft benson, conference, september 30, 1989 to the elderly in the church. Mormonism and the nature of godcelestial sex fairmormon. Do mormon men believe that they will become gods of. Man can become god exaltation as man is god once was, as god is man may become. Being mormon is a religious epithet, originally used to ridicule those who accepted the book of mormon as another testament of jesus christ. In this context, it takes a very sympathetic view of the doctrine of exaltation as taught by the latterday saints. It contains more references to jesus christ and his mission even than the bible does. Mormons hope to become gods of their own worlds procreating endless numbers of children quotes from lds leaders by sandra tanner. Becoming like god the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Top 40 inspirational book of mormon scriptures the lifey app. The book of mormon tells us that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass alma 37. Based on actual events as recorded in the book of mormon. So says the lds church in its latest gospel topics posting at.
The lds scriptures declare that the ultimate goal of a mormon is to become a god and procreate for all eternity. Where in the book of mormon does it talk about each man. Mormonism and the nature of godcelestial sex man may become. It includes jokes about raping babies but a brilliantly cynical pr blitzkrieg has made the book of mormon a. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject. The book of mormon often teaches principles by contrast, or through opposites. Alma the younger resigns as chief judge of zarahemla in about 83 bc. Mormonism in recent book becoming divine deseret news. It is the word of god and, like the bible, gives us guidance and inspiration in our daily lives. Find out about its teachings of men becoming gods, temples, the book of mormon, and joseph smith who claimed to have seen god the father. Years ago my greatgreatgrandfather picked up a copy of the book of mormon for the first time. Book of mormon the book of mormon is more correct than the bible, history of the church, vol. Under the banner of heaven tracks the history of mormonism, and the growth of its fundamentalist wing, from the 19thc to the present day. Smith, they will say, translated the book of mormon from golden plates he dug up in a hill in.
Essay explains mormon teaching on becoming like god the salt. Trey parker and matt stones uproarious the book of mormon has accomplished that rare, onceageneration feat of becoming an instant classic. Current mormon doctrine on the nature of god, the priesthood, use of temples, baptism for the dead, and men becoming gods, is nowhere contained in the book of mormon. The book of mormon was written for the intent that we may. In a post on the lds churchs official website, becoming like god. He goes to preach the word of god to the proud people of zarahemla and to the humble citizens of gideon. God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens. The term unchangeable god mentioned in the book of mormon is not referencing a physical state. I see that ronald has beat me to this, graham, but by way of amplification, let me add my understanding. God, becoming a god after you become a good mormon, you have the potential of becoming a god teachings of the prophet joseph smith, p. In 1841 joseph smith declared that the book of mormon was the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts than by any other book teachings of the prophet joseph smith, 194. Specifically, the book of mormon was prepared for our day so that we would learn and grow by. An online handbook to the lds church mormon here, then, is eternal lifeto know the only wise and true god.
The lds scriptures declare that the ultimate goal of a mormon is to become a god. This small number doesnt even come close to covering all of them. The lord covenanted with enos to bring forth the book of mormon to the lamanites, enos 1. All mormon men have the potential of attaining godhood as well. The book of mormon and the bible will grow together, 2 ne. Christ appeared and ministered to many people following his resurrection, and the book of mormon is a record of one. The lords words will hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, 2 ne. Well, just finished this, and its a riveting read, deconstructing the murder of a woman and her young child by fundamentalist mormon ron lafferty in 1984, because god told me to.
Essay explains mormon teaching on becoming like god. Learn about the book of mormon with verse by verse commentaries from renowned book of mormon scholars like john w. Get the latest updates on book of mormon topics and research for free we respect your email. Gods progression from man to god is clearly stated throughout mormon literature. Later in the old testament, a passage in the book of psalms declares, i have said. Specifically, the book of mormon was prepared for our day so that we would learn and grow by readings the words of ancient prophets in the americas.
While the church got headlines for dropping its muchmocked mormons get their own planets doctrine, it quietly reaffirmed a far more. According to lds theology, eternal life is synonymous with exaltation and godhood. Mormonism is a religion less than two centuries old, but in this short time it has managed to accrue a long list of embarrassments which the church leaders would. The book of mormon is another testament of jesus christ. Mormon general authorities teach that god was not always god, but was once a mortal man. That is the fulness of the gospel of jesus christ, the plan of salvation.
Top 10 embarrassments of the mormon religion listverse. Test your knowledge of the book of mormon mormonism. When mormon missionaries properly called latter day saints or simply lds come to your door, they will often offer a free copy of the book of mormon and tell you about its author, joseph smith. Great promises of exaltation, becoming as god and progressing eternally, testimonials of benefits in spite of costs built on ideas found in the basic surrounding culture, parallels can be seen in some of the dead sea scrolls and contemporary writings. Mormon theology is about many gods, god being a man, men and women potentially becoming gods, but the book of mormon is basically christian in its teachings. For instance, the book of mormon, which was smiths first scripture, teaches there is only one god. The following information is in the book of mormon. Kimball taught, to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Jesus and satan are spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven to them both, mormon doctrine, p. Do mormon men believe that they will become gods of their own. The devil the devil was born as a spirit after jesus in the morning of preexistence, mormon doctrine, p. Mormon cosmology is the description of the history, evolution, and destiny of the physical and. By 1847 not a single one of the surviving eleven witnesses was part of the mormon church. Now the ninetime tony award winner is making its triumphant return to the city by the bay, and san francisco broadway buffs will be able to see the most talkedabout musical of the decade.
The term has been appropriated and trademarked by the church of jesus christ of latterday saints in an. Christian scholars have responded over the last number of years to mormon scholars claiming the church fathers as precedent for the mormon doctrine of becoming gods. Besides correctly illustrating the latterday saint teaching that god was once a mere mortal man, this couplet also declares that man has the potential to become god. The book of mormon testifies of gods love for his children, of the lord jesus christs selfless and divine atoning sacrifice, and of his crowning ministry among the nephites soon after his resurrection. Together with the bible, the book of mormon is an indispensable witness of the doctrines of christ and his divinity. For i know that god is not a partial god, neither a changeable being. Their dealings with one another, and encounters with god, are in fact literal events that affected real people. Mormon is allegedly a prophethistorian who was the native american believed by mormons to have written the book of mormon the main religious text of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints mormonism. We have imagined and supposed that god was god from all eternity. It has many uncanny parallels with the book of mormon that many think it was the foundation for the book of mormon. In light of such a fantastic claim, it behooves an individual to take a serious look at the precepts found in the book of mormon.
Read this weeks knowhy connected with the come follow me curriculum, and watch a video elucidating an insight in this weeks scripture reading. Alma preaches the word of god alma 47 book of mormon. At the heart of the book of mormon, in the books of mosiah and alma, alma the younger makes the subject of change, progression, and becoming the very essence of his life and sermons, and thus alma the younger becomes a quintessential standard of how to become like god. Aware of these responses, some mormons are now admitting quietly that the patristic doctrine was not the same as the mormon doctrine. The core mormon teaching the lds church didnt jettison. The book of mormon never says god was once a mortal, and, in fact, it teaches that god was always god.
Jan shipps, a retired american religion scholar who describes herself as the nonmormon mormon expert, says exaltation has not been the publicrelations headache it once was for the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, when the god makers book and film painted mormons as hungering to eternally rule a planet. It is a story of roman soldiers becoming lost at sea and landing in the americas to become the first settlers. A recent book surveys the history, over the past 3,500 years, of the idea of humans becoming like god. God s progression from man to god is clearly stated throughout mormon literature. Mormonism, also known as the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, claims to be the restoration of the true gospel and a revelation of the true god.
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