The article, which is really a combination of 2 articles, one written by K. Codell Carter and one written by FARMS (Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies), goes to painstaking lengths to explain and justify the LDS view that we can become gods. As the fifth President of the LDS Church, Lorenzo Snow wrote, "...As man now is, God once was: as God now is, man may be." The second article cites several early Christian theologians in justifying the belief. "The doctrine of the deification of man is not an exclusive teaching of the restored Church of Jesus Christ. Rather, it can be found in early Christian history."
Colossians 2:8-9, which I quoted yesterday, took on a whole new meaning as I read this article (what a wonderful example of the living word!). Let me repeat it now.
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."
I was reminded that regardless of how revered these early Christians may have been, or what position they were given in the church of their time, we do not put our faith in the interpretation of man, but rather should be like those in Berea (found in Acts 17:10-12) who "received the word with all the readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." When you examine scripture, this doctrine of men becoming gods becomes less of a misunderstanding about us, and much more a misunderstanding of who God is. God is everlasting, omnipotent, unknowable, unique, our savior, not subject to the boundaries of time or space, but rather the creator of them. He says it best, "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14). Is it difficult, even impossible for us, who are subject to the laws of physics and confined by space and time, to comprehend a God who cannot be contained by the heavens (see 1 Kings 8:27)? Absolutely! The reason it's difficult is because God did not intend for us to wrap our brains around who He is, but to worship Him for His greatness!
There is no better way to describe the following quotes from the first Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith, Jr., than "philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men":
"I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit, and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods. If this is in accordance with the New Testament, lo and behold! we have three Gods anyhow, and they are plural: and who can contradict it?" (History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6:474)
"Many men say there is one God; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are only one God! I say that is a strange God anyhow--three in one, and one in three! It is a curious organization. "Father, I pray not for the world, but I pray for them which thou hast given me " "Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are." All are to be crammed into one God, according to sectarianism. It would make the biggest God in all the world. He would be a wonderfully big God--he would be a giant or a monster." (History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6:476:76)Joseph Smith deeply misunderstands the scripture in the last quotation, thinking that by Jesus praying for the unity of his believers, he would be saying that we would one day be all squashed together in physical unity as God. Part of the wonder of the Trinity, or Tri-unity of God is that it demonstrates His omnipresence, that He can be all places at once and have a seeming lack of physical unity but an abundance of unity in His nature as God (see Psalms 139:6-10, Matthew 28:20, and Jeremiah 23:24 for verses describing the omnipresence of each member of the Trinity). Jeremiah prophesied this about men who call themselves prophets, but who pervert the words of the Lord:
"Behold, I [am] against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I [am] against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD... And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God."
(Jeremiah 23:31-32, 36)
Galatians 1:6-9 also talks about men who pervert the gospel of Christ. Paul wrote this passage, and recognizes that no man, himself included, is immune from teaching false doctrine because of our sinful nature. "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." The scenario that is always brought to mind when I read that passage is that of Joseph Smith receiving the gold plates from the angel Meroni, on which was the "restored gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ" and "Another Testament of Jesus Christ," the Book of Mormon (see Joseph Smith--History 1:59-61). Doctrine that attempts to bring God down to our level of comprehension is God-limiting, and is deceitful. Do not allow yourself to be led astray by vain philosophy after the principles of this world! God is not subject to the principles of this world (time, space, gravity, sustenance, etc.), so to limit your understanding of who He is based on what you know of yourself is ludicrous!
"Then Jesus said to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free... He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." (John 8:32 & 47-- Read the whole passage of John 8, I don't want to write it all out, but Jesus is trying to tell the Jews who he is-- that if they really knew God they would recognize him (Jesus), and that he (Jesus) is not of this world. In verse 58, Jesus uses the words "I am" to describe himself, just like we saw God do (above), and says he existed before Abraham, demonstrating that he, because of his nature as a member of the Trinity, is not subject to the boundaries of time; he is eternal! How cool!)
"Thank you Lord for your word that sustains me. I praise you for your greatness, and through faith I am able to worship that which I cannot comprehend. Lord show me your ways. Let me grow in you, direct my path wherever you would have me go. I am yours, Lord, and I thank you for keeping me, that no one can pluck me from your hand. Father, it is through desperation that I seek you, recognizing that I cannot strive to know you of my own accord, but that you choose to reveal yourself to me. Let me be an example of one who is sanctified, set apart for your works, that others may know you as well, especially those who you have called me to. I love you and seek you, that I may become less so you may become greater in me. Amen."
No comments:
Post a Comment