C
Maxwel,
I am a Mormon. My purpose in writing is to correct some of which you wrote. You mentioned that we don't believe that Jesus was God and that he was just a man who became a god. This is not true. I cite from the Book of Mormon because it is unique scripture that only Mormon's believe in.
This scripture's author was one King Benjamin who was speaking to his people before he died preaching unto them that Christ would come and who he would be. This is the excerpt explaining that he was God: Mosiah 3:8 "And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary."
Another scripture from the Book of Mormon that mentions that Christ is the Eternal God. In this scripture Nephi, a Book of Mormon prophet was preaching and prophesying to his people 2 Nephi 1:12 "And as I spake concerning the convincing of the Jews, that Jesus is the very Christ, it must needs be that the Gentiles be convinced also that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God;"
And another scripture being preached by the brother of Nephi, speaking of Jesus as the Creator of the world; 2 Nephi 9:5-6 "Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him."
We do believe that Jesus is our Savior as taught in this Book of Mormon scripture: 2 Nephi 25:20, 23-24 "And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved."
Now, we do believe that man can become as God and receive all that he has. I will use Bible references for these purposes because there are Bible versus that suggest that we can become as God.
Genesis 1:26-27 "26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
Our belief is that we were created in God's image, as He is, with flesh and bone. We, however, do not believe our body is glorified as is God's, perfect in every way. However, we can receive such a body (through the resurrection (body and spirit reuniting), and our faith in Christ), thus becoming like God.
Genesis 2:17: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Genesis 3:22 "And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil:..."
These scriptures in Genesis suggest a progression in mankind toward becoming as God, that Adam and Eve were not knowledgeable as was God as things to pertaining to good and evil and that by partaking of the fruit their understanding was increased, thus, becoming that much more like God.
Psalms 82:6 "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most high."
John 10:33-34 "33. The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone the not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 34. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said Ye are gods?"
2 Peter 1:4 "Whereby are given unto 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."
Romans 8:16-17 "16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; 17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
Revelations 3:21 "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."
So it is true that we believe in becoming gods. Our belief is partly founded from Bible scriptures which you can see. One thought that I have had in the past about this doctrine we believe; A God that is willing to make us as He is, is a God that gives us all that He has. This is the truest love that there can be. For no being can give more than that!
As for the accusations against Joseph Smith; I have no evidence at this time to support or refute them. I am wondering where you got the information that he was a con-man? I've heard this argument before, but I'm wondering where there is reliable evidence for it. Maybe you have it???
I am a Mormon. My purpose in writing is to correct some of which you wrote. You mentioned that we don't believe that Jesus was God and that he was just a man who became a god. This is not true. I cite from the Book of Mormon because it is unique scripture that only Mormon's believe in.
This scripture's author was one King Benjamin who was speaking to his people before he died preaching unto them that Christ would come and who he would be. This is the excerpt explaining that he was God: Mosiah 3:8 "And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary."
Another scripture from the Book of Mormon that mentions that Christ is the Eternal God. In this scripture Nephi, a Book of Mormon prophet was preaching and prophesying to his people 2 Nephi 1:12 "And as I spake concerning the convincing of the Jews, that Jesus is the very Christ, it must needs be that the Gentiles be convinced also that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God;"
And another scripture being preached by the brother of Nephi, speaking of Jesus as the Creator of the world; 2 Nephi 9:5-6 "Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him."
We do believe that Jesus is our Savior as taught in this Book of Mormon scripture: 2 Nephi 25:20, 23-24 "And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved."
Now, we do believe that man can become as God and receive all that he has. I will use Bible references for these purposes because there are Bible versus that suggest that we can become as God.
Genesis 1:26-27 "26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
Our belief is that we were created in God's image, as He is, with flesh and bone. We, however, do not believe our body is glorified as is God's, perfect in every way. However, we can receive such a body (through the resurrection (body and spirit reuniting), and our faith in Christ), thus becoming like God.
Genesis 2:17: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Genesis 3:22 "And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil:..."
These scriptures in Genesis suggest a progression in mankind toward becoming as God, that Adam and Eve were not knowledgeable as was God as things to pertaining to good and evil and that by partaking of the fruit their understanding was increased, thus, becoming that much more like God.
Psalms 82:6 "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most high."
John 10:33-34 "33. The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone the not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 34. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said Ye are gods?"
2 Peter 1:4 "Whereby are given unto 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."
Romans 8:16-17 "16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; 17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
Revelations 3:21 "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."
So it is true that we believe in becoming gods. Our belief is partly founded from Bible scriptures which you can see. One thought that I have had in the past about this doctrine we believe; A God that is willing to make us as He is, is a God that gives us all that He has. This is the truest love that there can be. For no being can give more than that!
As for the accusations against Joseph Smith; I have no evidence at this time to support or refute them. I am wondering where you got the information that he was a con-man? I've heard this argument before, but I'm wondering where there is reliable evidence for it. Maybe you have it???
