This is one post in an A-Z series of 26 where I am writing about living as a Mormon in the wilderness of Kuantan
A key part of Mormon doctrine revolves around God, gods and godliness. We are the spirit children of God. We may one day become gods, like God. Despite this, we know but little regarding godliness.
I understand that such a claim goes against conventional Christianity whereby God is typically portrayed as a spirit who has no form or feelings and cannot be understood. He is untouchable, the only Deity under heaven. None can be compared to Him without a raturous shout of 'blasphemy!' Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God are three parts of the same Being.
For me, God is an immortal, perfected Being. He is the one and only supreme Father figure. He created us, knows us personally, and feels as we feel. We can never attain the fulness of His knowledge and intelligence whilst here on earth.
The Mormon preposition that we can become gods in a future existence provides a small glimpse into godliness and our divine potential.
Things that are not fully explained in scripture or are hard to comprehend, or that have just not been revealed to us, are often referred to as 'mysteries.' The mysteries of godliness is one of the great quests that will consume our mortal existence and carry through to our future immortal sphere.
The human mind and imagination is frequently lifted to a sense of godliness, as represented through modern superheroes possessing god-like powers, such as Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Thor, and a whole host of others. There is glory waiting to be achieved in all of us.
I must admit though, it is quite an unnerving experience to cast our mortal minds upon the mystery of godliness, of the possibility of residing with God in a new epoch, and of receiving higher intelligence beyond what we are currently capable. This mystery also involves how the human race will be arranged in the life to come, what our work will be, who would be qualified to progress to godhood and how those qualifications can be met, both here as we are now, and as immortal beings at a future time and place.
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| This diagram represents Mormon understanding of the soul's journey through space and time including pre- and post-existences with God |
As a Mormon, we have scriptures which mention such things, some in great detail like the assigning of people to their estate of glory in the future existence (Doctrine & Covenants 76), while some other aspects of godliness are of minimal detail or not mentioned at all.
Addressed to 'those who fear me' and 'those who serve me,' a fascinating piece of scripture says:
"And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom.
Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations.
And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught.
For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will - yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man."
(Doctrine & Covenants 76:7-10)
I am of the personal belief that anything is possible. I certainly do not limit God in His intelligence, power, wisdom, works or future plans for His children.
What is your God like? Who are your favourite superheroes and what god-like powers do they possess? How do you imagine the eternal existence after this earth life?
I like the idea of divine potential. It is interesting to think about.
ReplyDelete@TarkabarkaHolgy from
The Multicolored Diary
MopDog
Yes, it's very interesting. Thank you for your visits and interest in my blog!
Deleteall of course summed up by President Lorenzo Snow's oft-repeated statement—“As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be”
ReplyDeletebut contradicted by President Hinkley's emphatic insistence that
“I don’t know that we teach it. I don’t know that we emphasize it … I understand the philosophical background behind it, but I don’t know a lot about it, and I don’t think others know a lot about it.”
Gordon B. Hinckley in the cover article of the August 4, 1997 issue of Time magazine.
Confusing isn't it
almost as confusing as Brigham Young teaching that Polygamy was essential to the saints entering the celestial kingdom and Hinkley again say on national television that Polygamy is not doctrinal, even though it is in the Doctrine and covenants.
Or Brigham Young teaching the Adam God doctrine and Spencer W Kimball teaching that the Adam God Doctrine is an "Abomination"
Are we to take it from this some of the prophets of the church have been false prophets? Have some been teaching abominations, or have others been trying to withhold vital theological knowledge necessary for salvation?
Henry, thank you for your visit and fair comments. I would say that specific points of doctrine are upgraded over time as our knowledge of them increases. We are a church who believes that knowledge will be given individually and to the church collectively "line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little and there a little." Of course, we currently don't know everything there is to know, not in JS time, not in Brigham Young's time, not even now in our time. There are yet plenty of issues to which we don't have completely satisfactory answers, particularly as regarding how the church can effectively handle those with homosexual tendencies, sexuality and equality amongst genders in the church.
DeleteAs regarding the contradiction amongst church leaders sayings, there are still plenty of valid points from long ago that are of force today, and some that are not. This is a constantly evolving church. I truly would not enjoy being a higher leader in the church with the challenges of today, but at the same time I believe they are honestly seeking for divine help whilst also trying to come to conclusions as a quorum using their own faculties and reasoning.