|
Slade Henson wrote: DAVEH: I'll try. DAVEH: No problem, Slade. I did not detect any malice in your comments and questions. DAVEH: Yikes.....Those are questions that will quickly get confusing if we don't define some terms. As you may know, LDS definitions can differ vastly from Protestant concepts. Furthermore, to discuss this on TT will draw the ire of some TTers who will think I'm preaching LDS theology here in an attempt to convert you. A few TTers have already weighed in on this, seemingly wanting to hear more. If any TTers are bothered by this discussion, let me know and we can take it off-Forum. Rather than quote any Scriptural passages, I will merely give you my belief, as I have formed it based on my LDS background. If you want me to provide any references as evidence for what I am saying, just ask. But to offer them at this point might be burdensome for those following this discussion. Your questions seemed to be asking more about what I/we (LDS) believe, rather than for evidence supporting those beliefs. So........let me start by saying that I believe there exists more than one God. While I believe there are more gods than one God, I also believe we are to worship just one God. IMO, the oneness of God is totally misrepresented by Protestantism, which has adopted the Trinity Doctrine which I believe was contrived to obfuscate the true nature of God in attempt to persuade many people of diverse beliefs to unite under one political umbrella. When you say.....God is a perfected being who attained godhood......one must consider which God to whom one is referring. To Protestants, that would not make sense, as they believe Jesus and their Father in Heaven are one in the same, as I understand it. Yet that is not true at all. They are distinctly different and individual deities, IMHO. I believe Jesus was created in the pre-mortal existence as a spirit being by his Father in Heaven, and he then was also born in this world of genetic (if that is the proper term) lineage of his Heavenly Father. Due to his Heavenly/Godly heritage, we know him as the Son of God. In the pre-mortal existence, before the world was formed, I believe Christ was commissioned to create the earth as part of the plan of salvation, so that some of us could someday return to heaven and attain godhood. Jesus was not only God of the OT, but he was a spirit being in the pre-mortal existence. Even from his spirit creation there, he was a God, and was foreordained to implement the plan of salvation. Part of that plan included coming to earth to gain a physical body (through the process of birth, which unites a physical body to ones spirit), then death (which is the separation of that physical body from the spirit), then finally.....the resurrection, which is combining of the spirit and the physical body into a perfected being. Even though all who come to earth will be resurrected, not all will have attained godhood as perfected beings. But, by virtue of Christ's sacrifice and atonement, I do believe it is possible for some to reach that stature. Now, to revert back to your question in respect to God the Father. Most LDS folks believe that our Father in Heaven was once a mortal, and progressed through the process of becoming a perfected being.....which implies he progressed from a spirit being, to a mortal then to a resurrected (perfected ) being. One of the latter-day prophets said something to the effect, As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become. There are some passages that imply such, but I think most LDS folks believe it not only because a prophet spoke it, but because it makes sense when taken in context of the entire plan of salvation. Does that answer your first question, Slade? I hope it also gives a good start on the answer to your second question. As I said, Jesus began as a spirit creation of his Heavenly Father. Through the process of birth, death and resurrection, he too became a perfected being, much as LDS theology implies his Father was as well. Essentially, as I understand it, LDS theology teaches that without the resurrection, one cannot become a perfected being. Now, on to your question about attaining Divine Perfection. I'm not quite sure of what you are asking.....or even if I understand what you perceive Divine Perfection to be. I don't think Divine Perfection is a term that LDS folks use. But, IF you think it means the status one needs to become a God, then let me respond by saying that a mortal can achieve that sense of Divine Perfection by becoming perfect, as we are admonished in Scripture. By perfect, I believe that encompasses forsaking sin, and learning to live righteously......if not in this life, in the next. It also means to gain a resurrected and glorified body, which would have been impossible without Christ's sacrifice and subsequent redeeming resurrection. And, it means having Christ's atonement propitiate (I hope I'm using the term correctly here) our sins. At the point we no longer sin, and we have attained a glorified resurrected body of flesh and bone, then we can then become one with our Heavenly Father and Jesus. Is that how you perceive Divine Perfection, Slade? DAVEH: I've had many presuppositions tossed on my back in TT before, Slade. I don't mind that happening IF given the chance to explain my perspective. However, I've found in the past that even after explaining my beliefs to Protestants, they oft times continue telling me that I believe otherwise. I don't expect anybody to change to my way of thinking just because I explain my beliefs. But I've always been curious why folks don't accept that I believe as I tell them I believe. DAVEH: No problem. As long as you realize that we define many things differently, it makes having discussions easier if we define our terms as we go.
-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dave Hansen [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.langlitz.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you wish to receive things I find interesting, I maintain Five email lists... JOKESTER, OPINIONS, LDS, STUFF and MOTORCYCLE. |
