Will Men Become Gods?

by Brian A. Yeager

The Mormons (Church of Christ of Latter-Day Saints) are known for holding many views which are contrary to God’s word.  One of those views is that man can become God.  In fact, they teach that God was once a man.  Notice the following Mormon teachings and we will then examine the subject matter from God’s word:

1. "We believe in a God who is Himself progressive, whose majesty is intelligence; whose perfection consists in eternal advancement -- a Being who has attained His exalted state by a path which now His children are permitted to follow, whose glory it is their heritage to share. In spite of the opposition of the sects, in the face of direct charges of blasphemy, the Church proclaims the eternal truth: 'As man is, God once was; as God is, man may be.'" (LDS Apostle James E. Talmage, Articles of Faith, Ch.24, p.430 - p.431, LDS Collectors Library '97 CD-ROM)
2. "It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, the inspired word continues, 'and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another, and that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did.' The Father is a glorified, perfected, resurrected, exalted man who worked out his salvation by obedience to the same laws he has given to us so that we may do the same." (LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.64, LDS Collectors Library '97 CD-ROM)
3. "Thus, on this beautiful spring morning in the Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith witnessed the renewal of God's dealing with his children in accordance with the great gospel plan of redemption. Upon this occasion God the Father and his Beloved Son Jesus Christ appearing as glorified Resurrected Beings unto a chosen servant of God, made known once again the state of immortality which man will attain in preparation for the next estate of eternity; that also the world once again could know the reality of the personal nature of God the Father and his Beloved Son." (LDS Apostle Alvin R. Dyer, Conference Report, April 1963, p.49 - p.50, LDS Collectors Library '97 CD-ROM)
4. "God: Creator And Ruler Of Many Worlds. -- While it is true that evolutionists may be divided between theistic and atheistic groups, yet most of those professing belief in God consider him to be an indefinable force, essence, or power of an incomprehensible nature. According to revelation, however, he is a personal Being, a holy and exalted Man, a glorified, resurrected Personage having a tangible body of flesh and bones, an anthropomorphic Entity, the personal Father of the spirits of all men." (D. & C. 130:22- 23; Moses 6:51, 57; Abra. 3:22-24; Jos. Smith 2:16-19.)
5. "Intelligent beings are organized to become Gods, even the Sons of God, to dwell in the presence of the Gods, and become associated with the highest intelligences that dwell in eternity. We are now in the school, and must practice upon what we receive." (LDS President Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, p.245, LDS Collectors Library '97 CD-ROM)

Was God Ever a Man?

The Book of Mormon would have God be a man of flesh and bones: “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s..." (D&C 130:22).  Yet, the word of God says He is a spirit: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).  Furthermore, Jesus said: “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:39).  Already, we have destroyed the premise of the doctrine set by the Mormons that we can be like God because He is like us.

The question I would have for a Mormon would be: who created God?  God establishes that He is the creator of all things (Ephesians 3:9).  God is the “high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity” (Isaiah 57:15).  The word of God establishes that God is an eternal being (Deuteronomy 33:27, Psalms 41:13; 90:2; 93:2; 100:5; 103:17; 105:10; 106:48; 145:13, Proverbs 8:23, Isaiah 9:6; 57:15, Jeremiah 10:10, Ezekiel 16:60, Daniel 4:3; 4:34; 7:14; 27, Romans 1:20, Ephesians 3:11, 1 Timothy 1:17, Titus1:2,  Hebrews 9:12; 9:14, 1 John 1:2; 5:20, and Revelation 1:18).  The Bible shows us not only that God always will be, but that He also always was.  God is from everlasting to everlasting: “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psalms 90:2).  If someone or something created God, who or what is it?  Does that not defy the sovereignty of God?  Surely, one has to understand the absurd idea that we will become gods likened to God.

Will Men Become Gods?

Men were created and exist to be servants of God (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).  God has been very clear that He alone is God: “I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me…  Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me” (Isaiah 45:5; 46:9).  If a man is to be equal with God that is news to Him.  God establishes that there is only one God (Ephesians 4:6).

When the time comes for the world to end we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ (II Corinthians 5:10; cf. II Peter 3:10-12).  At that time we will not be promoted to be gods.  Judgment Day will be a time wherein we will be either rewarded with life everlasting or punished with everlasting damnation (Matthew 25:31-46).  Just as going to hell will not make you the devil, going to heaven will not make you God.

To be even clearer, God has spoken and answered this absurd question.  Our Eternal Father in Heaven has declared the following: “Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me” (Isaiah 43:10).  Contrary to what Joseph Smith recorded in the Book of Mormon, “God is not a man…” (Numbers 23:19).  That should be the proverbial nail in the coffin to those who teach that men will become gods.

Conclusion

It may be amazing to true Bible students that anyone would claim that they could one day become a god.  We, as Christians, ought to behave ourselves in a godly manner (II Peter 1:4-10), but that does not mean we will become gods.  One might argue that Jesus was a man and he became God.  Yet, one who would argue such has missed some obvious truths.  Firstly, Christ always was God (John 1:1-5 and I Timothy 3:16).  Secondly, Jesus came in the flesh but He never ceased being God.  The state of God consists of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit (I John 5:7; cf. Acts 5:4-5, Romans 1:7, and Hebrews 1: 8).  Man will forever be in subjection to God (I Corinthians 11:1).  When we stand before the throne of God in eternity it will be to worship Him (Revelation 4:10).

In conclusion, we will let the inspired words of Moses be declared making this subject fully covered: “Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him.  Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.  And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt; To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day.  Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else” (Deuteronomy 4:35-39).