Mormonism in a
Nutshell
Mormonism teaches that God used to be a man on another world and that he became a god by
following the laws and ordinances of his god on his home world. In his present god-state,
he rules our world. He has a body of flesh and bones and, according to Mormonism, he has a
wife, a goddess wife. Since they are both exalted persons, they each possess physical
bodies. In their exalted states as deities, they produce spirit children that grow and
mature in the spiritual realm. The first spirit born was Jesus. Afterwards were born the
devil and all other spirit creatures. After the spirit children are born to god and his
goddess wife in heaven, they come down and entered into the bodies of human babies that
are being born on earth. During this ‘compression' into the infant state, the
memories of their pre-existence is 'veiled.' All people were, according to Mormonism, born
in heaven first and then on earth where they are to grow, learn, and return to god.
God the father, who is called Elohim, was concerned for the
future salvation of the people on earth. In the heavenly realm, the Father had a plan for
the salvation of the world. Jesus endorsed the Father's plan. Lucifer did not. Lucifer
became jealous and rebelled. In his rebellion he convinced a large portion of the spirits
existing in heaven to side with him and oppose god. God being more powerful then they,
cursed these rebellious spirits to become demons.
The remaining spirits sided with God. Since they
chose the better way, when it comes time for them to live on earth, they have the
privilege of being born in races and locations that are relative to their condition and
choice made in the spirit realm.1
In the Mormon plan of salvation there needed to be a
savior: Jesus. But Jesus was a spirit in heaven. For him to be born on earth, Brigham
Young the second prophet of the Mormon church said that instead of letting any other man
do it, God the Father did it with Mary. He said that the birth of our savior was as
natural as the birth of our parents. Essentially, what this means is that god the father
came down and had relations with Mary, his spirit daughter, to produce the body of Jesus.
Jesus, then, was born, got married, and had children.2 He died
on the cross and paid for sins not on the cross only, but in the garden of Gethsemane
before he went to the cross.
Mormon men and women have the potential of becoming gods.
President Lorenzo Snow said, "As god once was, man is. As God is, man may
become." In order to reach this exalted state a person must first become a good
Mormon, pay a full ten percent tithe to the Mormon church, follow various laws and
ordinances of the church, and be found worthy. Afterwards, he or she can enter a
Mormon temple and go through secret rituals: baptism for the dead, celestial marriage, and
various oaths of secrecy and commitment. Additionally, four secret handshakes are taught
so the believing Mormon, upon entering the third level of Mormon heaven, can shake hands
with god in a certain pattern. This celestial ritual is for the purpose of permitting
entrance into that level of heaven.3
For those who achieve this highest of heavens, exaltation
to godhood awaits them. Then, he or she, will be permitted to have his or her own planet
and be the god of his own world and the Mormon system will be expanded to other planets.
Please see What does Mormonism teach?
for further documentation of Mormon beliefs.
______________________
1. Page 616 of Mormon Doctrine by Bruce R.
McConkie
2. Jedediah M. Grant, second Counselor to Brigham Young said so in
Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, pp. 345-346.
Apostle Orson Hyde stated it in, vol. 2: 210, 328; vol. 4:259-260; vol.
13:309; Millennial Star, Vol. 15, p. 825; The Seer, page 172, 158, -- Note:
These references are not official Mormon scripture and there is disagreement in acceptance
of this teaching among Mormons.
3. What's Going on in There? An Exposing of the Secret
Mormon Temple Rituals, by Bob Witte & Gordon H. Fraser. Gordon Fraser,
Publisher.
Return to the Mormon
Page
CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS
AND RESEARCH MINISTRY
Contact CARM by email or at www.carm.org
Copyright by Matthew J. Slick, 1998. All rights reserved
Most of this site is assembled in the Apologetics
Notebook
|
