Children of God

Lorenzo Snow, 5th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints taught, "As man is, God once was; and as God is, man may become.” Mainstream Christianity has criticized the Church of Jesus Christ over this doctrine more than any other. It's as if they say, "For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." But just as Jesus answered his accusers, we say, "Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;" (John 10: 34).

Paul taught that God and "Jesus Christ [are] the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Heb. 13: 8). If God was once like man, then how could he have become God and call himself an unchangeable being? God is unchangeable, but that doesn't mean he does not continue to create, and increase in power and glory. God is a dynamic, not a static being. He is unchangable in the sense that he is always eternally progressing.

The scriptures also teach that God is Endless and Eternal and was God from the beginning(Moses 7: 35). How could God once be a man and call himself God from the beginning? It seems this concept creates a paradox. If God is Eternal, without beginning or end, then why does the Bible talk about a beginning at all. Well, there is no beginning to God or us. But there is seems to be a particular point at which our eternal intelligence was organized as sons and daughters of God. And once it is understood that man is God "en embryo" and A human child isn't any less human than a grownup just because it is not fully mature, then it is clear how God was always God, even as he passed though the same mortality that we are now. Support for this important concept resides in the name God chooses to call himself. God calls himself Man of Holiness just as Jesus Christ, the son of God, calls himself the Son of Man (Moses 7: 35).

Mainstream Christianity claims that this idea of divine potential or that man can become like God would cause the problem of "too many chiefs and not enough indians." The truth is that there is no other god that we worship than Our Heavenly Father. And no other god will ever take His place. But, after this life when one receives the gift of exaltation and Eternal Life, than a righteous husband and wife will have their power of creation added upon and expanded. How important it is then for us to protect the sacred power of pro-creation that God has given us. If we abuse it (hide our talent) then it will be taken from us and given to another (Matt. 25: 29). God wants all men to be chiefs. God doesn't want to be a god of pets, he wants to be a God of Glory, and glorious beings. John and Paul taught that when the Millennial Christ comes, he will rule and reign not as a king of sheep and goats or dogs and cats; but as the "King of kings, Lord of lords," the High Priest of high priests, and the God of gods (1 Tim. 6: 15)(Rev. 17: 14)(Rev. 19: 16).

But wasn't it Satan's plan to become like God? No, It was Satan's plan to take the place of God. It is God's plan to help all of his children become like he is. God wants us to be equal with him. Satan wants to be better than God and us. As equals with God, we would continue to give God all the praise and glory. Satan wanted to steal our agency and chance at Eternal Life. He wanted all the praise and glory for himself. We lived with God before coming to Earth. So, why come down to Earth, and risk hell and damnation, if we are just going to return to live with God no better than we started. Lucifer preyed on our fear of coming to Earth, by proposing a counterfeit plan were we would come to earth, not be tempted, not have agency, and possibly not have a vale over our memory. We would all return to Heaven the same as before we left; nothing ventured, nothing gained. It is God's plan to place a vale over our memory, where we could not remember our "former life and birth." And we would be given agency to choose to follow God and accept the grace of Jesus Christ. Those that accept the grace of Christ would receive Eternal Life, the greatest gift of God.

The Bible teaches that there is only one God (1 Tim. 2: 5, Eph. 4: 5). How can man become like God if there is only one true God. There is only one God we worship. But the Bible teaches that Elohim (the gods) helped direct the creation of the heavens and the Earth. Elohim (the gods) said, "let us make man in our image" (Gen. 1: 26). The Bible talks about the Hosts of Heaven, and a Heavenly Council of gods. Salvation is only in and through the saving grace of Jesus Christ and we only pray and worship one God in the name of Christ. But through the great plan of happiness and salvation, all men and women have the potential to become members of God's heavenly council (Ps. 82: 1).

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 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" (Rom. 8: 17).

“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9.)

"Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" (Heb. 12: 9)

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17: 3).

"I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High" (Ps. 82: 6).

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 Jn. 3: 2).

God commands us to be holy, even as he is holy (1 Pet. 1: 15-16),(Lev. 20: 7). God commands us to be perfect, even as he is perfect (Matt. 5: 48). And we are commanded to be filled with godly love (charity), as God is love (Matt. 5: 48),(1 Jn. 4: 8, 16). Can we really be holy, can we really be perfect, can we really know God, unless we desire what God desires, know what God knows, and do what God does. God says that Eternal Life is to know God? Eternal Life isn't just life with God. We lived with God before we were born. Eternal Life means life like God.