Apparently there is a colony of insects in the basement of my building that worships me as a God. As offerings, they bring me dead rats and paper bits from the wastebin dipped in sludge and fried in sugar. It’s problematic.

Slightly more exciting is the fact that these insects are apparently descended from intergalactic travellers from a tiny planet orbiting a star near Sirius. The native insectoids there worship me too. They beam me recordings of hymns and videos of passion plays and temple orgies conducted in my honour (the earth sect is considerably more straightlaced and very much into tales about the corridors and songs of the darkness in the basement and the light that shines from under my door).

So far this hasn’t affected the rest of my life in any positive way – if anything, the neighbours give me dirty looks regarding the rodent corpses. But whenever I feel a bit low, I remember my devotees and smile to myself.

I’m forty-five, still single, with hardly any friends, parents that hate me, and a job that’s never going to change or lead me anywhere in life. Considering all of this, it’s nice to be loved.

     Signs of another rapidly approaching Christmas are all around us.  Therefore it is only appropriate to address the question of who is it whose birth we celebrate each Christmas.   As is the case with so many other teachings, Mormonism answers this uniquely. 

     After quoting the angel’s announcement of Christ’s birth to Mary as it is recorded in Luke 1:35, Gospel Principles goes on to say, “Thus, God the Father became the literal Father of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the only person on earth to be born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father.  That is why He is the called the Only Begotten Son.” (p.53)   Although Christians have frequently portrayed this LDS teaching crassly and wrongly, it still must be acknowledged that Mormonism and Christianity view Jesus’ conception very differently.  I know of no Christian church that would agree with the above quotation.

     Another answer that Mormonism gives to this question is that Jesus was “the great Jehovah of the Old Testament”.  I have always found this puzzling for a couple of reasons.  In the King James Version, “Jehovah” is consistently translated with LORD (all capitals).  And quite often it is found in the combination LORD God.  In the original Hebrew this is literally Jehovah Elohim.  This is interesting because Mormonism identifies Elohim as the Father.  Therefore, in Mormonism, LORD God translates into Son, Father – quite an awkward construction.  But what is even more striking is that often the LORD God speaks in the singular, not in the plural.  For example, “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone.  I will make him an help meet for him.” (Genesis 2:18)  Why would the Bible so frequently use LORD God as a description of one person when it is, according to Mormonism, two persons?

     But it gets even more complicated.  For example, the LDS Bible rightfully refers Isaiah 50 to the Messiah.  One of the things it states in its chapter heading is “Messiah shall have the tongue of the learned.”  That refers to verse 6 which states:  “The LORD God has given me the tongue of the learned.”  Again, if LORD (Jehovah) is Christ then this has Christ giving Christ the tongue of the learned.

     Or how does Mormonism handle Isaiah 45:21?  “who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? And there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.”  How does the Father fit into that verse? God here is again the Hebrew Elohim.  Therefore Jesus here is saying that he is Elohim.   And how could Jesus be God before coming to earth and receiving a body, since, according to Mormonism, having a physical body is essential for godhood?

     Who is Jesus? As can be seen, Mormonism answers that question quite differently from Christianity.  Although it is not usually meant in this way, it is true that Mormonism has a different Jesus than Christianity.

     I spent a good portion of October traveling to various speaking engagements.  After spending a lot of time in airports and on planes, it’s good to be home for awhile.

     Once again on this trip I met various people who questioned my assertion that Mormonism teaches that people can become gods.   Almost all questioned that because they had Mormon friends who told them that Mormonism doesn’t teach that.  Although I have talked about this in the past, it needs to be addressed again.

     As it so happened, I received the new edition of Gospel Principles shortly before I left, so I had opportunity to read it while I was traveling.  Gospel Principles is the basic manual that gives on overview of LDS teachings.  It is revised about every five or six years.

     Therefore when somebody questioned my statement about Mormonism teaching that people can become gods, all I had to do was point them to p. 277 and the chapter on exaltation.  There it simple says, “They will become gods (see D&C 132:20-23).”  

     Here are a couple other statements from Gospel Principles that support this.  “We learned that if we followed His plan, we would become like Him.  We would be resurrected; we would have all power in heaven and earth; we would become heavenly parents and have spirit children just as He does (see D&C 132:19-20).” (my emphasis)  “Having all power in heaven and earth” – that’s quite a statement.

     Or what about this one?  “Everyone who becomes like Heavenly Father eventually knows all things.”  (p. 128).  First omnipotence.  Now omniscience.  Both are characteristics of God.

     Yes, Mormonism does teach that people can become gods.  Why then do so many Mormons deny that?  Some probably are unaware of it.  Some members of the LDS Church have told me that they probably don’t admit it to me or other Christians because they know we are not asking the question sincerely.  That’s quite an act of judgment.  At least in regard to the Christians I recently talked with, that didn’t seem to be the case at all.  They were just trying to verify with their Mormon friends some things they had heard about Mormonism.

     I don’t know how many times Mormons have told me that if I want to learn about Mormonism, I shouldn’t listen to Christian observers of it, but talk directly to Mormons.  That would be good advice if most Mormons accurately articulated Mormonism’s beliefs.  In the case of this teaching, that has not been my experience – or the experience of many others.

I have thought a great deal about Hera over the past few months, and I must say that I am developing some fairly intense spiritual feelings about her. So intense that it’s like my heart can’t really pin them down. They’re too overwhelming for me to really be able to contain, so it’s like they slip out of my emotional fingers all of the time.

I haven’t spent much time in prayer or worship to Hera, and I have not made many sacrifices or libations to her. I think I need to change that, because I feel like Hera exerts a powerful influence on my family.

This is a spiritual experience that is different from what I have encountered with other gods and goddesses, because it relates to my whole family. Thus, I as an individual soul I am only tangental to Her presence, as opposed to the deeply personal way I have experienced Aphrodite and Dionysus.

On the other hand, I have the distinct impression that Hera is deeply and much more personally involved with my beautiful and sexy wife. When I see her in her gently soft but powerfully strong role as a wife and a mother, I feel Hera’s power crackle around her like some kind of divine lightning (a deliberately-chosen simile).

One odd thing is the extent to which I feel that Hera is a mother-goddess as much or more than (or perhaps as an inseparable part of) she is a goddess of marriage and of wives. This isn’t really a particularly significant aspect of Hera in classical sources, which is why it’s odd. Usually Demeter is the goddess most closely associated with motherhood.

I ran across one possible explanation on one of the Hellenic Polytheist fora I frequent (I’d love to give credit where credit is due,but for the life of me I can not remember where it was): someone explained that Aphrodite, Demeter, and Hera are all goddesses of Sex, Motherhood, and Marriage (the three are intimately connected, after all), but with each of the three goddesses, one of those aspects is primary and the others are tertiary.

If that is so, then perhaps my impression of Hera is not so odd (or heretical… a “Hera-sy?”) after all. It is possible that my wife and family have a specific connection to Hera that transcends her most typical godly attributes. I’m not necessarily claiming that we are special to Hera or chosen by her for favor (although given our stable family life and happy marriage it does seem like she has blessed us richly), but just that our relationship with her is particular and unique, in the way that all meaningful relationships are.

In any case, I find myself wanting to honor and worship Hera much more than ever before, and ideally to do so as a family, in response to the incredible blessings she has given us.

     One important area where Mormonism differs from the Bible is in its view of the natural condition of the human race.  It has a much more optimistic view of humanity.

     This comes out in a number of ways.  It talks about how just the fact that we are on earth is an indication of our faithfulness in the pre-existence.  “You had the power to choose even before you were born. . .Your presence on earth confirms that you exercised your agency to follow Heavenly Father’s plan.”  (True to the Faith).

     At times, it describes people as “gods in embryo”.  (See the quote in the last post.)  That quote also is an example of how it teaches that people can become a God.

     Lying at the foundation of all this is the idea that Adam’s and Eve’s Fall was good.  “Some people believe Adam and Eve committed a serious sin when they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  However, latter-day scriptures help us understand that their fall was a necessary step in the plan of life and a great blessing to all of us.  Because of the Fall, we are blessed with physical bodies, the right to choose between good and evil, and the opportunity to gain eternal life.  None of these privileges would have been ours had Adam and Eve remained in the garden.”  (Gospel Principles, p.33)

     All of these things combine to give a picture of humanity that is quite optimistic.  That stands in stark contrast to what the Bible says.

     Instead of having the ability to choose between good and evil, God said:  “for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21).  What is so striking about that is that God said that after the Flood – when Noah and his family constituted the whole human race!  Even then God did not have an optimistic view of humanity.  Instead of talking about an innate right to choose between good and evil, he said that even a person’s inclination is evil. 

     Other scriptures support this.  “God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.  Every one of them is gone back; they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”  (Psalm 53:2-3.)  That is all inclusive.  None were seeking God – all have become filthy – none does good.  Wouldn’t choosing the right be doing something good?

     Because of humanity’s inherent evilness, we couldn’t do anything to become worthy and acceptable to Heavenly Father.  Jesus had to do everything.  And he did!  He drowned my sins in the depths of the sea.  He completely covered me with his perfection.  I am saved, not by grace after all I can do as Mormonism teaches.  I am saved by grace alone as the Bible teaches.

              As is evidenced by comments on this blog, there exists a communication problem between Christians and Mormons.  Mormons complain that Christians don’t understand them.  Christians say the same thing about Mormons.  Charges of misunderstanding and misrepresentation fly back and forth.  Therefore I offer the following in the hope that is will both help Christians understand Mormonism’s plan of salvation and help Mormons understand some of the difficulties Christians have with it.

     Although, in Mormonism, it is referred to as the plan of salvation, from a Christian perspective it is easier understood as a plan of maturity.  Salvation, to a Christian, means going to heaven.  In Mormonism, as is evidenced by its plan, very few people don’t go to heaven.  Therefore, from a Christian perspective, almost everybody will be saved, even if they have no belief in Jesus.  The lowest kingdom of LDS heaven is the telestial kingdom.  “Telestial glory will be reserved for individuals who ‘received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus’ (D&C 76:84, 106).” (True to the Faith)  In other words, if a person rejects Jesus, in Mormonism, they will still be saved, according to Christian terminology.

     Why then does Mormonism have such a detailed plan of salvation?  Seeing it as a plan of maturity rather than as a plan salvation helps clear up some of the confusion for Christians.  The plan takes a person from being a spirit child in pre-existence, to growing maturity on earth as they overcome bodily temptations, to more maturity in the spirit world, until finally, the worthy ones reach exaltation and become gods.  Instead of talking about maturity, however, Mormonism prefers talking about a person’s progression. 

     Another Mormon expression that fits into this description is the description of themselves as “gods in embryo”.  Consider the following quote from the LDS manual, “Achieving a Celestial Marriage”.  The heading of this section is entitled “MEN ARE GODS IN EMBRYO.” 

     “’Man is the child of God, formed in the divine image and endowed with divine attributes, and even as the infant son of our earthly father and mother is capable in due time of becoming a man, so the undeveloped offspring of celestial parentage is capable by experience through ages of aeons, of evolving into a God.’ (The First Presidency [Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, Anthon H. Lund], “The Origin of Man,” Improvement Era, Nov. 1908, p.81.)”

     If we truly think the differences between Mormonism and Christianity are substantial, then it is is important to try and communicate clearly with each other.  Hopefully this is one step in that direction.

     Once again in the recent General Conference there were a number of references to exaltation and eternal life.  For example, Elder D. Todd Christofferson said,   “If we are faithful to the covenants made there, we become inheritors not only of the celestial kingdom but of exaltation, the highest glory within the heavenly kingdom, and we obtain all the divine possibilities God can give (see D&C 132:20).”

     D&C 132:20 says:  “Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things aren’t subject unto them.  Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.” 

     In a similar vein Elder Quentin L. Cook said:  “The desire of our hearts, of course, is not only to acquire salvation and immortality but also to attain eternal life with a loving Father in Heaven and our Savior in the celestial kingdom with our families.”  This is in the same vein because eternal life equals exaltation and thus equals becoming a god.  (For example, as the True to the Faith Manual explains eternal life it simply says, “eternal life, or exaltation.”)

     With eternal life and exaltation regularly referred to and striving for it is regularly encouraged, it is puzzling to me that a common reaction I have received from Mormons when I asked them are they striving to become a god is denial!  Some have been quite fervent in saying that if they remain obedient, they might become like god, but they don’t think that they will become a god.  In fact this reaction has been so common that I find it refreshing when a Mormon agrees with this foundational teaching of Mormonism!  When that happens, we can at least talk about that issue and not debate whether or not Mormonism teaches that.

     Do me a favor.  The next time you are with your LDS friend or family member, ask them if they are striving to be a god.  I would be curious if you get the same reaction I often get.

     And to my LDS friends – is asking that question in anyway offensive – if it is asked sincerely and politely?

Here are notes from a recent apologetics workshop I was privileged to lead in Oklahoma. Our love of Mormons — and more importantly God’s love of members of the LDS Church — should compel us to share the following truths with those who sincerely, even passionately, defend the teachings of Joseph Smith.

Every Christian should reject the Mormon doctrine of salvation for four important reasons:

1. It minimizes Christ’s work on the cross
2. It is universal in scope
3. It is works based
4. It makes godhood the goal

1.  It minimizes Christ’s work on the cross.

What Mormons teach:

• Mormonism emphasizes Christ’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane rather than the cross; perhaps that is one reason Moroni, not a cross, stands atop Mormon temples.
• “Forgiveness is available because Christ the Lord sweat great drops of blood in Gethsemane as he bore the incalculable weight of the sins of all who ever had or ever would repent” (Apostle Bruce McConkie, The Promised Messiah, 337).
• Mormon leaders have taught that Christ’s atoning sacrifice began in the Garden of Gethsemane. They have drawn this teaching from two passages: Mosiah 3:7 in the Book of Mormon, and D&C 19:15-19.
• President Ezra Taft Benson: “It was in Gethsemane that Jesus took on Himself the sins of the world, in Gethsemane that His pain was equivalent to the cumulative burden of all men, in Gethsemane that He descended below all things so that all could repent and come to Him” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 14).
• “… it was in Gethsemane that ‘he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come to him’” (Bruce McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, 127-28, 224).
• “Where and under what circumstances was the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God made? Was it on the Cross of Calvary or in the Garden of Gethsemane? … In reality the pain and suffering, the triumph and grandeur, of the atonement took place primarily in Gethsemane” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 774).

What the Bible says:

• The New Testament mentions Gethsemane only twice (Matt. 26:36; Mark 14:32) and never attaches  Christ’s anguish there as having anything to do with atonement.
• Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson write in Mormonism 101: “By emphasizing the Garden of Gethsemane, LDS leaders miss a significant point regarding the atonement. The expiation of sin (making amends for wrongdoing) was not based on the substitute’s perspiration, it was based on his expiration” (p. 145).
• See Rom. 5:8, 10; 1 Cor. 1:18; Heb. 9:22.

2.  It is universal is scope.

What Mormons teach:

• Mormon leaders have taught that the atonement of Jesus Christ releases the “human family” from the consequences of Adam’s fall and allows a general resurrection from the dead. It also makes available the forgiveness of personal sins on the condition of repentance.
• “Everyone, from the most righteous to the most wretched, will be resurrected and will live forever in the next life…. By breaking the bands of death, Jesus Christ overcame death, and all will live again. In this respect, we are saved by grace unconditionally” (What do Mormons Believe, 38).
• Bruce McConkie explains: “Salvation in its true and full meaning is synonymous with exaltation or eternal life and consists in gaining an inheritance in the highest of the three heavens within the celestial kingdom…. Salvation in the celestial kingdom of God, however, is not salvation by grace alone. Rather, it is salvation by grace coupled with obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel” (Mormon Doctrine, 670-71).

What the Bible says:

• The Bible teaches that not all will be saved (Matt. 7:13-14, 21-23; Rev. 20:11-15), although all will be resurrected and stand in judgment (John 5:28-9; Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor. 3:10-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:11-15).

3.  It is works based.

What Mormons teach:

• “One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation” (President Spencer Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, 206).
• “Resurrection” is how the LDS Church defines “general salvation.”
• Bruce McConkie said that salvation by grace alone is the second greatest heresy on Christianity … a “soul-destroying doctrine [that] has the obvious effect of lessening the determination of an individual to conform to all of the laws and ordinances of the gospel” (Mormon Doctrine, 670-71).
• Apostle James Talmage said “redemption from personal sins can only be obtained through obedience to the requirements of the gospel, and a life of good works….The sectarian dogma of justification by faith alone has exercised an influence for evil” and is a “pernicious doctrine” (The Articles of Faith, 478-80).
• Brigham Young: “Who will be saved in the celestial kingdom, and go into the presence of the Father and Son? Those only who observe the whole law, who keep the commandments of God – those who walk in the newness of life, observe all his precepts and do his will” (Journal of Discourses, 14:133).

What the Bible says:

• The Bible clearly teaches that forgiveness of sins and everlasting life are gifts of God, given by grace and received by faith (John 5:24; Rom. 4:4-5; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).

4.  It makes godhood the goal.

What Mormons teach:

• “As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become” (Lorenzo Snow, 5^th LDS president).
• Every person is destined for one of six places: 1) outer darkness – for those who did not receive mortal bodies, and for apostate Mormons and other extremely wicked people; 2) telestial kingdom, where the wicked will spend eternity; 3) terrestrial kingdom, where honorable people go, including “lukewarm” Mormons; 4-6) celestial kingdom, consisting of three separate levels, with the top level reserved for Mormon exaltation.
• Scripture passages misused to prove this point: 1 Cor. 15:40; 2 Cor. 12:2-4).
• Doctrine & Covenants 131:1, 4 makes reference to the highest level of celestial glory, where Mormon progress may continue. Faithful Mormons reside here eternally with their families, and Mormon males become gods of their newly inherited worlds.
• The highest level of the celestial kingdom is known as the Church of the Firstborn. Here a Mormon may experience exaltation or godhood.
• Those in the celestial kingdom not found worthy of godhood will become angels and serve in a subservient role.
• “Eternal increase” includes the ability to procreate throughout eternity. Just as the Mormon god continually populates his earth, so it is taught that Mormon males and their goddess wives will have the ability to populate the worlds they will inherit.

What the Bible says:

• Heaven and hell are the only two destinations that await humanity (Matt. 25:46; John 14:1-3; 2 Cor. 5:8; Rev. 14:9-11; 19:11-16; 20:10-15; 21-22).
• In heaven the family of God spends eternity praising Him and dwelling in His glory (not ours).
• Those who reject God’s gift of salvation are condemned (John 3:18; Rev. 20:15).

Summary

The Mormon doctrine of salvation:

• Minimizes Christ’s work on the cross and emphasizes His suffering in the garden.
• Is universal in that “general salvation” means resurrection.
• Is works-based, meaning the level of heaven one achieves is based on his or her works as judged by Mormonism.
• Has godhood as its goal.

The Biblical doctrine of salvation:

• Emphasizes Christ’s work on the cross. The “One who did not know sin” became sin for us  (2 Cor. 5:21).
• Involves the “whole man” (body, soul, spirit) but not all men.
• Is granted by God’s grace through faith, apart from human effort.
• Has Christlikeness – not godhood – as its goal.

Copyright 2009 by Rob Phillips

Biblical Teaching on the Godhood of the Lord Jesus Christ

Outlined from the Bible by Bro. Mario I. Quitoriano
The Trinitarian All For Jesus Ekklesia Of The Lord God

I. The Godhood of the Lord Jesus (Matt. 1:21), God the Son (Matt. 3:17; 17:1-5; Heb. 1:8-9; Jn. 20:31; 3:16-18), the Second Person of the Trinity (Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14), who became Incarnate (Jn. 1:14; Phil. 2:6-8), the Messiah (Matt. 16:18; Matt. 22:41-45) is taught in the Bible in three different ways:

1. through explicit statements

2. through implication

3. through the Lord Jesus Christ’s functions

A. Explicit claim of the Lord Jesus Christ about His Godhood. (Rev. 21:6-7)

1. The speaker here is the Alpha and the Omega. Relating this to Rev. 1:7-8, it becomes evident that the Alpha and the Omega is the Lord Jesus Christ for these verses tell about the Alpha and the Omega as the One who “cometh with the clouds and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him and all kindreds on earth shall wail because of him.”

a. Matt. 24:30 say the same thing of the Lord Jesus Christ – “and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Compare Mk. 13:26; Lk. 21:27; Acts 1:9-11; Dan. 7:13)

b. It is God the Son on the cross who was pierced (Jn. 19:34, 37) for it was the only begotten of the Father who became flesh.

c. Of the three Persons of the Trinity, God the Father cannot be seen by anyone at anytime (Jn. 1:18; I Tim. 6:16), God the Son is the directly self-revealing visible image of the invisible God [Father] (Col. 1:15; Tit. 2:13-14) while God the Holy Spirit symbolically manifests Himself (e.g., as a dove, Matt. 3:16, or as cloven tongues of fire, Acts 2:3, etc.). It is God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who comes again (Jn. 14:1-3) and appears in his glory and great power (Tit. 2:13 – looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ).

2. This Lord Jesus Christ who reveals Himself as the Alpha and the Omega says of those who overcome the world and inherit all things, “I (Jesus) will be his God and he will be my son.” (Rev. 21:7) This is a specific and explicit claim of the Lord Jesus Christ that He is God…of those who overcome the world by faith in Jesus and they shall be His son (Jn. 1:12).

B. By implication, Jesus claims Himself to be God.

1. Jn. 8:58 – Jesus claims here that before Abraham existed, He is the I AM. This is an expression which denotes His continuing and unchanging existence, or the ever-living One. The expression used by Jesus is similar to the revelation of the Lord God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob who introduced Himself as the Lord God Almighty (Gen. 17:1) who appeared unto Moses in Exo. 3:1-18; 6:1-8 who introduced Himself as the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God Almighty (El Shadday). The term I AM of Jesus is not only an affirmation that He existed before Abraham but an affirmation of the apostle John’s 1:1 that He was in the beginning with God and He was God. Thus, Moses tells about his Lord God in Psalm 90 that “before the mountains were brought forth or before the earth and the world were formed, even from everlasting to everlasting thou (Jesus Christ, the I AM) art God.” (Ps. 90:2) It is therefore implied that Jesus claims Himself to be the Lord God who appeared unto Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and unto Moses who is God from everlasting to everlasting, the ever-living never changing One. This is no other than God the Son Incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Matt. 22:41-45. Here the Lord Jesus asked the Pharisees, “what think ye of Christ? whose son is he?” They answered, “The son of David.” Jesus said, “How then doth David in Spirit call him Lord saying, `the LORD said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool’. (Ps. 110:1) If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?” The Lord Jesus Christ is implying that the Christ is not only the son of David but also his Lord who is the Most High (El Elyon), the Almighty (El Shadday) and his God (Elohim-Creator) whom David trusts (Ps. 91:1-2).

3. Jn. 12:40-41. John wrote that the prophet Isaiah saw the glory of Jesus and spake of Him. The particular verse being referred to in the Book of Isaiah is Chap. 6 verses 1-10. Isaiah saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up and his train filled the temple. The Lord whom Isaiah saw is the King, the LORD of hosts. According to Jn. 12:40-41, Isaiah saw the glory of Jesus and he spake of him. By implication, Jesus is the Lord of hosts whose glory Isaiah saw and whom he spoke of.

4. Jn. 5:18. Here Jesus claimed “God to be His Father (v.17 – My Father worketh hitherto and I work) making himself equal to God.” (Comp. Jn. 10:31-38, esp. v.33)

C. Claim of Jesus Godhood by His mediatorial function vis-à-vis the world.

1. His mediatorial function has three attributes:

a. It is over-all, encompassing both God and man. (I Tim. 2:5-6)

· On the side of God, it was in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, that the eternal purpose of God was realized. (Ephe. 3:11) In the phrase “according to the eternal purpose (of God) which he purposed in Christ Jesus”, the preposition “in” (Gr., en) simultaneously means both locative and instrumental. It can therefore be rephrased as “according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in (locative) and through (instrumental) Christ Jesus”. How was the eternal purpose realized in and through Jesus Christ? Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Every purpose of God is realized in and through Jesus Christ because Jesus is the wisdom (Gr., sophia/God’s wisdom) and enablement (Gr., dunamis/Eng., ability) of God. Without Jesus (power and wisdom of God), the term God is negated because according to the Lord Jesus, “all things are possible with God”. (Matt. 19:26) Therefore, it is implied that Christ is all-knowing, omniscient, (Jn. 21:17 – Peter said to Jesus, `Lord, thou knowest all things’) and rightly applying all knowledge and Christ is all powerful, omnipotent (Rev. 1:8 – Almighty, Gr., pantokrator, the power to create all things from nothing: term pertains only to God). Because of this reason, the eternal purpose of God was realized in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.

· On the side of the createdkind, esp. mankind, Jesus is the mediator of all because in I Tim. 2:5-6, Jesus is not only mediating for God but He is mediating also for man that He gave Himself as a ransom for all (covering all). Jesus is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (Jn. 1:29) No one has done nor can ever do such office of representing God to man except God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ for He is the directly self-revealing God; and no man can represent man to God except the Son of man, Christ Jesus our Lord for He is the eternal High Priest (Heb. 6:20). It is only Jesus Christ who can mediate between God and man for He is both God and man at the same time “for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily and ye (we) are complete in him”. (Col. 2:9-10)

b. It is eternal (Ephe. 3:11; Heb. 7:24-25). The Lord Jesus did not only realized the eternal purpose of God and, therefore, His mediatorship is eternal but “he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” The Lord Jesus eternally lives to do his mediatorial function for those who come to God by Him. There is no point in time and eternity that the Lord Jesus stops to function as the mediator so that the createdkind can come to God the Father directly. Even in the new heavens and new earth, all of the new creation (Rev. 21:1-5) direct and focus their faith, hope, love and service to the Lamb upon the throne (Rev. 22:3-5) because Jesus is the eternal High Priest (Heb. 6:20) and His priesthood is unchangeable (Heb. 7:24).

c. It is voluntary (Heb. 10:5-7: – then said I [Son], Lo, I come to thy will, O God) and in obedience (Phil. 2:6-8: – he became obedient unto death, even death on the cross). The everlasting covenant of God the Father and God the Son and witnessed to by God the Holy Spirit from eternity was entered into voluntarily by the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ that He should become flesh (Jn. 1:14) that He might offer Himself to God through the eternal Spirit as sacrifice that His blood shall purge our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Heb. 9:14)

II. The Seven Mediatorial Function of the Lord Jesus Christ Relative to the World.

A. Creation – making of all things (world; old heavens and old earth; new heavens and new earth; old creation; new creation) from nothing. (Jn. 1:3, 10; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:10-12; Gen. 1:1, 31; Rev. 21:1-5)

B. Ordering/Organizing – all things are in Him, from Him, through Him and for Him (Col. 1:16-17; Rom. 11:36)

C. Provisioning – (Acts 17:25; Ephe. 4:7)

D. Preserving/Keeping – (Acts 17:25; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:2-3)

E. Judging/Classifying – (Jn. 5:22; Matt. 12:30; Jn. 3:16-18, 36; Heb. 9:27)

F. Redeeming/Saving – (Jn. 4:42; I Jn. 4:14; Tit. 2:13-14; I Tim. 2:5-6; I cor. 1:30)

G. Consumating/Finalizing – (Heb. 12:2 – the author and finisher of our faith; Rev. 1:8, the first and the last; Rev. 21:1-7 the Lord Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, shall make all things new for whoever overcomes the world by faith in Jesus. Then Jesus shall be his God and he shall be His son.)

Lord Jesus Christ claims that He is God of those who overcome the world by faith in Jesus and Jesus Himself shall be their God.

Author:  Rev. Mario I. Quitoriano

Biblical Teaching on the Godhood of the Lord Jesus Christ by Rev. Mario I. Quitoriano is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Philippines License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://all4jesus.wordpress.com.

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     In the Feb. 25^th edition of the Meridian Magazine, an online LDS magazine, there was an interesting article entitled, “Why It is Not Good for Man to be Alone.”  One reason why I found it interesting is because it quotes D&C 132:19-20 and talks about Mormonism’s teaching of becoming gods – something that is not seen that often today.

    Especially interesting was how the author strongly connects marriage with the Melchizedek priesthood.  For example, he states:  “Priesthood and marriage are inseparably connected; one without the other is useless.”  “Being acquainted with the law of marriage is not enough; once a man learns of this law, he must obey it or face serious consequences.  Because this law is published openly in the Doctrine and Covenants, no man is left without excuse.”  These are just a couple of sample quotes.

    But the statement that really stood out to me was when he was talking about how Adam was asleep without Eve.  He takes off on that and states: “Clearly man is spiritually asleep until he marries.”  What implications does that have for the thousands of single LDS missionaries?

This was the last of the Fearsmag articles that I wrote. I thought of putting it out tomorrow but I could be nursing a hangover, or more likely sleeping in. That’s one of my indulgences.

In whatever stage of abstinence or feeding our appetites that we managed to survive through the holiday season, we now suffer the aftermath. A new year has begun and in many cultures it becomes a time of reckoning, of cleaning our mental houses, of taking stock and changing or honing up on our past year’s progress.

Often January is a time of making too many promises and setting stakes too high. You might say it’s the time of atonement, whether you’re religious or not, for our past sins, be it laziness, overindulgence, taking on too much, doing too little, not changing, lacking stability, clinging to the past or not planning the future. We try to set past abuses or mistakes right with New Year’s resolutions. If we can whitewash the slate, perhaps we can start fresh and ignore all that’s gone before.

Or not.

Not too many years ago, I decided to stop making resolutions. After all, why set yourself up for a fall? We resolve to make these changes in our lives, often drastic ones, and wonder why we then fail to change. In January, because there’s no planning for holidays, we’re broke from spending too much and have already saturated our flesh with sugar, alcohol, salt and fat; we heroically battle our faults. Start a new year, start a new plan, start right.

And time, which is really just a big wound-up clock that we imagine, unwinds the wheel of the year as well as our plans, which fizzle by March if not earlier.

I guess I learned the lesson. Don’t overindulge through the holidays, then you won’t have to diet yourself down to the right size again. Of course, many people control themselves throughout the year and feel that this is the one time to let loose, to balance the scales even if those scales can be tipped to one side rather quickly and it takes the whole year to get back there again. To indulge or not—the fear to let go, to take the plunge.

We have set ourselves a tricky quest in this new century, as in the old. We want to have it all but we don’t want to wallow in it. Gourmet chocolate shops, delectable world-select coffee bars, elite watering holes holding alcohol from every exotic locale, and the finest clothes made of wondrous fabrics not seen since the Egyptians wove cotton, abound in many countries. We surround ourselves with splendor, covet what we don’t have and continue to search for the most expensive, exquisite or unique of today’s fads.

Well, what’s wrong with having the best, of rewarding ourselves for what we’ve accomplished? Nothing, but those that have too much, who can acquire whatever they desire, who have sailed to the highest pinnacle and hover there, are watched by the heaving millions with envy, jealousy and ridicule.

Like Icarus and his fateful flight toward the sun, we view movie stars, singers, politicians, the famous, the rich and the powerful as those who try for godhood and will fall back to the earth. And like scavenging vultures, we wait to pull them down or help them on their descent. Each and every person wants what is rightfully theirs, perhaps more than a fair share and will seek it out. All of us would like to indulge. Those that do are loved at first. We hold them like beacons in the darkness of our obscurity. They shine as examples of what can be done, of what-ifs made real and that some people can have it all. Yet, if they stay too long in the flame, we burn them with our scorn. We hold their lives up to that oh-so-bright light and examine every pore, every crack, every flaw.

Michael Jackson is no longer a rising star. His comet is falling and he receives as much ridicule as adoration, not for his music but for his life that, like any one of ours, cannot stand the polished gleam of godhood for long. Let’s face it, people are hypocrites. It’s all right if I have it, if my loved ones and friends have it, but if others have it and I have to watch for too long, well that’s just not right. Just like the dog that’s done his business in the wrong spot, eventually he gets his nose rubbed in it. Those who have and indulge end up rubbing our noses in it. Not the same as the dog. It’s not necessarily intentional, but many people see this material flaunting as the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots. And perhaps there are the unspoken messages that we really don’t like to hear: Could I have done more? Am I doing anything with my life? Will I amount to anything? Does anything I do matter? Will I be remembered after I die? Why have I failed when others have succeeded?

So it is that to indulge, in more than one culture or religion, is seen as a sin, a luring to the dark side, a vice. Indulgence in itself is not necessarily bad. You can indulge someone, let him or her cry, or rant or be a little crazy once in a while. It makes you look magnanimous, open-minded, loving. Having a little chocolate or getting looped or dancing the dawn into being is okay, once in a while. But do it all the time and you become a pig, a dilettante, a bohemian, a hedonist, a self-centered creature. The names abound.

In the end, our indulgences are our own but it’s our society that really let’s us know what’s not right and what is considered overindulgence. So, don’t make a resolution, until you’re ready to, whether it’s January 1st, March 19th or November 23rd. In the end, it matters only to you, and society, your friends or other forces like your body will tell you when to change. Indulge a little but don’t parade it in front of others. And before you indulge, ask yourself, with just a little fear lacing your veins, am I ready for what it will do to me and how others will see me?

Happy New Year. May your indulgences keep you healthy.

quill in hand i brood

contemplating the vast landscape of creation with unseeing eyes, searching within myself for fantasy

the quill has no gender, no emotion, no power over me

it is a tool

i await inspiration as the tale cries within me

with the first drop of ink the quill bleeds life into creation

at first the characters whisper, quietly begging to be released, stumbling across the landscape, lost as newborns to reality

i give blood to creation.  with each stroke i give life

characters falls from the quill, gasping for breath, reaching for purpose, struggling to find their place, but growing stronger

slowly, they become

gradually they live

the begin to deserve, to wish, to desire.  their emotions and actions are now theirs to command

they begin to spill from the quill faster as each drop of ink adds to their blood, becoming independent

they taste existence and want more

the tale becomes a raging torrent, an orgasmic wave as they dictate their own lives through my hand.  they will not be restrained.  they are alive, screaming to be heard, to become

the quill is no longer the tool

the writer is no longer God

creation runs into chaos

…

i turn away from creation and with a single hand, crush it and all that cry for existence upon it

a new quill, a fresh start

Godhood is not for me

the next tale will be better

     I use to see them more often, but I still sometimes see the bumper stickers that say, “Families are Forever”.   Even though I don’t see as many bumper stickers spending all eternity with your family remains one of Mormonism’s more attractive teachings.

     But what I have found is that a lot of Mormons don’t see the connection between having an eternal family and becoming a god.  But that is the connection Mormonism makes.  “Eternal life, or exaltation, is to inherit a place in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, where we will live in God’s presence and continue as families (see D&C 131:1-4)” True to the Faith, p, 52.  Note how the quote includes a reference to D&C 131.  That’s the same section that links exaltation with godhood.  “they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, to their exaltation. . .Then shall they be gods.”  (v. 19-20)  It’s obvious that official Mormonism links having an eternal family with being a god.  “Exaltation consists in the continuation of the family unit in eternity.”  (Life and Teachings of Jesus & His Apostles, p. 130.

     Many Mormons, in the course of a discussion, have mentioned to me how they are looking forward to having an eternal family.  I then ask them if they are then also looking forward to becoming a god.  That is something almost every single one has quickly denied.  After I show them the link Mormonism makes between the two, they often don’t know what to say.

     But what many Christians don’t realize is that the subject of eternal families offers us a wonderful window through which we can witness Christ to our Mormon friends.  According to the Bible, one result of faith – of trusting that Jesus has done everything for us – is becoming a child of God – becoming a member of God’s eternal family.  That, my friends, is a lot more glorious, a lot more attractive, than having my own eternal family.  There is one family that is forever – God’s family.  And you don’t have to get married in the temple to become part of it.  It’s God’s gift to us. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

     I have just returned from a five-day trip to the Midwest where I had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of people about witnessing to Mormons.  (By the way, that’s why I haven’t been on the blog for the last five days.)  More than once people expressed confusion whether or not Mormonism teaches that people can become gods. 

     That confusion is understandable.  Many Mormons have told their Christian friends that Mormonism doesn’t teach that.   I have had many LDS members say that very thing to me.  And maybe they honestly don’t know that is what Mormonism teaches.  I have also had the experience that when I pointed that teaching out in D&C 132 and other sources some who denied that Mormonism taught that, reluctantly admitted that it did.

     There is no question that Mormonism teaches that people can become gods.  D&C 132: 20  “Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject to them.  Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.”

     Presently Mormons are studying the manual about Joseph Smith in their series,  Teachings of the Presidents of the Church.  On p. 221-22 of this manual which was copyrighted in 2007 it quotes Joseph Smith:  “you have got to learn to be gods yourselves. . .To inherit the same power, the same glory and the same exaltation, until you arrive at the station of a god, and ascend the throne of eternal power, the same as those who have gone before.”

     Even though it is not as prominent as it once was, the old Mormon couplet coined by President Snow is still official LDS teaching.

              “As man now is, God once was

               As God now is, man may be.”

    That this is still good solid Mormonism is seen in the fact that it is quoted in the official manual, The Life and Teachings of Jesus & His Apostles. 

    With these and numerous other proofs why do so many Mormons not know or deny that Mormonism teaches that people can become gods? 

Subject: “The Messiah” (Iranian film) Jesus Posted: 31-Aug-2008 at 04:10. I would like to watch it too. On all counts it is blasphemous to Christian doctrine and an insult to the Godhood of Jesus no matter what the stated of the Iranian …
www.allempires.net

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s big speech on Thursday night will be delivered from an elaborate columned stage resembling a miniature Greek temple (click here). Worth reading on all this is Ed Morrissey’s “Obama’s temple for the Cult of Personality; The father of American democracy?” (click here).

In my previous post, I said that Obama’s ego was “...960 trillion trillion times the size of an average American ego.” Now that Obama is acting like a Roman emperor — even before he’s been elected POTUS — I believe that my methods seriously underestimated the size of his ego. His ego may simply be too big for us to measure after all.

Note: So far the MSM has been ignoring Obama’s egomania. With Obama acting this bizarrely, I can’t imagine that even the fawning MSM can keep looking the other way forever. Still, now would be a good time to encourage the MSM by sending them some walnuts (see my August 19th post).

Vote Republican in 2008
Save Our Country From Runaway Messianic Delusional Syndrome

Update: Obama really surprised me with his speech. While the setting was more suitable for a rock concert, the actual speech didn’t show the egotism I was expecting. What was odd was that Obama abandoned the style that worked so well for him in the primaries to give a more typical Democratic attack speech on a Republican candidate. Two reasons I can think of for him doing this: (1) The old campaign style had stopped working for Obama as the public tired of his slogans and grandiose behavior, and (2) he needs to build his appeal to centrist voters to stop his slipping in the polls. Looking back, starting with the pick of Joe Biden for V.P., Obama has been running a more traditional campaign to keep centrist voters. This definitely shows that he’s listening to the public moods and changing his campaign accordingly. Once he’s more confident of the support of centrist voters, he may try bringing in more of the emotional appeals — the outsider just promising hope and change — that worked so well in the Democratic primaries.

As to the details of his speech, he was making lots of specific promises, then trying to reassure voters he’s a responsible and trustworthy guy by stressing some Republican ideas: tax cuts for the middle class, people are responsible for some of their own behavior, and carefully watching spending to eliminate waste. At least to me, it wasn’t very convincing. It just looked like a way to have your cake and eat it too. I don’t think it helped him build support among centrist voters either because it wasn’t a consistent message. Only time will tell if he can sell that combination to the public.

The only other item worth mentioning was Obama’s attack on John McCain as close to George Bush and someone out of touch with America. This is a variation of the idea that Bush, who has frequently been out of touch, is the same as McCain. This smacks to me a little bit of desperation on the part of Obama. While it may be somewhat effective, John McCain is no George Bush. How he’ll prove his independence remains to be seen, but McCain is his own man and a fighter.

Overall, I’m not convinced that Obama made any progress, but I don’t think he hurt himself either. Unless something unexpected happens, it looks to me like the presidential debates will decide who gets the presidency.

June 27,2008

On the Plaza of Jiminez Street where Transmilenio rolls by there is a metallic iron butterfly construction. It sits high in the Andean capital of Bogotá reaching for the stars. 

I propose to reach the stars of intellectual thought and to clear a way towards the materialization of The Legacy.
 
The First Legacy:

1)To build a neural network that can synthesize the collective thinking of all humanity to function as a one mind paradigm that will lead and exult us to higher planes of civilization and discovery. The story of BOM highlights some of these points. Please visit: geocities.com/billionsofminds/bom.swf for further studies of these ideas.

The Second Legacy:

2) To create a vehicle that will manipulate the social domination hormone of testosterone that is prevalent in men to the levels of women. This will insure a less war filled/crime ridden world. If we choose to do nothing and leave the war/crime human nature factor unattended, this unmitigated behaviour will result in further war and in the inevitable collapse of global civilization.     

How to advance the legacy?

FIRST LEGACY:
BOM (Billions of Minds) is a network composed of billions contributing to solutions and break-throughs.
Somehow we must unite our mental component when we sit in front of a computer with all the other
mental presences occurring simultaneously through the world.

Between 5pm to 8pm there are perhaps a billion minds connected to the internet on the eastern seaboard of the USA extending towards Bogotà. The challenge is to create a one mind organism made up of this billion of minds. We need to create an extension of our mental selves transforming that collective being into a colossal singular presence of mind, or BOM (Billions of Minds).

Learn four important reasons why Christians should reject the Mormon doctrine of salvation:

1. It cheapens the work of Christ on the cross.

2. It promotes universalism.

3. It is man centered and works based.

4. It makes godhood, not Christlikeness, the goal.

Listen to or download part 1 of the audio file

Listen to or download part 2 of the audio file

Listen to or download part 3 of the audio file

Download package of articles on Mormonism (PDF)