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Becoming A God Before Gaining A Mortal Body

I want to apologize in advance for my ignorance. I am LDS and a life-long member. I have started reading Jesus the Christ and am wondering how Jesus Christ became a God before he came to the earth to receive his mortal body. I always thought that mortality was a necessary step on the path to Godhood.

Thanks for any insights.

Laine

Body Mortal Gaining God Becoming

As far as I know besides Bruce R. Mc Conkie in Mormon Doctrine (a non-official LDS book with several errors) I do not recall reading any doctrine that states that Jesus Christ became a God prior to coming to this Earth BUT if indeed it is, I do not think he become a GOD like unto the Father since he (Jesus) was under his direction while on his ministry.

I am interested for you to provide quotes (besides Talmage and Mc Conkie) that talks about this point to further enlight the discussion. Thanks.

Becoming A God Before Gaining A Mortal Body Studies Doctrine Mormon

I think that it is safe to say that Jesus was a God before he received a body. The Book of Mormon and other scripture seem to say that. Mosiah 15:1-5 says that God himself will come down and take a body of flesh and bone. We know that Abinadi here is speaking of Jesus not the Father. So from Abinadi's perspective he feels comfortable calling Jesus God. I personally feel comfortable calling Jesus God before he came to earth. There are other prophets that say the same thing. Brother of Jared refers Jesus as God as well. I do not know how not having a body fits in, but it seems to me that their is a lot more about this subject then we really know.

Body Mortal Gaining God Becoming

LDS Forever - I went back to Jesus the Christ last night to read the section on Christ's ante mortal Godship. It does make reference to the scripture in Moses when God the Father says that Adam has become "like unto us". I am sorry, I don't remember the reference off the top of my head.

Isaiah - I appreciate your response and direction. I guess I won't have answers to my questions, for now. The idea had never occurred to me before reading Jesus the Christ, and I was wondering if there was any other information "out there" for me to learn from.
Thank you for replying.

~Laine

Body Mortal Gaining God Becoming

First I would like to mention that you are referring to the ultimate Spirit child of Heavenly Father. The Firstborn and Chosen. Not just merely one of us - sinners.

I think you are giving the title of "God" the same level of importance as Exalted God or should I say there is a difference between being a Member of the Godhead and being God and a god. That may sound confusing, but here is what I am getting at in simplistic terms using the First Presidency and the Apostles.

We have 15 men all ordained to be Seers / Revelators, etc. However only one acts with keys, the others though endowed, cannot act in the same capacity. In the same light Jehovah, the first born of God and thus endowed with power was given tasks to perform that His Father knew he was capable of performing in His capacity, but never to supersede Him (His Father) as the God. Jehovah always acts on behalf of His Father and with permission as a Member of the Godhead.

Now, having completed His tasks and receiving all that we also must do (baptize, receive certain key blessings, etc.)... he can go on to a further stage of Godhood as a perfect being with no sin. That may or may not help you.

Becoming A God Before Gaining A Mortal Body

I feel that Jesus' Godhood is an interesting topic within LDS theology. Here is how I understand it to be. Granted that Father presides over us all and is a separate being physically from Christ. With that said, Jesus was God from the beginning, He was involved in all aspects of our pre-existence, spiritual creation and everything that involves our eternities. (D&C 76:13) I know some LDS scholars go as far to say that he was involved in creating intelligences into spirits- (what ever that really means.)

Jesus is also God because of his oneness with Father. As St. John describes, Jesus was with the Father from the beginning. He was and is not obedient to Father in the since that we strive to be. His mind, will, actions, motives were the same as Father's. If Father wanted his children to become exalted then Jesus wanted Father's children to be exalted. If God wanted Jesus to atone for our sins, then Jesus wanted himself to atone for our sins. Jesus is not doing Father's will per say as we strive to do, but rather he is doing his own will which is the same as Father's will. You cannot separate their wills, ideas, motives etc.. They are one in the same. (not one in the same physically, but in all other ways they are.) Thus you can call Jesus the Father, (and Abinadi does that as well. We call it divine investure for lack of a better term.) Thus what ever Jesus does you can bet that is what Father does, they are one. Jesus is the Father in this perspective of thinking, they are one God as Abinadi says. Thus Jesus is, was and always will be God from this perspective, body or not.

Becoming God Gaining Mortal Body

I am not sure what you are trying to say here. I do understand that a perfect being will of course mimic what another perfect being will do - after all that is what makes them perfect. However, even in this life even Jesus learned obedience and grew grace to grace. So yes, He is obedient to His Father, hence he gives us the same protocol that we in like manner also be obedient.

The Lord is in a whole other level of playing field than us - again in basic terms - he is the Gifted and Talented in the class, He was born that way, he was that way before He was born, it was just a matter of time to watch all the events take place. We, obviously are NOT in this same light or level and thus our path is different, only one thing is sure... those coming into this world need Baptism, Holy Ghost, etc. on the road towards Exaltation.

Becoming God Gaining Mortal Body Mormon Doctrine Studies

Let me see if I can explain my opinion in another way. I agree with all that has been said. Jesus was far superior then us hands down. Perhaps I am splitting hairs here. Yes Jesus did receive grace for grace. Perhaps when did this take place is debatable. I personally think as D&C 76;13 seems to say to me that by the time we came into the picture (whenever that was) He was God and had finished his grace to grace or growing. ( I guess this can be debated if progression is endless and ongoing even for God). However He had already grew from grace to grace by the time we were created. Therefore I do not think that Christ grew from grace to grace spiritually per say while here on earth. When he was here he was God.

I personally do not think that Jesus needed to be obedient towards the Father in the since the we are obedient towards Christ. I believe that when we are obedient to God we are aligning our will to his, or imitating Father. This as we know is a challenge at times. I believe as St. John alludes, Jesus never had to align his will to Father's because his will was already Father's will. Thus Father's will was His will. Its is hard to describe because we never have experienced this ourselves to this degree. I personally think that this is beyond obedience. This is the state of being that obedience ultimately brings. Thus Jesus did what he did because it was his will, just as it was for Father's. Jesus climbed the cross because it was what he wanted to do. Thus when we see Jesus heal or forgive it is because that is his desire and his will to do so, and since it was his will it was also Father's will. You cannot separate there will, actions, ideas, love. They are the same. Thus when Jesus says that he is one with the Father, this is what he is saying. He is one and for all tense and purposes they are the same God, as Abinadi alludes too. If you see Jesus, you see the Father. If Jesus does something it is as if the Father did it. He knew the will of Father intimately because it was his will. Thus he was is and will always be God.