Is Mormonism a Polytheistic religion?

[ParkerD]

Hi Parker - I know you were not responding to me but I have a question.

Do you understand that it is the LDS belief that there are **other gods **other than God the Father that makes Mormons polytheistic? Not counting the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ, Mormons agree that there are other gods ruling planets. That is polytheism.

Lax16,

First, I might as well point out since you have written about a word “goddesses”, that Latter-day Saints don’t use that word although being one with Christ certainly says that women will do that also; and the word “priestess” is used in an eternal sense of the word for those women who become one with Christ.

If by “ruling” you mean the connotation of the word as in Matthew 25:21 and 23 and in Revelation 2:27, then I agree “there are gods ruling planets” under the direction and being one with Jesus Christ and with Heavenly Father, or at least there will be in the future if not now.

Because they will be one with and through Jesus Christ and will share in His omnipotence and in His everlasting priesthood, then to use the word “polytheism” to describe that relationship and that oneness is to invent a new meaning for the word “polytheism”, which I suppose you can do if you want to.

What I find interesting is the obvious disinterest in the word “at-one-ment”, which I wouldn’t really expect Catholics to spend much time thinking about since it was a word that William Tyndale created and since it is only used a few times in the Bible.

To be “one with Christ” and “one with the Father” is to take upon oneself the full opportunity of the atoning grace of Christ. It is a perfect union of wills, a perfect selflessness, and is of an endless duration in eternity. To call that “polytheism” is to rob the intercessory prayer of its meaning, and instead show that the apostasy really did happen and those who don’t understand its meaning are missing out on a profound gospel truth.

 

[lax16]

Lax16,

First, I might as well point out since you have written about a word “goddesses”, that Latter-day Saints don’t use that word although being one with Christ certainly says that women will do that also; and the word “priestess” is used in an eternal sense of the word for those women who become one with Christ.

Hi Parker - How are you? It’s been a while since we’ve “talked”…

Are these priestesses women who were devout Mormons and are now dead in heaven (after being called up by their husbands)? -or-

Are these priestesses women who live(d) in the pre-existent world and were the companions of Heavenly Father and I assume never came down to earth and never took on a human body?

If by “ruling” you mean the connotation of the word as in Matthew 25:21 and 23 and in Revelation 2:27, then I agree “there are gods ruling planets” under the direction and being one with Jesus Christ and with Heavenly Father, or at least there will be in the future if not now.

Well, let’s see here. Are these “gods ruling planets under the direction of Jesus Christ” men who were devout Mormons and are now in heaven and being rewarded with their own planet?

I use the term “ruling” because that is what Mormon men do - they “rule” over their families and I believe wish to continue this in the afterlife with their families sealed to them and their wives who will be eternally pregnant.

Because they will be one with and through Jesus Christ and will share in His omnipotence and in His everlasting priesthood, then to use the word “polytheism” to describe that relationship and that oneness is to invent a new meaning for the word “polytheism”, which I suppose you can do if you want to.

The “they” you are referring to are gods, right?
The fact that you believe in any other gods, other than God our Almighty Father, is what makes you, and all Mormons, polytheistic.
Does it matter what “they” are doing and with whom - I don’t think so.
All that matters is that there is a “they” - other gods.

What I find interesting is the obvious disinterest in the word “at-one-ment”, which I wouldn’t really expect Catholics to spend much time thinking about since it was a word that William Tyndale created and since it is only used a few times in the Bible.

To be “one with Christ” and “one with the Father” is to take upon oneself the full opportunity of the atoning grace of Christ. It is a perfect union of wills, a perfect selflessness, and is of an endless duration in eternity. To call that “polytheism” is to rob the intercessory prayer of its meaning, and instead show that the apostasy really did happen and those who don’t understand its meaning are missing out on a profound gospel truth.

Parker, if you believe that men become gods and are filling up our universe as we speak, you are polytheistic.

Who created God - don’t you believe God had a father? Was he a god? Did he become a man on earth?
You see, I am quite sure there are other gods that exist in Mormonism that are not men and women fulfilling what you refer to as becoming “one with Christ” and “one with the Father.” They are gods in the pre-existent world that never became human - unless of course, God the Father’s father became a man here on earth.

 

[zaffiroborant]

Lax16,

First, I might as well point out since you have written about a word “goddesses”, that Latter-day Saints don’t use that word although being one with Christ certainly says that women will do that also; and the word “priestess” is used in an eternal sense of the word for those women who become one with Christ.

And why do LDS not use the word goddess, how else would you describe your Heavenly Mother, isn’t she a female god?

 

[lax16]

And why do LDS not use the word goddess, how else would you describe your Heavenly Mother, isn’t she a female god?

Great question!

According to Fair Mormon:

“Latter-day Saints infer the existence of a Heavenly Mother through scripture and modern revelation. Because LDS theology rejects the doctrine of creation out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo) as a post-Biblical addition to Christian belief, and because they see God as embodied in human form while rejecting creedal Trinitarianism, having a female counterpart to Our Heavenly Father seems logical and almost inevitable. This is especially true given the LDS embrace of the doctrine of theosis, or human deification. Thus, the Heavenly Mother shares parenthood with the Father, and shares His attributes of perfection, holiness, and glory.”

Heavenly Father - Heavenly Mother
God - Goddess

And the point is, she shares the attributes of God, making her perfect…so she is a god too, which as a female, makes her a goddess…which makes Mormons polytheistic…

Even their belief that Heavenly Mother is equal to Heavenly Father creates another god…

And, I am assuming, she never came down to earth and took on a human body but retained her goddess status…

So we have God, his father (and,of course, his father and so on) the goddess, Heavenly Mother (and, of course, she must have had parents too!) …and they still don’t understand why they are polytheistic?

Who are the parents of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother?

 

[Telstar]

I have an idea that I think might help LDS understand something about the differences between the way Catholics and Mormons view God in the Holy Trinity, as well as understanding our different views on prayer that are a result of our belief in One God, while Mormons clearly teach polytheism.

I have a few questions related to prayer (defined as: loving, petitioning, praising, or thanking God). Why do Mormons refuse to pray to Jesus or the Holy Spirit, and only pray to the Father? If Mormons believe that they are all equal parts of the Trinity (as we do), then why are they not able to pray to any One of Them that they choose? They are all God (to Catholics, They are One God). Correct? None of Them is greater than any of the Others, because They are all One God. Don’t they all deserve our prayers of love, thanks and praise, equally? Couldn’t they all answer our prayers? Don’t They all hear our prayers when we do pray? How can we ever get to really know Them all, if we don’t talk to Them? Why would They want to help us if we don’t talk to all of Them? How can that be seen by Mormons as ‘being one’ with God? Doesn’t that separate God from Himself, and from us? It would certainly seem to do just that to any Catholic.

Believing that ‘God’ is 3 separate individuals that are only “one in purpose” (i.e. they share an agenda, and, according to Mormons, a ‘bloodline’), means that you must believe in a hierarchy of gods that are just based on a family bloodline. In the ‘hierarchy’, the Father is always above the Son, and they are both, always above the Spirit. The Son & the Spirit must therefore be seen as being subservient to the Father, even though the Son and Spirit are destined to one day be gods on another world/or universe, they aren’t fully gods, yet. Under those circumstances, they are not eternal as Catholics believe Them to be. They all would have had some type of a beginning, somewhere in their past. That’s why only the Father can be prayed to, because he’s the ‘head of the clan’ on this world, like one of the lost tribes of Israel that the BoM is based on. Even though the Father is the head of this world, he’s still just another god, one of an endless number of gods in the grand scheme of things. Eventually, you believe that you will all become ‘gods’ in the same manner that he did.

Newsflash: That’s textbook polytheism. It’s just a modern version of mythology, just like those of the Romans and Greeks, only using the Bible and Christianity as the ‘model’ for all of the demigods that have to earn their way to the top by following ‘the plan’ on earth, to the letter. Unfortunately, after believing in it for so long, Mormons still can’t see all of the inconsistencies in the whole system, that true Christians can see as clear as day after learning the supposed ‘logic’ behind it.

 

[ParkerD]

Hi Parker - How are you? It’s been a while since we’ve “talked”…

Are these priestesses women who were devout Mormons and are now dead in heaven (after being called up by their husbands)? -or-

Are these priestesses women who live(d) in the pre-existent world and were the companions of Heavenly Father and I assume never came down to earth and never took on a human body?

Hi, Lax16,

Fine, thanks–'hope you and your family are well. My wife and I recently did “Trek” along with three of our children. It was terrific, and she especially loved it, being somewhat of a “country girl” and a “wide open spaces” kind of person. She loved seeing the millions of stars in the sky out where there were no lights around. It was great exercise, too!

When I responded to your question, I was thinking about Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel and Leah, so let’s see–they wouldn’t, in your mind, be “Mormons”, would they? (Remember that I wrote about a future event and not a past event, since I don’t know their present-time situation and as far as “us”, I think the clear expectation in the teachings of Joseph Smith is that “becoming like Christ” will be a future event thousands of years away from “now” or from “our resurrection”. “It will be a great while” “even beyond the grave”.

The belief in a Heavenly Mother implies that she has a body, and therefore that she lived on an earth and has been resurrected. So the answer to that question is “definitely no”.

Well, let’s see here. Are these “gods ruling planets under the direction of Jesus Christ” men who were devout Mormons and are now in heaven and being rewarded with their own planet?

No–I had in mind Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I didn’t have in mind “ruling their own planet” at all.

I use the term “ruling” because that is what Mormon men do - they “rule” over their families and I believe wish to continue this in the afterlife with their families sealed to them and their wives who will be eternally pregnant.

That would be because you read falsities on the internet rather than read the Bible or understand it. I specifically pointed out the verses where “ruler” or “rule” are used, and they are not presented as a “bad thing” or a thing to be scorned and belittled. A person does well to read the Bible and spend time thinking about the words and seeking a relationship with God where the words are part of that relationship so that He can communicate meaning to that individual as they seek to draw closer to Him.

You still don’t seem to “get” that spirits and spirit birth are not physical, so there is no “pregnancy” implied at all beyond this life. You can rest your mind about those poor women.

The “they” you are referring to are gods, right?
The fact that you believe in any other gods, other than God our Almighty Father, is what makes you, and all Mormons, polytheistic.

“They” are “one with God the Father, and with God the Son”. So that means that by your definition, Jesus taught polytheism as a “true” Jewish teaching as He restored truth to the earth, and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob believed in polytheism by your definition. By your definition, Jesus prayed that the apostles be “one” and that believers in Him be “one”, so by your definition, all those who become “one” are part of what you are describing as “polytheism”, which includes Peter and so forth but excludes of course Judas Iscariot.

Does it matter what “they” are doing and with whom - I don’t think so.
All that matters is that there is a “they” - other gods.

Again, we are talking about your new definition of polytheism. Fine–carry around your own private dictionary in your mind and do as you wish with it.

Parker, if you believe that men become gods and are filling up our universe as we speak, you are polytheistic.

I don’t, in the part about “as we speak” or in the part about “our universe” and certainly not about your private definition of “polytheistic”. It would be more true to the Savior’s meaning to call it “onetheistic”.

Who created God - don’t you believe God had a father? Was he a god? Did he become a man on earth?
You see, I am quite sure there are other gods that exist in Mormonism that are not men and women fulfilling what you refer to as becoming “one with Christ” and “one with the Father.” They are gods in the pre-existent world that never became human - unless of course, God the Father’s father became a man here on earth.

I think you evidently haven’t understood whatever you have read about Joseph Smith’s teachings about God the Father having a resurrected body. It sounds pointless to me to address the kinds of questions you have, since it sounds like you can’t comprehend that there could be other “earths” besides the one we live on and that there could be other universes besides ours. The part where you wrote “I am quite sure” would mean you have your own private “sureness” going on.
So, whatever…people can certainly think what they want to think, and carry in their mind their own private dictionary with their own private thoughts, but it would surely be a good idea for informed people to read the Bible and seek to understand its words. (I do prefer the KJV, or at least the Douay-Rheims translation for doing that reading and thinking.)

(To be added to as a P.S.)

 

[ParkerD]

P.S. to Lax16:

By the way, Lax16, the part about being “called up by their husbands” reflects another misunderstanding that is common on the internet. The priesthood is the power of God, and is the power whereby resurrection will be accomplished. Latter-day Saint men, if they are worthy, are given the priesthood, and if they are worthy they will have the priesthood in their resurrection. To be “one” in the resurrection as a couple means that it would make just as much sense for the woman to be “calling up” the man as for the man to be “calling up” the woman, but it so happens that the men have been given the priesthood in the plan of God for the progress and eternal life of His children, if they so choose that eternal life available through the atoning grace of Christ.

 

[KathleenGee]

In our Christian baptism, in our reception of the Eucharist so that our own souls can become human tabernacles…this was the extension of Christ now the Living Temple, and not a man made building…

Also makes us, not just the priests, Alter Christus…little Christs…now…in this world with all of creation…the supercedes propagation of the species…

So we are incorporated into the Divine Life now, single or married…we are in the Kingdom of Christ now. There is no need of any more extension of this world…as the Lord takes away all our hunger and needs.

 

[twopekinguys]

Hi, again, one of twopekinguys,

I’m glad we’re able to “be blunt”. Thanks.

I’ll answer #4 first:

1. It was pointed out to me during the conversation on this thread, by Zaffiroborant and by SteveVH, that either they individually as Catholics, or that Catholics generally believe that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost have individuality as separate Persons. That would mean they are “Gods individually” since They are each God. So if that “makes me polytheistic”, then that makes at least two Catholics polytheistic–but I understand “they don’t think so” (nor do I–it is the wrong word for their beliefs, just as it is the wrong word for my beliefs).
2. I suggest that you study up on the word “create” so that you will be able to understand that neither Jesus Christ nor God the Father nor the Holy Ghost are Created Beings. So, the answer to your question is “They are each God in and of Themselves, omnipotent, omniscient, possessing all the attributes of God, uncreated.”
3. No. But the love He has for His Only Begotten Son, and the love His Only Begotten Son has for Him, must really move Them to tears of infinite gratitude and joy often for Each Other, so much more than the gratitude we feel for Them.
4. As I explained, in the context of John 4:23-24, I know Whom I worship, and I worship the Father in the name of His Only Begotten Son, giving glory and awe and reverence to Them both. “The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”

I will explain again, that I don’t find that Catholics understand the Intercessory prayer and its meaning in Christ’s use of the word “one”–so the use of the words “more than one God” only again confirms that and reinforces that it appears that John 17 is not a chapter in the Bible that Catholics seem to read very much, nor understand.

You make me giggle.

It amazes me how you split hairs to make things come out the way you want them. I don’t mean just you, but all mormons when it comes to theology. That, along with the fact that it is evidenced by your earlier responses that you will only read things that support your position, and don’t read anything that isn’t mormon faith promoting, such as other references given.

Thanks for your answer though, but to the general reader, you and Irishmen have confirmed that mormons are in fact polytheistic.

 

[zaffiroborant]

According to Fair Mormon:

“Latter-day Saints infer the existence of a Heavenly Mother through scripture and modern revelation. Because LDS theology rejects the doctrine of creation out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo) as a post-Biblical addition to Christian belief, and because they see God as embodied in human form while rejecting creedal Trinitarianism, having a female counterpart to Our Heavenly Father seems logical and almost inevitable. This is especially true given the LDS embrace of the doctrine of theosis, or human deification. Thus, the Heavenly Mother shares parenthood with the Father, and shares His attributes of perfection, holiness, and glory.”

Another example of deceptive use of language, creating an equivalency between theosis and exhatation.

 

[zaffiroborant]

You still don’t seem to “get” that spirits and spirit birth are not physical, so there is no “pregnancy” implied at all beyond this life. You can rest your mind about those poor women…

Spirits must be physical according to Joseph Smith who said “all spirit is matter” if spirit is matter it is physical.
Since “all spirit is matter” and matter is physical and Heavenly Parents are physical and as you say “spirit birth are not physical” then we are not offspring of Heavenly Parents. We could be considered offspring in the sense of product or result (the 2nd definition of offspring) but certainly not in a direct parent-child sense.

 

[ParkerD]

Spirits must be physical according to Joseph Smith who said “all spirit is matter” if spirit is matter it is physical.
Since “all spirit is matter” and matter is physical and Heavenly Parents are physical and as you say “spirit birth are not physical” then we are not offspring of Heavenly Parents. We could be considered offspring in the sense of product or result (the 2nd definition of offspring) but certainly not in a direct parent-child sense.

Z,

I take the word “matter” to mean “atom or sub-atomic particle”. Spirits can be sub-atomic particles, and not be “physical” in the sense of being able to be “touched” by our physical hands and us feel something. They could be “energy” in the sense that atomic particles contain energy.

Spirits are not “physical” offspring. We don’t know the process of being “spirit offspring”. It is one of those things that “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard”. When Jesus said to pray to “Our Father in Heaven”, He was not pulling our leg. He meant to use the words He used.

 

[RebeccaJ]

Obviously ParkerD, you’ve never sat in on a YW or RS lesson.

“Temple: Those who marry in the holy temple and are faithful to the covenants they make there will become gods and goddesses. They will be exalted and will have all power. They will live eternally as families.” (“Young Women Manual 3”)

 

[lax16]

Hi, Lax16,

Fine, thanks–'hope you and your family are well. My wife and I recently did “Trek” along with three of our children. It was terrific, and she especially loved it, being somewhat of a “country girl” and a “wide open spaces” kind of person. She loved seeing the millions of stars in the sky out where there were no lights around. It was great exercise, too!

Yes, we are doing well - except school starts tomorrow for two of our children and I am not ready to say “good-bye” to summer.
Was the trek in Wyoming?

When I responded to your question, I was thinking about Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel and Leah, so let’s see–they wouldn’t, in your mind, be “Mormons”, would they? (Remember that I wrote about a future event and not a past event, since I don’t know their present-time situation and as far as “us”, I think the clear expectation in the teachings of Joseph Smith is that “becoming like Christ” will be a future event thousands of years away from “now” or from “our resurrection”. “It will be a great while” “even beyond the grave”.

Are Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah priestesses?
Are they married in heaven to their husbands who have become gods?

The belief in a Heavenly Mother implies that she has a body, and therefore that she lived on an earth and has been resurrected. So the answer to that question is “definitely no”.

Heavenly Mother is the equivalent of Heavenly Father.
Heavenly Father is God therefore Heavenly Mother is a goddess.
Did Heavenly Father live on earth since he had a body?
Who are the parents of Heavenly Father and Mother and were they gods?

Isn’t God a god?

No–I had in mind Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I didn’t have in mind “ruling their own planet” at all.

What is their role in heaven?
They are not married?

That would be because you read falsities on the internet rather than read the Bible or understand it. I specifically pointed out the verses where “ruler” or “rule” are used, and they are not presented as a “bad thing” or a thing to be scorned and belittled. A person does well to read the Bible and spend time thinking about the words and seeking a relationship with God where the words are part of that relationship so that He can communicate meaning to that individual as they seek to draw closer to Him.

No I don’t.
So you are saying that men will not rule a kingdom after death?

You still don’t seem to “get” that spirits and spirit birth are not physical, so there is no “pregnancy” implied at all beyond this life. You can rest your mind about those poor women.

So there is no more spirit children coming forth from the married couple who are still together after death?

“They” are “one with God the Father, and with God the Son”. So that means that by your definition, Jesus taught polytheism as a “true” Jewish teaching as He restored truth to the earth, and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob believed in polytheism by your definition. By your definition, Jesus prayed that the apostles be “one” and that believers in Him be “one”, so by your definition, all those who become “one” are part of what you are describing as “polytheism”, which includes Peter and so forth but excludes of course Judas Iscariot.

Stop referring to the Trinity here.
I am only talking about the Mormon belief in more than One God, as in God, his wife (goddess) and maybe their parents. Also, all of the dead Mormons too. Stick to that please.
(You do realize that believing men become gods means there is more than one God, right?)

Again, we are talking about your new definition of polytheism. Fine–carry around your own private dictionary in your mind and do as you wish with it.

No, I will carry around the definition from fair mormon and Irishmen (who seems to have gone the way of pinay).

I don’t, in the part about “as we speak” or in the part about “our universe” and certainly not about your private definition of “polytheistic”. It would be more true to the Savior’s meaning to call it “onetheistic”.

I think you evidently haven’t understood whatever you have read about Joseph Smith’s teachings about God the Father having a resurrected body. It sounds pointless to me to address the kinds of questions you have, since it sounds like you can’t comprehend that there could be other “earths” besides the one we live on and that there could be other universes besides ours. The part where you wrote “I am quite sure” would mean you have your own private “sureness” going on.
So, whatever…people can certainly think what they want to think, and carry in their mind their own private dictionary with their own private thoughts, but it would surely be a good idea for informed people to read the Bible and seek to understand its words. (I do prefer the KJV, or at least the Douay-Rheims translation for doing that reading and thinking.)

These other earths and universes - don’t mormons believe that they will rule over them one day with their families?
Where in the bible does it say that?

Why would I listen to JS or anyone else who contradicts what God has taught us from the very beginning? He has no body and He is eternal. These teachings are thousands of years old.
Why would I listen to JS? He qualifies as a false prophet - everything from his limp to his whistling speech would disqualify him as an OT prophet and the fact that he contradicts the Church that Jesus Christ established Himself disqualifies from being a NT prophet.

Why do you listen to him?

 

[lax16]

Obviously ParkerD, you’ve never sat in on a YW or RS lesson.

“Temple: Those who marry in the holy temple and are faithful to the covenants they make there will become gods and goddesses. They will be exalted and will have all power. They will live eternally as families.” (“Young Women Manual 3”)

Rebecca, thanks for posting this. I can’t believe the brainwashing that girls go through - it does explain the pressure to marry young though.
We recently attended a young couple’s wedding and all the talk at the table was about when the other single girls were going to get married…nobody talked about education, travel…I needed a week to detox from the non-stop promotion of soon-to-be-wed daughters…

Heavenly Father (God) + Heavenly Mother (goddess) + dead faithful Mormon men (gods) + dead faithful Mormon women (goddessess) = multiple gods

Now Parker, don’t turn this in to a talk about the Trinity…

Admit that Mormons are polytheistic - I know it will seriously damage recruitment efforts because NO Christian would ever join a church that doesn’t believe in only One God.

Note: I said believe in One God, not worship.

 

[RebeccaJ]

Rebecca, thanks for posting this. I can’t believe the brainwashing that girls go through - it does explain the pressure to marry young though.
We recently attended a young couple’s wedding and all the talk at the table was about when the other single girls were going to get married…nobody talked about education, travel…I needed a week to detox from the non-stop promotion of soon-to-be-wed daughters…

Well, that is every family gathering I go to. In the summer and around Christmas, there is so much Mormon family time I have to detox, get out of Utah. We have a favorite spot on the central Oregon coast, and just spent some time there.

From the same link:

‘Give each young woman a small triangle with God written on one point, Husband on another, Wife on the third, and the words Sacred Triangle across the front. Have each one write on the back: “I will prepare now to be worthy of participating in the sacred triangle of eternal marriage.”’



That is a description of a trinity.

Now Parker, don’t turn this in to a talk about the Trinity…

 

[lax16]

Well, that is every family gathering I go to. In the summer and around Christmas, there is so much Mormon family time I have to detox, get out of Utah. We have a favorite spot on the central Oregon coast, and just spent some time there.

From the same link:

‘Give each young woman a small triangle with God written on one point, Husband on another, Wife on the third, and the words Sacred Triangle across the front. Have each one write on the back: “I will prepare now to be worthy of participating in the sacred triangle of eternal marriage.”’



That is a description of a trinity.

Yes! I have come to the conclusion and have told others that Mormons worship marriage.
Instead of Jesus Christ being at the center of their lives, it is marriage that is at the center of theirs.

And the way it is made to resemble the trinity is so dead on…

Thanks again for posting this. I am having my older children read this before we go off to church at noon.

This info really helps me to put things in perspective - I could never understand the obsession with marriage with our Mormon friends and with the people here in Utah.

I am so glad you have a nice get-away place!
Does it help? I really need something if we are going to continue living here.
We were told by people before moving here that the “weirdness permeates everything.”
I have been trying to figure it out since we moved here - what is the weirdness? Is it living among people who believe they will be gods and goddesses someday…or is it the obsession with weddings?
Anyway…sigh…so it goes…:getholy:…

 

[RebeccaJ]

I am so glad you have a nice get-away place!
Does it help? I really need something if we are going to continue living here.
We were told by people before moving here that the “weirdness permeates everything.”
I have been trying to figure it out since we moved here - what is the weirdness? Is it living among people who believe they will be gods and goddesses someday…or is it the obsession with weddings?
Anyway…sigh…so it goes…:getholy:…

It does help, though, it is so hard to come back. There was a period 5 or 6 years ago where I was traveling more as a part of my job. When I returned I’d cry all the way from the airport to home. I don’t do that anymore, but I keep trying to get my family to move. I can’t seem to get them to do it. So here we are. Lately I’ve been asking God to help me realize the purpose of keeping me here.

The weirdness is everything about Mormon culture. But yes, I think people walking around believing they are gods/goddesses-in-training, with special secret knowledge that no one else has, is at the root of it. It breeds an insular form of specialness, which comes across as arrogance. It permeates everything, from politics, to waiting for a table at a restaurant.

Lord keep you from the day you have to sit on a plane full of returning missionaries. That one was tough.

 

[ParkerD]

Obviously ParkerD, you’ve never sat in on a YW or RS lesson.

“Temple: Those who marry in the holy temple and are faithful to the covenants they make there will become gods and goddesses. They will be exalted and will have all power. They will live eternally as families.” (“Young Women Manual 3”)

RJ,

No, I haven’t, and no, I was not aware of the use of the word “goddesses” in that lesson, and I am not upset about it or worried about it in the least. In the full context of that lesson, it’s OK with me that someone decided to use the word “goddesses” instead of “kings and queens” who rule just as the Savior taught in Matthew and John saw in vision. It still means “one with God and one with Jesus Christ”, and that lesson is good in explaining about the marriage needing to be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise and to have a triangle relationship where Christ is the focal point of that triangle.

Then, the couple become changed as they go through their life, to what He wants them to become instead of to what they themselves may have thought they were becoming. They become led by the Good Shepherd, and it is amazing what He does as they accept that kind of relationship. I know about it, first-hand.

 

[RebeccaJ]

ParkerD, you do realize everything you have going in that post is non-Biblical?

We are sealed to Jesus Christ by baptism, not by marriage.

Marriage is not required for Salvation, for living in the presence of God or for aligning oneself to God.

And last, Mormons do not call Jesus, “God”, ever, the term “God” being reserved for the god you call “Heavenly Father”. So I don’t know why you’re changing that for a Catholic audience.