Mormons

[GTNJNightingale]

I went to the ask a mormon siteto ask a question that was really sorta bothering me.
My question was : in Genesis God warns us against partaking of the fruit of Good and Evil. for if we did we would suffer the consequence which was death. then the serpant came along and said for dont you know that you will not surly die. but you will know good and evil as God does and you will become like him. …so the serpant is pretty much saying dont listen to God …he knows that you will become God like him if you eat it.
ok well…
Joseph Smith…promises that if you follow certain ordinances that he gives and believe in him (follow him) that you can become as God is. “as man is God once was, and as God is man may become”. my question to them was …is this not the same promise(lie) that the serpent made in the garden. ??? because to me it SURE does sound like the same promise. after trying to twist my question all around and go off the subject by saying so are you asking if joseph smith is a true prophet or not.? I said no i am simply looking for an answer can you help me or not? she said “no, it is not the same promise. because joseph smith is a prophet of God” … that was her answer to me i didn’t even know where to go from there i was like baffled …its like looking directly at an elephant and saying nope, that’s not an elephant because were not in Africa.
Can anyone else see the similarity?? or am i going crazy?

 

[Marie5890]

If I am not mistaken the phrase

“as man is God once was, and as God is man may become” wasnt from JSmith, but Lorenzo Snow. Just to be fair of where this comes from

Im sure there will be someone who is LDS who can tell you, however, exactly who said that.

If I recall correctly, perhaps Smith alluded to the idea however in the King Follet (something like that) funeral sermon?

I really dont remember clearly after all those years, but I am pretty sure "“as man is God once was, and as God is man may become” is from Lorenzo Snow

 

[rmcmullan]

The serpent only told half truths. The part about Adam and Eve learning the difference between good and evil was the true half. They definitely lost their innocence which is later on represented by them realising that they were naked.

 

[GTNJNightingale]

The serpent only told half truths. The part about Adam and Eve learning the difference between good and evil was the true half. They definitely lost their innocence which is later on represented by them realizing that they were naked.

Right. i guess i shouldn’t say lie! (although we know that the serpent is a deceiver) but then God also said you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil for in the day you do you shall surly die! so God knew and told them what it was, they were not to eat of it. He named it the tree of good and evil so they must have known that that is what it contained and if God was forbidding it they should have know that it was a very bad thing . but here comes the serpent calling God a liar … and tempting them …tricking them into thinking that oh no…they wont die(which was the lie) but they will know good and evil( true…BUT FORBIDDEN) why would they want to know evil!!! oh brother those two!! now we ALL have to suffer!!

 

[JeanMichel]

Right. i guess i shouldn’t say lie! (although we know that the serpent is a deceiver) but then God also said you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil for in the day you do you shall surly die! so God knew and told them what it was, they were not to eat of it. He named it the tree of good and evil so they must have known that that is what it contained and if God was forbidding it they should have know that it was a very bad thing . but here comes the serpent calling God a liar … and tempting them …tricking them into thinking that oh no…they wont die(which was the lie) but they will know good and evil( true…BUT FORBIDDEN) why would they want to know evil!!! oh brother those two!! now we ALL have to suffer!!

Hello GTN, I have studied Mormonism a great deal. What you were attempting to quote from Snow was, “As man now is, God once was and as God now is, man may become”. As an aside, this is very similar to the statement by St. Irenaeus of Lyons, who stated that God “became what we are in order to make us what he is himself.” This topic can cause a degree of discomfort for most of us when we have studied the ECF. Also, the doctrine of Theosis, that man may become deified, is more prevalent in the Orthodox Church, but it is supported by our Catechism in #460. This is a topic that could be studied for our entire lives and we would still be learning at the end of it. Suffice it to say that the two beliefs ARE different, but can sound exactly the same.

Mormons believe that Adam and Eve partook of the fruit and by so doing became mortal and also were able to become of the parents of all humanity. They did learn the difference between right and wrong. Mormons also recognize that the serpent is evil and was Lucifer. It was not their desire to know evil, but actually to populate the world. They do not believe Adam and Eve could have had children had they remained in the Garden.

Mormons also view their act as one of free choice. In their view God could not force Adam and Eve into mortality; they had to choose it. Being cast out of the Garden meant that man was cast out from the presence of God, became mortal and could become parents, and that a Savior would be necessary and would come in the future. I hope this helps.

Beliefs can be very different among all these diverse groups of Christians; what we need to do is go to Mass, spend time in Eucharistic adoration, go to confession often, and not worry about the beliefs of others. They are in the hands of God and all will come to a unity of the Faith some day. Peace

 

[Charles_In_CdA]

Well said JeanMichel! You HAVE studied Mormonism. I was going to make the same basic response but you did it for me. I’ve been Mormon for almost 17 years but realized a couple years ago that I wanted to leave but cannot for family reasons.

LDS beliefs are quite nuanced and sometimes don’t make sense to non-LDS. Theosis is a hard one and even though it shows up in the CCC, it is a central doctrine of Mormonism. It’s not talked about in weekly meetings a ton, but if you listen closely you will hear it mentioned in lesson texts and General Authority conference talks, sometimes tangentially. You are right that we could study Theosis for our lifetimes and not understand it.