Contemporary LDS apologists, including the current Prophet, seem to be quibbling on how they understand the doctrine of eternal progression. In some cases, the doctrine is couched in terms very similar to what I think the EO might intend by ‘theosis’–not to suggest that the two ideas are exactly the same, or start from the same understanding of who God is. Most Mormons, I think, understand that God the Father is still progressing even as humans are progressing, so that He will ever and always be ‘our God’. However, there is also a tendency to understand that as God now is–Creator and Lord of at least this one planet, Father of all souls which ever have or ever will exist here–so also will at least some faithful human souls eventually become. By that time I suppose that ‘our God’ will have progressed to have become the God of a galaxy or perhaps even of an entire universe. Which leads to the interesting question–who is the God over ‘our God’? And who is the God over that God? And how far back does this lineal progression stretch? And why can’t I worship the God of all Gods rather than some lesser Deity? This was one of the questions which I pursued as I squirmed my way out of the theology of the LDS Church.
Well, in the pre-mortal existence, before this world was created, Lucifer (not Satan–I think the LDS distinguish between the Devil who was once Lucifer and Satan, but I could be mistaken) and Jesus were, as were all of us, spirit-children of God and of our Heavenly Mother. Offspring in some sense that is at least a direct corrollary of what we mean by the term ‘offspring’ in human terms. So yeah, Lucifer and Jesus were at least at one time brothers. Jesus proposed a plan of salvation which preserved human free will but placed at least some spirit-children of God at risk of an eternity in a lesser kingdom of Heaven or even in Outer Darkness. Lucifer proposed one which abbrogated free will but ensured the universal salvation of all spirits. Our Heavenly Father preferred the plan of Jesus over the plan of Lucifer and there was a falling-out. Lucifer, in anger, rebelled and led about a third of the hosts of heaven (others of our spirit- brothers and spirit-sisters) in a rebellion against our Heavenly Father. Presumably the upshot of this is that Lucifer has been disowned and is not, properly speaking, still the spirit-brother of Jesus. (I’m being speculative here, not citing any LDS sources which definitively state this). But look at the whole idea like this: not only is Lucifer the spirit-brother of Jesus but he is OUR spirit-brother as well. And so are Hitler
. Stalin.
Pol Pot.
And Bill and Hilary Clinton, and the whole Bush clan. :bigyikes: All in all, a very shabby family tree for all of us.
