Over the last few days, the Mormon Corporation has come out with claims that the idea that Mormons inherit their own planet is pop culture only and has no basis in Mormon scripture.
Some elders have said that the cartoonish idea of exhalted humans having their own planets is not correct. This push simultaneously appeared across the major world media outlets so was clearly a media drive.
Some elders have said that the cartoonish idea of exhalted humans having their own planets is not correct. This push simultaneously appeared across the major world media outlets so was clearly a media drive.
Firstly, it is true that such a concept is not in Mormon scripture. Those being the Book of Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price plus when convenient, the Holy Bible (KJV). So who started this so called pop-culture?
Exalted beings will enjoy eternal equality in their high celestial status. "And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion." (D. & C. 76:95.) "And then shall the angels be crowned with the glory of his might, and the saints shall be filled with his glory, and receive their inheritance and be made equal with him." (D. & C. 88:107.) In other words, they all enjoy exaltation; all live the same kind of life; all exercise the same power, the power of God; all are possessed of the same Spirit, the Spirit of truth; all are gods and have eternal increase; all are joint-heirs with Christ, possessing all things with him, and being inheritors of all that the Father hath.
Did you ever think of that? It is only in one respect. Each one will be made joint heir of all things in heaven, and upon earth. What more can a person want, if he is made a joint heir of all things; and one revelation says, he that is a faithful and wise steward in time shall inherit all things; consequently they are equal in dominion, and in power, and in might, as the vision states. This don't say that each one shall actually control, and govern, and manage all things; that is a very different thing; just as it is here in temporal things, though each person may be considered as the inheritor of all the properties of the Church; yet when he comes to the management of property, he has only a share, so in heavenly things, a person may have the management of only one world, or of two, or of three; or of as many as there are particles of dust that compose our globe, yet, after all, each can proclaim himself as the inheritor of all things, being a joint heir of the grand universal inheritance
There we have it! The concept of having their own worlds that they reside over like a god was initiated by the Mormon Corporation itself. The vision Pratt talks about is from D&C 76.
I note that an eminent professor spoke to CNN in the last few years about each having their own planet. That page has since been taken down by CNN (Hmmmm).
Regardless of the planet or no planet thing, lets look at this. "consequently they are equal in dominion, and in power, and in might, as the vision states." Equal to what exactly?
Let's see what Apostle Bruce McConkie had to say:
Exalted beings will enjoy eternal equality in their high celestial status. "And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion." (D. & C. 76:95.) "And then shall the angels be crowned with the glory of his might, and the saints shall be filled with his glory, and receive their inheritance and be made equal with him." (D. & C. 88:107.) In other words, they all enjoy exaltation; all live the same kind of life; all exercise the same power, the power of God; all are possessed of the same Spirit, the Spirit of truth; all are gods and have eternal increase; all are joint-heirs with Christ, possessing all things with him, and being inheritors in all that the Father hath.
Though the Father is greater than the Son and takes precedence over him, yet the Son is equal with the Father in the sense that the Father has given all things into the hands of the Son, and that the Son has attained all power, all wisdom, all knowledge, all truth, and the fulness of all of the attributes of godliness. (D&C 93:6-26.) In this same sense, all men who gain exaltation shall "receive their inheritance and be made equal with" the Father and the Son. (D. & C. 88:107; 93:27-34.)
So Mormons believe that those who are exhalted (the Mormon's highest level of salvation) will attain all power, all wisdom, all knowledge, all truth and the fullness of all of the attributes of godliness. In other words they become equal to God himself. The serpent (Satan) said much the same to Eve and look at the result.
A famous Mormon saying is "As man is God was. As God is, man may become"
APOSTLE ORSON PRATT AGAIN...
Now any Mormon reading this will note that I have used as my references Journal of Discourses and the classic Mormon refrerence book - Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce McConkie. If we accept that these are NOT part of what a mormon calls the Standard Works, that is, "scripture," then a mormon can get away with saying that these are just the thoughts of man and not God.
The mormon has absolutely no problem writing off their old prophets at will. (Anyone who is in the Presidency and a member of the Quorum of Twelve is also in Mormon Doctrine a prophet of the Mormon God, by the way.)
So the current Mormon leadership have a convenient excuse to bail out of tricky things. However, they cannot and should not deny things mentioned in their Standard Works since they are by doctrine the very Words of God. The Doctrines and Covenants is one such work. And lo and behold - This!
So who started this idea that they get their own little planet, purely because they will become all that God is? The Mormons themselves as stated in their works that they believe is the revealled and insire Word of God.
I await a declaration from Mormon Corporate heads to deny that, but no, they want you to focus on their own weird personal planets rubbish. MORMON POLICY IS TO LIE IF IT ADVANCES THEIR GOD'S KINGDOM. This is a classic example of the telling of half truths (which is half lies). A more detailed study on this can be found here and here
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Endnote: The Mormon Corporation has withdrawn McConkie's book - Mormon Doctrine from public sale and is now also not sold through their publishing arm - Deseret Books. No explanation is given. It seems strange that what was once regarded as the most definitive works on Mormon Doctrine from an Apostle should be removed without explanation apart from, "poor sales." However, Sarah Tanner from Utah Light Ministries, (Ex Mormon and who ran a noteworthy Christian ministry that witnesses to mormons.) had this to say..
This is a glorious promise, to be joint heirs with the Son of God in the inheritance of all things, even the fullness and glory of the Celestial world, their bodies eventually to become glorified,spiritual bodies of flesh and bones, the same as God the Father.
So not only are exhalted beings going to be equal with God but they will have spiritual bodies just like God -a body of flesh and bones! As far as heresy goes, those two points of God having a body of flesh and bones and that we will be equal in the fullness of godliness to God, this ranks well up the scale.
The mormon has absolutely no problem writing off their old prophets at will. (Anyone who is in the Presidency and a member of the Quorum of Twelve is also in Mormon Doctrine a prophet of the Mormon God, by the way.)
So the current Mormon leadership have a convenient excuse to bail out of tricky things. However, they cannot and should not deny things mentioned in their Standard Works since they are by doctrine the very Words of God. The Doctrines and Covenants is one such work. And lo and behold - This!
Though the Father is greater than the Son and takes precedence over him, yet the Son is equal with the Father in the sense that the Father has given all things into the hands of the Son, and that the Son has attained all power, all wisdom, all knowledge, all truth, and the fulness of all of the attributes of godliness. (D&C 93:6-26.) In this same sense, all men who gain exaltation shall "receive their inheritance and be made equal with the Father and the Son (D. & C. 88:107; 93:27-34.)".
I await a declaration from Mormon Corporate heads to deny that, but no, they want you to focus on their own weird personal planets rubbish. MORMON POLICY IS TO LIE IF IT ADVANCES THEIR GOD'S KINGDOM. This is a classic example of the telling of half truths (which is half lies). A more detailed study on this can be found here and here
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Endnote: The Mormon Corporation has withdrawn McConkie's book - Mormon Doctrine from public sale and is now also not sold through their publishing arm - Deseret Books. No explanation is given. It seems strange that what was once regarded as the most definitive works on Mormon Doctrine from an Apostle should be removed without explanation apart from, "poor sales." However, Sarah Tanner from Utah Light Ministries, (Ex Mormon and who ran a noteworthy Christian ministry that witnesses to mormons.) had this to say..
I believe the main reason McConkie’s “Mormon Doctrine” was taken out of print was due to its candid discussion of LDS doctrines that the church is now trying to hide. Such teachings as God once being a man, his wife–Heavenly Mother, and Jesus being the literal, physical son of God are just a few of the doctrines that are being minimized in current manuals. If the LDS Church felt “Mormon Doctrine” presented a faulty compilation of their doctrines, why haven’t they issued an authorized compendium of their beliefs? Mormons often say to me, “That’s not official doctrine” as though there was some place to look up the official teachings. Where is the official systematic theology of Mormonism?
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