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Mormonism Gen. 1:26-27 “Then God said Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the
air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that
creeps on the earth.”v.27.So God created man in His own image; in the image
of God He created him; male and female He created them. According to Mormon theology the fall of man gave them and Mormons the opportunity
to become Gods. There is a flaw in this verse which is often used by Mormons is to
prove that man is “like God.” If we are created already in his image then there
really is no need for progression to gain this. We find that both these words Image and likeness are used interchangeably in the
scriptures. In Gen. 1:26 we find both words yet in vs.27 we find only Image. In
Gen.5:1 the word likeness is found. Gen.9:6 uses Image alone, and then when we come
to the NT. we find in 1 Cor.11:7 Image alone is used and Jms. 3:9 likeness is used. What are the features that man was created in that reflect his creator? God is spirit (Jn.4:24) He is invisible. When it states we were created in His
image it does not mean that God is a physical being and that we are just like him.
Because we are able to be seen therefore he is just like us. In the Hebrew language
Image ( tselem) is related to nature, the immaterial part of man. It means we
have a spiritual nature like God in a finite way. Likeness ( Demuth) does not
mean in a physical sense, but similarity. We have finite qualities like God.
These describe a spiritual likeness not physical that man is made in. Gen
1:24-31”Likeness” is a more general term, indicating resemblance in any quality,
external or internal. God is a spirit (Gen 1:2), He thinks, speaks, wills, and acts.
In man the image and likeness is expressed through reason, speech, will, and creative
ability. The image of God consists, in the spiritual personality of man This is not the teaching of Mormonism in which Mormon Apostle, Dr. John Widtsoe
states “God and man are of the same race, differing only in their degree of
advancement” (Gospel Through the Ages, pg.107).Yet Mormon Apostle Orson Hyde
(1805-1878) stated, “Remember that God our Heavenly Father was perhaps once a
child, and mortal like we are, and rose step by step in the scale of progress, in the
school of advancement; has moved forward and overcome until he has arrived at the
point where He now is” (pg.104). This is proof that they do not believe in one God
nor the God of the bible but the very same line that the Devil gave Eve, you will be
as God. This view of man looking like God extends prior to mans existence on earth “As a
spirit man I have hands and feet and all parts of a normal body all patterned after
my fathers glorified body of flesh and bone.” (Promised Messiah p.48 )”First,
we believe that God is a being with a body in form like man's; that he possesses
body, parts and passions; that in a word, God is an exalted, perfected man” According to Joseph Smith, “… I say, if you were to see him today, you would
see him like a man in form- like yourselves” (J.Smith history of the Church
vol.6 p.305 also teachings of the prophet J.Smith p.345) Brigham Young stated the purpose of our existence is, “The Lord created you and
me for the purpose of becoming God like himself; We are created . . . to become Gods
like unto our Father in heaven.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol.
3, page 93) Agreeing to the church's teaching, Milton Hunter stated that, “ . .
.we must accept the fact that there was a time when Deity was much less powerful than
He is today.”( Milton R. Hunter, The Gospel Through the Ages, Salt Lake
City, 1958, p.104.) How could this be possible ? Because God , their god, was once a man. Many Mormons will say this is not what they believe. While this may not be
everyone's individual opinion it certainly is the church's. The Mormon Apostle LeGrand Richards commented as, follows in a letter written in
1966: “There Is a statement often repeated in the Church, and while it is not in
one of the Standard Church Works, it is accepted as Church doctrine, and
this is: “'As man is, God once was; as God man
may become.”' (Letter from Apostle LeGrand Richards to Morris L.
Reynolds, dated July 14, 1966) LDS Apostle Orson Hyde, “God our Heavenly Father was perhaps once a child, and
mortal like we are, and rose step by step in the scale of progress, in the school of
advancement; has moved forward and overcome, until He has arrived at the point where
He now is” (Journal of Discourses 1:123). Mormonism teaches that God was once a man (DC
130:22) who became a god. This Mormon god has a father, a grandfather and a
great grandfather going back infinitum... (Doctrines
of salvation vol.2 p.47) well not quite because sooner or later your
confronted with the same problem evolutionist face to answer. There has to be a
source that was more powerful than man who eventually became a god. But this is denied and even avoided by Mormons ,Milton Hunter stated hat, “ . .
.we must accept the fact that there was a time when Deity was much less powerful than
He is today.” ( Milton R. Hunter, The Gospel Through the Ages, Salt Lake
City, 1958, p.104.) “The Lord created you and me for the purpose of becoming God like himself; We
are created . . . to become Gods like unto our Father in heaven.” (Brigham Young, Journal
of Discourses, Vol. 3, page 93) Man was never created to be just like his creator but reflect in some manner the
creators nature and characteristics at least according to the bible. If one wants to
believe otherwise they can but they should not call it Christianity! Man has an eternal spirit which can live on after the physical body dies.
otherwise if mans image was physical in the image of God, Jesus would not have had to
take the form of a man he would have already possessed it. If man is an exact image than is God both male and female, is man both male and
female like the original creation in Adam, today. Does God have a literal body as we,
does he have reproductive organs and bodily functions as we do! Does this mean Christ was a literal offspring as we also make children! Image means a personal likeness. God is a personal being so is man (we have
personality). There is also a moral likeness we were created in. God is holy, man
like his creator given unconfirmed creature holiness in his original state. If Adam
and Eve had not sinned this would have been passed on to their offspring. Being made
in God's image means communication with others. As God communicates within the
Trinity, likewise man does with other people. Just as he exercises authority over the
universe, God gave man authority over the earth and animals. Having been created in
His likeness we have the ability to think, gather knowledge, we have rationality
logic, we have communication skills using language, we have feelings and emotions
such as love. We are able to hear and see. With respect to mans bodily organism, his
species is like the animal world. With respect to his Spiritual nature it gives man
rank above the animals and so he was given dominion. Only man has the ability to
communicate with God. Man did not lose the image of God but it was marred Gen.9:6. God prohibits man to
shed another mans blood for all mankind was made in the image of God. Jms.3:9 Tells
us we are not to curse another man for he was made in the image of God. So it
continues today in a fallen state. God has communicable and incommunicable attributes. He alone possesses eternality,
he is uncaused, uncreated. He has omnipresence, omniscience, immutability, holiness
as his nature (perfect no flaws in any part) god is unlimited in knowledge
(Isa.40:13,14 Ps. 147:5 man is limited in his knowledge Isa.55:8-9 god is present
everywhere Jer.23:23-24; Ps. 139:7-12 God is infinite. 2 Chron.6:18;
Ps.139:4-8; Prov.15:3) Mormons say “Some would have us believe that God is present everywhere. It is
not so.”( JoD 6:345) “If god possesses a form, that form, is of necessity of definite proportions and
therefore of limited extension and space. It is impossible for him to occupy at one
time more than one space of such limits. (James E. Talmage Articles of faith p.43) WHO IS GOD?
God possesses eternality as his nature, he is infinite, immortal, deathless, God has eternal life in himself Jn.5:26; Ps.90:2 Man dies physically and can die spiritually Gen. 1:26 man is dependent on God to sustain him Jn. 1:3-4,9 Acts 17:28 God is almighty is able to do all things Job 4:2; Isa.40:10-13 man is weak 1 Cor. 1:25 God is the creator of all things Jn.1:3 col.1:16 man cannot create from nothing but can only use what materials are already there. Deut. 4:35 “To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none other besides Him.: God knows of no others but Mormons who want to be Gods do! God has incommunicable attributes such as eternality he is uncaused, uncreated. He has omnipresence, omniscience, immutability, holiness as his nature (perfect no flaws in any part) god is unlimited in knowledge Isa.40:13,14; Ps. 147:5 man is limited in his knowledge Isa.55:8-9 God is present everywhere Jer.23:23-24; Ps. 139:7-12. Man is confined to one place at a time Jn. 1:50. Mormons say God would not be God unless he has worship Mormon author W. Cleon Skousen stated that God is God only because another force sustains him as such. He wrote, “Through modern revelation we learn that the universe is filled with vast numbers of intelligence's, and we further learn that Elohim is God simply because all of these intelligence's honor and sustain Him as such...since God 'acquired' the honor and sustaining influence of 'all things' it follows as a corollary that if He should ever do anything to violate the confidence or 'sense of justice' of these intelligence's, they would promptly withdraw their support, and the 'power' of God would disintegrate...'He would cease to be God'“ (The First 2,000 Years, pp. 355-356). God possesses eternality he is infinite, immortal, deathless, God has eternal life in himself Jn.5:26; Ps.90:2 Man dies physically and can die spiritually Gen. 1:26 man is dependent on God to sustain him Jn.1:3-4,9; Acts 17:28 God is almighty is able to do all things Job 4:2; Isa.40:10-13 man is weak 1 Cor. 1:25. God is the creator of all things Jn.1:3, Col.1:16. Man cannot create from nothing but can only use what materials are already there. If man is God or trying to become one it will never happen. Thus the doctrine of Mormonism is false ac cording to the one who wrote the bible and created all things. He should know.
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