Recovery to Mormonism

Deification (Becoming gods)

Ex-Mormons, anti-Mormons, and many people who are neither find the concept of deification (man can become like God) offensive, preposterous, and blasphemous.  What they may not know is that, not only is this doctrine not unique to Mormonism, it’s found frequently in early Christian thought.

And what do we mean by early Christian?  We mean before the third and fourth century.  We mean before the Council at Nicene.

A number of Christian fathers and theologians, after Christ and before Nicene, believed that we could become like God.  That we could become gods.  Even 1 John 3: 2-3 states the following: “Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it is not yet made known what we shall become. We know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him just as he is.”  While this verse might express some doubt as to “what we shall become,” and, therefore, might not express the doctrine of deification as such, read further.  How do we interpret “we shall be like him,” save that we will be like him?  Is it blasphemy to believe that one could become like God, then?

And we don’t have every epistle that the New Testament apostles wrote.  We don’t even have everything Paul wrote.  In 1 Corinthians 5:9, Paul refers to an epistle that we don’t appear to have, and we have to assume that this wasn’t an isolated case.  Paul’s letters were written earlier than any other document in the New Testament, and yet show an advanced knowledge of Christianity.  The hints we get in the New Testament of such “arcane” things as baptism for the dead and, yes, deification, may have been more than hints.  They may have been established doctrine.

But back to the early Christians and what they did or did not believe.  There’s a few verses in Psalms (82:1, 6-7) that the early Christians particularly liked in regards to this doctrine.  You may have heard this verse: “Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” Latter-day Saints quote it, but, again, so did the early Christians.  Justin the Martyr lived in the second century after Christ.  He interpreted the verse in this way: “. . . thereby it is demonstrated that all men are deemed worthy of becoming ‘gods,’ and of having power to become sons of the Highest.”  Another early Christian theologian, Irenaeus, would write about the verse, drawing such conclusions as, “For we cast blame upon Him, because we have not been made gods from the beginning, but at first merely men, then at length gods; although God has adopted this course out of His pure benevolence.” 1

There are many other examples.  But even from these few examples, it is evident that the belief that man may become like God, or that God intends us to become like him, isn’t unique to Mormonism.  And, indeed, if one were to decide that Mormons were blasphemous for their belief, the early Christians would also be suspect.

What happened to this doctrine?  It became less common, or less preached, after the Nicene Creed and the doctrine of the Trinity.  But it was definitely and prominently preached before then.

But setting aside the early Christian fathers for a moment, is the doctrine blasphemous? 

What Mormons believe is that God will always be our Heavenly Father, and that He is not diminished by our progress.  We will always worship Him.  Deification has never been a doctrine of replacing God, of having more glory, of being better than God.  It is a doctrine of natural progression—that this life is not the end, that God gives us commandments to better us.  We are meant to become better than what we are.  We are meant to improve, through the grace of Christ, through His Atonement, through the power of repentance and of being forgiven.

Can man become like God?  Only by His grace.

1. "I Have Said, ‘Ye Are Gods’" (D. Charles Pyle)