John,

Thanks for sharing the C.S. Lewis quote on man's godly potential.  I posted it to my web site.  It is indeed refreshing to see such an eloquent Protestant reflect in the vicinity of Joseph Smith's statement, "As man is, God once was; and as God is, man may become."

It is so unfortunate that this most glorious doctrine is shunned by so much of the Christian world.  I thought you would be interested in some additional resources along these lines which provide powerful verification of this doctrine from Biblical sources.

One is a write-up, "You and Alpha and Omega," which is an Alphabetics study related to the word "you."  In Hebrew, for example, the word for "you" is spelled aleph-tau, which are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet (the alpha and omega letters).  Also, in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, because every single word is accounted for, including words like "a," "and," and "the;" and because these utility words are placed at the end of the Concordance; the very last word is YOU -- the omega word.  In Hebrew, the very first word is "Father," so the placement of words is no insignificant matter.

This study is found at

www.GreaterThings.com/Word-Number/You.htm

Another is a listing of numerous scriptures from the Bible that confirm man's godly potential and validate the Joseph Smith statement.  I compiled these while on my mission to Japan.

This study is found at

www.GreaterThings.com/Topical/Even_as_I_am.htm

The third is a parallel between Hebrews 12 and II Nephi 9:17-38, which entails the entire chapter of Hebrews 12, with 111 consecutive matches between the two chapters.  This discovery came from noticing the tight similarity of wording between

Hebrews 12:2 and II Nephi 9:18.

In Hebrews Paul is speaking of Jesus

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who (1) for the joy that was set before him (2) endured the cross, (3) despising the shame, (4) and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Now notice these same key elements as Jacob talks about the Saints

"But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have (2) endured the crosses of the world, (3) and despised the shame of it, (4) they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, (1) and their joy shall be full forever."

This validates the Biblical teaching that even as Jesus overcame and is sat down at the right hand of the Father, so also may we overcome all things.

Revelation 3:21 "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

Matthew 24:47 (42-47) v45 "who then is faithful and wise..." v47 "Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods."

Galatians 4:7 "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."

Matthew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. "

Leviticus 19:2 "Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy."

I Peter 2:21 "Christ ... [left] us an example, that ye should follow his steps."

John 14:12 "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also."

II Corinthians 3:18 "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Ephesians 3:19 know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

II Thessalonians 2:14 God "called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of  our Lord Jesus Christ."

Phillippians 2:5-11 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: "

But the best one of all is in the Doctrine and Covenants:

D&C 93:19,20 "I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness. For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace."

What glorious doctrine!

Let us now compare these scriptural statements to what President Gordon B. Hinckley, the "modern" prophet, had to say on the subject.

In response to the Time magazine interview question, "Is this the teaching of the church today, that God the Father was once a man like we are?"  President Hinckley replied, "I don’t know that we teach it. I don’t know that we emphasize it ... I understand the philosophical background behind it, but I don’t know a lot about it, and I don’t think others know a lot about it."  (August 4, 1997 cover story, p. 56.)

See "Dodging and Dissembling Prophet?" by the Institute for Religious Research
http://www.irr.org/mit/hinckley.html
which quotes the interview statement, posts a letter they wrote to the First Presidency along with that office's official reply saying the statement was taken out of context, and quotes Time magazine's response to this accusation with transcript evidence that the statement was quoted in context as they reported it.

In November of that year, in another interview, the following question was put to President Hinckley.  "There are some significant differences in your beliefs. For instance, don't Mormons believe that God was once a man?"

He responded, "I wouldn't say that. There was a little couplet coined, 'As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become.' Now that's more of a couplet than anything else. That gets into some pretty deep theology that we don't know very much about." (San Francisco Chronicle, April 13, 1997)

This provides yet further evidence that our upward trek to Godhood must not stop at following a man, though he be billed a "prophet" and the "mouthpiece for God," but rather our final loyalty must be with God himself as our infallible anchor, that we may then become prophets, priests and kings ourselves.  That is the path to godhood -- the birthright destiny of every living soul. 

Those who impede that path, especially in the name of true religion, are anti-Christs, even though they serve the purposes of God in providing a powerful proving ground for true loyalty -- which is a necessary phase in overcoming all things so that we might inherit all that the Father has. 

Though I'm grateful for the role they have played in my life, I tremble when I think of their fate if they do not repent.  Yet agency is supreme, and if that is what they choose, that is what they will get.  In the end, after enough recycling, they too will get it right.

Sincerely,

Sterling D. Allan
http://www.GreaterThings.com
new scripture word studies

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