Delusions of Grandeur; Seeking a Following
From: "Sterling D. Allan" <sterlingda@greaterthings.com>
To: "Sid Unrau" <sidunrau@hotmail.com>
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2001 6:53 PM
Subject: delusions of grandeur; seeking a following
Sid,
In your recent email to me, you make a couple of assertion that I would like to address.
First, you say that I am under the influence of "delusions of grandeur."
My reply to you is a question. Do you not believe, as Joseph Smith taught, that you can eventually become God? I do, and I think you do too. Does not the Christian world find this so preposterous and so delusional as to be blasphemous? You know they do, and you know that this is one of the defining differences between Christianity in general and Mormonism (at least it used to be) -- a defining difference on which President Hinckley wavered when questioned about it by Larry King.
(Sept. 8, 1998; ref.)
I believe that all can and eventually will attain to godhood. It's that "eventually will" part that I've come to believe in the past five years, and is based on the concept of
multiple mortalities -- that this earth experience is not the only time we do this mortality thing, but rather we do it hundreds of times (whether we come to one planet more than once is something I don't know), each go-around learning, progressing, enlarging our souls.
Call it delusion if you wish, but I believe it is true.
And there is no "grandeur" involved, for this belief is based on the premise that all are equal in the sight of God and are part of a great whole -- the body of Christ. Each plays his/her role, each learns and grows. Each will ultimately overcome all things and inherit all things.
Second, you address the idea of the perception that perhaps it is a following that I am after, and that my frustration comes because so few are following.
The only following I am seeking after is to get people to realize that they each are capable and even obligated to develop a personal relationship with deity upon which they rely foremost -- not on another person. True, I also desire to facilitate those who are thus aligned with heaven becoming connected or networked one with another in a society I believe is called Zion. But this is not a paradigm of "following" but of peers working in harmony one with another.
I would dare say that the reason you presume this "seeking a following" of me, is because that is what Mormonism, as currently constituted in its apostate state, is all about -- FOLLOW THE PROPHET. So, if I'm seeking greater things, then the next step, in your mind, would be that I want everyone to follow me.
Nope.
You've got it wrong.
Both in your acceptance of the fallacy that "follow the prophet" is the best it gets, and in your assumption that I have this desire to be that prophet that people follow.
Not so, my friend.
"Would that all were prophets."
That is the theme of greaterthings.com, appearing on every page at the bottom of the page -- the bottom line.
Sincerely,
Sterling D. Allan
