Deification
From MormonWikia
Deification is the belief that humans can become gods. This is seen by many as both controversial and blasphemous, though to Mormons and other religious groups around the world, it is not only true, it’s the only sensible answer to why God created us and sent us to Earth. This belief does not make God any less high and exalted. It does not mean that Mormons worship many gods. It certainly doesn’t mean that we think we are almost gods already.
[edit] How Man Relates to God
The phrase most commonly used for the current state of man is that “man is God in embryo.” The human is God’s child, and we are the same species as God. God has the power to have spirit children. He fathered each of our spirits before we had a mortal body. God is the physical father of Adam and Eve, but they fell from immortality and perfection in the Garden of Eden, and thus became fallen man: mortal and subject to temptation, pain, and sickness. Each of us is now born this way, but we still have a divine father. Like children, we are helpless without God our Father, and we know nothing compared to him. Even as we grow to adulthood, we are still children to God.
Mormons believe that since we are all God’s children, he intends to give us each an inheritance, like Abraham gave to his sons. God sent Jesus Christ, his son, to atone for our sins so that we could be worthy of his gifts and able to be resurrected to eternal life. When we die, we will receive an inheritance according to our obedience to him in this life. If we are completely obedient and repent of all of our sins, God will give us all he has, like he gave to Jesus Christ.
Mormons believe that God will always be our Eternal Father, and even as he continues to guide us on the path to maturity and we become more and more like him, he will continue to grow in greatness because he will be completing his work and glory—our eternal life. Just like a parent wants to raise his or her child to full, responsible adulthood, God wants us to achieve all of the joy that he has. He is our Father, and he does not want us to remain helpless children forever. Much of the joy of parenthood comes from watching children grow to be happy, healthy adults who will be good parents to their children. We call God a Father for a reason; the parenthood analogy applies very thoroughly, and successfully raised children grow up.
[edit] We Don’t Become Gods Right Away
The promise from God that we can attain all that he has means that we will always be able to grow. It doesn’t mean that if we’re good we’ll die and be made gods instantly. It means that after we die, we’ll be able to continue to learn and progress and “grow up” until we are ready to take on those responsibilities. We cannot know how long it will take or what the process will be like, but we know that God has the power and skill to teach us what he knows and to guide us on the path to be like him.
[edit] Was God once Man? An Eternal Cycle
Mormons do believe that God once was like man is now. He had a Heavenly Father who did for him what he is willing to do for us if we do what is asked of us. God once being man does not make him less exalted, just as a parent once being a child doesn’t make the parent unequal to the task. Mormons also believe that God has always existed. Before God was a man, he was a spirit, and before that, he was “intelligence” or the material of pure personality and identity. We were also once “intelligence” and then were born as spirits to God, we now have bodies, and if we do all that God asks, we may someday be as he is, and lead other “intelligences” through the path of spirithood, mortality, and eventually godhood. We still only worship our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, who make up the Godhead. These beings are three separate people, but they are one in will and purpose, and are “one God.”
Followers of Christ are asked to do the work of God here on Earth. We are commanded to “multiply and replenish the earth,” and be parents. These commandments that God gives us are not temporary. We don’t just stop doing God’s work and growing closer to him when we die. We continue growing closer to him and becoming more like him until we are gods ourselves—able to do his work, which is the same work he does with us: bringing spirits to maturity so that they can do the same.
Mormons believe that God did not make us to always be helpless followers or powerless replicas of his glory. We are so helpless now, but we cannot stay children forever. God can be truly satisfied when he has truly created beings that are at his level, that can do work like he does and feel as he does. This is his work and his glory: “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)
