Is God a Man?

One of the foundations of the LDS church is that God was a Man, who became God. The belief that God the Father is a man goes back to the first vision account of Joseph Smith as recorded in the History of the Church, Vol. 1. In this passage Joseph Smith claimed that two personages appeared to him, one claiming to be God the Father, and the other was Jesus Christ.

Each one of us must answer the question, is it possible that God the Father is or ever was a man? If the claims of Joseph Smith Jr. are true, it is reasonable to believe that God is/was a man and each one of us are a god in embryo. However, if God is not a man, than we should reject the claims of Mormonism and seek the one true God.

The passage quoted by many LDS people to support we are gods in embryo is Genesis 1:27 which says, "God created man in his own image". This passage can also be followed by Genesis 5:3, "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth".

The other passage often quoted is a statement by Jesus in John 10:33-34, "The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?"

At first glance one might read these passages and conclude that we are indeed gods in embryo. Genesis says we have the image of God and Jesus said "ye are gods". It makes perfect sense that we too have the makings, although undeveloped of God.

Is it possible that an image, although it might have many of the attributes of the original, it is not exactly like the same?

Have you even had your picture taken or had an artist draw a sketch of you? Although the picture is an image of you, it lacks many of your characteristics and attributes. The image is two dimensional, where as you are three dimensional. The photograph does not talk, walk, reason or have life.

When you read the obituary section of the newspaper they often show a picture of the person when they were alive. However the person is actually dead when the picture is printed. It would be mighty strange if someone put an image of the person in the paper that was taken after the person was dead. Even though the picture may have many of the attributes of the person at the moment in time it was taken, the picture possesses far less of the attributes of the person. I've met many a girl in my life, that the image was far nicer than the person...

Although this answer can seem palatable based on Genesis 1:27, it does not seem to align with Genesis 5:3, since it refers to Adam's son, which is ontologically the same.

In the Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary it gives the following explanation for Genesis 5:1-5.

"Adam was made in the image of God; but when fallen he begat a son in his own image, sinful and defiled, frail, wretched, and mortal, like himself. Not only a man like himself, consisting of body and soul, but a sinner like himself. This was the reverse of that Divine likeness in which Adam was made; having lost it, he could not convey it to his seed. Adam lived, in all, 930 years; and then died, according to the sentence passed upon him, To dust thou shalt return. Though he did not die in the day he ate forbidden fruit, yet in that very day he became mortal. Then he began to die; his whole life after was but a reprieve, a forfeited, condemned life; it was a wasting, dying life. Man's life is but dying by degrees."

As to the second passage John 10:34, this is a direct quote from Psalms 82:6, "Ye are gods". Does this statement mean we are going to be gods?

The statement made by Jesus is actually mocking the Jews. Obviously Christ was not saying they were gods, since they were not gods they were men. This is further reflected when we look at the passage in which Christ was referencing from Psalms.

6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

If these men really were gods, Christ would not have quoted a passage which said, "They will die like men" in the following sentence. Clearly, as men we are not god, nor are we gods in embryo. The quote made by Jesus is in the present tense, which means if they are gods, they were gods at the time Christ spoke to them. Obviously this is not the case. The bible is clear that man will never be god. There is but one God, and we are not him.

Rather than accept my word for it here are multiple passages supporting there is only one God.

"I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." Isaiah 44:6
"is there a God beside me; yea, there is no God; I know not any." Isaiah 44:8
"I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God." Isaiah 45:5
"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent:" Numbers 23:19

When discussing these passages with LDS friends, I've been told these passages say there is one god, because there is one God of this world. However, if God was once a man, and became God through proper use of his agency, He too must have had a god. If God had a father who was god, wouldn't God know about him? Yet, in Isa. 44:8 God said He does not know of any other God, beside Him. God also said in Isa. 44:6, "I am the first and I am the last". It is not possible that God is the first and the last, if we too can become God.

The belief that there is only one God is not exclusive to the Bible, it is also found in the Book of Mormon, which supposedly contains the "fullness of the gospel".

Alma 11:26-29

And Zeezrom said unto him: Thou sayest there is a true and living God? And Amulek said: Yea, there is a true and living God. Now Zeezrom said: Is there more than one God? And he answered, No.

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