Lorenzo Snow on Theosis
Lorenzo Snow
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Godliness cannot be conferred but must be acquired, a fact of which the religious world seem[s] strangely and lamentably unconscious.
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Millennial Star, pages 362-363, 1851.12
Related Quotes
Brigham YoungNow those men, or those women, who know no more about the power of God, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, than to be led entirely by another person, suspending their own understanding, and pinning their faith upon another’s sleeve, will never be capable of entering into the celestial glory, to be crowned as they anticipate; they will never be capable of becoming Gods.
Spencer W. Kimball“And I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him: male and female created I them.” (The story of the rib, of course, is figurative.) “And I, God, blessed them (Man here is always in the plural. It was plural from the beginning.) and said unto them: Be fruitful …” The Creators breathed into their nostrils the breath of life and man and woman became living souls. We don’t know exactly how their coming into this world happened, and when we’re able to understand it the Lord will tell us.
AthanasiusGod became man that man might become God.
More from Lorenzo Snow
Seventy years ago this Church was organized with six members. We commenced, so to speak, as an infant. We had our prejudices to combat. Our ignorance troubled us in regard to what the Lord intended to do and what He wanted us to do We advanced to boyhood, and still we undoubtedly made some mistakes, which generally arise from a lack of experience.
The time will come when some of these boys, through their faithfulness to the gospel, will progress and develop in knowledge, intelligence and power, in future eternities.
These children are now at play, making mud worlds. The time will come when some of them, through their faithfulness to the gospel, will progress and develop in knowledge, intelligence and power, in future eternities, until they shall ... rule as gods.
Our errors have generally arisen from a lack of comprehending what the Lord required of us to do. But now we are pretty well along to manhood.
We should strive earnestly to establish the principles of heaven within us, rather than trouble ourselves in fostering anxieties like the foolish people of the Tower of Babel, to reach its location before we are properly and lawfully prepared to become its inhabitants. Its advantages and blessings, in a measure, can be obtained in this probationary state by learning to live in conformity with its laws and the practice of its principles. To do this, there must be a feeling and determination to do God’s will.