[tubaloth]

I have always had a hard time with this doctrine. When he spoke, I felt awful. I felt uncomortable, like a jolt of annoyance shot through me. I saw a few people give eachother 'looks', as well.

If you haven’t taken the time to study this doctrine it isn’t one that comes easy. Mostly because don’t know really all that God is! When we even try to compare ourselves to Him, it seems like the equation doesn’t come out right. (it doesn’t equal).

But once this idea is studied, it starts to make a lot more sense. God loves us enough that he wants us to be happy! He knows the ultimate form of happiness is living the life he does (Which is Eternal life, God is Eternal, we gain eternal life, because is the kind of life God has). God loves us so much that he wants to bring us to his level (That’s the whole point of why he sent his Son, to earth, that we could reach the highest level to be with him, and to be like him). True happiness isn’t in being a God, its saving children! Its saving your own Children! Its teaching them the way to be happy and to feel the fullness of Joy! When I realize my Heavenly Father loves me that much! Is willing to go to that great of length to help me be like Him! That makes me feel good!

To make it worse I always think of Pres. Hinkley saying "I don't know that we teach that" when asked about the godhood doctrine on Larry King. It seems like even he was uncomfortable with that!

We won’t go into that…
But I well site another Talk Pres. Hinkley gave just before he be came president of the church.

On the other hand, the whole design of the gospel is to lead us onward and upward to greater achievement, even, eventually, to godhood. This great possibility was enunciated by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the King Follet sermon (see Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 342-62; and emphasized by President Lorenzo Snow. It is this grand and incomparable concept: As God now is, man may become! (See The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, comp. Clyde J. Williams, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1984, p. 1.)
Our enemies have criticized us for believing in this. Our reply is that this lofty concept in no way diminishes God the Eternal Father. He is the Almighty. He is the Creator and Governor of the universe. He is the greatest of all and will always be so. But just as any earthly father wishes for his sons and daughters every success in life, so I believe our Father in Heaven wishes for his children that they might approach him in stature and stand beside him resplendent in godly strength and wisdom.
Gordon B. Hinckley, “Don’t Drop the Ball,” Ensign, Nov. 1994,

Understanding this doctrine, we realize we aren’t putting down God, we are realizing how great of Blessings he has in store for us! We can become more then just being with him, playing some harp all day!

When do members first get taught this?

Probably more during Temple Preparation time.

I never heard a thing about it until I was past YW, and that bothers me.

You probably did hear parts of it, but you didn’t understand what we being taught so you forgot it.

It certainly wasn't mentioned when I got the discussions and the whole 'secrecy' about it makes me dislike it even more.

It usually isn’t something that comes up very often. Not because it isn’t doctrine, but because in a church setting you have to teach a lesson that is for everybody.

[/quote]
"Let this mind be in you," writes our theological friend Paul, "which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God" (Phil. 2:5-6), thus showing how Christ, our Prototype, has attained oneness with his Father. Paul's associate apostle John takes the next step and applies the same principle to all who by faith become the sons of God. "Now are we the sons of God," he wrote, meaning that here and now while in mortality we have been adopted into the family of Deity and have become joint-heirs with his natural Son. "And it doth not yet appear what we shall be," he continues, meaning that no mortal man can conceive of the glory and dominion which shall be heaped upon those who reign on thrones in the exalted realms. "But we know that, when he shall appear [the Second Coming of our Lord], we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." As a natural conclusion to such a doctrine, John draws this obvious conclusion: "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure." (1 John 3:2-3.)

Pondering these words of the two ancient apostles, Paul and John, President Lorenzo Snow, a modern apostle—who also is the author of the couplet: "As man now is, God once was; As God now is, man may be"—addressed these poetically phrased truths to Paul:

Dear Brother:

Hast thou not been unwisely bold,
Man's destiny to thus unfold?
To raise, promote such high desire,
Such vast ambition thus inspire?
Still, 'tis no phantom that we trace
Man's ultimatum in life's race;

This royal path has long been trod
By righteous men, each now a God:
As Abra'm, Isaac, Jacob, too,
First babes, then men—to gods they grew.
As man now is, our God once was;
As now God is, so man may be,—
Which doth unfold man's destiny.
For John declares: When Christ we see
Like unto him we'll truly be.
And he who has this hope within,
Will purify himself from sin.
Who keep this object grand in view,
To folly, sin, will bid adieu,
Nor wallow in the mire anew;
Nor ever seek to carve his name
High on the shaft of worldly fame;
But here his ultimatum trace:
The head of all his spirit-race.
Ah, well: that taught by you, dear Paul,
'Though much amazed, we see it all;
Our Father God, has ope'd our eyes,
We cannot view it otherwise.
The boy, like to his father grown,
Has but attained unto his own;
To grow to sire from state of son,
Is not 'gainst Nature's course to run.
A son of God, like God to be,
Would not be robbing Deity;
And he who has this hope within,
Will purify himself from sin.
You're right, St. John, supremely right:
Whoe'er essays to climb this height,
Will cleanse himself of sin entire—
Or else 'twere needless to aspire.

—Cited in Commentary 2:532-33
(Bruce R. McConkie, The Promised Messiah: The First Coming of Christ [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1978], 134.)[/quote]