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Let's Talk About Becoming Like God
Since the earliest days of the Restoration, the doctrine that we are eternal beings and can progress in our divinity has been central to the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In Doctrine and Covenants, we are taught that those who attain exaltation are “priests [and priestesses] and kings [and queens]. . . . They are gods” (76:54). This principle defines the purpose of the plan of salvation and distinguishes Latter-day Saints from most other contemporary Christians.
But while it is clear from scripture and the teachings of Church leaders that humans have the potential to “become like God,” for many members of the Church, and certainly for many nonmembers, this doctrine has been difficult to understand, let alone appreciate. To help address this confusion, religion scholar Daniel L. Belnap reviews scripture and Restoration teachings to help clarify what we know and what we don’t know about this doctrine.
Though there is much we still do not know about the doctrine of becoming like God—or of becoming gods—it is worth contemplation. For Latter-day Saints, this remarkable doctrine is at the heart of our entire worship. All aspects of our religion—the role of revelation, the structure of the priesthood, even our simplest Primary songs—revolve around this central that we are a type of being that is meant to become divine.
But while it is clear from scripture and the teachings of Church leaders that humans have the potential to “become like God,” for many members of the Church, and certainly for many nonmembers, this doctrine has been difficult to understand, let alone appreciate. To help address this confusion, religion scholar Daniel L. Belnap reviews scripture and Restoration teachings to help clarify what we know and what we don’t know about this doctrine.
Though there is much we still do not know about the doctrine of becoming like God—or of becoming gods—it is worth contemplation. For Latter-day Saints, this remarkable doctrine is at the heart of our entire worship. All aspects of our religion—the role of revelation, the structure of the priesthood, even our simplest Primary songs—revolve around this central that we are a type of being that is meant to become divine.
Kindle Edition
Published June 23, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 2, 2026
There are some helpful ideas here that explain the Latter-day Saint belief that we can become like God. That is essentially the purpose of our mortal lives--the learn and grow and become like Him. This is made possible by Jesus Christ. While there is a lot more to understand, here are some quotes I liked:
"'They are they who are the church of the Firstborn... They are they who are priests and kinds... They are gods, even the sons of God.'... These verses mark the time that Saints learned officially that they could become divine beings themselves, a principle that defines the purpose of the plan of salvation and distinguishes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from other forms of contemporary Christianity (p. 1)."
"The doctrine that all may become divine beings, like the resurrected members of the Godhead, Jesus Christ and God the Father, incorporates a number of other doctrinal principles, such as the nature of God, the significance of the Resurrection, and the supernal power of Christ's Atonement (p. 2)."
"To know what it means 'to become like God' requires that we know the being we identify as God and the characteristics that define what a god is (p. 2)."
"'This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent' (p. 9)."
"The term God may refer to both a particular individual within the Godhead... and the Godhead itself (p. 9)."
"When we pray, we engage with all three members of the Godhead (p. 10)."
"'We are God's children, set apart for immortality and eternal life. Our destiny is to be His heirs, 'joint-heirs with Christ' (D. Todd Christofferson, p. 11)."
"'In giving us the gift of a body, God has allowed us to take a vital step toward becoming more like Him' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 12)."
"God and humankind are the same type of being but are currently in different states of being (p. 13)."
"Becoming like God requires us to attain the same state as God in both categories [moral and ethical development... as well as our physical state] (p. 13)."
"Christ is present in the sun and the light of the sun and was the power by which these were made (p. 16)."
"The power that brings life to all things is the same power that both redeems humanity and transforms the earth with celestial glory (p. 17)."
"A god may be defined as a being that has reached the highest state of progression ontologically... socially... and ethically (p. 21)."
"All could become perfect... like God Himself (p. 29)."
"Humankind's potential to become like God was made possible by Christ's exaltation (p. 33)."
"Thanks to Christ's atoning ministry, one can receive a promise to become a divine being (p. 35)."
"The primary purpose of the Creation is to provide an environment and setting by which humanity can progress from lesser states, both physical and attributive... in order to receive immortality and eternal life--that is, godhood (p. 46)."
"Because of the limitations of time and space, we often react to the way things seem rather than the way things are (p. 56)."
"Becoming like God requires physical perfection, or having a perfect, immortal, exalted body (p. 56)."
"Becoming like God is a process of growth and progression as we develop and gain the attributes that a god has (p. 61)."
"'The Lord wants all his children to gain light and truth and knowledge from on high. It is his will that we pierce the veil and rend the heavens and see the visions of eternity' (Bruce R. McConkie, p. 68)."
"Agency is the primary characteristic that defines our eternal nature (p. 70)."
"It is, ultimately, through God's grace that we obtain godhood (p. 71)."
"The ability to discern wrong from right appears to be an eternal characteristic (p. 72)."
"Exercising faith can perhaps be seen as mental activity in which one seeks to find and then recognize the value of certain information (p. 73)."
"The knowledge required to exercise faith may be gained by experience, or by knowing the ways to which God has previously been involved in one's life (p. 74)."
"'A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power in the other world, as evil spirits will have more knowledge, and consequently more power than many men who are on the earth. Hence it needs revelation to assist us, and give us knowledge of the things of God' (Joseph Smith, p. 76)."
"Having knowledge was one of the ways in which God was God (p. 76)."
"With agency and faith we can engage in repentance, a process made possible through Christ's atoning power and that can rid us of the eternal consequences of wrongdoing that would keep us from achieving divine status (p. 77)."
"One of the outcomes of repentance is baptism (p. 79)."
"The authority that makes these ordinances and covenants efficacious is the priesthood (p. 81)."
"The relationship of ordinances, the priesthood, and revelation may be understood in the Restoration use of the term godliness (p. 81)."
"Godliness is more than simply an attribute (p. 82)."
"The eye of faith describes a mental act in which one sees or... imagines resurrection and entering into exaltation (p. 84)."
"Central to the blessings listed here is the reception of knowledge... knowledge can be received directly from exalted beings, specifically God the Father and Jesus Christ (p. 66)."
"'We need to believe in the gift of the Holy Ghost' (Jeffrey R. Holland, p. 86)."
"'The greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God' (p. 87)."
"Godliness, or the increasing ability to receive God's knowledge, is developed through the ordinances of the gospel... the ordinances create the environment or circumstances by which those who perform them sincerely may more fully comprehend and even experience the knowledge of God (p. 87)."
"'Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need' (p. 89)."
"The Holy Ghost has the following primary responsibilities regarding our salvation. First, the Holy Ghost ratifies the oaths and the performance of the ordinances of our covenants... it is the Holy Ghost, in His role as the Holy Spirit of Promise, who seals the relationships between God and humankind. The Holy Ghost is also instrumental in receiving revelation... Finally, the Holy Ghost also helps us receive and develop spiritual gifts (p. 93)."
"Enduring to the end is a process that leads to salvation (p. 94)."
"'A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never had power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation... It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life' (p. 95)."
"Each of them submitted their own wills to the will of God to accomplish what was asked of them and to let God transform them into new beings (p. 98)."
"President Romney equated having one's calling and election made sure with the promise of 'peace in this world, and eternal life int he world to come' (p. 103)."
"When the Lord has thoroughly proved him and finds that the man is determined to serve him at all hazard, then the man will find his calling and election made sure (p. 106)."
"For Latter-day Saints, the doctrine of theosis, of becoming like God, of becoming gods, is at the heart of our entire worship... God is a being that was once like us, who went through His own process of theosis (p. 109)."
"Without Christ's sacrifice, our morality, necessary to obtaining godhood, would be damned by the very conditions necessary for advancement (p. 110)."
"Our agency is the greatest evidence that God recognizes our eternal worth (p. 110)."
"'They are they who are the church of the Firstborn... They are they who are priests and kinds... They are gods, even the sons of God.'... These verses mark the time that Saints learned officially that they could become divine beings themselves, a principle that defines the purpose of the plan of salvation and distinguishes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from other forms of contemporary Christianity (p. 1)."
"The doctrine that all may become divine beings, like the resurrected members of the Godhead, Jesus Christ and God the Father, incorporates a number of other doctrinal principles, such as the nature of God, the significance of the Resurrection, and the supernal power of Christ's Atonement (p. 2)."
"To know what it means 'to become like God' requires that we know the being we identify as God and the characteristics that define what a god is (p. 2)."
"'This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent' (p. 9)."
"The term God may refer to both a particular individual within the Godhead... and the Godhead itself (p. 9)."
"When we pray, we engage with all three members of the Godhead (p. 10)."
"'We are God's children, set apart for immortality and eternal life. Our destiny is to be His heirs, 'joint-heirs with Christ' (D. Todd Christofferson, p. 11)."
"'In giving us the gift of a body, God has allowed us to take a vital step toward becoming more like Him' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 12)."
"God and humankind are the same type of being but are currently in different states of being (p. 13)."
"Becoming like God requires us to attain the same state as God in both categories [moral and ethical development... as well as our physical state] (p. 13)."
"Christ is present in the sun and the light of the sun and was the power by which these were made (p. 16)."
"The power that brings life to all things is the same power that both redeems humanity and transforms the earth with celestial glory (p. 17)."
"A god may be defined as a being that has reached the highest state of progression ontologically... socially... and ethically (p. 21)."
"All could become perfect... like God Himself (p. 29)."
"Humankind's potential to become like God was made possible by Christ's exaltation (p. 33)."
"Thanks to Christ's atoning ministry, one can receive a promise to become a divine being (p. 35)."
"The primary purpose of the Creation is to provide an environment and setting by which humanity can progress from lesser states, both physical and attributive... in order to receive immortality and eternal life--that is, godhood (p. 46)."
"Because of the limitations of time and space, we often react to the way things seem rather than the way things are (p. 56)."
"Becoming like God requires physical perfection, or having a perfect, immortal, exalted body (p. 56)."
"Becoming like God is a process of growth and progression as we develop and gain the attributes that a god has (p. 61)."
"'The Lord wants all his children to gain light and truth and knowledge from on high. It is his will that we pierce the veil and rend the heavens and see the visions of eternity' (Bruce R. McConkie, p. 68)."
"Agency is the primary characteristic that defines our eternal nature (p. 70)."
"It is, ultimately, through God's grace that we obtain godhood (p. 71)."
"The ability to discern wrong from right appears to be an eternal characteristic (p. 72)."
"Exercising faith can perhaps be seen as mental activity in which one seeks to find and then recognize the value of certain information (p. 73)."
"The knowledge required to exercise faith may be gained by experience, or by knowing the ways to which God has previously been involved in one's life (p. 74)."
"'A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power in the other world, as evil spirits will have more knowledge, and consequently more power than many men who are on the earth. Hence it needs revelation to assist us, and give us knowledge of the things of God' (Joseph Smith, p. 76)."
"Having knowledge was one of the ways in which God was God (p. 76)."
"With agency and faith we can engage in repentance, a process made possible through Christ's atoning power and that can rid us of the eternal consequences of wrongdoing that would keep us from achieving divine status (p. 77)."
"One of the outcomes of repentance is baptism (p. 79)."
"The authority that makes these ordinances and covenants efficacious is the priesthood (p. 81)."
"The relationship of ordinances, the priesthood, and revelation may be understood in the Restoration use of the term godliness (p. 81)."
"Godliness is more than simply an attribute (p. 82)."
"The eye of faith describes a mental act in which one sees or... imagines resurrection and entering into exaltation (p. 84)."
"Central to the blessings listed here is the reception of knowledge... knowledge can be received directly from exalted beings, specifically God the Father and Jesus Christ (p. 66)."
"'We need to believe in the gift of the Holy Ghost' (Jeffrey R. Holland, p. 86)."
"'The greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God' (p. 87)."
"Godliness, or the increasing ability to receive God's knowledge, is developed through the ordinances of the gospel... the ordinances create the environment or circumstances by which those who perform them sincerely may more fully comprehend and even experience the knowledge of God (p. 87)."
"'Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need' (p. 89)."
"The Holy Ghost has the following primary responsibilities regarding our salvation. First, the Holy Ghost ratifies the oaths and the performance of the ordinances of our covenants... it is the Holy Ghost, in His role as the Holy Spirit of Promise, who seals the relationships between God and humankind. The Holy Ghost is also instrumental in receiving revelation... Finally, the Holy Ghost also helps us receive and develop spiritual gifts (p. 93)."
"Enduring to the end is a process that leads to salvation (p. 94)."
"'A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never had power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation... It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life' (p. 95)."
"Each of them submitted their own wills to the will of God to accomplish what was asked of them and to let God transform them into new beings (p. 98)."
"President Romney equated having one's calling and election made sure with the promise of 'peace in this world, and eternal life int he world to come' (p. 103)."
"When the Lord has thoroughly proved him and finds that the man is determined to serve him at all hazard, then the man will find his calling and election made sure (p. 106)."
"For Latter-day Saints, the doctrine of theosis, of becoming like God, of becoming gods, is at the heart of our entire worship... God is a being that was once like us, who went through His own process of theosis (p. 109)."
"Without Christ's sacrifice, our morality, necessary to obtaining godhood, would be damned by the very conditions necessary for advancement (p. 110)."
"Our agency is the greatest evidence that God recognizes our eternal worth (p. 110)."
July 13, 2026
This was a brief, insightful book about the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about becoming like God (theosis). I have studied a fair amount about this topic before reading this book, but I still learned some new things and thought the author made some great points on this subject and his writing was quite clear. He made several helpful points of comparison and contrast between the beliefs of Latter-day Saints and other Christians. His doctrinal explanations are grounded almost entirely in the scriptures, and a bit from the Prophet Joseph Smith. I wish the author had also drawn from the powerful, inspiring teachings of Brigham Young on this subject, but they weren't mentioned. Other than that, this really was an excellent little book and I would certainly recommend it to my friends who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or others who are interested in better understanding our beliefs.
July 30, 2025
Even though I know I get more out of a church doctrine book if I have a hard copy where I can ponder and highlight, listening is just so convenient. I listened to it twice to try to catch things I missed the first time. Belnap did a great job with his organization and explanation, though I wouldn't say there was new material. Some thoughts that stood out to me:
The Holy Ghost helps to change us into holier beings. In combination with submitting our will to God and learning to use our agency wisely, we can be transformed into a divine state. Christ's sacrifice makes becoming like God possible. The gift of our agency is the greatest evidence that God recognizes our eternal worth.
The Holy Ghost helps to change us into holier beings. In combination with submitting our will to God and learning to use our agency wisely, we can be transformed into a divine state. Christ's sacrifice makes becoming like God possible. The gift of our agency is the greatest evidence that God recognizes our eternal worth.
August 7, 2025
Daniel L. Belnap does a great job of reviewing the Doctrine of Christ, explaining the different steps, and then coming to real conclusions on its final steps of progression. As he mentions at the end "It is one of the plain and precious truths, perhaps the plainest and certainly the most precious, revealed in this dispensation".
This is a simple and concise guide to better understanding "calling and election", "the 1st and 2nd comforters", and the path towards exaltation while on the earth. The rest of the light and knowledge comes after, by following the advice in this book to seek truth through revelation via the Holy Ghost.
This is a simple and concise guide to better understanding "calling and election", "the 1st and 2nd comforters", and the path towards exaltation while on the earth. The rest of the light and knowledge comes after, by following the advice in this book to seek truth through revelation via the Holy Ghost.
September 10, 2025
Let’s Talk About….great stuff!
December 29, 2025
Complicated, I zoned out a few times listening because a lot of it was over my head, but what I did understand, I found interesting. This is a book I may need to revisit to better understand it.
July 1, 2026
Good insights, but he makes significant stretches, reading more into scripture passages than seems accurate.
March 30, 2026
This was a great study about who God is and how we can become like Him through Jesus Christ. However, it was also very intellectual and you really had to concentrate sometimes to grasp the concepts. I'm sure I missed some of it because I just wasn't quite dialed in. I definitely wrote down a lot of great quotes, though, that I plan on looking back on and pondering more.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews