Do Latter-day Saints believe they become gods?
Short answer
Yes—but not in the sense of replacing or supplanting God. Latter-day Saints believe that, through Jesus Christ, faithful disciples may receive exaltation and become like Heavenly Father, sharing in divine life and glory. This is grounded in Christ’s promise that the faithful may become ‘heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ’ (Romans 8:16–17) and in the teaching that God’s children may become ‘partakers of the divine nature’ (2 Peter 1:4).
This doctrine does not mean worshiping ourselves, becoming independent rivals to God, or ceasing to worship Him. Heavenly Father remains our Father and God, and eternal life consists in knowing and dwelling with Him and Jesus Christ (John 17:3). The Church’s teaching is that exalted beings remain perfectly united with God in righteousness and purpose, just as Christ is united with the Father (John 17:20–23). The historical Adam-God teaching associated with Brigham Young is not the doctrine that Latter-day Saints are asked to worship; the Church worships God the Eternal Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost (Articles of Faith 1:1).
20. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
It plants its destructive seed in the soul, and will continue to corrupt the whole Church if not stopped by the pure word of God, being used by the ministers of righteousness, for God has given it as a standard for the saints to go by. See B. of M. Brigham Young and his adherents concerning the truth have erred, saying Adam is the only God with whom we have to do; and have overthrown the faith of a great many. It may be truly said of Brigham Young as it is said in the Acts of the apostles: He is a setter-forth of a strange god: Acts 17:18. "If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt; and consume you, after he hath done you good;" Josh. 24:20. The prophet "that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, how shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken. When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him:" Deut. 18:20. "O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord; wo, wo, wo, be unto them that saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell:" 2 Nephi, 12 c. Again, we learn that many of the Nephites became idolators. See B. of M., 22 c. of Alma, page 355. Perhaps they thought as a great many Mormons do that Adam is God, and worshiped him, which is idolatry.
Latter-day Saints view the members of the Godhead in a manner that corresponds in a number of ways with the views of others in the Christian world, but with significant differences. Latter-day Saints pray to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. They acknowledge the Father as the ultimate object of their worship, the Son as Lord and Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit as the messenger and revealer of the Father and the Son. But where Latter-day Saints differ from other Christian religions is in their belief that God and Jesus Christ are glorified, physical beings and that each member of the Godhead is a separate being.
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