The Mormon Gods: A Narrative Odyssey
For more than three decades of my life, I walked a path defined by this faith, one paved with the unique beliefs of the Mormon Church. These beliefs, often shrouded in mystery or misconceptions, have played an integral role in shaping not just my spirituality but also my sense of self. In the following content, I embark on a journey, not to preach, but to elucidate and share a deeply personal narrative believed by millions of Mormons worldwide.
Please do not skip over my essential introduction. In this article you can expect the following:
The Complete Soul’s Journey
The Nature of the Godhead
Official References and Citations
Introduction
This exploration serves a dual purpose. First and foremost, it aims to offer a fresh perspective on what Mormons truly believe. The teachings of the Church are often presented with a set of rules and admonitions, focusing on the consequences of straying from the path. However, in this rendition, I choose to cast the doctrine as a first-person narrative, an odyssey if you will, with myself as the viewpoint character. It's a unique style, a departure from the conventional, designed to make the beliefs more accessible and relatable.
The protagonist.
As you read this narrative, I invite you to immerse yourself in the story. To see through this first person style and experience the journey as if you were there. Whether you choose to imagine yourself as the protagonist or simply as an observer, I hope you find the story enjoyable and enlightening. It's important to me that you understand that the narrative reflects the literal beliefs of Mormons without exaggeration or embellishment. It is a faithful representation of the doctrine of the Mormon church.
In crafting this account, I've intentionally omitted certain aspects of the doctrine, focusing instead on what sets Mormonism apart—the facets that make it a distinct worldview. While reading, consider that the contents of the Holy Bible, notably the Old and New Testaments, are part of the broader narrative, even though I have chosen to omit them for two reasons: they are readily available and well known, and also they are not entirely present in the physical journey of an individual experiencing this narrative. To me, as a real person, the Holy Bible is a companion book to the mortal part of a much grander storyline.
So, let us embark on this exploration together— a journey through the beliefs that define a significant portion of my life. Through this narrative, you may discover a new understanding of Mormonism and the intricate tapestry of belief that weaves through its followers.
Journey of the Soul
According to Mormon beliefs…
Premortality
The farthest back our story goes is beyond the existence of time and before the creation of Earth. We existed as an intelligences and nothing beyond that is known of our origins.
An illustration of God the Father, looking over the pre-spirit intelligences.
Near a star called Kolob, a perfected god and his goddess counterpart conceived children at which time my existence as an intelligence was called and I became one of the many children of this god and goddess. I was born into the second phase of my existence, now as a spirit person. My siblings and I had a life there as a family with our divine parentage.
A world and physical garden were created so that my siblings and I could progress onward — from a spiritual being to a physical one. The Old Testament called this garden “Eden” and describe its creation, and the creation of all life, including the fist man who was called “Adam” and his female counterpart known as Eve.
The eldest of my brothers would go on to be the spirit-god Jehovah, as mentioned in the story of the Old Testament, and then be born as the mortal-god Jesus of Nazareth, to be documented in the New Testament.
One of our brothers would never be born into a physical body at all, but instead be cast out of the pre-mortal community due to arrogance and zealotry. He would be described in scripture as Lucifer, the devil, an angel of light, the son of the morning, and “perdition.” He would stay a spirit person forever.
As for me… I was eventually born into the third phase of my existence — as a physical person. 1,985 years after the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the mortals John and Rebecca conceived a child and my spirit body was called in, claiming the body as the physical vessel for my spirit self. I was given the name “David John.”
The Spirits
A representation of Lucifer; the Devil among men.
Most of the spirit offspring of my divine parentage would be born into this world we call Earth and live mortal lives, but not all. The followers of our brother Lucifer joined him in exile, never to receive physical forms. Those spirit siblings live invisibly here, on Earth, with us. They envy and covet our mortal forms and do what they can to influence us towards self-destruction motivated by the concept of “misery loves company,” while Lucifer himself covets the worshiping attention of his siblings.
A third brother of mine, an enigmatic god, plays an intimate role in the daily lives of the mortals of Earth. Known in scripture as the holy ghost, or simply “the spirit” or spirit of god, this brother of ours remains in spirit form and interacts with mortals in real time as an intermediary between mortality and divinity.
The Purpose of Life & Death
During this mortal life, I learn that my journey is my own. I am blessed and cursed with the freedom to choose how to align my intentions and actions; for good, or for bad. Our experience with the liberty of mortality gives us vital insights into the prison of consequences and exposure to a reality bombarded by destructive forces. In preparation for life beyond mortality, I must bridal my passions and align myself with the benevolent will of god.
A commonly used illustration of the postmortal spirit realm.
At death, my physical body is left behind while I enter the spirit realm, coexisting with the mortal realm here on Earth. I then wait, reunited with all of my premortal siblings who have also completed their mortality. We interact and share our experiences with each other until we are reunited with our physical bodies and live again, but this time as immortals — commencing the fourth phase of existence.
If he is worthy, I will be greeted first by my father, John, and then by each member of my paternal and priesthood lineage all the way to Adam. If I am worthy, I will raise my wife from the dead and we will live forever progressing towards exaltation and eventual godhood.
Celestial Exaltation
Artistic representation of exalted creators; a god and goddess.
When I am ready, the glory of god will “burst upon me” and I will enter the fifth and final phase of existence. Like the god who conceived my intelligence into a spirit, I too will conceive spirit offspring. A world will be made for them and I will create an “Adam” and a female counterpart for him to begin the physical lineage that my spirit offspring will occupy.
This is perpetual. Gods and offspring for eternity.
It is said that there is only one Christ needed. The actions of Jesus of Nazareth, as told in the New Testament, are sufficient to facilitate the continuity of this cyclical journey of gods and family forever — past and future.
Godhead
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are the three distinct individuals necessary for the story of an eternal lineage of gods, among which all humans are a part. They are called, by the Mormons, the “Godhead,” a doctrine distinct from the notion of the “Trinity.”
The Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Many think it is the Book of Mormon that sets the Mormons apart from the rest of Christianity, but it is, in reality, this story of our relationship to divinity that makes Mormonism an entirely unique worldview.
My personal opinion is that it is a great tragedy that the Mormon church has any interest in appealing to Christianity at all. While accepting the same Holy Bible as all Christians do, the Mormon doctrine goes far beyond that, deep into the nature of our divine lineage and off into the eternity of the vastness of the cosmos.
There’s no doubt that my relationship to these doctrines has played out much like a tragic love story. I have made a covenant with my God as many adult Mormons have. With the exception of the creation of life, my covenants are considered the most sacred acts in all of eternity, equal to the sacredness of divinity itself. That’s not something easily abandoned.
Official Mormon References
Note that the official name of the Mormon religion is “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” While I was actively participating, we commonly said “Mormon” or “LDS,” but now, the contemporary church members strive to use the entirety of the official name. I respect their decision, but I considering myself a legacy member and I will stick to the traditional nickname “Mormonism.”
If you are a Mormon who thinks I overshared — I disagree. Note that I will publicly publish any negative feedback I get for sharing this information. You have been warned.
These are links to the official church reference material backing up the doctrine used in my narrative:
I enjoy this topic very much. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me with comments or questions.
