A Rational Theology, as Taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day SaintsWidtsoe, John Andreas
Religion
A Rational Theology, as Taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Widtsoe, John Andreas
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Doctrines; Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines; Theology
**Why Man is Man.** It is fairly evident from what has been said why
man is man. Man is subject-to eternal laws, and in the far-off
beginning he must have exercised his will more slowly or not at all;
perhaps, even, as laws came to him he ignored or opposed them. As more
knowledge and power are attained, growth becomes increasingly more
rapid. God, exalted by his glorious intelligence, is moving on into
new fields of power with a rapidity of which we can have no
conception, whereas man, in a lower stage of development, moves
relatively at a snail-like, though increasing pace. Man is,
nevertheless, moving on, in eternal progression. "As man is, God once
was; as God is, man may become." In short, man is a god in embryo. He
comes of a race of gods, and as his eternal growth is continued, he
will approach more nearly the point which to us is Godhood, and which
is everlasting in its power over the elements of the universe.
**God's Help to Man.** Self-effort, the conscious operation of will,
has moved man onward to his present high degree. However, while all
progress is due to self-effort, other beings of power may contribute
largely to the ease of man's growth. God, standing alone, cannot
conceivably possess the power that may come to him if the hosts of
other advancing and increasing workers labor in harmony with him.
Therefore, because of his love for his children and his desire to
continue in the way of even greater growth, he proceeded to aid others
in their onward progress.
Knowledge may be transmitted from intelligence to intelligence. God
offered to the waiting intelligent beings the knowledge that he had
already gained, so that they need not traverse that road, but might
attack some other phase of universal existence. He devised plans of
progression whereby the experiences of one person might be used by an
inferior one. Each person should give of his experience to others, so
that none should do unnecessary work. In that manner, through the
united effort of all, the whole race of progressive beings would
receive an added onward impetus.
**Man's Help to God.** The progress of intelligent beings is a mutual
affair. A lone God in the universe cannot find great joy in his power.
God, being in harmony with eternal laws, can progress best as the
whole universe becomes more complex, or advances. The development of
intelligence increases the complexity of the universe, for each active
individual may bring new relationships into view, and increases
many-fold the body of acquired truth. In that sense, the man who
progresses through his increase in knowledge and power, becomes a
co-laborer with God, and may be said, indeed, to be a help to God. It
is a comforting thought, not only that we need God but also that God
needs us. True, the need God has of us is relatively small, and the
help he gives us is infinitely large, yet the relation exists for the
comfort and assurance of man.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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