Well I have just been reading scriptures on a different matter but as sometimes happens when I am reading something boring to me, my mind wanders (especially when some un-named son which will remain namelss scares the crap out of his mother and then can no longer concentrate!!!) and I started thinking…… if we as in man, were created in the likeness of our Father in Heaven give or take, and we all pretty much know there are other worlds with life out there… does that mean all life look like we do as humans? Are we the only planet that has life created in the image of God?
Likeness and other worlds
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Sally
I am a 50-year-old mom of 5 and Nana of 12 grandkids. I am the Family History Consultant as of beginning of Dec 2006. Not a good day I have to say. I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for almost 28 years. I have served in just about every position available except for the Young Women organisation. My favorite thing to do in life is spend time with my grandchildren View all posts by Sally
FYI – I did a little series on this subject a few monthsback too… My suspicion is that each planet probably generally mirrors ours.
oh i will name him. he did the same thing to me, i was totally oblivious and the children were watching it with me too and were terrified OF COURSE. nasty trick, huh???
oops, didn’t name him. Kim.
I join apostles in speculating that God has peopled and will people other worlds with his own spirit children. I presume they, too, are made in God’s image.
But of course, I don’t exactly know what a “spirit child” is or what is the process of begetting one. I don’t know what the outer limits are of “the image of God.” Obviously our bodies are quite different, in their current state, from the glorious and eternal body of our Father in heaven. Likewise, our own bodies vary greatly from one another. So how different could the bodies of some other group of God’s children be from our own? If you know someone who knows the answers to these questions, tell me. I don’t.
I’ve always believed that this means all people everywhere are human. That doesn’t explain the large numbers of people who report being visited by aliens, though.
Do we know that life on other planets was created int he image of God? We know Adam and Eve were based on the Genesis account. However, what does the phrase even mean, if applied to all humans?
After all, there are different shades of colour in skin and hair, so God did not use his hair and skin colour when creating us. I am also doubtful or gender is in his likeness since it is doubtful he is two genders.
There enough similarities (two eyes, one nose, two arms, etc) amongst most humans to deduce that God’s image is based on these features. If that is the case, it is completely feasible that an extra-terrestrial being could have the same general features (two eye, one nose, two arms, etc) and yet not look human. Look at other earth primates as an example.
“Do we know that life on other planets was created int he image of God? “
Obviously, no. In fact, this question skips a step. We don’t even know that there is life on other planets. As I said before, it’s speculation.
“In His likeness”
It’s awfully vague.
I mean we could speculate that this just means carbon-based life.
Who knows to what extent life can exist?
Another property to consider is if you believe that God was once as we are, and that God made up the rules for this world – it does not necessarily mean that the God that created God decided that the occupants of His world would be created in His image.
For all we know, God^2 (that would be the God of our God) didn’t even have a body at all.
Ah, speculation. The lifeblood of the bored and/or insane.
D&C 76: 24
24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.
I beleive that we do know they are inhabited, at least that’s what this scripture tells me anyway. Moses 1:35 implies that the other worlds are inhabited as well.
I don’t see why those on those other planets would look all that much different from us. We know that there are laws that God must follow as well, or he would cease to be God right? I would speculate that one of those would be that his offspring would need to be in his image.
“I am also doubtful or gender is in his likeness since it is doubtful he is two genders.”
Well, what about our Heavenly Mother, don’t you think they got a few of her features. :-)
Perhaps, but the scriptures do not say that Adam and Eve were created in her image.
Although the scriptures cited by Ian indicate that there are begotten sons and daughters of God on “worlds,” it isn’t clear if there are PRESENTLY other inhabited worlds. It also isn’t clear whether this same planet may have, in the past, been a dwelling place for his children–before the current tenants arrived with Adam and Eve.