Question: Dear Donny, I read in the Catholic Telegraph, Aug. 31, 2001, the LDS believe that God is "an exalted man, originating from another planet, who acquired his divine status through a death similar to human death". If this is so, who created God and why don't we worship the being who created Him? I am reading The Book of Mormon. Is there a study guide or book to go along with it to help me understand?
Response: What you have read is correct. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does believe that God is exalted and that because he is the Father of the Spirits of all of us, who literally created us spiritually, and we lived with Him for eons of time before we ever came to this earth. The scriptures are silent on the subject of how long ago it was that he became God. There is no indication at all. Not only was he once mortal, but he also provides us a way to eventually become like He is and has even commanded us through His Son Jesus Christ, to so live our lives (see Matt. 5:48). And if we do, we have been promised "all that the father hath" (see Luke 12:44, Romans 8:32, and Revelation 21:7).
As to why we don't worship the Being who created Him, I would simply say that He is our Father and because of our personal relationship with him, it is He whom we worship. Whoever was His Father and His Father, and His Father, etc. is not known to us in any of the scriptures. As a consequence, we have no way of knowing who they are, nor where they came from. God, our Heavenly Father, created our spiritual bodies and sent those spirits to the earth to be housed in the physical bodies created for us by our parents. He wants us to live Christ-centered lives and sent his son, our Savior, to the earth to show us the way and through his atoning sacrifice, if we will keep his commandments and endure to the end, we will be able to return to the presence of God.
As far as a study guide to the Book of Mormon, there are many different choices. I suggest going to DeseretBook.com or BYUBookstore.com and searching there. They will have many that might fit your needs.
If you would like, I could send a couple representatives from the Church to give you more information that may help in your desires to study more about the gospel. Once you've had an opportunity to hear and understand their messages, then you will be able to determine for yourself, whether this is worth pursuing. If you would like me to do this, please email me back with your address and phone number.
