Although most LDS members deny that Jesus was once a sinner like us, their founder, Joseph Smith, and all LDS Leaders after him, said these exact words about Jesus:

The Foundational Statement: “God Was Once a Man Like Us” A Primary LDS Doctrine:

Source: Times and Seasons, Vol. 5 (August 15, 1844), p. 613–614.

Joseph Smith’s own words:

“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted Man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! … You have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves; to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you.”

This statement does not stand in isolation; it belongs to the King Follett Sermon corpus, which also teaches that humans, through obedience and exaltation, can achieve the same divine status that God now possesses.

The logic is cyclical and reproductive: men become Gods, just as God once was a man.

The Unavoidable Logical Implication

(a) Premise 1: All men, according to both Scripture and LDS anthropology, are fallen:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

Even in LDS cosmology, mortal existence is a probationary state characterized by temptation and moral failure (see 2 Nephi 2:21 in the Book of Mormon).

(b) Premise 2: Joseph Smith claimed that God was once a man like us.

(c) Therefore, If God were once a man like us, He was once fallen, tempted, and morally imperfect.

Otherwise, He was not truly “like us.” A man who has never sinned and never could sin is not “as we are now.”

Since Joseph Smith and all LDS leaders after him, confirm that God was once a man like us, this defines God as a sinner like us, in need of a Savior. The second problem with this LDS doctrine is that “Eternal Progression” that is the fundamental basis of God as a man once like us, is that we as humans can become God like God. God does not share His Glory with anyone. Making self a God is what Lucifer did that caused his fall and being cast out of heaven.

Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another.”

Isaiah 14:12-16 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.”

Joseph Smith taught that “God Himself was once as we are now, an exalted man.” (Times and Seasons, 5 [1844]: 613-14). If, as Smith claimed, the Father passed through a mortal state like ours, the inevitable corollary is that He, too, once experienced the moral condition of fallen humanity. Consequently, the LDS framework implies a deity who advanced from imperfection to godhood—whereas the New Testament declares that Jesus Christ, eternally God, “knew no sin” (2 Cor 5:21) and was “without sin” (Heb 4:15). Hence the Mormon view of deity diverges sharply from the biblical portrait of an uncreated, sinless, immutable God.

Historical Teaching by the LDS Church That Jesus Was Once A Sinner

The following is a dossier (Brigham Young  to Spencer W. Kimball) showing how key LDS leaders repeated or formalized the idea often summarized as “God was once a man … and man may become like God.” I’ve favored primary sermons (Journal of Discourses) and official LDS manuals/webpages where available, then added standard LDS authority texts.

Continuity Notes & Primary Citations (BY SWK)

Brigham Young (2nd President)

 “He was once a man.”

“The idea that the Lord our God is not a personage of tabernacle is entirely a mistaken notion. He was once a man. Brother Kimball quoted a saying of Joseph the Prophet … If he had a Father, he was made in his likeness.” — Journal of Discourses 9:286 (Oct. 7, 1862).

(Multiple kindred statements appear across Young’s sermons; see also JD 10:355 references reproduced by later compilers.)

John Taylor (3rd President)

Eternal progression of man to godhood.

“That he may increase … and go on with that eternal progression, not only in this world, but in worlds without end.” — Journal of Discourses 8:1 (1860).

Lorenzo Snow (5th President)

The classic couplet (officially taught in modern LDS manuals):

“As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be.”

1. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, ch. 5 (“The Grand Destiny of the Faithful”), Church manual (online).
2. Church History site also recounts Snow’s own framing of receiving this couplet as revelation.
3. Additional Church education materials instruct teachers to write the couplet on the board and discuss it.

(For historical analysis of the couplet’s usage, see Huggins, JETS article.)

Joseph F. Smith (6th President)

Man’s destiny is to become like God; strong exaltation language in official manuals.

“We become like God our Father through obedience to the principles of the gospel.” — Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, ch. 37 (official manual).

1. He stresses that mortals are God’s offspring and may “peradventure … sit upon thrones, to have dominion, power, and eternal increase.” Same chapter.  (Intervening manuals maintain the theme)
2. Doctrines of the Gospel (LDS student manual) teaches humans “can become like [the Father].”

Spencer W. Kimball (12th President)

“Man is a god in embryo.”

“Man is a god in embryo and has in him the seeds of godhood, and he can, if he will, rise to great heights.” — Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ch. 1 (official Church manual page).

(Apologists and critics often note SWK also echoed Snow’s couplet in compiled “Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball”; the Church’s own manual quotation above is the safest citable line from an official site.)

Corroborating LDS sources (non-presidential, widely used)

Gospel Topics—“Becoming Like God.” Official essay summarizing the doctrine that humans have the potential to become like the Father. 

Brigham Young & other J.D. sermons compiled with the explicit “He was once a man” line (use JD 9:286 as your anchor).

Additional Statements From LDS Leaders That God Was Once A Man, A Sinner

Brigham Young (2nd President)

“He was once a man. Brother Kimball quoted a saying of Joseph the Prophet, that he would not worship a God who had not a Father; and I do not know that he would.” — Journal of Discourses 9:286, “True Character of God, Etc.,” Feb. 23, 1862.

John Taylor (3rd President)

“[M]an…is rendered capable of becoming a God, possessing the power, the majesty, the exaltation and the position of a God… it needed the atonement of a God, before man… could be exalted to the Godhead.” — The Mediation and Atonement of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (1882), chs. XIX–XX (public-domain text).

Lorenzo Snow (5th President)

Official Church manual preserves and teaches Snow’s couplet:

“As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be. …Once he knew the doctrine was public knowledge, he testified of it frequently.” — Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, ch. 5, ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Joseph F. Smith (6th President)

On exaltation (the Latter-day Saint term for becoming like God):

“This plan [of the gospel] contemplated not only salvation from sin…but exaltation, glory, power and dominion….” — Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, ch. 17, ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

David O. McKay (9th President)

While not phrased as starkly as Snow’s couplet, McKay consistently taught man’s divine potential and premortal sonship of God; see representative Church materials summarizing this theme.

Joseph Fielding Smith (10th President)

Church educational manuals (CES) and Gospel Principles cite Joseph Fielding Smith repeatedly on exaltation (becoming like the Father) as the goal of the plan of salvation (with Doctrines of Salvation as the underlying source). See Gospel Principles, ch. 47 “Exaltation.”

(For historical curriculum use that quotes JFS on post-mortal “worlds”/increase, see CES student-manual excerpts that reproduce Doctrines of Salvation 2:48.)

Spencer W. Kimball (12th President)

1. “Man is a god in embryo and has in him the seeds of godhood….” — Teachings of President Spencer W. Kimball, Church manual (Chapter 1).
2. Kimball publicly reaffirmed Snow’s couplet in General Conference (April 1977):

“We remember the numerous scriptures which, concentrated in a single line, were said by a former prophet, Lorenzo Snow: ‘As man is, God once was; and as God is, man may become.’” — “Our Great Potential,” General Conference, Apr. 1977, ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

The LDS Church’s current Gospel Topics essay “Becoming Like God” explains the Latter-day Saint belief that human beings can become like the Heavenly Father (without directly rehearsing the

“God once was a man” half). It situates the doctrine in the broader concept of theosis/divinization.

The Ensign “I Have a Question” (Feb. 1982) article (by Gerald N. Lund) discussed whether Snow’s couplet is “official doctrine,” concluding that while no single First Presidency declaration canonized the couplet, the teaching is accepted in the Church; this piece is frequently cited in LDS and academic discussions. (See scholarly summary.)

Continuity: From Young and Taylor in the 19th century through Snow (later canonized in teaching manuals) and down to Kimball in 1977 General Conference, LDS leaders repeatedly taught either the first half (“God once was [a man]”) and/or the second half (“man may become [as God]”) of Snow’s couplet, along with extensive teaching on exaltation.

Official venues: Several statements appear on the Church’s own website (manuals, General Conference), not just in third-party compilations.

Bruce R. McConkie (Apostle, Kimball era) vigorously taught exaltation (e.g., The Millennial Messiah), though page-exact “God once was a man” phrasings in Mormon Doctrine are best cited from a printed edition. (General background & bibliographic anchor here.) 

Modern LDS teacher materials continue to treat Snow’s couplet as teachable doctrine (teacher manuals instruct to display and discuss the couplet). 

A Long History of Teaching That Jesus Was Once a Sinner

From Brigham Young onward, LDS leaders consistently taught that God is an exalted Man and that humans may progress to become like Him.

• Young declared, “He was once a man” (JD 9:286).
• John Taylor preached “eternal progression” (JD 8:1).
• President Lorenzo Snow canonized the thought in the couplet, “As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be,” which the Church still publishes and teaches (official manuals).
• Later presidents reinforced the same trajectory: Joseph F. Smith—“We become like God our Father” (manual);
• Spencer W. Kimball—“Man is a god in embryo” (manual). The Church’s current Gospel Topics essay summarizes it as “Becoming Like God.”

The Bible Teaches That God Is An Eternal Spirit, Not A Man, Never A Sinner

Scripture uniformly declares that God is Spirit, uncreated, immutable, and utterly distinct from man.  The biblical portrait leaves no room for a deity who was once mortal or sinful.  Jesus Christ is presented as eternally divine—“the Word was God”—not as a being who attained godhood.

Sources and Citations:

Brigham Young:

Young, Brigham. Journal of Discourses, vol. 9, “True Character of God—Erroneous Ideas Entertained Towards Him,” delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, February 23, 1862, reported by G. D. Watt, pp. 286-89. Available online: BYU Digital Collections.

(In that sermon Young declares “He was once a man” in reference to God the Father.)

Lorenzo Snow:

Snow, Lorenzo. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, chapter 5 (“The Grand Destiny of the Faithful”). Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2011 (PDF available). The chapter opens with his couplet:

“As man now is, God once was; As God now is, man may be.”

Snow, Lorenzo.

“I embraced in this couplet: ‘As man now is, God once was; As God now is, man may be.’” Deseret Semi-Weekly News, October 30, 1894, p. 1. Referenced in Huggins, JETS article.

Huggins, Ronald L., “Lorenzo Snow’s Couplet: ‘As man now is, God once was; As God now is, man may be,’ JETS 49/3 (September 2006): 549-568. PDF.

Spencer W. Kimball

Kimball, Spencer W. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, chapter 1 (“To Live with Him Someday”). Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (PDF). The relevant quotation: “Man is a god in embryo and has in him the seeds of godhood, and he can, if he will, rise to great heights.”

Kimball, Spencer W. The Miracle of Forgiveness. Bookcraft, 1969 (and later editions). Quote: “We are gods in embryo …” (See MRM article). 

Supplementary Sources

1. Gospel Topics essay: Becoming Like God. Official website, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/becoming-like-god?lang=eng 
2. Brigham Young, “True Character of God—Erroneous Ideas Entertained Towards Him,” Journal of Discourses, vol. 9 (Liverpool: George Q. Cannon, 1862), 286-89.
3. Lorenzo Snow, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow (Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2011), chap. 5.
4. Lorenzo Snow, quoted in “I embraced in this couplet: ‘As man now is, God once was; As God now is, man may be,’” Deseret Semi-Weekly News, October 30, 1894, 1.
5. Spencer W. Kimball, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball (Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, [year]), chap. 1.
6. Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969), xx-xx.
7. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Becoming Like God,” Gospel Topics online.

Primary LDS Sources (by leader)

Joseph Smith 

• “If you wish to go where God is, you must be like God …” (contextualizes LDS deification trajectory). Church History quotation with source line to History of the Church 4:588.
• Church History “Joseph Smith quotes” index (includes the same maxim and Times & Seasons refs).

Brigham Young

• “He was once a man.” — Journal of Discourses 9:286, “True Character of God—Erroneous Ideas Entertained Towards Him,” Feb. 23, 1862 (full text).
• BYU Digital scan of Journal of Discourses vol. 9 (page range around 286–89).
• LDS manual (Presidents of the Church—Brigham Young teacher/reader PDF) that explicitly frames the doctrine: “The doctrine that God was once a man and has progressed to become a God is unique to this Church.” (lesson prompt language).

John Taylor

• “eternal progression … in worlds without end.” — Journal of Discourses 8:1–6 (full text).
• PDF of Journal of Discourses vol. 8 (independent hosted scan covering JD 8:1 context).

Lorenzo Snow

• Couplet (official manual): “As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be.” — Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, ch. 5 “The Grand Destiny of the Faithful” (official Church manual).
• Manual landing page for the Snow volume.
• A PDF manual edition for Snow (for archival durability).

Joseph F. Smith

• Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, ch. 37 “Sons and Daughters of the Eternal Father” (becoming like the Father; exaltation framing).
• Doctrines of the Gospel: Student Manual — Creation (man in likeness of the Father), Premortal Life, The Fall (mortality as schooling toward exaltation).
• Gospel Principles ch. 47 “Exaltation” — “We could become like Him, an exalted being.” (Plan for our progression).
• Gospel Principles table of contents and PDF edition (same doctrine, stable reference).

Spencer W. Kimball

• “Man is a god in embryo … seeds of godhood.” — Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, ch. 1 (official Church manual).
• Same Kimball volume (official PDF).
• The Miracle of Forgiveness (primary Kimball book) — widely cited line “We are gods in embryo” with accessible scans showing the passage.

Marion G. Romney (First Presidency; continuity language)

• **“man is a child of God—a God in embryo” — quotation reproduced in an official Young Women teaching PDF (with Conference citation).

General Conference / Leaders (20th–21st c. continuity)

1. Spencer W. Kimball, “Our Great Potential” (Apr 1977 GC) — explicitly echoes Snow’s couplet and destiny “to become like God.” Official GC page.
2. Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge to Become” (Oct 2000 GC) — doctrinal framing of the gospel as the plan to become what the Father desires (deification trajectory language).
3. Dallin H. Oaks, “The Great Plan” (Apr 2020 GC) — reiterates the “plan” culminating in celestial destiny (continuity with exaltation theme).
4. Dallin H. Oaks, “Divine Helps for Mortality” (Apr 2025 GC) — reinforces “eternal progress”/celestial destiny contours in current, authoritative voice.

Gospel Topics / Seminary-Institute (current official doctrinal summaries)

1. Gospel Topics: “Becoming Like God” — core essay: “each of us has the potential to become like our Heavenly Father.” (Official Church site).
2. Gospel Topics index (topic card for “Becoming Like God”).
3. Seminary/Institute Q&A page: “Becoming Like God” (links LDS members to resources on the doctrine).
4. Gospel Topics: “Spirit Children of Heavenly Parents” — “we have inherited the potential to develop His divine qualities … become like our Heavenly Father.”
5. Book of Mormon seminary teacher manual (3 Nephi 12) — “Becoming perfect is becoming like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.” (official curricular phrasing).

Eternal/Celestial Marriage manuals (exaltation concretized)

1. Aaronic Priesthood/Youth: “Celestial Marriage—A Preparation for Eternity” (teacher PDF) — charted contrasts and “Gods and goddesses” language; J. F. Smith Doctrines of Salvation quoted.
2. Eternal Marriage Student Manual (PDF) — current official student manual anchoring exaltation through temple covenants.
3. D and C Instructor’s Guide (Religion 324–325), “Eternal Marriage” — “Those who desire to live in a family unit throughout eternity must be married in the temple …” (celestial family deification frame).

Standard LDS Classics / Scholarly Background (use as secondary support)

1. James E. Talmage, The Articles of Faith (apostolic exposition; long-standing LDS theological baseline; multiple reliable scans).
2. BYU Religious Studies (RSC) article on Talmage and the Doctrine of the Godhead (historical development analysis within faithful scholarship).
3. Doctrines of the Gospel (Religion 430–31) Student Manual (PDF) — indexed doctrinal summaries (creation, premortal life, exaltation; with classic leader citations).
4. (Optional for reception history or contrast) Ronald L. Huggins, “Lorenzo Snow’s Couplet,” JETS 49/3 (2006): 549–568 (history of the couplet’s text and usage).

Categories: Robert Clifton Robinson