Biblical Doctrine of Exaltation
by S. K. Neumiller


     The LDS doctrine of exaltation is one of the more
controversial doctrines as viewed by the adherents of traditional
Christianity.  The question to be addressed here is how Biblical
is the LDS doctrine of exaltation.

     By way of review, the LDS doctrine of exaltation teaches the
spirit that inhabits the mortal body of man is the spiritual
offspring of God the Father.  God the Son is the firstborn spirit
offspring of God the Father and the mortal body of God the Son,
called Jesus Christ, was the only mortal flesh begotten of the
Father through the Holy Ghost by the virgin Mary.  Through the
Son's intercessory atonement, which overcomes physical and
spiritual death (i.e. sin), all of the other spiritual offspring
of God the Father may participate in the glory the Father has
committed to the Son.  Thus, by virtue of the Son's sacrifice we
may possess all of the glory, power and virtue that both the
Father and Son possess.  In that sense, we may be at one with the
Father and Son, in that having willingly conformed to Their will
during mortal probation we can be made equal to Them in all
things.  It should be noted that those individuals who inherit
this exalted position do so only by the intercession of the Son. 
Exaltation in this sense is an act of the One who is exalted,
judging another worthy of the same Glory and exalting them, not
the individual exalting himself by virtue of acts performed
during mortal probation.

     The apostle Paul taught the doctrines of salvation
extensively during his earthly ministry.  Among the doctrines of
justification and sanctification, he taught the doctrine of
exaltation as well. In Romans 8, Paul is discussing the mediating
deliverance provided by Jesus Christ wherein he states:

        For you did not get slavery's spirit to fear
     again, but you got the spirit of sonship, in which we
     are crying, "Abba, Father!" The spirit itself is
     testifying together with our spirit that we are
     children of God. Yet if children, enjoyers also of an
     allotment from God, yet joint enjoyers of Christ's
     allotment, if so be that we are suffering together,
     that we should be glorified together also. (v. 15-17,
     also compare Gal. 3:29-4:7, Hebr. 9:15, 1 Pet. 1:4)

        Now we are aware that God is working all together
     for the good of those who are loving God, who are
     called according to the purpose that, whom He foreknew,
     He designates beforehand, also, to be conformed to the
     image of His Son, for Him to be Firstborn among many
     brethren. Now whom He designates beforehand, these He
     calls also, and whom He calls, these He justifies also;
     now whom He justifies, these He glorifies also. (v. 28-
     30, also compare Titus 3:4-7)

Paul taught that by virtue of the Son's atoning sacrifice we may
be joint-heirs in the same glory that He is glorified with,
namely the glory of the Father.  That the term "glorification"
implies exaltation is established by the statement in v. 17 "Yet
if children, enjoyers also of an allotment from God, yet joint
enjoyers of Christ's allotment, if so be that we are suffering
together, that we should be glorified together also."  Jesus
Christ's allotment (GR:kleronomos, most literally interpreted:
LOT-APPROPRIATor) is described as: 

        By many portions and many modes, of old, God, speaking
     to the fathers in the prophets, in the last of these
     days speaks to us in a Son, Whom He appoints enjoyer of
     the allotment of all, through Whom He also makes the
     eons; Who, being in the Effulgence of his glory and
     Emblem of His assumption, besides carrying on all by
     His powerful declaration, making a cleansing of sins,
     is seated at the right hand of the Majesty in the
     heights; becoming so much better than the messengers as
     He enjoys the allotment of a more excellent name.
     (Hebr. 1:1-4)

And also:

        Therefore, I also, on hearing of this faith of yours
     in the Lord Jesus, and that for all the saints, do not
     cease giving thanks for you, making mention in my
     prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
     Father of glory, may be giving you a spirit of wisdom
     and revelation in the realization of Him, the eyes of
     your heart having been enlightened, for you to perceive
     what is the expectation of His calling, and what the
     riches of the glory of the enjoyment of His allotment
     among the saints, and what the transcendent greatness
     of His power for us who are believing, in accord with
     the operative in Christ, rousing Him from among the
     dead and seating Him at His right hand among the
     celestials, up over every sovereignty and authority and
     power and lordship, and every name that is named, not
     only in this eon, but also in that which is impending:
     and subjects all under His feet, and gives Him, as Head
     over all, to the ecclesia which is His body, the
     complement of the One completing the all in all. (Eph.
     1:15-23)

Jesus Christ's allotment is detailed as plainly being
transcendent and having put all things beneath His feet, He is
above all things, or exalted (aside from all of the language
involved in the description of Jesus' allotment, exaltation is
implied by Hebr. 1:3 "seated at the right hand of the Majesty in
the heights [GR: hupselon]).  

     That we may be enjoying this very same allotment is estab-
lished by Rom. 8:17 where it states we may be "joint enjoyers of
Christ's allotment."  The greek "sungkleronomos" (most literally
interpreted: TOGETHER-LOT-APPROPRIATor) is used here to imply
equality with regard to distribution or enjoyment as is
established by usage of the identical term in Eph. 3:6 and Hebr.
11:8-9.  And, Paul states we may be seated in heaven with Christ:

     God, being rich in mercy, because of his vast love with 
     which He loves us (we also being dead to the offenses and
     the lusts), vivifies us together in Christ (in grace you 
     are saved!) and rouses us together and seats us among the
     celestials, in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:4-6)

Thus, we may conclude that the glorification Jesus Christ enjoys 
by being placed at the right hand of the Father is in fact 
equivalent to the LDS concept of exaltation.  And, we may 
conclude that we may enjoy this same allotment Jesus has "if it
so be we are suffering together" and we are "dead to the offenses
and the lusts."

     Paul also taught this doctrine in view of his eminent demise
in 2 Timothy 4:8, "Furthermore, there is reserved for me the
wreath of righteousness, which the Lord, the just Judge, will be
paying me in that day; yet not to me only, but also to all who
love his advent."  Peter taught a similar precept in 1 Peter 5:4
where he is encouraging the elders to maintain a godly walk when
governing the church so that "when the Chief Shepherd is
manifested, you shall be requited with an unfading wreath of
glory."  That this wreath implies inheriting eternal life, a
glorified position, or exaltation is established by:

       Be humbled, then, under the mighty hand of God, that
     He should be exalting you in season . . . now the God 
     of all grace, Who calls you into His eonian glory in
     Christ, while briefly suffering, He will be adjusting,
     establishing, firming, founding you. (1 Peter 6,10)

And,

     Yet somewhere someone certifies, saying, 

	  What is man, that Thou art mindful of him,
	  Or a son of mankind, that Thou art visiting him?
	  Thou makest him some bit inferior to messengers,
	  With glory and honor Thou wreathest him,
	  And dost place him over the works of Thy hands.
	  All dost Thou subject underneath his feet.

     For in the subjection of all to him, He leaves nothing
     unsubject to him.  Yet now we are not as yet seeing all
     subject to him.  Yet we are observing Jesus, Who has
     been made some bit inferior to messengers (because of
     the suffering of death, wreathed with glory and honor),
     so that, in the grace of God, He should be tasting for
     the sake of everyone.  For it became Him, because of
     Whom all is, and through Whom all is, in leading many
     sons into glory, to perfect the Inaugurator of their
     salvation through suffering. (Hebr. 2:6-10)

As well as,

        And I perceived, and lo! a white cloud, and on the
     cloud One sitting like a son of mankind, having a
     golden wreath on His head, and a sharp sickle in His
     hand. (Rev. 14:14)

        And around the throne I perceived twenty-four thrones, 
     and on the twenty-four thrones elders sitting, clothed in 
     white garments, and on their heads golden wreaths . . . 
     the twenty-four elders, also, will be falling before Him 
     Who is sitting on the throne and will be worshipping Him 
     Who is living for the eons of the eons (Amen!).  And they 
     are casting their wreaths before the throne. (Rev. 4:4,10)

And finally,

        Are you not aware that those racing in a stadium are,
     indeed, all racing, yet one is obtaining the prize? 
     Thus be racing that you may be grasping it.  Now every
     contender is controlling himself in all things; they
     indeed, then, that they may be obtaining a corruptible
     wreath, yet we an incorruptible. (1 Cor. 9:24-25)

Thus, to be crowned with an incorruptible, golden wreath is to be
partaking in the glory of the Son, which is exaltation as is
established above.

     Finally, in Revelation, John documents some of the most
persuasive arguments of the doctrine of exaltation quoted from
the resurrected Jesus Christ Himself:

        And to the one who is conquering and keeping My acts
     until the consummation, to him will I be giving 
     authority over nations; and he shall be shepherding 
     them with an iron club, as vessels of pottery are being
     crushed, as I have also obtained from My Father. (Rev.
     2:26-27, quotes omitted)

        The one who is conquering, he shall be clothed in
     white garments, and under no circumstances will I be
     erasing his name from the scroll of life, and I will
     be avowing his name in front of My Father and before
     His messengers. (Rev. 3:5, quotes omitted)

        Whoever I may be fond of, I am exposing and
     disciplining.  Be zealous, then, and repent! Lo! I
     stand at the door and am knocking. If ever anyone
     should be hearing My voice and opening the door, I will
     also be coming in to him and dining with him, and he
     with Me.
        The one who is conquering, to him will I be
     granting to be seated with Me on My throne as I, also,
     conquer, and am seated with My Father on His throne.
     (Rev. 3:19-22, quotes omitted)

       And He Who is sitting on the throne said, "Lo! New
     am I making all!" And He is saying, "Write, for these
     sayings are faithful and true." And He said to me, "I
     have become the Alpha and Omega, the Origin and the
     Consummation. To him who is thirsting I shall be giving
     of the spring of the water of life gratuitously. He who
     is conquering shall be enjoying this allotment, and I
     shall be a God to him and he shall be a son to Me."
     (Rev. 21:5-7)

Thus, if we repent and follow the will of the Lord in doing all
things that he would command, we may share in the glory that He
has received of the Father and thereby be exalted as well.

     The question that then remains is can something mortal
become immortal?  Can something temporal become eternal?  The
answer is provided to us in the book of Hebrews.  In chapter 13,
verse 8 is the statement, "Jesus Christ, yesterday and today, is
the Same One for the eons also."  If Jesus Christ could pass
through mortality (where He is described as being a "bit inferior
to messengers") to resurrection to again inherit the fullness of
the glory of the Father, and yet bear this statement that he has
always been the same and never changed (a scriptural catch-phrase
for "be eternal") then we may as well, by virtue of his
intercessory action.  It must be remembered that all during
Jesus' mortal ministry he deferred all authority to the Father. 
If Jesus' authority stems from the Father, then he of himself
bears no authority unless the Father commits it to him.  So it
will be with those who are exalted.  The Son, imbued with the
Father's authority can act on our behalf to justify us before the
Father if He so chooses, thereby making us equivalent to Him. 
The result is that those whom the Son chooses to glorify will
inherit eternal life and bear all of the power, grace, virtue and
authority that the Son bears.  Thus, these exalted individuals
will be equivalent, in all important aspects, to the Father and
the Son; they will become gods even as the Father is God and the
Son is God.  They will be inferior to the Father and Son only in
a patriarchal sense, as is indicated in the quote above (Rev
21:7).

     There are many scripture references in latter-day scripture
which definitely espouse the doctrine of exaltation, as does the
Bible as is shown above.  As the LDS church accepts the authority
of the Bible as well as the latter-day scriptures that have been
revealed, we must then endorse the doctrine of exaltation.

All scripture quotes from the Concordant Literal New Testament.