Was the
LDS Jesus born of the Virgin Mary?
The Bible
teaches that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. This means that Mary had no
sexual relations with any man prior to the birth of Jesus.
Likewise, the Mormon church also maintains that
Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. However, there is quite
an interesting array of Mormon authorities who have said some very
interesting things about the relationship between God and
Mary in regards to Jesus’ birth. Let’s take a look at some of them and
see what we find.
Brigham Young, second prophet and president of the
LDS church said,
"The birth of the Saviour was as
natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of
natural action. He partook of flesh and blood—was begotten of his
Father, as we were of our fathers." (Journal of Discourses, v.
8, p. 115).
Brigham Young also said, "Now,
remember from this time forth, and for ever, that Jesus Christ was not
begotten by the Holy Ghost." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1,
page 51).
Brigham Young said, "When the
time came that His first-born, the Saviour, should come into the world
and take a tabernacle, the Father came Himself and favoured that
spirit with a tabernacle instead of letting any other man do it. The
Saviour was begotten by the Father of His spirit, by the same Being
who is the Father of our spirits." (Journal of Discourses,
Vol. 4, page 218, 1857.)
Joseph Fielding
Smith, stated:
"The birth of the Savior was a
natural occurrence unattended with any degree of mysticism, and the
Father God was the literal parent of Jesus in the flesh as well as in
the spirit." (Religious Truths Defined, p. 44) as cited in the
book, Mormonism: Shadow or Reality, by Gerald and Sandra Tanner, Utah
Lighthouse Ministry, P.O. Box 1854, Sal Lake City, Utah 84110,
Bookstore at 1350 South West Temple. 1982, page 260).
Joseph Fielding Smith said,
"They tell us the Book of Mormon states that Jesus was begotten
of the Holy Ghost. I challenge that statement. The Book of Mormon
teaches no such thing! Neither does the Bible." (Doctrines of
Salvation, Vol. 1, page 19)
Bruce McConkie,
who was a member of the First Council of the Seventy stated,
"Christ was begotten by an
Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal
fathers," (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, page 547.)
"And Christ was born into the
world as the literal Son of this Holy Being; he was born in the same
personal, real, and literal sense that any mortal son is born to a
mortal father. There is nothing figurative about his paternity; he was
begotten, conceived and born in the normal and natural course of
events,...Christ is the Son of Man, meaning that his Father (the
Eternal God!) is a Holy Man." (Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce
McConkie, page 742.)
Heber C. Kimball
who was a member of the first presidency said,
"In relation to the way in which
I look upon the works of God and his creatures, I will say that I was
naturally begotten; so was my father, and also my saviour Jesus
Christ. According to the Scriptures, he is the first begotten of his
father in the flesh, and there was nothing unnatural about it."
(Journal of Discourses, v. 8, p. 211)
"The man Joseph, the husband of
Mary, did not, that we know of, have more than one wife, but Mary the
wife of Joseph had another husband" (Deseret News, October 10,
1866) as cited in the book, Mormonism: Shadow or Reality, by Gerald
and Sandra Tanner, Utah Lighthouse Ministry, P.O. Box 1854, Sal Lake
City, Utah 84110, Bookstore at 1350 South West Temple. 1982, page 261.
What conclusions
can we draw from the words of the leaders of the Mormon church regarding
Jesus’ birth?
- It was the result of natural action,
(Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 8, p. 115).
- Jesus was not begotten by the Holy
Ghost." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, page 51); (Doctrines of
Salvation, Vol. 1, page 19).
- "The Father came Himself and
favoured that spirit with a tabernacle instead of letting any other
man do it" (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, page 218, 1857.)
- The birth was the result of natural
action, (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 8, p. 115).
- "The Father God was the literal
parent of Jesus in the flesh as well as in the spirit." (Religious
Truths Defined, p. 44)
- "Christ was begotten by an
Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal
fathers," (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, page 547.)
- "There is nothing figurative
about his [Jesus’] paternity; he was begotten, conceived and born in
the normal and natural course of events" (Mormon Doctrine, by
Bruce McConkie, page 742.)
Remember, according to Mormon
teaching the Holy Ghost is a male personage, a man. (A Marvelous Work
and a Wonder, by Le Grand Richards, Salt Lake City, 1956, page 118; Heber
C. Kimball, in Journal of Discourses, Vol. 5, page 179.)
The Father, who is God, is also in the form
of a man (Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 3; and
Doctrine and Covenants, 130:22.
Mary, of course, was a woman.
This is even more interesting when we realize that the
Mormon church officially proclaims that Jesus was born of a virgin. For
example, Bruce McConkie stated "Modernistic
teachings denying the virgin birth are utterly and completely apostate and
false." (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, page 822.)
That is fine. Let them proclaim it. But quite honestly, I fail to see how the Mormon people can assert
that Mary remained a virgin in light of this evidence from their prophets
and apostles. I see them saying two different things and backpedaling
trying to sound Christian.
Of course, this is my opinion and the Mormons who
read this will accuse me of sensationalism. But, I am simply
pointing out what many of their official church leaders have
said. In the changing teachings of Mormonism, you never know
what you'll find next.
__________________
Bibliography:
- Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1,by
Joseph Fielding Smith, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1954.
- Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce R. McConkie,
2nd Edition, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1979
- A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, by
LeGrand Richards, Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1950
- Mormonism: Shadow or Reality, by
Gerald and Sandra Tanner,Utah Lighthouse Ministry, P.O. Box 1854, Sal
Lake City, Utah 84110, Bookstore at 1350 South West Temple. 1982,
- Where Does it Say That? By Bob Witte,
(No publisher or location).
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