The Virgin Birth Part 4

If the LDS church is not true which churches didn't the Bible predict the apostasy of the Christian faith. These and 34 other questions often posed by Latter Day Saints are addressed in answering woman's questions published by Kriegel, written by MRM's Bill McKeever and Derek Johnson answering woman's questions includes a glossary of Mormon terms and questions for group discussions, answering Mormons questions can be ordered online@mrm.org or at your favorite Christian bookstore you ready to give an answer viewpoint on his commandment examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective viewpoint when Mormonism is sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism, what have Mormon leaders taught regarding the virgin birth. Welcome to this edition of viewpoint on Mormonism. I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry and with me is Aaron shuffle all of my colleague MRM and we have been discussing the teaching regarding the incarnation of Jesus and how the teachings of the LDS church and I and I do say that purposely I know Mormons will argue it wasn't official or anything like that but these are leaders that Mormons believe are called by God to expound on doctrinal issues and these are things that they actually said regarding the issue of the incarnation energies in review. Mormon leaders have taught that God the father had sexual intercourse with Mary in order to conceive Jesus without when we see some of the statements from some Mormon apologist, some Mormon apologists been particularly wicked to be looking at a statement that was put out by the foundation for apologetic apologetic information research fair. What did they say regarding a certain brochure that was handed out. You can look you can get it@theirfairlds.org website. It's like it is this document actually mocks S3 engage in this issue but they say. Typically, critics either take statements from non-authoritative books or take an innocent phrase and make it sound like it says something it doesn't. An example is a statement from the 1972 family home evening manual and make a part of it say what the statement doesn't do is specify the this word kills me.

It doesn't specify the mechanics of his conception now.

The statement they are referring to in this manual. I happen to have the manual in front of me.

I'm reading from the manual in 1972 family home evening manual when you look at the title page. It actually says family home evenings number one published by the first presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

But here's the issue, though, what does Pharaoh try to tell people on their website. This is some kind of non-authoritative book. Even though, as I've read, it comes out from the first presidency of the church, we would have to assume for them to have the name of the first presidency on the title page that at least the first presidency is at least responsible for knowing what was in this manual. Fair might not take it seriously but I guarantee you the average morning teaching their children on a Monday night. They are, they are taking it seriously and what this manual does this 1972 manual does on page 125 and 126 which is referenced here as it tries to give away or a method for Mormon parents to explain what how it is that Jesus is God's son.

In fact, this is what it says in what way. This is a subheading in what way is Jesus, God's only son, and it tells the parent read or tell the following story. I'm going to read it was called Jenny's question the Markham family had been to Sunday school and was driving home. Brother Markham asked each of his four children what they have learned that day. Each of the children related a story or teaching that he had learned when Jenny was asked what she had learned, she replied Danny I'm confused the teacher talked about Jesus as being God's only son. I thought all of us were God's children. Then it goes on to say ask have you ever wondered about this question. How would you answer Jenny discuss this with the family letting each have a chance to express himself now read to the family how a modern profit answered Jenny's question. So here's the instruction you as a parent are supposed to ask your kids what are your thoughts what your ideas on this. Now I'm going to tell you what a modern profit said about this very question how he answered substitute for how a modern Mormon prophet gives his speculative nonbinding nonofficial opinion right well that's the way you would think if you're listening to some of these Mormon apologist or even some lay members, but of course we know that many Mormons take this very seriously and in folks we are taking this very seriously. The question is, are people being impacted.

That's a very good way to put it. Are they being impacted are they walking away from reading these type of manuals believing exactly what it says in the manual. That's what's important now. This is why you probably wonder, why do we have a problem when some of these Mormon apologist make these unfounded statements which really they have no authority to say that against the church manual they don't have any priesthood authority against that but here they make the comment and unfortunately a lot of Mormons who well, maybe not. Unfortunately, fortunately, are uncomfortable with us are trying to look for some kind of an out but let me read this to you folks because this is very important. This is a modern prophets answer in this modern profit that they are referring to is Joseph F. Smith. The six present of the Mormon church. This is what he says I want the little folks to hear what I am going to tell you I'm going to tell you a simple truth.

It is one of the greatest truths and one of the most simple facts ever reveal to the children of men you. Although that your fathers are indeed your father's and that your mothers are indeed your mother's you all know that don't you. You cannot deny that we are told in Scripture that Jesus Christ is the only begotten son of God in the flesh. Well, now for the benefit of the older ones, how our children begotten I answered just as Jesus Christ was begotten of his father. The difference between Jesus Christ and other man is this our fathers in the flesh are mortal men who were subject unto death, but the father of Jesus Christ in the flesh is the God of heaven.

Therefore, Jesus, as he declared, received the power of life from his father and was never subject unto death, but had life in himself, as his father had life in himself. Because of this power he overcame death and the grave and became master of the resurrection and the means of salvation to us all.

We must come down to the simple fact that God Almighty was the father of his son, Jesus Christ, Mary the virgin girl who had never known mortal man was his mother. God by her begot his son, Jesus Christ, and he was born into the world with power and intelligence like that of his father. Now little friends.

I will repeat again in words as simple as I can and you can talk to your parents about it that God the eternal father is literally the father of Jesus Christ. Two things that just really screen out to me it is the part one is the part that is for the benefit of the older children that this Jesus was begotten in the same way that no other children are begotten speaks for itself to the third continuing the traditional Mormon redefinition of virgin as Mary never had relations with a mortal man right and that's important because they will use that kind of language and you have to listen carefully when these guys are talking want to listen very carefully to what they're saying now to make sure we understand what Joseph F. Smith was trying to get across and and of course the fair argument was, it doesn't talk about the mechanics will do you really think a person living in the early 20th century is going to come right out and say something as blunt as God had sex with Mary Mormons do believe that God has body parts and passions. And yes, he uses all his parts are not going to say something like that. That's just way too blind don't have to.

It's a it's clear enough and right it sufficiently clear in doing. It's even encouraging these children to talk to their parents about it and so it goes on there is an illustration on page 126.

An illustration and discussion to help further answer Jenny's question and this is what Mormon parents were instructed to sit at this point discuss in your own words how Jesus was the only begotten son of God, you might do this by using the following illustration on a chalkboard or piece of paper. Now I know this is this is not television so people can't see this illustration. So let me explain what it shows. It shows the figure of a man looks like he's dressed in a suit and there's a woman standing next to him an address and it's daddy plus mommy, daddy plus mommy with lines going down to what we assume is someone like Jenny, a young girl was asking this question is a look like a girl.

And so what we have here is daddy plus mommy equals you, daddy plus mommy equals you and then below it. It says our heavenly father. Plus, Mary, with lines going down to the word Jesus. How else would you take this note what what strikes me is that this manual is historically situated within a larger tradition of a Mormon denial of the virgin birth. It goes on to say all Boys and Girls Club. A mother and father on earth. Your mother and father. Of course our mother and I Jesus is the only person ever born on this earth that is different. Jesus had a mother on earth. What was her name and then parentheses it says Mary but who was his real reels in italics. Father then parentheses heavenly father. This paragraph ends by saying so you see, Jesus is the only person who had our heavenly father as the father of his body that we kind of made light of this notion that it had to be artificial insemination. Does that sound like that's what being employed here doesn't to me now. I mean, and in fact you don't like like it's an earlier note for the benefit of the older children. It is suggested that this was the normal process of begetting exactly in and I guess what troubles me. Aaron is when you have apologetic groups like fair make comments like that is, if this isn't supposed to be believed. This is speculation. According to with theirs. If you don't take your manual seriously. Why should we. What really upsets me billows the public in. For example, wanting to learn about their faith of a candidate running for president is ease. Mormon was he believed was the Mormon church believe and teach will he come out the FOXNews statement like they did. Years pass and they said that we believe in the virgin birth, but specify that they've been something very different like this what we believe in the virgin birth, just like you just happen to define it the exact opposite way. That's really what they're saying.

And unfortunately, as we said many many times that when you're talking to a latter-day St., it's imperative that you define the terms if they use an expression that sounds very familiar to you. You might want to ask them specifically what you really mean by that.

When you say that you believe. For instance, in the virgin birth. What do you really mean most of the time when they give an honest or an authoritative answer to that Farmington informed the answer you're going to find that it is very different than what you come to believe.

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