Early "Mormon" Christmas Message

"According to Mormon teaching, Jesus Christ's spirit, like ours, was pre-existent. Therefore, we are all literally brothers and sisters of Jesus and of each other. Jesus, though, is set apart since he was the first-born of the spirit-children of God. Doctrine and Covenants makes it clear in 93:21-23: 'And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn. Ye were also in the beginning with the Father.'
If all of us, including Jesus, were born spiritually in heaven before were born physically, what sets Jesus apart from us besides his being the first-born spirit? Mormons teach it is the manner of Jesus' physical birth that makes him different.
Matthew 1:18-20 says that Mary was pregnant and that the Holy Spirit was the cause of that pregnancy. The remaining verses in the chapter explain that Mary was a virgin and remained a virgin until Jesus' birth. Although Mormons claim to believe this, they persistently deny that Mary conceived through the Holy Spirit. Brigham Young stated, 'Now, remember from this time forth, and forever, that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost.'
Strangely enough, the Book of Mormon agrees with the Bible. In Alma 7:10 we read, 'And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be over shadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.' Yet despite the clear meaning of this verse, Joseph Fielding Smith, Tenth President of the Mormon Church, 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.'
According to Mormon theology, God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are three separate and distinct individuals. So Jesus could not be the Son of God if the Holy Spirit was responsible for his conception. In order to make Jesus the Son of God, Mormons teach that God was responsible for the physical as well as the spiritual birth of Jesus. Brigham Young explained it this way: "The birth of the Savior was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of a natural action. He partook of flesh and blood--was begotten of his Father, as we were of our fathers."
An early Mormon apostle, Orson Pratt, explained how God could have sexual relations with the wife of another man and not be considered sinful:
It was the personage of the Father who begat the body of Jesus; and for this reason Jesus is called "the Only Begotten of the Father;"...But God having created all men and women, had the most perfect right to do with His own creation, according to His holy will and pleasure: He had a lawful right to overshadow the Virgin Mary in the capacity of a husband, and beget a Son, although she was espoused to another; for the law which He gave to govern men and women was not intended to govern Himself, or to prescribe rules for his won conduct.

From these statements it is difficult to understand how the Mormons can refer to Jesus as having been born of a virgin. And it is easy to see why this entire line of reasoning makes Christians shudder. This supposed Christian theology smacks of ancient pagan mythology and in no way accords with the God revealed in the Bible." ( The Mormon Papers, Are the Mormon Scriptures Reliable?, Harry L. Ropp, InterVarsity Press, 1978, pp. 17-19)

I couldn't have said it better myself!!!!!

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About Me

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Michigan, United States
I spent a lot of time deciding if I should write this blog or not. I'm not a great writer and I'm not going to pretend to be. I need to share what I have learned and I might not make some people happy with what I am saying. This blog is a way for me to release the thoughts and feelings that come with knowing I grew up in the wrong religion. A healing process if you will.

How To Read This Blog

Please start with the month of February 2007 and read backwards. This is the most effective way to understand, in order, why I say what I do.

Handmaidens Creed

1.I believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as one God without beginning or end.
2.I believe the Bible to be the Holy Inspired word of God with full truth and righteousness. No other writing is.
3.I believe that the work of the Lord comes first. Before any temporal thing or person.
4.I believe that grace is a gift and Christ gives that gift freely to all who believe.
5.I believe that the beauty of a woman is contained inside of her and not by what she looks like on the outside.
6.I believe that marriage is sacred and represents the Godhead on earth; two are one just as three are one.
7.I believe that love is more powerful than any other power. Remember, God is love.
8.I believe that tithing is not a part of God's new covenant, free will offerings are. And that doesn't mean just money.
9.I believe that the Aaronic, Levitical, and Melchizedek priesthoods are abolished and Christs Holy Priesthood whom Christ is the "Great High Priest" is eternal.
10.I believe that every believer is a priest in the "Priesthood of Believers".
11.I believe that when two are one, nobody is to separate the one.
12.I believe that Christ is the only way to heaven.
13.I believe that our bodies are temples, not man made buildings.
14.I believe that liars make fools out of others and the liar hates the fool.
15.I believe that all believers are in authority to preach the gospel.
16.I believe that the word 'organization' to describe Christs body is evil and has no place with God.
17.I believe the Americas are not the land of Zion and Christ will return to His origonal land-Israel in the Middle East.
18.I believe that God has set out correct ways of worshiping Him, not man.
19.I believe in holding to the truths of the Bible and not mans understanding of it.
20.I believe that the world is full of evil and Satan can easily gain control over the minds of those who do not profess Christ of the Bible to be their only Messiah.
21.I believe that Saints are those who know the real Savior, Jesus Christ, of whom the Bible speaks of; not the jesus of a cult.