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.:IS JESUS THE FIRST-BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD? -Is Jesus the product of a physical act between Heavenly Father and one of His Wives?

PSALM 2:7: “…Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.”

MORMON POSITION:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that humans have the same origin as Lucifer (now known as Satan) and his “eldest brother” Jesus Christ. Claiming that we are all the spiritual offspring of an exalted Man called “Heavenly Father” and his spiritual Goddess wife, known as “Heavenly Mother,” they claim: “Every person who was ever born on earth was our spirit brother or sister in heaven. The first spirit born to our heavenly parents was Jesus Christ…so he is literally our elder brother…Because we are the spiritual children of our heavenly parents, we have inherited the potential to develop their divine qualities.”—Gospel Principles, 1995, p 11

Using passages such as Psalm 2:7 and John 3:16, Mormons argue that Jesus is called God’s “only begotten Son” because they believe He is not only the spiritual offspring of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother in the preexistence, but his human body was “begotten” by Heavenly Father through Mary. One LDS Church manual explained it this way:

“When Jenny was asked what she had learned, she replied, ‘Daddy, I’m confused. The teacher talked about Jesus being God’s only son. I thought all of us were God’s children.’…Have you ever wondered about this question?…Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God in the flesh. Well, now for the benefit of the older ones, how are children begotten? I answer just as Jesus Christ was begotten of his father…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…But who was his real father? (Heavenly Father.) So you see, Jesus is the only person who had our Heavenly Father as the father of his body.” —Family Home Evening, 1972, pp. 125-126

BIBLICAL RESPONSE:

While it is true that in Scripture, the term “begotten” often refers to the physical offspring of parents, this term does not always imply this when it is used in reference to Jesus Christ. “It was thought that the term came from monos, meaning ‘only’ and gennao, meaning ‘begotten.’ However, further research has determined that the term is derived not from gennaw but from genos, meaning ‘kind’ or ‘type.’ Hence the better translation, ‘unique’ or ‘one of a kind.’ ” —The King James Only Controversy, p. 259 Therefore, when the Bible refers to Jesus as the “only begotten Son,” or “only begotten God” (as other translations not of the King James Version tradition note), it is literally speaking of Jesus’ uniqueness as the "one and only unique” God the Son. So what is the Bible referring to when it speaks of Jesus being “begotten” of God? Hebrews 1:5 states: “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?” Acts 13:30, 33 explains how this passage was fulfilled in the resurrection of Christ.

“But God raised him [Jesus] from the dead....God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.”

Since this passage points to Jesus’ resurrection as the fulfillment of the prophecy in which God would say to Jesus, “this day have I begotten thee,” this demonstrates why “begotten” in reference to Jesus Christ cannot refer to a physical conception between Heavenly Father and His “wives.”

For more information see:

Is the Jesus of Mormonism the Same Jesus of the Bible?

Was Jesus Conceived of the Holy Ghost and Mary or God the Father and Mary?

What the Mormon Church Website (www.mormon.org) Does Not Tell You About Jesus Christ

Have Mormon leaders in the past taught that Jesus Christ was a Polygamist who married many wives? (www.4witness.org)