Category: Jesus
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Two parables about the Atonement
Understanding the Atonement of Christ is vital if we are to understand exactly what salvation is all about. In 1977, Apostle Boyd K. Packer told a parable that talked about a creditor, debtor, and a third party who paid the debt. Then this friend turns the tables and says that he is the debtor’s new…
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Virgin Birth (Defined)
Virgin Birth: The literal siring of Jesus via the agency of Heavenly Father and Mary. Sixth President Joseph F. Smith explained, “Now, we are told in scriptures that 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…
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Jesus (Defined)
Jesus. Known in the pre-existence as Jehovah. One of three gods in the Mormon godhead. The spirit brother of Lucifer and elder brother of the human race, Jesus was the literal firstborn (the Only Begotten) son to Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. He became a God in the pre-existence prior to experiencing mortality. He worked…
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Jehovah (Defined)
Jehovah. The name given to the premortal Jesus, the son of Elohim. Apostle James Talmage said, “It is to be remembered that the Personage most generally designated in the Old Testament as God or the Lord, is He who in the mortal state was known as Jesus Christ, and in the antemortal state as Jehovah” (Articles of Faith,…
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Gethsemane (Defined)
Gethsemane. Traditionally, according to LDS leaders, this the place where the heart of the atonement took place. Apostle Bruce R. McConkie explained, “Where and under what circumstances was the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God made? Was it on the Cross of Calvary or in the Garden of Gethsemane? It is to the Cross of…
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From the Mailbag (9/5/2012)
[Tess, quoting from “Redefining the Virgin Birth: Mormonism on the Natural Conception of Jesus” by McKeever and Shafovaloff]: “When one considers that Mormonism teaches that every human born on earth is a literal spirit child of God, the concept that Jesus was conceived in a natural manner becomes even more blasphemous. Why? Because it means…
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BYU Professors Daniel C. Peterson and Stephen D. Ricks Think You’re a Prude if God Having Sex With Mary Is a Problem for You
If you object to the teaching of Mormon leaders that God the Father had physical sex with Mary, then BYU professors Daniel C. Peterson and Stephen D. Ricks say you have “a Neoplatonic and gnosticizing disdain for the material cosmos, a discomfort with the body and with sexuality.” Get ready for a roller coaster ride.…
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Is Jesus “The One” in Mormonism?
In an article for Tabletalk magazine author and pastor Kevin DeYoung wrote, “There is one foundational question each of us must face…This question is so important that if you get this one wrong, you are going to get most everything else that really matters wrong. The foundational question is the famous query Jesus posed to…
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The Christ of Mormonism vs. the Christ of the Bible
Written by a local ex-Mormon Christian friend of mine: — This is the Christ of Mormonism: 1. He lives as a humanoid god on a star near Kolob along with his father god, bound by the physical world; he does not transcend the material. 2. He is the brother of satan. 3. He had to…
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The Relationship Between Jesus and Lucifer in a Mormon Context
In a December 11, 2007 Associated Press article written by Libby Quaid, the question of whether or not Mormonism teaches that “Jesus and the devil are brothers” was addressed. In response to this inquiry, Quaid noted that a spokesperson for the LDS Church said such a “question is usually raised by those who wish to…
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Why No Crosses?
By Bill McKeever You may have noticed that Mormon temples are normally adorned with a golden angel rather than a cross. The fact is, crosses are never used on any Mormon buildings. Strangely enough, Mormon leaders have often pointed to the Garden of Gethsemane as the place where Christ’s atonement took place.
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The Law of Sacrifice as Opposed to Christ’s Perfect Sacrifice
Many scriptures remind us that our salvation has been purchased by the final, perfect sacrifice of Christ. However, in the article The Law of Sacrifice (Ensign, Oct 1998, pp. 6-13) LDS Apostle M. Russell Ballard reflects a different point of view – one more in keeping with the view that salvation must be earned. To…
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Calvary or Gethsemane? The Atonement According to Mormonism
By Bill McKeever Each spring millions of Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of their Lord. In light of the fact that this is one of the most important events within the Christian tradition, it is important for us to examine and understand the spiritual significance of Christ’s sacrifice in light of the teachings of…
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Was Jesus Married?
Dan Brown’s fictional novel (emphasis on fictional) The DaVinci Code insists that Jesus was married and that he had a child named Sarah with his wife Mary Magdalene. Such a theory is hardly unique. Several Mormon leaders insisted that Jesus was married, but like Brown, none of them offered any more than pure conjecture to support such…
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Redefining the Virgin Birth: Mormonism on the Natural Conception of Jesus
You might think that the Mormon people celebrate Christmas like a good Christian denomination would. But a doctrinal issue broods over the Mormon people, a historic issue that prevents many Mormons from appreciating the Christian meaning of Christmas. Indeed, it is an issue that prevents many Mormons from having a saving relationship with the real…
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Fair Above All Virgins
In the recently released movie titled, The Nativity Story, viewers are given a glimpse at what life was probably like for Mary and Joseph after it was learned that the espoused Mary is pregnant. Though I’ve heard pastors and theologians discuss the social ramifications of such a predicament, I can’t recall any film that does…