tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370511552390871439.post3209418820440017423..comments2024-03-23T16:59:42.092-06:00Comments on The Goates Notes: The Doctrine of the Divine SonshipDavid B. Goateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978666830682045128noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370511552390871439.post-17590391038948081982009-09-26T11:00:23.330-06:002009-09-26T11:00:23.330-06:00Here's some more quotes:
"Only Begotten ...Here's some more quotes:<br /><br />"Only Begotten in the flesh, meaning mortality. This designation of our Lord signifies that He was begotten by Man of Holiness as literally as any mortal father begets a son. The natural processes of procreation were involved; Jesus was begotten by His Father as literally as He was conceived by His mother." (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, DNTC 1:144).<br /><br />"But how can a God be born into mortality? How can the Eternal One take upon himself flesh and blood, and let himself be fashioned as a Man? A child -- any child, including the Child -- must have progenitors; he must have parents, both a father and a mother. Gabriel will soon tell the Virgin of Galilee that she shall be the mother. As to the Father; it is just that simple, and it could not be otherwise. The doctrine of the divine Sonship lies at the foundation of true religion; without it, Christ becomes just another man, a great moral teacher, or what have you, without power to ransom, to redeem, and to save." (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah 1:313-14).David B. Goateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01978666830682045128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370511552390871439.post-48351992645245461782009-09-26T09:08:51.371-06:002009-09-26T09:08:51.371-06:00I stand enlightened this morning after studying ou...I stand enlightened this morning after studying out a bit my own premature and not so well thought out question from last night. Clearly the modern day prophets have taught this doctrine - here are a few great references that I found in my studies this morning:<br /><br />From Elder McConkie, a remider that we understand this doctrine because of the modern day revelation enjoyed only in the church:<br />"Now we cannot comprehend, we do not understand, we do not know nor can we in our present state, how the effects of this infinite and eternal atoning sacrifice passed upon all men. We cannot comprehend and understand how creation works, where God came from, or how we came into being. Someday these things will be within the comprehension and understanding of those who gain exaltation. But the fact that we cannot comprehend them does not lessen the fact that we have been created, that we do exist, that there is a resurrection, that in due course all men will be raised in immortality, and that those who have believed and obeyed the gospel law will be raised in addition unto eternal life in our Father’s kingdom. And all of this is possible because of the divine Sonship of Christ the Lord, because he inherited in his birth—in that day when he was born after the manner of the flesh—he inherited the power of immortality from God his Father."<br />Bruce R. McConkie, “Behold the Condescension of God,” New Era, Dec 1984, 35<br /><br /><br />From Pres Benson - pointing out what has been stated in this article and comments:<br /><br />"The most fundamental doctrine of true Christianity is the divine birth of the child Jesus. It is a doctrine not comprehended by the world, misinterpreted by the so-called Christian churches, and even misunderstood by some members of the true church."<br /><br />He continues...<br />"There are those who would seek to convince you that the divine birth of Christ as proclaimed in the New Testament was not a divine birth at all—nor was Mary, the Virgin girl, a virgin at the time of Jesus’ conception. They would have you believe that Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus, was His physical father, and that Jesus was, therefore, human in all His attributes and characteristics. They appear generous in their praise of Him when they say that He was a great moral philosopher, perhaps even the greatest. But the intent of their effort is to repudiate the divine sonship of Jesus; for on that doctrine rest all other claims of Christianity.<br /><br />"I am bold to say to you young people tonight: Jesus Christ is the Son of God in the most literal sense. The body in which He performed His mission in the flesh was sired by that same Holy Being we worship as God, our Eternal Father. He was not the son of Joseph, nor was He begotten by the Holy Ghost. He is the Son of the Eternal Father!"<br />Ezra Taft Benson, “Five Marks of the Divinity of Jesus Christ,” New Era, Dec 1980, 44<br /><br />Doesn't get much more clear than that... <br /><br />Good stuff!Tinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03072441600300024058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370511552390871439.post-61827442029939983862009-09-26T05:12:26.837-06:002009-09-26T05:12:26.837-06:00Great article. Few in the church understand this ...Great article. Few in the church understand this or even seek to understand it, but it is apparent in writings. One additional thought on "virgin." <br /><br />In Strong's Hebrew dictionary there are a couple of meanings to the word "virgin." When you follow Matt 1:23 back to Isaiah 7:14 as noted in the footnotes, one reads what was stated:<br /><br /> "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."<br /><br />The meaning of “virgin” in this context comes from the Hebrew word al-maw' (H5959) "a lass (as veiled or private.)" <br />And the word al-maw' finds it root from "aw-lam' (H5956) which is a primitive root; "to veil from sight, that is, conceal (literally or figuratively)"<br /><br />This definition sheds another thought on what the term "virgin" could mean.R. Deanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08949404168104642219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370511552390871439.post-87391562904398155482009-09-25T21:09:45.516-06:002009-09-25T21:09:45.516-06:00One other thought -- when Catholics, for instance,...One other thought -- when Catholics, for instance, refer to the "virgin birth" they are typically asserting that Mary conceived by the Holy Ghost in some mystical way that is totally inconsistent with what we know about reproduction. The Book of Mormon account clears up all the confusion (see 1 Nephi 11:18).David B. Goateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01978666830682045128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370511552390871439.post-62502016998759028452009-09-25T21:05:41.547-06:002009-09-25T21:05:41.547-06:00The literature in the Church from all the prophets...The literature in the Church from all the prophets uniformly confirms this doctrine. The fact that so few in the Church have heard about it does not diminish either its truth nor its implications. Mary was the "virgin" because she had never known a man prior to her conception. There is no mystery associated with the virgin birth except in the minds of those who set it aside conveniently because for them it is a difficult doctrine to explain. However, when one does even a little bit of searching it will become obvious that the prophets have all taught it boldly and without excuse.David B. Goateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01978666830682045128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370511552390871439.post-19504719041464127982009-09-25T20:05:57.163-06:002009-09-25T20:05:57.163-06:00Power and boldness...
This discussion begs the que...Power and boldness...<br />This discussion begs the question (at least in my mind): <br />If God is in fact a man, glorified and exalted, and Christ was conceived by the same means that all children are (as Pres Smith explains), why then do we refer to Mary as a virgin? Virgin simply in the sense that she never "knew" a mortal man? Is this simply old tradtion - part of the mystic story that has been passed down through the generations? Have any modern day prophets addressed this question?Tinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03072441600300024058noreply@blogger.com