When the Come Follow Me home study program began for the LDS church in 2018, we started with the New Testament. It really wasn’t anything new; we’ve had Sunday School manuals my whole life that we were supposed to be doing at home to prepare for class.
But now there was a huge emphasis on families learning together. So we printed out some activity books and sat down to teach our kids.
It was kind of strange reading the nativity story in January, right after we had celebrated it. But we did it. And we talked about the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
My son shocked me with his question.
“Did Heavenly Father cheat on Heavenly Mother?”
Because how could He make a baby with Mary, another woman?
I had never even considered that. Where did my kid come up with this? Where did he even hear the term “cheat on”? My kids are innocent homeschool kids😂
I don’t remember how I answered.
I probably said, “well, not really, because the Holy Ghost put God’s seed into Mary.” Because that’s what I’ve been told my whole life.
But now I find out that Brigham Young and those after him, especially Bruce R. McConkie, but as far as Ezra Taft Benson (the Mormon leader in the 90s) taught that a physical God literally impregnated Mary, the typical way!😳
Even though the Bible clearly says that Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost—an unexplainable miracle—these Mormons taught that God the Father, in His physical body, begat Jesus Christ.
(and no, it doesn’t matter that it’s not taught anymore. The fact remains that “prophets, seers, and revelators” have taught garbage all throughout the history of the church. And if we can see that in hindsight, what will our grandchildren be able to see in hindsight?? Also, for the record, the opposite isn’t taught either. Modern LDS leaders are entirely silent on many doctrinal matters, and many have noticed how fluffy general conference has become.)
But it makes sense they would have thought this. Mormons get all tangled up in the “Son of God” thing, as well as thinking about genes and flesh.
And, well, since God has to abide by normal scientific law, and cannot do any actual miracle, of course He would have to do it “the normal way.”
Son of God is actually a Hebrew term that means God in the flesh. Hence, Immanuel means “God with us.”’
Jesus is not the literal offspring. That would give Him an origin, and God does not have an origin. He’s always been God.
Jesus was, and always has been, a part of God. In the flesh, as I see it, He was an extension. A physical manifestation of this great, universal, timeless being.
It has made such an immense difference for me to understand this.
Here is a video that really helped me. These are Mormons who actually studied this out and realized how the trinity teaching is real and true.
(Some of these guys are from another branch, the Reorganized LDS church, who did not follow Brigham Young. This was key for me in my faith transition, to realize it’s possible to be Mormon and not hold to all the strange doctrines of the LDS church. It showed me that most of those things, including the Father having a body of flesh, came from Brigham Young, and that we need to carefully re examine the blame we pin on Joseph Smith.)
I can’t say it enough times! Jesus is God! And it’s amazing to actually realize that, and fall in worship before Him, and depend on Him for 100% of my salvation!!
If I could say one thing that’s made the biggest difference in my understanding as a Christian, this is it. There are dozens of Biblical contradictions with the LDS Church, but this is the ticket. I wouldn’t even say I wasn’t saved as a Mormon. So I do ask myself, why am I doing this? What difference does it make?
But the way I tear up in absolute humility when I worship Jesus, that’s huge.
(P.S. I hope you click on the links and continue reading. The posts I linked are my favorite posts, that really sum up the mind blowing process I went through as I became a Christian. I want to post them over and over! I just don’t have the words to tell you how amazing Jesus is, and I wish my LDS friends knew this!)
All I Possess 