Jesus Christ/Deification before mortality
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Criticism
Critics claim that Latter-day Saint doctrine, which teaches that a physical body is necessary for a fulness of glory, is inconsistent, since Jesus was God prior to his mortal birth.
See also: Citations to the critical sources for these claims
Summary conclusion
See below.
Supporting Data
Having a body is necessary for a fullness of joy (DC 93:33). The Holy Ghost is also God, but does not at present have a body in LDS doctrine.
It was necessary that at some point Jesus receive a body, but the specific time in which He did so is not particularly important. (To travel overseas, one needs both a passport and an airplane ticket. It doesn't matter in which order one gets the passport or the ticket, but one must eventually have both in order to reach one's destination.)
If a specific sequence is an absolutely requirement, then all Christians would need to explain how Christ's atonement could be efficacious to those who were born, lived, and died prior to His crucifixion. The fact that the atonement was effective should caution us against adopting an absolute requirement for sequence concerning Christ's receipt of a physical body.
Critics ignore that the gospel teaches us what we must do to fulfill God's commandments and purposes. It does not spend much time telling us what Jesus was required to do—clearly, he had many duties and abilities which far outstripped ours. That is why he was God and Savior before we came to this earth, and why we must rely upon his grace for salvation.
Endnotes
None
Further reading
FAIR wiki articles
Jesus Christ
Atonement
- Atonement—
Critics seriously understate the position of the Church of Jesus Christ with respect to the atonement. (Link) - Crucified on a cross—
In the original Greek of the New Testament, accounts of Jesus' death only say he was put to death on "a pole." Is the belief of most of Christianity on "the cross" actually misguided? (Link)
Role of Jesus Christ
- Alpha and Omega—
What does the term "Alpha and Omega" mean, beside the beginning and the end, when referring to the Savior? What does it mean to the restored church? (Link)
Latter-day Saint view of Jesus Christ
- Brother of Satan?—
Critics claim that the LDS consider Jesus and Satan to be "brothers," thus lowering the stature of Christ, or elevating Satan. Some go so far as to imply that the LDS "really" worship or revere Satan, and are thus not true "Christians." (Link) - Conception—
It is claimed that Latter-day Saints reject the "Evangelical belief" that "Christ was born of the virgin Mary, who, when the Holy Ghost came upon her, miraculously conceived the promised messiah." (Link) - Gordon B. Hinckley states that Latter-day Saints don't believe in the "traditional" Christ—
President Gordon B. Hinckley, responding to a question regarding whether Latter-day Saints believe in the “traditional Christ,” stated: "No I don't. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak. For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this the dispensation of the fullness of times." (Link)
- Worship a "different Jesus"?—
Critics claim that members of the Church worship "a different Jesus" than the Jesus worshiped by Christians. (Link)
Criticism regarding Latter-day Saint views of Jesus Christ
- Latter-day Saints aren't Christians?—
Critics claim that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not "Christian." A related claim is that the Church has only recently begun to portray itself as "Christian" in order to gain adherents. (Link) - Lord of the Universe—
Critics claim that the LDS view of God is provincial or limited, with God simply being a ruler over "this planet." (Link) - Relationship to Quetzalcoatl—
Critics claim that LDS scholars believe that Quetzalcoatl was Jesus Christ. However, since Quetzalcoatl's association with a "feathered serpent" constitutes "snake worship," critics claim that this association is therefore inconsistent with worship of Jesus Christ. (Link) - Savior of other worlds?—
It would appear that there is one savior — Jesus — and that his sacrifice was the ultimate sacrifice for all of the worlds created and populated by the Father. Some critics have used the idea of each world having its own Savior against us. Is there anything written or published on either concept? (Link) - The "Mormon" vs. the "Christian" Jesus—
Critics claim that Latter-day Saints believe in a "different" Jesus that "mainstream" Christians. (Link) - "Two natures" of Jesus in the Book of Mormon?—
Critics claim that the Book of Mormon teaches the sectarian doctrine of Christ's "two natures," and that this represents an anachronism. (Link) - Was Jesus married?—
Do Latter-day Saints believe Jesus Christ was married? (Link) - Worship different Jesus?—
Evangelical critics claim that despite the Saints' witness of Christ, they worship "a different Jesus" and so are not entitled to consider themselves "Christians." (Link) - One of many saviors?—
Critics claim that the "Jesus of Mormonism is but one of many saviors." (Link) - Praying to—
Latter-day Saints are criticized for not praying directly to Jesus Christ. (Link) - April 6th as the date of birth of Jesus Christ—
Do Latter-day Saints believe Jesus was born 1830 years before the Church's organization on 6 April 1830? (Link)
FAIR web site
| FAIR articles on-line on Jesus Christ |
- FAIR Topical Guide: Are LDS Christian? FAIR link
- FAIR Topical Guide: Jesus Christ FAIR link
- FAIR Topical Guide: LDS Worship 'Different Jesus'? FAIR link
- FAIR Topical Guide: Virgin Birth FAIR link
- Mormonism 201: Jesus FAIR link
- Cooper Johnson, "Mormons—Can They Be Considered Christians?" FAIR link
External links
| Jesus Christ on-line articles |
- Jesus Christ LDS.org: The Son of God Church site
- Barry R. Bickmore, "Not Completely Worthless (Review of: "Christ," In The Counterfeit Gospel of Mormonism)," FARMS Review of Books 12/1 (2000): 275–302. off-site PDF link
- G. Todd Christopherson, "Becoming A Witness of Christ," lds.org.
- Gordon B. Hinckley, "In These Three I Believe," Ensign (July 2006), 3. off-site
- Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent," Ensign (November 2007), 40–42. off-site
- Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Atonement of Jesus Christ," lds.org.
- Multiple, "Testimonies of Him," lds.org.
- Multiple apostles, "He Lives," Ensign (December 2004), 9. off-site
- James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1983[1915]), 1. LDS.org: mp3 download Church site off-site ISBN 0877479038. GospeLink (requires subscrip.)
- Orson F. Whitney, "The Divinity of Jesus Christ," Improvement Era (Jan. 1926), 224–25. off-site
Printed material
| Jesus Christ printed materials |
- Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1997). ISBN 1573452351. ISBN 1590386132.
