THE MORMON JESUS IS NOT THE JESUS OF THE BIBLE?  WHY NOT?  HE HAD A BEGINNING.   THE MORMON JESUS WAS BORN IN THE PREEXISTENCE.

THE JESUS OF THE BIBLE IS THE ETERNAL SON OF GOD.  HE HAS NO BEGINNING.

Our subject: Is The Mormon Jesus Different Than The Bible Jesus?  The answer is clearly, yes. In what way is He different you might ask?

When President Hinckley spoke of those outside the Church who say Latter-day Saints do not believe in the traditional Christ, what exactly did he say?   "No I don't [believe in the traditional Christ]. 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."   LDS Church News, June 20, 1998, p. 7

The Mormon Jesus (1)

The Mormon Jesus is a finite being--he had a beginning.

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.750 SPIRIT BIRTH

"In the literal sense, the expression spirit birth has reference to the birth of the spirit in pre-existence. Spirits are actually born as the offspring of a Heavenly Father, a glorified and exalted Man. (D. & C. 131:1-4; 132:19-24, 29-32.)

Christ is the Firstborn, meaning that he was the first Spirit Child born to God the Father in pre-existence. (D. & C. 93:21)"

The Bible Jesus (1)

The Jesus of the Bible is the eternal (without beginning or end) Son of God.

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen. (Ps. 41:13 KJV)

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father (lit. the possessor of eternality), The Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6 )

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)

The Mormon Jesus (2)

The Mormon Jesus had a natural conception.

He was begotten by a sexual relationship between Mary and God the Father, Elohim, who was an exalted man with a body.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.1, p.51, Brigham Young, April 9, 1852

"He (Jesus) was not begotten by the Holy Ghost... (Jesus) was begotten by his Father in heaven, after the same manner as the tabernacles of Cain, Abel, and the rest of the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve."

How did Adam and Eve have their children? By a sexual relationship to which the "prophet" Brigham Young said, "after the same manner" Jesus was begotten.

Mormon Reference # 2

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.742 SON OF GOD

"God the Father is a perfected, glorified, holy Man, an immortal Personage. And Christ was born into the world as the literal Son of this Holy Being; he was born in the same personal, real, and literal sense that any mortal son is born to a mortal father. There is nothing figurative about his paternity; he was begotten, conceived and born in the normal and natural course of events, for he is the Son of God, and that designation means what it says. (1 Ne. 11.)"

The Bible Jesus (2)

The Bible Jesus had a supernatural conception. He was begotten of the Holy Ghost. His mother was a virgin (never new a man) when He was begotten.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. (Mat 1:18 KJV)

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35 KJV)

Only the Bible Jesus can deliver you from your sins. Believing in another Jesus will lead you to eternal damnation.

(2 Cor 11:4;13-14 KJV) For if he *(the Mormons or anyone else) that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we (the Apostles) have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted,...13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

*Note: Parenthesis and emphases in the above passages were added by the author.

THE MORMON JESUS IS NOT THE

JESUS OF THE BIBLE

WHO IS THE JESUS OF THE BIBLE?

HE IS THE ETERNAL SON OF GOD

Ps. 41:13 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

Ps. 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

This term, from everlasting, is used numerous times in the Old Testament to call to our attention God's attribute of eternality. Eternal means without beginning or ending. The same attribute of eternality that is ascribed to the Father is ascribed to the Son, for the Jesus of the Bible is the eternal Son of God. He is without beginning or ending.

Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

The third title in this verse is everlasting Father. This verse is not trying to say that Jesus is the Father. This third title is used to ascribe the attribute of eternality to Jesus. The father of something is the possessor of that thing. Like the father of strength would be the possessor of strength. The father of wisdom would be the possessor of wisdom, etc. So seven hundred years before the Messiah was born He is given the attribute of eternality and the title of the Mighty God. The same title is ascribed to Jehovah in the tenth chapter of Isaiah. Isa. 10:20b-21 ...but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

1. Dr. Norman L. Geisler & Dr. Ron Rhodes, When Cultist Ask ( Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1997), pp. 20-21.