The concept of God The Father coming to Earth to engage in sexual relations with Mary is revolting and dangerous doctrine. There is no more obvious a molestation of Biblical scripture than with the propagation of this teaching. One may not hear current church leadership engaging in open discussion relating to this issue, but this doctrine is crucial in substantiating the Mormon concept of an extra-Biblical Christ and their promise of individual godhood. The implications of teaching this concept are far darker than just substantiating a polytheistic tenet but instead it endorses polyandry, violation of marital covenants, incest and a repudiation of Biblical writings, which is still regarded as canon among the LDS.
Some younger members of the Mormon Church may question whether this is doctrinal at all, or just an attempt to slander the church. This, like many other crucial and pivotal doctrines of the LDS church, are still believed and held as important and sacred doctrine, but have been subtly moved into the shadows to allow for a “Christianization†of the LDS Church. In other words, the LDS leadership is attempting to make the church appear more Protestant friendly in an attempt to continue positive missionary momentum.
Returning to the discussion of the accuracy and authenticity of this doctrine, consider the writings of Mormon President, Brigham Young, “"The birth of the Saviour was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood—was begotten of his Father, as we were of our fathers," (Journal of Discourses, v. 8, p. 115). He further explains, in a clear rejection of Biblical writings, "Now, remember from this time forth, and for ever, that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost," (Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, p. 51). Brigham Young’s comments clearly enunciate the Mormon position regarding the conception of Jesus through physical means. This would effectively render Mary’s claims of a virgin and miraculous conception null and void.
Contrast those statements with the writings and teachings of the Bible. In Matthew 1:18 it states without confusion that, “she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.†Later the declaration becomes even bolder still in verse 23, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.†(Luke 1:23 KJV) Furthermore, this is reinforced in the Gospel of Luke, “And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.†(Luke 1:29-31 KJV). Mormon doctrine and leadership clearly rejects the Bible and the doctrine contained within it.
Considering the venue for these remarks, Facebook, my readers might be saying, “Well that was a long time ago…I am sure that is not what the church teaches now!†Fair question and observation, since many other doctrines have changed over the last 170 years, for a more modern perspective let’s review the comments by Bruce R. McConkie. McConkie is largely considered one of the preeminent theologians and doctrinal mind of modern Mormonism. In his groundbreaking book that is staple within many Mormons homes, Mormon Doctrine, he writes, “"Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers," (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 547). He goes even further, leaving little doubt to the voracity and relevance of this teaching within Mormonism, "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,…Christ is the Son of Man, meaning that his Father (the Eternal God!) is a Holy Man." (Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce McConkie, p. 742).
To truly appreciate the vile nature of these teaching, one must consider other crucial Mormon doctrines relating to the marital relations and nature of God The Father, according to Mormonism. Consider the declaration made within the Mormon canon, The Doctrine and Covenants. In D&C Section 130:3, "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s." According to Mormon doctrine, God is comprised of a glorified physical body. This gives a new reality to the previously mentioned teachings of sexual relations between God and Mary. The next dimension of the topic to consider is the fact that many Mormons, including it’s leadership firmly believes in the existence of Heavenly Mother or Mothers. Consider the following passage written by McConkie:
“This doctrine that there is a Mother in Heaven was affirmed in plainness by the First Presidency of the Church (Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthon H. Lund) when, in speaking of pre-existence and the origin of man, they said that ‘man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father,’ that man is the ‘offspring of celestial parentage,’ and that ‘all men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity.’ (Man: His Origin and Destiny, pp.348-355.)†(Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 516)
This is further affirmed by teachings featured in the LDS periodicals and Sunday School manuals. These materials were endorsed and written by LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley. “Logic and reason would certainly suggest that if we have a Father in Heaven, we have a Mother in Heaven. That doctrine rests well with me. However, in light of the instruction we have received from the Lord Himself, I regard it as inappropriate for anyone in the Church to pray to our Mother in Heaven†(Gordon Hinckley, “Daughters of God,â€Ensign (Conference Edition), November 1991, p.100. See also The Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p.257. The ramifications of God engaging in relations with Mary, according to the teaching of Mormon doctrine is alarming at best, as it meant, in the very least, that God would have violated his marital covenants with “Heavenly Mother.†Additionally, consider the consequences of this belief, as it would mean that God, the Spiritual Father of us all, entered into physical relations with Mary…a practice that we refer to today as incest.
Having discussed these teachings and the Biblical truth relating to the conception and birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, I want to close with a call to immerse yourselves in the living Word of God. The Bible contains the everlasting message from God to his people. This Christmas season commit your life to following Christ. Christ boldly declares in John 11:25-26, while comforting Martha, “…I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this?†Do we now believe in this? Will we not trust in Him that he alone has the power to conquer sin and death? As Christmas approaches let us heed the divine counsel of our God come in flesh (John 1:1, 14). I will close with the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter the Ephesus, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:18-19).â€
December 10th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
You amaze me. The transformation that has taken place within our lives individually, and as a family is just plain miraculous. His grace is enough…how powerful His grace and love is for each one of us…Spending the last 10 1/2 years on this journey with you has been such a blessing to me. I’m so grateful for you, your love of the Lord, your eagerness for truth, your commitment to lifting up the kingdom of God and your dedication to me, our girls, and most importantly, God. I can’t wait to see what God does with us next….
December 20th, 2009 at 8:45 am
The logical leap that the Father had physical relations with Mary seems reasonable, but I don’t think its a forgone conclusion despite the doctrine that the Savior is “the only begotten of the Father.” (John 1:14)
The doctrine of the LDS Church is this: Christ’s body is a physical creation with physical parents, Mary and the Father. Hence, the Savior inherited divine capabilities (control of body) along with mortal ones (the ability to die). Death for the Savior, unlike any other mortal, was the Savior’s choice.
No where in LDS Church doctrine have I found a clear description of the Father having physical relations with Mary. I think these statements make it clear that Christ is a result of a fertilization by the Father of Mary. However, the mechanism has never been elucidated or taught in detail where you clearly make the leap that the mechanism was sex. In today’s modern world, there are mechanisms for pregnancy beyond intercourse. I’m sure the Father has knowledge of all those mechanisms and more. While the logic appears sound, you’re missing something even more subtle found in the same scripture “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37)
If I’m reading your opinion correctly, you’re stating that if the Savior is physically begotten of the Father, then sex must be involved. Again, I don’t know if that’s true, but I certainly wouldn’t constrain the Father to such a mortal bias.
December 20th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Joel, thank you for your comment. It is ironic that you use, John 1:14 to precipitate your comments. You forgot to include the first part of that particular verse, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…†The Word as detailed in John 1:1 is God, and he comes in flesh to rescue mankind with his sacrifice on the cross, very different from the tenets of Mormonism, and what is asserted in your response. Joel, I am going to assume that you are in fact LDS for the purposes of addressing your comments.
Before I address the bulk of your post I was amazed at your last line, “but I certainly wouldn’t constrain the Father to such a mortal bias.†This is an astounding statement coming from a member of the LDS Church. Your whole doctrine of God, being a man that sinned, that has become God The Father, is both limiting in His power and the scope of God. In doing so, LDS doctrine rejects all Biblical descriptions of God and His nature. You want to put God in an easy to understand box, but then toss the “box†when the LDS needs miraculous events to fully explain the voracity of LDS Doctrines.
In your comments you wrote, “No where in LDS Church doctrine have I found a clear description of the Father having physical relations with Mary…†There is little doubt left in the following quote from Bruce McConkie, “”What does it mean to believe in Christ? It means to accept him as the Son of God in the literal and full sense of the word. It means to believe that God is his Father in the same sense that all mortal men have fathers.” (The Promised Messiah: The First Coming of Christ, p. 294)
Regardless, you have highlighted another irony of Mormonism. This is another textbook situation where Latter-Day Saints enjoy the by-products of “modern revelation†through a “living Prophet of God,†but then seek to either disassociate yourselves with their teachings or the very person when the “mouthpiece for God†does not work within the current Mormon worldview.
Let’s take a look at the “Prophets, Seers, and Revelators†that have espoused and alluded to this doctrine:
19th Century LDS Leadership
Brigham Young
“The Father came down and begat him, the same as we do now…” (The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, vol. 1, p. 321; February 16, 1849, Salt Lake City)
“When the Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in his own likeness. He was not begotten by the Holy Ghost… Jesus, our elder brother, was begotten in the flesh by the same character that was in the garden of Eden, and who is our Father in Heaven… Now, remember from this time forth, and for ever, that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost. I will repeat a little anecdote. I was in conversation with a certain learned professor upon this subject, when I replied, to this idea if the Son was begotten by the Holy Ghost, it would be very dangerous to baptize and confirm females, and give the Holy Ghost to them, lest he should beget children, and be palmed upon the Elders by the people, bringing the Elders into great difficulties.” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, pp. 50, 51)
“I believe the Father came down from heaven, as the Apostles said he did, and begat the Saviour of the world; for he is the only-begotten of the Father, which could not be if the Father did not actually beget him in person.” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, p. 238)
“When the time came that His first-born, the Saviour, should come into the world and take a tabernacle, the Father came Himself and favoured that spirit with a tabernacle instead of letting any other man do it. The Saviour was begotten by the Father of His spirit, by the same Being who is the Father of our spirits, and that is all the organic difference between Jesus Christ and you and me.” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 4, p. 218)
“The birth of the Saviour was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood – was begotten of his Father, as we were of our fathers.” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 8, p. 115)
“God has made His children like Himself to stand erect, and has endowed them with intelligence and power and dominion over all His works, and given them the same attributes which He himself possesses. He created man, as we create our children; for there is no other process of creation in heaven, on the earth, in the earth, or under the earth, or in all the eternities, that is, that were, or that ever will be.” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 11, pp. 122-123)
“The man Joseph, the husband of Mary, did not, that we know of, have more than one wife, but Mary the wife of Joseph had another husband. On this account infidels have called the Savior a bastard. This is merely a human opinion upon one of the inscrutable doings of the Almighty. That very babe that was cradled in the manger, was begotten, not by Joseph, the husband of Mary, but by another Being. Do you inquire by whom? He was begotten by God our heavenly Father. This answer may suffice you—you need never inquire more upon that point.” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 11, p. 268)
Heber C. Kimball
“…I will say that I was naturally begotten; so was my father, also my Saviour Jesus Christ. According to the Scriptures, he is the first begotten of his father in the flesh, and there was nothing unnatural about it.” (Journal of Discourses, 8:211)
Orson Pratt
“God, the Father of our spirits, became the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh. Hence, the Father saith concerning him, ‘Thou are my Son, this day have I begotten thee.’ We are informed in the first chapter of Luke, that Mary was chosen by the Father as a choice virgin, through whom He begat Jesus. The angel said unto the Virgin Mary, ‘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.’ After the power of the Highest had overshadowed Mary, and she had by that means conceived, she related the circumstance to her cousin Elizabeth in the following words: ‘He that is Mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name.’ It seems from this relation that the Holy Ghost accompanied ‘the Highest’ when He overshadowed the Virgin Mary and begat Jesus; and from this circumstance some have supposed that the body of Jesus was begotten of the Holy Ghost without the instrumentality of the immediate presence of the Father. There is no doubt that the Holy Ghost came upon Mary to sanctify her, and make her holy, and prepare her to endure the glorious presence of “the Highest’, that when ‘He’ should ‘overshadow’ her she might conceive, being filled with the Holy Ghost; hence the angel said, as recorded in Matthew, ‘That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost;’ that is, the Holy Ghost gave her strength to abide in the presence of the Father without being consumed, but it was the personage of the Father who begat the body of Jesus; and for this reason Jesus is called ‘the Only Begotten of the Father;’ that is, the only one in this world whose fleshly body was begotten by the Father. There were millions of sons and daughters who he begat before the foundation of this world, but they were spirits, and not bodies of flesh and bones; whereas, both the spirit and body of Jesus were begotten by the Father—the spirit having been begotten in heaven many ages before the tabernacle was begotten upon the earth.
“The fleshly body of Jesus required a Mother as well as a Father. Therefore, the Father and Mother of Jesus, according to the flesh, must have been associated together in the capacity of Husband and Wife; hence the Virgin Mary must have been, for the time being, the lawful wife of God the Father; we use the term lawful Wife, because it would be blasphemous in the highest degree to say that He overshadowed her or begat the Savior unlawfully. It would have been unlawful for any man to have interfered with Mary, who was already espoused to Joseph; for such a heinous crime would have subjected both the guilty parties to death, according to the law of Moses. But God having created all men and women, had the most perfect right to do with His own creation, according to His holy will and pleasure: He had a lawful right to overshadow the Virgin Mary in the capacity of a husband, and beget a Son, although she was espoused to another; for the law which He gave to govern men and women was not intended to govern Himself, or to prescribe rules for His own conduct. It was also lawful in Him, after having thus dealt with Mary, to give her to Joseph her espoused husband. Whether God the Father gave Mary to Joseph for time only, or for time and eternity, we are not informed. Inasmuch as God was the first husband to her, it may be that He only gave her to be the wife of Joseph while in the mortal state, and that He intended after the resurrection to again take her as one of his own wives to raise up immortal spirits in eternity.
“As God the Father begat the fleshly body of Jesus, so He, before the world began, begat his spirit. As the body required an earthly Mother, so his spirit required a heavenly Mother. As God associated in the capacity of a husband with the earthly mother, so likewise he associated in the same capacity with the heavenly one; earthly things being in the likeness of heavenly things; and that which is temporal being in the likeness of that which is eternal; or, in other words, the laws of generation upon the earth are after the order of the laws of generation in heaven” (The Seer, pp. 158-9; cf. B. H. Roberts, Defense of the Faith and the Saints, vol 2, p. 270)
“We have now clearly shown that God the Father had a plurality of wives, one or more being in eternity, by whom He begat our spirits as well as the spirit of Jesus His First Born, and another being upon the earth by whom He begat the tabernacle of Jesus, as His Only Begotten in this world.” (The Seer, pp. 172-3)
20th Century LDS Leadership
First Presidency Statement
“Jesus Christ is the Son of Elohim both as spiritual and bodily offspring; that is to say, Elohim is literally the Father of the spirit of Jesus Christ and also of the body in which Jesus Christ performed His mission in the flesh, and which body died on the cross and was afterward taken up by the process of resurrection, and is now the immortalized tabernacle of the eternal spirit of our Lord and Savior. No extended explanation of the title ‘Son of God’ as applied to Jesus Christ appears necessary.” (“The Father and The Son; A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and The Twelve”, pamphlet published by the Church, June 30, 1916; quoted in Improvement Era 19:934-942, August, 1916; quoted in Liahona, the Elders’ Journal 21:380-384, March 25, 1924; quoted in The Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, pp. 466-7; quoted in Jesus the Christ, 12th ed., by James Talmage, pp. 465-47; quoted inTeachings Of Presidents Of The Church: Joseph F. Smith, p. 353; quoted in Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon, by Jeffrey R. Holland, p. 360; quoted in Church History and Modern Revelation, by Joseph Fielding Smith, vol. 2, p. 160; quoted Man, His Origin and Destiny, by Joseph Fielding Smith, p. 119; quoted in God the Father, compiled by Gordon Allred, p. 150)
Church Curriculum
“[Jesus Christ] was willing to make payment because of his great love for mankind, and he was able to make payment because he lived a sinless life and because he was actually, literally, biologically the Son of God in the flesh” (Messages for Exaltation: Eternal Insights from the Book of Mormon, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Sunday School Union, 1967), pp. 378-379).
“God the Father became the literal father of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only person on earth to be born of a mortal mother and an immortal father.” (Gospel Principles, 1997 ed., p. 57)
Joseph F. Smith
In a “classic sermon delivered by President Joseph F. Smith at the Box Elder Stake conference of December 20, 1914, as recorded in the Box Elder News of January 28, 1915” (Hoyt W. Brewster, Jr., Doctrine and Covenants Encyclopedia, p. 398), he taught:
“You all know that your fathers are indeed your fathers and that your mothers are indeed your mothers you all know that don’t you? You cannot deny it. 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 just as Jesus Christ was begotten of his father. The Christian denominations believe that Christ was begotten not of God but of the spirit that overshadowed his mother. This is nonsense. Why will not the world receive the truth? Why will they not believe the Father when he says that Jesus Christ is His only begotten Son? Why will they try to explain this truth away and make mystery of it? …
“Now, little boys and girls, when you are confronted by infidels in the world who know nothing of how Christ was begotten, you can say he was born just as the infidel was begotten and born, so was Christ begotten by his Father, who is also our Father—the Father of our spirits—and he was born of his mother Mary.
“The difference between Jesus Christ and other men is this: Our fathers in the flesh are mortal men, who are subject unto death; but the Father of Jesus Christ in the flesh is the God of Heaven. Therefore Jesus, as he declared, received the power of life from his Father and was never subject unto death but had life in himself as his father had life in himself. Because of this power he overcame death and the grave and became master of the resurrection and the means of salvation to us all.
“Shall we as Latter-day Saints deny the truth and then claim that God made man in his likeness in the beginning? Shall we come under the impression that God possesses the power of creation, and yet did not literally create? He is not without his companion any more than I am without my companion, the mother of my children…
“Now, by and by you will be able to understand this far better than you can today. Some of us grandparents find it difficult to conceive the truth we want to think of something marvelous. We want to try to make it appear that God does not do things in the right way, or that he has another way of doing things than what we know, we must come down to the simple fact that God Almighty was the Father of His Son Jesus Christ. Mary, the virgin girl, who had never known mortal man, was his mother. God by her begot His son Jesus Christ, and He was born into the world with power and intelligence like that of His Father…
“Now, my little friends, I will repeat again in words as simple as I can, and you talk to your parents about it, that God, the Eternal Father is literally the father of Jesus Christ.
“Mary was married to Joseph for time. No man could take her for eternity because she belonged to the Father of her divine Son. In the revelation that has come thru Joseph Smith, we learn that it is the eternal purpose of God that man and woman should be joined together by the power of God here on earth for time and eternity.”
The same manual carried the above illustration showing the figure of aman, woman, and child. On page 126 LDS parents are told they should usethis to explain to their children “how Jesus was the only begotten Son of God.†Daddy plus Mommy equals you; Heavenly Father plus Mary equals Jesus.
Ezra Taft Benson
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims that 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. Jesus was not the son of Joseph, nor was He begotten by the Holy Ghost” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 7; cf. Come unto Christ, p. 4).
Joseph Fielding Smith
“Christ Not Begotten of Holy Ghost… Christ was begotten of God. He was not born without the aid of Man, and that Man was God!” (Doctrines of Salvation, Joseph Fielding Smith, 1954, 1:18).
James Talmage
“We belong to the Church of Jesus Christ, and much has been said concerning His proprietorship, His mastership, in the Church, the Church that bears His name. I take it to be a plain and simple principle that we cannot worship intelligently, and therefore acceptably unto the Lord, unless we know something of the attributes and of the will of Him whom we profess to worship. The relationship of the Christ to the Eternal Father has been set forth in such plainness that I do not think any wayfaring man amongst us can fail to understand. We recognize in Jesus Christ the Son of the Eternal Father, both in spirit and in body. There is no other meaning to attach to that expression, as used by the Eternal Father Himself—‘Mine Only Begotten Son.’ Christ combined within His own person and nature the attributes of His mortal mother, and just as truly the attributes of His immortal Sire. By that fixed and inexorable law of nature, that every living organism shall follow after his kind, Jesus the Christ had the power to die, for He was the offspring of a mortal woman; and He had the power to withstand death indefinitely, for He was the son of an immortal Father. This simplicity of doctrine has shocked many, but the truth is frequently shocking just because of its simplicity and consequent grandeur.” (Conference Report, April 1915, p. 121)
Notice that the following Talmage quote is in currently used CES Institute manuals (official Church curriculum):
“That Child to be born of Mary was begotten of Elohim, the Eternal Father, not in violation of natural law but in accordance with a higher manifestation thereof; and, the offspring from that association of supreme sanctity, celestial Sireship, and pure through mortal maternity, was of right to be called the ‘Son of the Highest'” (James Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 23rd ed., p. 81; quoted in Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual: Religion 231-232, p. 9; quoted in The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles [New Testament Student Manual: Religion 211–212], p. 24)
Melvin J. Ballard
The contemporary of Talmage, Mormon apostle, and grandfather of M. Russell Ballard wrote:
“One of the great questions that I have referred to that the world is concerned about, and is in confusion over, is as to whether or not his was a virgin birth, a birth wherein divine power interceded. Joseph Smith made it perfectly clear that Jesus Christ told the absolute truth, as did those who testify concerning him, the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, wherein he is declared to be the very Son of God. And if God the Eternal Father is not the real Father of Jesus Christ, then are we in confusion; then is he not in reality the Son of God. But we declare that he is the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh.
“Mary told the story most beautifully when she said that an angel of the Lord came to her and told her that she had found favor in the sight of God, and had come to be worthy of the fulfilment of the promises heretofore made, to become the virgin mother of the Redeemer of the world. She afterwards, referring to the event, said: ‘God hath done wonderful things unto me.’ ‘And the Holy Ghost came upon her,’ is the story, ‘and she came into the presence of the highest.’ No man or woman can live in mortality and survive the presence of the Highest except by the sustaining power of the Holy Ghost. So it came upon her to prepare her for admittance into the divine presence, and the power of the Highest, who is the Father, was present, and overshadowed her, and the holy Child that was born of her was called the Son of God.
Men who deny this, or who think that it degrades our Father, have no true conception of the sacredness of the most marvelous power with which God has endowed mortal men—the power of creation. Even though that power may be abused and may become a mere harp of pleasure to the wicked, nevertheless it is the most sacred and holy and divine function with which God has endowed man. Made holy, it is retained by the Father of us all, and in his exercise of that great and marvelous creative power and function, he did not debase himself, degrade himself, nor debauch his daughter. Thus Christ became the literal Son of a divine Father, and no one else was worthy to be his father.” (Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, p. 167)