Why did Brigham Young write that Jesus wasn't born of a virgin conceived of the Holy Spirit?

Answer 1

A different Jesus - a different Gospel.

The Bible teaches that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. This means that Mary had no sexual relations with any man prior to the birth of Jesus.
Likewise, the Mormon church also maintains that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. However, there is quite an interesting array of Mormon authorities who have said some very interesting things about the relationship between God and Mary in regards to Jesus’ birth. Let’s take a look at some of them and see what we find.
Brigham Young, second prophet and president of the LDS church said,

"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).

Brigham Young also said, "Now, remember from this time forth, and for ever, that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, page 51).

Brigham Young said, "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." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, page 218, 1857.)

Joseph Fielding Smith, stated:

"The birth of the Savior was a natural occurrence unattended with any degree of mysticism, and the Father God was the literal parent of Jesus in the flesh as well as in the spirit." (Religious Truths Defined, p. 44) as cited in the book, Mormonism: Shadow or Reality, by Gerald and Sandra Tanner, Utah Lighthouse Ministry, P.O. Box 1854, Sal Lake City, Utah 84110, Bookstore at 1350 South West Temple. 1982, page 260).

Joseph Fielding Smith said, "They tell us the Book of Mormon states that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Ghost. I challenge that statement. The Book of Mormon teaches no such thing! Neither does the Bible." (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, page 19)

Bruce McConkie, who was a member of the First Council of the Seventy stated,

"Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers," (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, page 547.)

"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, page 742.)

Heber C. Kimball who was a member of the first presidency said,

"In relation to the way in which I look upon the works of God and his creatures, I will say that I was naturally begotten; so was my father, and 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, v. 8, p. 211)

"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" (Deseret News, October 10, 1866) as cited in the book, Mormonism: Shadow or Reality, by Gerald and Sandra Tanner, Utah Lighthouse Ministry, P.O. Box 1854, Sal Lake City, Utah 84110, Bookstore at 1350 South West Temple. 1982, page 261.

What conclusions can we draw from the words of the leaders of the Mormon church regarding Jesus’ birth?

It was the result of natural action, (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 8, p. 115).
Jesus was not begotten by the Holy Ghost." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, page 51); (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, page 19).
"The Father came Himself and favoured that spirit with a tabernacle instead of letting any other man do it" (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, page 218, 1857.)
The birth was the result of natural action, (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 8, p. 115).
"The Father God was the literal parent of Jesus in the flesh as well as in the spirit." (Religious Truths Defined, p. 44)
"Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers," (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, page 547.)
"There is nothing figurative about his [Jesus’] paternity; he was begotten, conceived and born in the normal and natural course of events" (Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce McConkie, page 742.)
Remember, according to Mormon teaching the Holy Ghost is a male personage, a man. (A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, by Le Grand Richards, Salt Lake City, 1956, page 118; Heber C. Kimball, in Journal of Discourses, Vol. 5, page 179.)
The Father, who is God, is also in the form of a man (Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 3; and Doctrine and Covenants, 130:22.
Mary, of course, was a woman.
This is even more interesting when we realize that the Mormon church officially proclaims that Jesus was born of a virgin. For example, Bruce McConkie stated "Modernistic teachings denying the virgin birth are utterly and completely apostate and false." (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, page 822.) That is fine. Let them proclaim it. But quite honestly, I fail to see how the Mormon people can assert that Mary remained a virgin in light of this evidence from their prophets and apostles. I see them saying two different things and backpedaling trying to sound Christian.
Of course, this is my opinion and the Mormons who read this will accuse me of sensationalism. But, I am simply pointing out what many of their official church leaders have said. In the changing teachings of Mormonism, you never know what you'll find next.

__________________

Bibliography:

Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1,by Joseph Fielding Smith, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1954.
Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce R. McConkie, 2nd Edition, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1979
A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, by LeGrand Richards, Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1950
Mormonism: Shadow or Reality, by Gerald and Sandra Tanner,Utah Lighthouse Ministry, P.O. Box 1854, Sal Lake City, Utah 84110, Bookstore at 1350 South West Temple. 1982,
Where Does it Say That? By Bob Witte, (No publisher or location).

Answer 2

Because this is against the natural cosmic laws. If you were told a woman conceived with a ghost you would dismiss this as ridiculous. Why then accept that Mary conceived with the Holy Ghost which is God's Will ? Besides, the Virgin birth means that Mary's child Jesus was her first-born, that her organs had not been used for child-birth before, but not that her hymen was intact and that conception occur ed without sexual intercourse. Besides which, this does not in any way change Jesus' divinity.

Answer 3

Maybe because that isn't possible. No woman can ever be a virgin and be pregnant. It doesn't work that way. As for the holy spirit.... yeah right. No god means no holy spirit means no one can be born from it.

If Mary existed, she slept around, got pregnant then lied to cover it up in an age where people that did that were stoned to death. Which would you choose? A comfortable lie or death by torture?

Answer 4

Well, when the bible was translated from Hebrew to Greek and then into Latin, there was a mix up in the translation. The Hebrew word was meant to say "young woman" and that was translated into a Greek word that can mean both "young woman" or "virgin" then it was translated into Latin and English as just "virgin".

An understandable mix up. I don't know anything about Brigham Young though. Just a cult leader with an agenda.

Answer 5

It is not a different Jesus, nor different gospel. Mormons believe in the bible just like all other Christians. The idea is that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are 3 different beings, the holy spirit didnt have anything to do with it, it was God.

Answer 6

Sources?

Answer 7

Where are you finding these so called writing of Brigham Young? Post your sources so that we can actually respond inteligently.

Answer 8

Yum's right; because he obviously wasn't a Christian. Catholics aren't Christians either because they pray to false idols. Episcopalians aren't either because they ordain gay bishops. Lutherans aren't either because they're not born again. Jehovah's Witnesses aren't either, but I'm not sure why. I'm sure there's some reason though. Of course, no matter what they believe about Jesus, anyone who doesn't believe in talking serpents or that God stopped the Sun in the heavens to help some human beings kill other human beings sure isn't a Christian either.

Trouble is, after pronouncing that all these Christians aren't Christian, there aren't too many real Christians left.

Answer 9

Because he believed that Adam, who he believed is God (or the ArchAngel, or both, its not really clear, but...) he preached that Adam was the father of Jesus -- I really don't get how these wierd Mormom beliefs are accepted by so many -- a presume many are ignorant of the wierd and contradictory things the Mormon founders taught -- they're every bit as wierd as the more obscure sects

Answer 10

Hinckley agrees with him!! They worship a different Jesus than Christians. Jesus didn't become God, He is/was God in the flesh. Fully God and fully Man.

the LDS Church News reported: "In bearing testimony of Jesus Christ, President Hinckley spoke of those outside the Church who say Latter-day Saints 'do not believe in the traditional Christ. 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 Fulness [sic] of Times'" (June 20, 1998, ).

Answer 11

Probably because he wasn't. It is most likely he was conceived by a young Jew boy in the bushes and her family didn't want her stoned so they made up the story and marryied her off to Joseph. BB