We’ve been republishing some older articles based on requests of readers who share the updated versions with family and friends, We pray it’s helpful to those who use them, but mostly that it brings glory to God, and puts focus on Him. Here we go!
UPDATE!! When we posted this on our Facebook page (7.13.19) it created a lot of traffic. One Mormon was quite adamant the FHE teaching was a lie from ‘anti-Mormons’. He also stated this wasn’t official Mormon doctrine, but was only a teaching of Mormonism.
This is why it’s important to always pray for those who are still believing these lies. My heart grieves for this man, and his family as well.
Interestingly enough, someone else posted they had taught this very lesson to the 11-12 yr old kids just four years ago (2015).
Originally published in 2014.
Today’s dilemma reminded me of God’s providence. As I research and gather historical information about the teachings of the Church I’m reminded every day how I used to think and behave.
To say that I’m beyond grateful He rescued me from treacherous teachings like this one today would be one of many understatements of the year.
Mormons are conditioned to live a very structured lifestyle and weekly schedules are filled with church sanctioned meetings and activities. One of those activities, ‘Family Home Evening’, is held every Monday night. This is such an integral part of Mormonism that in Utah even the public schools and organized sport teams are pressured to not schedule anything for Monday evenings so families can stay home and obey their leader’s admonitions.
Our focus today is one of the lessons taken from a 1972 Family Home Evening Manual (yep, they have manuals for that).
The topic for this lesson is how God is literally our father, and its purpose was to teach little children that God had sex with Mary to beget Jesus. The original teaching was taken from a chapter titled “Whom Say Ye That I Am?”.
Joseph Fielding Smith (10th Prophet/President) was in charge at the time, and incorporated this into the lesson plan which was taken from an earlier teaching written by his father, Joseph F Smith (6th Prophet/President).
Their ungodly doctrine can mean only one thing. Incest.
“Home Evening Lesson 27
”Whom Say Ye That I Am?”
This home evening is to help you and your children understand that Jesus is God’s Only Begotten Son and to seek this knowledge through prayer.In What Way is Jesus God’s Only Son?
Read or tell the following story.
JENNY’S QUESTION
The Markham family had been to Sunday School and was driving home…When Jenny was asked what she had learned, she replied, “Daddy, I’m confused. The teacher talked about Jesus’ being God’s only son. I thought all of us were God’s children.”
Ask, Have you ever wondered about this question?
How would you answer Jenny?
Discuss this with your family, letting each have a chance to express himself.
Now read to the family how a modern prophet answered Jenny’s question.
A MODERN PROPHET’S ANSWER
…I want the little folks to hear what I am going to tell you. I am going to tell you a simple truth, yet it is one of the greatest truths and one of the most simple facts ever revealed to the children of men.
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 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…
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…
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. (Joseph F. Smith [6th Prophet and President of the Mormon Church], Box Elder Stake Conference Dec. 20, 1914 as quoted in Brigham City Box Elder News, 28 Jan. 1915, pp. 1-2)
An Illustration and Discussion to Help Further Answer Jenny’s Question:
At this point, discuss in your own words how Jesus was the only begotten Son of God. You might do this by using the following illustration on a chalkboard or piece of paper.
All boys and girls have a mother and father on earth. Your mother and father, of course, are
mother and I.Jesus is the only person ever born on this earth that is different. Jesus had a mother on earth.
What was her name? (Mary.) But who was his real father? (Heavenly Father.) So you see, Jesus is the only person who had our Heavenly Father as the father of his body.
Family Home Evening
Published by the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © 1972 Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Pages 125-126”
This was a doctrine I wasn’t taught when I proselytized to the LDS when I was 18 and having come from an unbelieving family. When I first learned this doctrine several months later (from a tract by Walter Martin) it disturbed me because the Bible teaches Mary conceived as a virgin, and everything I HAD learned previously about the Christian faith taught that Mary was a virgin. When I questioned this teaching I was told that God was an immortal man, but Mary was a virgin to mortal man; I argued that it doesn’t what kind of man, once she’s had sex she isn’t a virgin. This led me to start studying Mormonism in-depth to the point where within two years of my baptism I decided I had been had, and I never went back and remained an unbeliever for almost two years before I was engaged by Navigators, from whom I learned the true Faith.
You’re the 2nd person I’ve met thru ministry that’s told me this topic is why they left. Although, I’ve no doubt there are many others who’ve done the same. Interesting. I will never forget the other example. One day I received a call and the first thing I heard from the voice at the other end was a lady very, very upset. She said, ‘Tell me if it’s true they’ve taught my young son at Sunday school that God had sex with Mary’. They were fairly new converts. She was pretty upset as you can imagine.
I confirmed her suspicions and what her little boy had relayed to her from his morning at church.
They immediately left and turned their lives over to Jesus. PTL!!! That was probably 15, or 20 yrs ago now.
How many members do you think actually participate in Family Home Evening? To be very candid, I seldom did. The church used to (still??) encourages every family to have the Missionaries (Elders) in their homes occasionally for Family Home Evening.
I remember during one Priesthood Session (between 2nd and 3rd hour), the Ward Mission Leader asked for volunteers among the priesthood holders to sign up (volunteer) to have the Elders in their homes over the next four (4) Mondays. NOBODY VOLUNTEERED. The mission leader than picked people out individually and asked them things like: “Brother Jones, wouldn’t you enjoy having the spirit in your home Monday night? : or, Brother Johnson, what are you doing Monday night that is so important that you couldn’t have the Missionaries in your home?
What the aforementioned situation with the lack of volunteers showed me, was that many church members are getting sick and tired of the constant need for volunteers ,to do everything from help people move, to clean the church, to drive Sister Williams 150 miles to see her son who is in a drug rehab center. It goes on and on. Church members are convinced THAT THE MORE THEY DO FOR THE CHURCH, THE MORE BLESSING GOD WILL GIVE THEM. Great way to run a corporation. Work hard and get promoted!!
You’ll be promoted alright. Ugh. But even that wll only go so far unless of course you’re related to one of their leaders. 🙁 or is that 🙂