LDS Mormons, who is the Son of God?

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"The Only Begotten Son in the Flesh"

Here is what LDS teach:

Lesson 7: Jesus Christ—God’s Only Begotten Son in the Flesh
Anciently, news of the Savior’s birth was a glad tiding declared by many—God had sent His Son to redeem the world. “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles” declares Jesus to be “the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world” (Ensign or Liahona, Apr. 2000, 2–3). In this lesson, students will come to know why it was critical that Jesus be born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father.
Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel Teacher Manual, 2015

Display the following statement by Elder James E. Talmage (1862–1933) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and ask a student to read it aloud:

“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; … In His nature would be combined the powers of Godhood with the capacity and possibilities of mortality; and this through the ordinary operation of the fundamental law of heredity, declared of God, demonstrated by science, and admitted by philosophy, that living beings shall propagate—after their kind. The Child Jesus was to inherit the physical, mental, and spiritual traits, tendencies, and powers that characterized His parents—one immortal and glorified—God, the other human—woman” (Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 81).

• What important traits did the Savior inherit from each of His parents?
As students respond, list on the board under “Mary” the traits Jesus Christ inherited from His mother (such as mortality—the ability to suffer pain and to die physically). List under “Heavenly Father” the traits Jesus inherited from His Father (such as the powers of Godhood—immortality or the power to live forever; see John 10:17–18).

Why did the Savior need the powers of both mortality and immortality to complete the Atonement? (As students respond, make sure they understand the following truth: As the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh, Jesus Christ was able to perform the Atoning sacrifice, which required Him to endure more than a mortal person could, and thereby fulfill His role in the Father’s plan. In addition, because Jesus had power over death, He had the capacity to rise from the dead. Make sure students understand that if Jesus Christ had been born of two mortal parents, He could not have overcome death or endured the infinite pain and suffering of the Atonement. If He were born of two immortal parents, He would not have been subject to physical suffering and death.)
Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel Teacher Manual, 2015
Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel Teacher Manual Lesson 7: Jesus Christ—God’s Only Begotten Son in the Flesh


Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “Faith in Jesus Christ is the conviction and assurance of (1) His status as the Only Begotten Son of God, (2) His infinite Atonement, and (3) His literal Resurrection.”2 Modern prophets have testified: “[Jesus Christ] was … the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.”3
The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ: The Only Begotten Son, Ensign, December 2013
The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ: The Only Begotten Son - Ensign Dec. 2013 - ensign

Jesus passed through the veil and entered the world as a helpless baby, though a baby unlike any other. God’s Firstborn Son in the spirit became His Only Begotten Son in the flesh.
Elder Craig C. Christensen, Of the Presidency of the Seventy, The Fulness of the Story of Christmas
The Fulness of the Story of Christmas


I testify to you in that holy name, even the name of Jesus Christ, that God is our Father. We are His children. Jesus Christ is His Only Begotten Son in the flesh. He is our beloved Savior and Redeemer.
L. Edward Brown, “Pray unto the Father in My Name,” General Conference, April 1997 “Pray unto the Father in My Name” - L. Edward Brown

FATHER IN HEAVEN
See also God, Godhead
The Father of the spirits of all mankind (Ps. 82:6; Matt. 5:48; John 10:34; Rom. 8:16–17; Gal. 4:7; 1 Jn. 3:2). Jesus is his Only Begotten Son in the flesh. Man has been commanded to obey and give reverence to the Father and to pray to him in Jesus’ name.
Father in Heaven

His unique heredity made Him heir to the honored title—The Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh. As the Son of God, He inherited powers and intelligence which no human ever had before or since. He was literally Immanuel, which means “God with us.” (See Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23.)
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson Chapter 6: Jesus Christ, Our Savior and Redeemer


All of the above information came from lds.org.
 
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outlawState

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Jesus passed through the veil and entered the world as a helpless baby, though a baby unlike any other. God’s Firstborn Son in the spirit became His Only Begotten Son in the flesh.
Elder Craig C. Christensen, Of the Presidency of the Seventy, The Fulness of the Story of Christmas
The Fulness of the Story of Christmas
I would disagree with this logic "God’s Firstborn Son in the spirit became His Only Begotten Son in the flesh." Rather God's only Begotten Son in the flesh became God’s Firstborn Son in the spirit.

For Paul says "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." Roms 8;29

For the Word of God, the Logos, who is the great "I AM" in heaven, is not properly designated a "son in the spirit." That has connotations of Arianism. I'm not sure what it implies in the LDS.

However I like the phrase "only Begotten Son in the flesh." This is what begotten and son primarily denote - Jesus.
 
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Rescued One

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Mormons ought to explain this to you. Mormons teach that each of us has always existed. We all became spirit children living with our Heavenly Parents prior to coming to earth and obtaining bodies to clothe our spirits. Jesus was literally the firstborn Son. Satan was another son. When he rebelled he was cast out of heaven and will never obtain a body. Those who chose Satan's side were other spirit children of Heavenly Father and one of his wives. These disobedient spirit children were also cast out of heaven and will never receive bodies.

GOD IS NOW AN EXALTED MAN WITH POWERS OF ETERNAL INCREASE

Our Father in Heaven Lives in an Exalted Marriage Relationship
"No matter to what heights God has attained or may attain, he does not stand alone; for side by side with him, in all her glory, a glory like unto his, stands a companion, the Mother of his children. For as we have a Father in heaven, so also we have a Mother there, a glorified, exalted, ennobled Mother." (Melvin J. Ballard, as quoted in Bryant S. Hinckley, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, pp. 205-6.)
Achieving a Celestial Marriage Student Manual, 1976, 1992, Study Resources, 1, p. 129
Use this link:
http://www.ldslearning.org/celestial-marriage.pdf
 
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Jane_Doe

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"The Only Begotten Son in the Flesh"

Here is what LDS teach:

Lesson 7: Jesus Christ—God’s Only Begotten Son in the Flesh
Anciently, news of the Savior’s birth was a glad tiding declared by many—God had sent His Son to redeem the world. “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles” declares Jesus to be “the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world” (Ensign or Liahona, Apr. 2000, 2–3). In this lesson, students will come to know why it was critical that Jesus be born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father.
Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel Teacher Manual, 2015

Display the following statement by Elder James E. Talmage (1862–1933) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and ask a student to read it aloud:

“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; … In His nature would be combined the powers of Godhood with the capacity and possibilities of mortality; and this through the ordinary operation of the fundamental law of heredity, declared of God, demonstrated by science, and admitted by philosophy, that living beings shall propagate—after their kind. The Child Jesus was to inherit the physical, mental, and spiritual traits, tendencies, and powers that characterized His parents—one immortal and glorified—God, the other human—woman” (Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 81).

• What important traits did the Savior inherit from each of His parents?
As students respond, list on the board under “Mary” the traits Jesus Christ inherited from His mother (such as mortality—the ability to suffer pain and to die physically). List under “Heavenly Father” the traits Jesus inherited from His Father (such as the powers of Godhood—immortality or the power to live forever; see John 10:17–18).

Why did the Savior need the powers of both mortality and immortality to complete the Atonement? (As students respond, make sure they understand the following truth: As the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh, Jesus Christ was able to perform the Atoning sacrifice, which required Him to endure more than a mortal person could, and thereby fulfill His role in the Father’s plan. In addition, because Jesus had power over death, He had the capacity to rise from the dead. Make sure students understand that if Jesus Christ had been born of two mortal parents, He could not have overcome death or endured the infinite pain and suffering of the Atonement. If He were born of two immortal parents, He would not have been subject to physical suffering and death.)
Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel Teacher Manual, 2015
Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel Teacher Manual Lesson 7: Jesus Christ—God’s Only Begotten Son in the Flesh


Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “Faith in Jesus Christ is the conviction and assurance of (1) His status as the Only Begotten Son of God, (2) His infinite Atonement, and (3) His literal Resurrection.”2 Modern prophets have testified: “[Jesus Christ] was … the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.”3
The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ: The Only Begotten Son, Ensign, December 2013
The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ: The Only Begotten Son - Ensign Dec. 2013 - ensign

Jesus passed through the veil and entered the world as a helpless baby, though a baby unlike any other. God’s Firstborn Son in the spirit became His Only Begotten Son in the flesh.
Elder Craig C. Christensen, Of the Presidency of the Seventy, The Fulness of the Story of Christmas
The Fulness of the Story of Christmas


I testify to you in that holy name, even the name of Jesus Christ, that God is our Father. We are His children. Jesus Christ is His Only Begotten Son in the flesh. He is our beloved Savior and Redeemer.
L. Edward Brown, “Pray unto the Father in My Name,” General Conference, April 1997 “Pray unto the Father in My Name” - L. Edward Brown

FATHER IN HEAVEN
See also God, Godhead
The Father of the spirits of all mankind (Ps. 82:6; Matt. 5:48; John 10:34; Rom. 8:16–17; Gal. 4:7; 1 Jn. 3:2). Jesus is his Only Begotten Son in the flesh. Man has been commanded to obey and give reverence to the Father and to pray to him in Jesus’ name.
Father in Heaven

His unique heredity made Him heir to the honored title—The Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh. As the Son of God, He inherited powers and intelligence which no human ever had before or since. He was literally Immanuel, which means “God with us.” (See Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23.)
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson Chapter 6: Jesus Christ, Our Savior and Redeemer


All of the above information came from lds.org.
Summing this up:
" 1 We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."
-- LDS Article of Faith number 1. Articles of Faith 1
 
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Jane_Doe

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Mormons ought to explain this to you. Mormons teach that each of us has always existed. We all became spirit children living with our Heavenly Parents prior to coming to earth and obtaining bodies to clothe our spirits. Jesus was literally the firstborn Son. Satan was another son. When he rebelled he was cast out of heaven and will never obtain a body. Those who chose Satan's side were other spirit children of Heavenly Father and one of his wives. These disobedient spirit children were also cast out of heaven and will never receive bodies.

GOD IS NOW AN EXALTED MAN WITH POWERS OF ETERNAL INCREASE

Our Father in Heaven Lives in an Exalted Marriage Relationship
"No matter to what heights God has attained or may attain, he does not stand alone; for side by side with him, in all her glory, a glory like unto his, stands a companion, the Mother of his children. For as we have a Father in heaven, so also we have a Mother there, a glorified, exalted, ennobled Mother." (Melvin J. Ballard, as quoted in Bryant S. Hinckley, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, pp. 205-6.)
Achieving a Celestial Marriage Student Manual, 1976, 1992, Study Resources, 1, p. 129
Use this link:
http://www.ldslearning.org/celestial-marriage.pdf
None of this address the thread title or the OP.
 
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Jane_Doe

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I would disagree with this logic "God’s Firstborn Son in the spirit became His Only Begotten Son in the flesh." Rather God's only Begotten Son in the flesh became God’s Firstborn Son in the spirit.
I'm a little confused here. The way you're phrasing things it you make it sound like you believe Christ was born to Mary and after that became Christ's firstborn spirit. Is that correct? (I apologize in the highly likely event I'm misunderstanding).

For the Word of God, the Logos, who is the great "I AM" in heaven, is not properly designated a "son in the spirit." That has connotations of Arianism. I'm not sure what it implies in the LDS.
LDS are in no way Arian.
 
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KevinSim

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Mormons ought to explain this to you. Mormons teach that each of us has always existed. We all became spirit children living with our Heavenly Parents prior to coming to earth and obtaining bodies to clothe our spirits. Jesus was literally the firstborn Son. Satan was another son. When he rebelled he was cast out of heaven and will never obtain a body. Those who chose Satan's side were other spirit children of Heavenly Father and one of his wives. These disobedient spirit children were also cast out of heaven and will never receive bodies.

GOD IS NOW AN EXALTED MAN WITH POWERS OF ETERNAL INCREASE

Our Father in Heaven Lives in an Exalted Marriage Relationship
"No matter to what heights God has attained or may attain, he does not stand alone; for side by side with him, in all her glory, a glory like unto his, stands a companion, the Mother of his children. For as we have a Father in heaven, so also we have a Mother there, a glorified, exalted, ennobled Mother." (Melvin J. Ballard, as quoted in Bryant S. Hinckley, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, pp. 205-6.)
Achieving a Celestial Marriage Student Manual, 1976, 1992, Study Resources, 1, p. 129
Use this link:
http://www.ldslearning.org/celestial-marriage.pdf
Well, yes, Latter-day Saints do believe that we have both a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother. We don't know much about our Heavenly Mother except that she exists. The bit about "spirit children of Heavenly Father and one of his wives," you don't hear at all in the LDS Church. I don't think most Latter-day Saints think God is polygamous, even if some 19th Century apostles write that He was.
 
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Rescued One

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Well, yes, Latter-day Saints do believe that we have both a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother. We don't know much about our Heavenly Mother except that she exists. The bit about "spirit children of Heavenly Father and one of his wives," you don't hear at all in the LDS Church. I don't think most Latter-day Saints think God is polygamous, even if some 19th Century apostles write that He was.

If you're striving to become like your heavenly father, you should be sealed to only one woman unless your heavenly father has multiple wives.

In the case of a man marrying a wife in the everlasting covenant who dies while he continues in the flesh and marries another by the same divine law, each wife will come forth in her order and enter with him into his glory.
“Mormon” Doctrine Plain and Simple, or Leaves from the Tree of Life, by Charles W. Penrose, p.66, 1897, Salt Lake City, Utah

After his second wife's death, Mormon Prophet Harold B. Lee wrote:
“My lovely Joan was sent to me:
So Joan joins Fern
That three might be, more fitted for eternity.
‘O Heavenly Father, my thanks to thee’ “
 
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BigDaddy4

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Well, yes, Latter-day Saints do believe that we have both a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother. We don't know much about our Heavenly Mother except that she exists. The bit about "spirit children of Heavenly Father and one of his wives," you don't hear at all in the LDS Church. I don't think most Latter-day Saints think God is polygamous, even if some 19th Century apostles write that He was.
Were your "19th Century apostles" teaching false doctrine? If so, where they disciplined for it?
 
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KevinSim

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Were your "19th Century apostles" teaching false doctrine? If so, where they disciplined for it?
I don't know if they were teaching false doctrine or not. So I guess the question is, do we have a Heavenly Mother, or do we have Heavenly Mothers? If the latter, I doubt we have more than two; I see no reason to believe the genders were more imbalanced spiritually when God the Father married than they are now. And now they're not imbalanced enough to give every man two wives. There is only three actively LDS women for every two actively LDS man.
 
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BigDaddy4

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I don't know if they were teaching false doctrine or not. So I guess the question is, do we have a Heavenly Mother, or do we have Heavenly Mothers? If the latter, I doubt we have more than two; I see no reason to believe the genders were more imbalanced spiritually when God the Father married than they are now. And now they're not imbalanced enough to give every man two wives. There is only three actively LDS women for every two actively LDS man.
The answer is C, none of the above. There is no heavenly mother. That is from the doctrine of men who cannot comprehend God, so they make things up.
 
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KevinSim

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The answer is C, none of the above. There is no heavenly mother. That is from the doctrine of men who cannot comprehend God, so they make things up.
That could be said of anything spoken by any prophet. That could be said of the words of Paul. Perhaps he just made up the story of what happened to him on the road to Damascus. I try to give people who say things like this the benefit of the doubt. I try to entertain the possibility that they might be telling me precisely what God inspired them to tell me.
 
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KevinSim

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If you're striving to become like your heavenly father, you should be sealed to only one woman unless your heavenly father has multiple wives.
Charles Penrose said this in 1897? That's an interesting thing for him to say.

Detractors like to bring up the polygamy issue, and I can certainly understand that; people all over the nation are repulsed by the idea of polygamy; my wife is repulsed by it; I personally am repulsed by it. I am no great fan of polygamy.

That does not mean polygamy is wrong.

Do you want to hear what I am a fan of? I'm a fan of every individual person in the community that is the church being equally yoked. I'm a fan of each such individual having someone committed to her/him, someone with equal values, someone s/he can lean on in the journey of life, someone who perhaps is not a soul mate, but who at any rate is a mate for her/his soul. Is it so unreasonable that each person in that community have such a friend?

The ironic thing is that now in today's society if the individual is a woman who finds another woman to be her soulmate, the two of them can get married. But if she wants her soulmate to be the opposite gender, so often that choice leaves her forever single. If marrying a man who is headed in the same direction spiritually, is a high priority to a woman who is trying to make her spiritual journey back to God, then increasingly often she ends up never finding anyone who meets her not unreasonable standards.

This is not just true for the LDS Church. For Protestant churches world wide, there are only two actively attending men for every three actively attending women.

Like I said, I'm no big fan for polygamy. But I'm no big fan for the alternative to polygamy either. People think the alternative for polygamy is monogamy, but it's not. The alternative to polygamy is monogamy for the lucky, and celibacy for the unlucky. Sure, there are some single women (and, for that matter, single men) who are single because they choose to be single. But it's incredibly naive to assume that all single women are single because they want to be.
 
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That could be said of anything spoken by any prophet. That could be said of the words of Paul. Perhaps he just made up the story of what happened to him on the road to Damascus. I try to give people who say things like this the benefit of the doubt. I try to entertain the possibility that they might be telling me precisely what God inspired them to tell me.
If you doubt what is in the Bible, that is between you and God to figure out. By giving people "the benefit of the doubt" you are succumbing to doctrines of man. There is no God given revelation of a heavenly mother.
 
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Like I said, I'm no big fan for polygamy. But I'm no big fan for the alternative to polygamy either. People think the alternative for polygamy is monogamy, but it's not. The alternative to polygamy is monogamy for the lucky, and celibacy for the unlucky. Sure, there are some single women (and, for that matter, single men) who are single because they choose to be single. But it's incredibly naive to assume that all single women are single because they want to be.

Your position disagrees with Jesus in Matthew 19:12 and Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:7-9.
 
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Ah, yes, I remember a married Mormon man telling me that I would be his second wife. I ignored him every time he said it.
So perhaps you fit among the single women who want to be single. I have no problem with that. But there are single women who want to be married to someone with as high spiritual standards as they have. They end up single, not because they want to be single, but because there simply aren't enough men with that high of standards available. Polygamy in their situation is not a perfect solution, but it's better than pretending that those women don't exist.
 
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"The Only Begotten Son in the Flesh"

Here is what LDS teach:

Lesson 7: Jesus Christ—God’s Only Begotten Son in the Flesh
Anciently, news of the Savior’s birth was a glad tiding declared by many—God had sent His Son to redeem the world. “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles” declares Jesus to be “the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world” (Ensign or Liahona, Apr. 2000, 2–3). In this lesson, students will come to know why it was critical that Jesus be born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father.
Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel Teacher Manual, 2015

Display the following statement by Elder James E. Talmage (1862–1933) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and ask a student to read it aloud:

“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; … In His nature would be combined the powers of Godhood with the capacity and possibilities of mortality; and this through the ordinary operation of the fundamental law of heredity, declared of God, demonstrated by science, and admitted by philosophy, that living beings shall propagate—after their kind. The Child Jesus was to inherit the physical, mental, and spiritual traits, tendencies, and powers that characterized His parents—one immortal and glorified—God, the other human—woman” (Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 81).

• What important traits did the Savior inherit from each of His parents?
As students respond, list on the board under “Mary” the traits Jesus Christ inherited from His mother (such as mortality—the ability to suffer pain and to die physically). List under “Heavenly Father” the traits Jesus inherited from His Father (such as the powers of Godhood—immortality or the power to live forever; see John 10:17–18).

Why did the Savior need the powers of both mortality and immortality to complete the Atonement? (As students respond, make sure they understand the following truth: As the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh, Jesus Christ was able to perform the Atoning sacrifice, which required Him to endure more than a mortal person could, and thereby fulfill His role in the Father’s plan. In addition, because Jesus had power over death, He had the capacity to rise from the dead. Make sure students understand that if Jesus Christ had been born of two mortal parents, He could not have overcome death or endured the infinite pain and suffering of the Atonement. If He were born of two immortal parents, He would not have been subject to physical suffering and death.)
Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel Teacher Manual, 2015
Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel Teacher Manual Lesson 7: Jesus Christ—God’s Only Begotten Son in the Flesh


Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “Faith in Jesus Christ is the conviction and assurance of (1) His status as the Only Begotten Son of God, (2) His infinite Atonement, and (3) His literal Resurrection.”2 Modern prophets have testified: “[Jesus Christ] was … the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.”3
The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ: The Only Begotten Son, Ensign, December 2013
The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ: The Only Begotten Son - Ensign Dec. 2013 - ensign

Jesus passed through the veil and entered the world as a helpless baby, though a baby unlike any other. God’s Firstborn Son in the spirit became His Only Begotten Son in the flesh.
Elder Craig C. Christensen, Of the Presidency of the Seventy, The Fulness of the Story of Christmas
The Fulness of the Story of Christmas


I testify to you in that holy name, even the name of Jesus Christ, that God is our Father. We are His children. Jesus Christ is His Only Begotten Son in the flesh. He is our beloved Savior and Redeemer.
L. Edward Brown, “Pray unto the Father in My Name,” General Conference, April 1997 “Pray unto the Father in My Name” - L. Edward Brown

FATHER IN HEAVEN
See also God, Godhead
The Father of the spirits of all mankind (Ps. 82:6; Matt. 5:48; John 10:34; Rom. 8:16–17; Gal. 4:7; 1 Jn. 3:2). Jesus is his Only Begotten Son in the flesh. Man has been commanded to obey and give reverence to the Father and to pray to him in Jesus’ name.
Father in Heaven

His unique heredity made Him heir to the honored title—The Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh. As the Son of God, He inherited powers and intelligence which no human ever had before or since. He was literally Immanuel, which means “God with us.” (See Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23.)
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson Chapter 6: Jesus Christ, Our Savior and Redeemer


All of the above information came from lds.org.

Hello Phoebe, might I also add that Son of God, who is Jesus Christ (2nd John 3), has also existed from eternity together with God the Father see (John 17:5). Also the fact that creation is out of the Father, and then through the Son, also confirms the eternity of the Son of God. I could be wrong, and I don't wish to misrepresent you Phoebe, but doesn't Mormonism deny this?
 
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robert skynner

I respect the Bible but religion is damaging
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Summing this up:
" 1 We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."
-- LDS Article of Faith number 1. Articles of Faith 1

The trouble with this statement (article of faith point 1), is that almost everybody else who claims to be a follower of Christ such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, Unitarians, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Protestants, Oneness Apostolics (Modalists), Moonies, Christadelphians etc also can affirm this LDS first statement as well. The issue as I see it, is simply this: Who are the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and at this point the Catholics and Protestants divide from the non-creedal Trinitarians (including Mormonism), for only creedal Trinitarians affirm the complete deity of the Son of God, his eternity and his divine attributes.


Mormonism even claims that God the Father, was once a man: “God himself was once as we are and is an exhalted man …” (Achieving a Celestrial Marriage Student Manuel, page 129), and has a body of flesh and bones (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22), which all of the other groups and sects listed above deny! So either every group in two thousand years of church history, has had a completely false view of God the Father, or else, the Mormon churches (which now number 130+ sects), following a man who claimed to be a prophet, but some of whose prophecies did not come to pass, have alone got the nature and being of God the Father correct.


So with regard to the Son of God, only the Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and Protestants in the list above, in my opinion, have taught the correct view of the Son of God, that he is fully and completely Yahweh God, that he is eternal and has existed together with the Father (John 17:5) in eternity. Mormons might use the word "Trinity" to describe their beliefs, but they clearly deny this creedal Trinitarian definition of the Son of God as being eternal, so their version of the Trinity teaches a non-creedal non-eternal Son of God.
 
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