What Child Is This? The LDS Christmas Story (celebrating the Prophet Joseph Smith's Birthday)

"Every Church member is expected to understand the doctrine of the Church intelligently. There is no place in the Church for blind adherence."
-- John Widtsoe, LDS Apostle

It was long ago, two thousand years, when sweet baby Jesus was born. Although every baby is cherished by his parents and grandparents and siblings and cousins, this little boy was precious to all the world. The story began in Nazareth…

The Old Testament patriarch Noah, who had died long ago and been resurrected as an angel named Gabriel,¹ was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth. There he appeared to one of the noblest and greatest of all the spirit offspring of God the Father,² a young virgin girl whose name--Mary--had been foretold in 124 B.C.³ Mary was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David.

The angel Gabriel said to Mary, "Hail, you virgin, who are highly favored of the Lord, the Lord is with you: for you are chosen and blessed among women."⁴ But Mary was troubled and pondered about this salutation. Gabriel told her not to be afraid; she had found favor with God. He said, "Behold, you will conceive and bear a son,⁵ and shall call his name, in the 'pure language,' Son Ahman.⁶ He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest. And you, Mary, will be the mother of God."⁷

Gabriel answered and said, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon you and sanctify you, and make you holy, and prepare you to endure the presence of 'the Highest.'⁸ Then shall your Heavenly Father, who was your literal father in the pre-existence, overshadow you. For you know that He is a Holy Man and Adam is His name. He is our Father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do. A personage of flesh and bone, He shall beget this Son in the same manner as Cain and Abel and all the other sons and daughters of Adam and Eve were begotten.⁹ The Christ Child shall be the result of 'natural action'--flesh and blood, begotten of his Father as we were of our fathers.¹⁰ A miracle--though not in violation of natural law--the literal offspring of this 'celestial Sireship'¹¹ shall be called the 'Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh.'"¹²

Mary was concerned because of her betrothal to Joseph. The angel explained, "You and the Father will associate together in the capacity of Husband and Wife; hence, you will be, for at least a time, the lawful wife of God the Father. After He is finished with you, the Father will give you to Joseph. God will be your first husband.¹³ Then shall it be said, '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.'"¹⁴

And Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Before Mary and Joseph came together Mary was found to be with child by God the Father. Joseph, not wanting Mary to be disgraced, planned to 'divorce' her quietly. But an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a vision¹⁵ and said, "Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which has been conceived in her, while it was not done without the aid of Man, that Man was God!¹⁶ And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will, by his perfect example, show the people how to fulfill the plan of salvation."¹⁷ Now all this took place that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, saying, "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which translated means, "A God with us."¹⁸ The angel said, "Mary will still be called a virgin both before and after she gives birth¹⁹ because the Father of her child is immortal."²⁰ Therefore, Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.

It came about in those days that Caesar Augustus required a census be taken of all the earth and everyone was proceeding to each their own city to register. Joseph and Mary journeyed together to the land of Jerusalem,²¹ to the city of Bethlehem, in order to fulfill the requirement.

While they were at Jerusalem, on the 6th day of April,²² it was time for Mary's baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son, who had been her elder brother in the pre-existence,²³ and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was none to give room for them in the inns.²⁴

Now, this was the second birth of Jesus, for He was already the firstborn spirit child of Heavenly Parents.²⁵ He had attained unto the status of Godhood while yet in the premortal existence.²⁶ Whereas, at the time of His mortal birth Jesus was no longer an infant spirit, it was necessary that His spirit be compressed, or diminished in size, so He could be enclosed in His infant body.²⁷ As a result, Jesus forgot everything about His former life.²⁸ Nevertheless, He was the Son of God and the sign which had been promised came to pass: the sun set in America on the night of Christ's birth, but there was no darkness; it was light as though it was mid-day even until the rising of the sun the next morning.²⁹

But around Jerusalem/Bethlehem it was dark and there were some shepherds out in the fields keeping night watch over their flock. An angel of the Lord appeared to them causing them to be very frightened. The shepherds desired to determine what manner of being this was, therefore they requested he shake hands. For they knew they would feel the flesh and bone of a true angel's hand; if they could not feel it they would know he was the devil posing as an angel of light.³⁰ Thereby detecting that this was a messenger from God, the shepherds allowed the angel to proceed.

And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you the God of this world.³¹ He will be called 'the Prince of Peace, who is also the Prince of Glory and the Prince of Eternal Progress.'³² He will atone for the sins of all mankind in the Garden of Gethsemane,³³ and through His gift will come resurrection for the dead for all, and a greater and more enlarged opportunity for eternal life for those who will walk in obedience to His commandments.³⁴ And no one will do a greater work than Jesus until the advent of the Prophet Joseph Smith.³⁵ But take care that you not be led astray. For the time will come when much that is believed and taught about the cleansing power of Christ's blood will be such utter nonsense and so palpably false that to believe it will be to lose your salvation. In that day many will believe or pretend to believe that if we confess Christ with our lips and avow that we accept Him as our personal Savior, we will thereby be saved. They will say that His blood, without any other act than mere belief, makes us clean.³⁶ Be not deceived. Each of you will have to work very hard to qualify for your eternal potential."³⁷ Suddenly there appeared a heavenly host of persons who had been resurrected from the dead³⁸ praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest." And it came to pass when the angels had gone away that the shepherds hastily found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the Christ Child as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known everything which had been revealed to them about the babe. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

The LDS Christmas Story was gathered and compiled from the teachings of Mormon Church leaders. It speaks of a Father and Son who are not found in the Biblical narrative of Christ's birth. It brings the sad news that our salvation depends upon our own righteousness instead of the perfect righteousness of Jesus. The gift God gave that night, according to the LDS Christmas story, provided resurrection to judgement for all the world and an example to follow in order to make oneself worthy of the highest heaven.

Yet God tells a different story. He says it is impossible for us to be worthy of heaven on our own merit; all have sinned and our righteousness is as filthy rags before Him. But the blessed Gift God gave to us on that marvelous holy night was no less than His Promise fulfilled. Jesus Christ--God incarnate--had come, not to show us the way, but to be the Way. He came to a world dead in sin to give us life eternal. Let all who are alive in Christ echo Mary's song, "My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior."

Seekers of truth,

If you peruse the Free Republic religion forums you will notice a pattern. There's an anti-Mormon group of people here that spends a great deal of their time attacking the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They post regurgitated propaganda on an almost daily basis.

They have a misguided obsession. You can witness many different tactics employed that you might find quite interesting. The straw man argument is a big favorite and is frequently preceded by cherry-picking quotes or other material. After the "quotation" the attacker will misrepresent what has been said or what was meant and then attack their own interpretation.Later they will have the audacity to claim they were "only" quoting our own material.

They will of course insist ad nauseum that they are merely using our sources and are therefore innocent of any deceptive practice. LDS persons have no issue whatsoever having our scriptures or leaders quoted as long as it is presented fairly and accurately. This is rarely (if ever) done.

Another favorite is posting scripture or statements which on their own really present no dilemma. They make something out of nothing while never bringing up a single objection that hasn't been addressed a hundred times before.

You might note a couple of other tactics used to try to antagonize is the use of disrespectful or insulting terms or language and/or pictures. That's a Christlike thing to do right? Yeah I don't think so either. It does speak volumes about them though.

Some of them claim being some sort of special witness to you as being supposedly former Mormons. So someone who is an ex-member of any organization would never have an axe to grind or have reason to try to justify their actions by any means? Perhaps not but perhaps so. The LDS Church gains members from other denominations as well as others faiths all the time. This doesn't make them an expert on anything and you certainly won't hear them attacking their forner Church.

Frequently they cruise the headlines of the day seeking any story that might be twisted into making the Church look bad. Anything will do, just watch the progression of posts following it and see what I mean.

After reading their posts, I invite you to seek the truth about whatever "issue" they seem to be "revealing" or "exposing". I promise that if you do so with honest intent, the "ahah" moments you will have will be many and frequent. You will start to recognize the tactics employed to cleverly twist and attack and will likely chuckle the more you see. In actuality, there's nothing new here. It's all been addressed many times before.

The latest twist in the anti-Mormon propaganda machine is to actually go to the links provided, but then they cherry pick what they want, then quote and straw man attack that. Clever. It almost appears that they are helping you, the seeker of truth out by doing some footwork for you. Not so much. Don't be insulted, look for yourself. It's not the haystack they want you to think.

Here's a few links to get your started from a different viewpoint. I have found that the vast majority of the "issues" brought up can be found and addressed at http://www.fairlds.org/ but here's more:

http://scriptures.lds.org/
http://www.lds.org
http://www.fairlds.org/
http://www.mormonapologetics.org/
http://www.mormonwiki.com/Main_Page
http://www.lightplanet.com/response/index.html
http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDS_Intro.shtml
http://www.answeringantimormons.com/index.htm
http://promormon.blogspot.com/

Now you will likely notice the "you never address or answer our points" posts pop up as usual. All after providing the answers just as you have here.

Sometimes it is claimed that these sites present a needle in a haystack. Far from it. But if you give up before you try you won't know will you? They often state that these sites provide no answer. They just don't want you looking. It is as simple as that.

Will you wear blinders too? Seek truth. Find out for yourself. Want to chat with someone on any topic? A few of these sites provide just that. So do your homework sincere seeker of truth. Listen and read from both "sides". Make up your own mind.

I witness to you of these truths and wish you the best, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dear Mr. Paragon Defender,
Thank you for standing against all the posters here who are so anti-mormonisms!!!!
They oppose the deeper truths of mormonic teaching - the restoration of Christian things, like polytheism and gods who have celestial s*x. Joseph Smith and the Quoroms of the 12 will surely put them under their thumb in eternity when they become gods themselves!! And they'll deserve what they get!!!
I still so much want to become a mormonisms god myself. But your links do not say what you believe very clearly. Really, I read them all.
Are you, yourself, a mormonisms god yet?
Which powers do you have now? Must you wear the sacred underwears with the secret codes to manifest the powers? If they were in the laundry one day, would you still have your god-powers, Mr. Paragon? If you ever take them off, will you lose the chance to become a mormonisms god or goddess?
Also, you did not give me a link for the mormon celestial s*x. I so want to learn about this deeper secrets of Mormonisms.
It seems confusing that all your gods have bodies and that they can have celestial s*x. I don't know of any Christian God who does this???? THat is why I think the mormonisms religioins must be the truest one. It sounds like the Greek religions where the gods will go to war and have cool kids and stuff!! I like that for shure!
This is what your religion teaches, isn't it Mr. Paragon Defender???? That once you become a mormonisms's god, you will reproduce physically, but the babies won't have bodies like their parent gods? How can that be Mr. Paragon? Why wouldn't they be like their parents?
If you don't mind my asking you, will yu have more than one goddess wife? I read you can get lots!!! Do you have to do any special spells or rituals to get multiple goddesses wives?
Thank you for sharing. There is so much no one else will tell us.
Very thankfully,
A More Perfect Unions
PS - I am canadian, remember? Do I have to do the tithe in US currency to get the extra goddesses wives?

Dear Mr. Paragon Defender,
Thank you for the opportunity to learn much more
about Mormonisms. It seems to be a very tricky
topic and often confusing to me.
On the FreeRepublics, I see lots of things posted
directly from the Mormonisms website. But then I
read posts from Mormons that say those things are
propaganda. How can that be? Does Mormonisms put
out propaganda about itself? This doesn’t seem
to make sense. Can you explain this? Is this to keep
the publics from understanding the real secrets of
Mormonisms?
Also, I am confused about how a person could
possibly become a god. I would very, very much like
to become a god. I would like to have powers
and have worshippers. Is there anything in writing
or do you have an interwebs links that would tell
me how I can become a god? I have cash for the
tithes. Is there a minimum tithes? [this may not
matter, but I am Canadian and our Loonie is worth
more than your US Dollar right now. It seems I
will have to do a conversion of Loonies to join
your group and I should probably get a discount
because of exchanging the Loonies]
Other than the New Age Movement (I saw Shirley
McClain on TV), I can’t find any other religion
that can tell me how to become a god. When I first
heard that Mormonisms can tell me how to become
a god, I leaped with excitement. Where is the link
I can follow to get the godhoods?
Also, if this is not one of the non-member secrets
of Mormonisms, can you tell me about “celestial s&x”.
I’ve read once I become a Mormonisms god, I will have
a Mormonisms goddess wife - or even multiple Mormonisms
goddesses - for, well, you know. Anyway, if you could
show me a link that gives some details, I would like
to read about that too! For sure! The links you give in
the post #1 do not cover becoming a Mormonisms god or
the other thing. I’m not sure why?
Thank you for posting this thread for us who are
interested in Mormonisms to learn the very
real stuff that is pretty much held secret from the
publics.
I am excited to learn more.
Very thankfully,
A More Perfect Unions
PS - Mr. PD, I had a very traumatic experience in 4th grade
of falling off a bicycle and hitting myself where it hurts.
Please tell me I do not have to ride a bicycle again, if I
become a Mormonisms.

http://www.answeringlds.org/index.html?artWhatChild.html

Great stories at the link.

Delusion
by Ezra Booth

[Ezra Booth was an early convert to Mormonism. In 1831, as a Methodist clergyman, he witnessed what he believed to be a healing at the hands of Joseph Smith and fully embraced this new religion. In a revelation Joseph claimed to receive in June of 1831 Ezra was instructed to journey to Independence, Missouri (Zion) in the company of several other leading Church members. When he returned in September he wrote the following testimony in response to a letter he had received from Reverend Ira Eddy. This and his eight additional epistles were published originally in the Ohio Star and later in Mormonism Unvailed by E. D. Howe. Ezra Booth is credited as being the first apostate to publish against the Church.]

I have arrived at my home on the first of the present month, having finished my tour to the west; since which time the scenes and events in the history of my life, for the last few months, have passed in review before my mind.

You are not, it is probable, ignorant of the designs of my most singular and romantic undertaking: sufficient to say, it was for the purpose of exploring the promised land—laying the foundation of the city of Zion, and placing the corner stone of the temple of God. A journey of one thousand miles to the west, has taught me far more abundantly, than I should have probably learned from any other source. It has taught me quite beyond my knowledge, the imbecility of human nature, and especially my own weakness. It has unfolded in its proper character, a delusion to which I had fallen a victim, and taught me the humiliating truth, that I was exerting the powers of both my mind and body, and sacrificing my time and property, to build up a system of delusion, almost unparalleled in the annals of the world.

If God be a God of consistency and wisdom I now know Mormonism to be a delusion; and this knowledge is built upon the testimony of my senses. In proclaiming it, I am aware I proclaim my own misfortune—but in doing it, I remove a burden from my mind, and discharge a duty as humbling to myself, as it may be profitable to others. You had heard the story of my wanderings, and “was induced to believe that I had been visited with a species of mental derangement,” and therefore, you “had given me up, as one among those friends of early association, who in the lapse of time, would be as though they had not existed.” You had concluded that the magic charm of delusion and falsehood, had so wrapped its sable mantle around me, as to exclude the light of truth and secure me a devoted slave. But thanks be to God! the spell is dissipated, and the “captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and not die in the pit.”

When I embraced Mormonism, I conscientiously believed it to be of God. The impressions of my mind were deep and powerful, and my feelings were excited to a degree to which I had been a stranger. Like a ghost, it haunted me by night and by day, until I was mysteriously hurried, as it were, by a kind of necessity, into the vortex of delusion.—At times I was much elated; but generally, things in prospect were the greatest stimulants to action.

On our arrival in the western part of Missouri, the place of our destination, we discovered that prophecy and vision had failed, or rather had proved false.—This fact was so notorious, and the evidence so clear, that no one could mistake it—so much so, that Mr. Rigdon himself said, that “Joseph’s vision was a bad thing.” This was glossed over, apparently, to the satisfaction of most persons present; but not fully to my own. It excited a suspicion that some things were not right, and prepared my mind for the investigation of a variety of circumstances, which occurred during my residence there, and indeed, to review the whole subject, from its commencement to that time. My opportunities for a thorough investigation, were far greater than they could have been, had I remained at home; and therefore, I do not regret that I made the journey, though I sincerely regret the cause of it. Since my return, I have had several interviews with Messrs. Smith, Rigdon and Cowdery, and the various shifts and turns, to which they resorted in order to obviate objectors and difficulties, produced in my mind additional evidence, that there was nothing else than a deeply laid plan of craft and deception.

The relation in which Smith stands to the church, is that of a Prophet, Seer, Revealer, and Translator; and when he speaks by the Spirit, or says he knows a thing by the communication of the Spirit, it is received as coming directly from the mouth of the Lord. When he says he knows a thing to be so, thus it must stand without controversy. A A [sic] question is agitated between two Elders of the church—whether or not a bucket of water will become heavier by putting a living fish in it. Much is said by each of the disputants; when at length, Smith decides in the negative, by saying—”I know by the spirit, that it will be no heavier.” Any person who chooses, may easily ascertain by actual experiment, whether the Prophet was influenced in this decision by a true or false spirit.

It is not my design, at this time, to enter into particulars relative to the evidence upon which my renunciation of Mormonism is founded. This evidence is derived from various sources, and is clear and full, and the conviction which it produces, at least on my mind, is irresistible. You are not aware of the nature of this deception, and the spirit that uniformly attends it; nor can you ever know it, unless you yield to its influence, and by experience learn what it is to fall under its power: “from which my earnest prayer is, that you may ever, ever escape.”

There probably never was a plan better suited to lead the sinner and the conscientious, when in an unguarded hour they listen to its fatal insinuations. The plan is so ingeniously contrived, having for its aim one principal point, viz: the establishment of a society in Missouri, over which the contrivers of this delusive system, are to possess unlimited and despotic sway. To accomplish this, the Elders of the church, by commandment given in Missouri, and of which I was both an eye and an ear witness, are to go forth to preach Mormonism to every creature; and now, said Mr. Rigdon—”The Lord has set us our stint; no matter how soon we perform it—for when this is done, he will make his second appearance.”

I do sincerely, and I trust in deep humility, return unfeigned gratitude to the God of infinite mercy, who, in condescension to my weakness, by a peculiar train of providences, brought me to the light, enabled me to see the hidden things of darkness, and delivered me from the snare of the fowler, and from the contagious pestilence which threatened my entire destruction. The scenes of the past few months, are so different from all others in my life, that they are in truth to me “as a dream when one awaketh.” Had my fall affected only myself, my reflections would be far less painful than they now are. But to know—that whatever influence I may have possessed, has been exerted to draw others into a delusion, from which they may not soon be extricated, is to me a source of sorrow and deep regret. They are at this moment the object of my greatest anxiety and commiseration. I crave their forgiveness, and assure them, that they will ever have an interest in my addresses to the throne of grace. It shall be my endeavor to undo, as far as possible, what I have done in this case, and also to prevent the spread of a delusion, pernicious in its influence, and destructive in its consequences to the body and the soul—to the present and eternal interests of all men.

I am, through restoring mercy and grace, as in former years, though unworthily, yet affectionately yours in Christ,

EZRA BOOTH.

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