One of the most sacred and controversial doctrines in the restored gospel is the literal begetting of Jesus Christ in the flesh by God the Father. Though taught openly by early prophets such as Brigham Young and reaffirmed in part by later apostles, the subject remains largely unexplored in modern discourse. This article explores the scriptural foundation, prophetic witnesses, and doctrinal logic behind this sacred teaching.
A Clarified Doctrine
The Latter-day Saints affirm that Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God in the flesh. While creedal Christianity often teaches that Christ was conceived immaculately by the Holy Ghost without a physical Father, prophets of the Restoration have taught that Jesus was begotten in the same manner as all mortal children—by a Father in Heaven who possesses a tangible, glorified body.
“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.”
— Journal of Discourses 1:51
This doctrine emphasizes a literal, rather than metaphorical, fatherhood, affirming that the same divine being who fathered our spirits in the premortal world also fathered the mortal body of Jesus Christ.
Exegetical Analysis of Luke 1:35
“And the angel answered and said unto her, 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.” (KJV)
“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee”
Greek: ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σέ — “shall come upon you”
Denotes presence, not physical causality. The Spirit initiates the moment, but does not perform the begetting.
“The power of the Highest shall overshadow thee”
Greek: δύναμις Ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι — “the power of the Most High shall overshadow you”
The verb episkiazō (ἐπισκιάζω) means “to envelop in a cloud” or “to cast a shadow upon.”
The same word appears in the Greek Septuagint describing the Shekinah glory—the divine cloud that filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:35) and overshadowed the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:5).
Thus, the verse describes an event of divine presence and transfiguration, not metaphysical conception by the Holy Ghost.
Prophetic Witnesses
Joseph Fielding Smith:
“Our Savior Jesus Christ was begotten by his Father. He was not born without the aid of Man, and that Man was God!”
— Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p. 18
Bruce R. McConkie:
“Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers.”
— Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, vol. 1, p. 144“He was begotten, conceived, and born in the normal and natural course of events.”
— The Mortal Messiah, vol. 1, p. 314
Ezra Taft Benson:
“He was not the son of Joseph, nor was He begotten by the Holy Ghost. He is the Son of the Eternal Father.”
— The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 7
Melvin J. Ballard:
“Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh… how are children begotten? I answer just as Jesus Christ was begotten of his Father.”
— Crusader for Righteousness, p. 144
Doctrinal Logic and Embodiment
In Latter-day Saint doctrine, God the Father has a glorified, tangible body (D&C 130:22). He is not a spirit essence, but an exalted man, capable of begetting physical offspring. This doctrine is not peripheral—it is foundational to understanding our divine potential and the literal nature of Christ’s dual inheritance.
“When Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit, their bodies became mortal from its effects, and therefore their offspring were mortal.”
— Journal of Discourses 1:52
Adam in the Garden: When Adam entered Eden, he still had a celestial body. It was only through partaking of the fruit of a corporeal world that his body was changed—his finer, spirit-refined matter being replaced by blood, making him mortal. In that state, Adam and Eve could produce mortal children without the need for transfiguration.
Mary in Nazareth: When God the Father begot Jesus, His glorified, tangible body (D&C 130:22) interacted with Mary, a mortal virgin (parthenos, Luke 1:27). Under the Law of Moses, parthenos denoted covenant chastity, ensuring Mary’s betrothal purity (Deuteronomy 22:23–24) and messianic legitimacy (Isaiah 7:14, LXX), unlike secular Greek usage emphasizing mere social virginity. Her words, “I know not a man” (Luke 1:34), confirm no human act violated the Law. The Greek episkiazō (ἐπισκιάζω, “overshadow,” Luke 1:35), tied to God’s glory (Exodus 40:35; Matthew 17:5), implies Mary’s transfiguration to withstand His presence, akin to Moses (Moses 1:11). This divine act, physical yet lawful, preserved her parthenos status, transcending human legal bounds. Unlike mainstream views of a non-physical conception, parthenos and episkiazō support a literal begetting, as taught by prophets (McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:144). This affirms the sacred, physical nature of Christ’s conception within divine law.
Biblical Witness of Divine Conception: Luke 1:27–35 reveals a conception distinct from mainstream Christianity’s non-physical view. Mary’s parthenos status, rooted in Mosaic law (Deuteronomy 22:23–24), ensured covenant purity, not merely secular chastity, fulfilling prophecy (Isaiah 7:14, LXX; 1 Nephi 11:18). The episkiazō of Luke 1:35, evoking God’s glory (Exodus 40:35; Matthew 17:5), suggests a physical act by God the Father’s glorified body (D&C 130:22), transfiguring Mary to conceive without human intercourse (Alma 7:10). Mainstream exegesis limits episkiazō to a spiritual act by the Holy Spirit, but its biblical context supports a tangible divine begetting, lawful and miraculous. This scriptural witness, echoed by apostolic clarity (McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:144), affirms Christ’s literal Sonship through a virgin birth that upholds divine and Mosaic law, challenging traditional interpretations with biblical orthodoxy.
Conclusion
Though controversial and often quietly set aside in modern discourse, the doctrine that God the Father begot Jesus Christ in the flesh, supported by Luke’s parthenos and episkiazō (Luke 1:27–35), reveals a biblical truth: a physical, transfigured conception, lawful under Mosaic law. This doctrine, rooted in scripture (Alma 7:10; 1 Nephi 11:18) and affirmed by prophets, testifies of an embodied God, divine law across eternal realms, and Christ’s real Sonship. Its scriptural clarity invites all to reflect on the Restoration’s bold witness. This understanding invites further consideration and reverence as part of the glorious Restoration of all things.