THE MARRIAGE RELATIONS– A Lecture by President Orson Hyde, delivered at the General Conference, in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1854.

It is found in the Journal of Discourses, vol 2. Note it was given as a General Conference address, Brigham Young listening in. President Hyde clearly shared that Christ was indeed married to at least Mary and Martha, maybe even more, and Christ did in fact have literal children that he beheld before he died. He went on to share that the miracle of water into wine took place at his (Christ’s) own wedding. Interesting thoughts anyway. If you gon on to read the following discourse, it is by Brigham Young who apparently endorses that which was taught by President Hyde.

Kevin, I’m not persuaded by your analysis of the Greek word monogenes. The other times it is used in the NT, it refers to the only child of the parents in the stories; e.g., Luke 7:12, 8:32, 9:38. These only children were not “unique” in the sense you are describing. In fact, I don’t think there are any examples of Greek usage of this term outside of familial relationships. Do you know of any?

Based on the Greek, it seems that “Only Begotten” is a good translation. Perhaps “Only Child” would me a more literal translation, but it still has the sense of a single child as opposed to the more generic uniqueness you seem to advocate.

If Jehovah had a physical body as the son of God the Father in an existence prior to “pre-mortal life”, died, and was resurrected, as was the Father, where did he stow that resurrected body when he came to this earth as “the only begotten” born of the virgin Mary?

Is there some kind of celestial locker room where one takes off one’s “street clothes” in exchange for one’s “earthly body”?

Personally, I find this line of thought most troubling. Abraham makes it clear that we were intelligences prior to our mortal existence, and that some, including Jehovah and apparently the Holy Spirit, attained to perfection over ions of time in that existence.

It has obviously taken the rest of us a lot longer to reach even a small inkling of intelligence.

Larry, that depends on which pill you take. The blue pill, or the red pill. ;>)

Do twinkling stars grow brighter yet
Do sunsets brazen as they set
Do mothers coddle, children cuddle
Because of all our fiddle faddle

As I pray in my repose
Do I render what God knows
In this mighty war of will
Do I hear His voice so still

When I ponder sweet divine
Is His voice the voice of mine
Do I dare to interject
Some great truth as I suspect

I call it Harold chapter one
And just as quick, I am done
For should I set a jot and tiddle
My jot will jiggle my tiddle little

Beware my friend for truth divine
Is nested in the Great sublime
And wrenching angst may not unfold
What God may choose to gently hold

But time as measured not by men
Will loose a drop now and then
To water thirsting lips of hope
And moisten eyes with greater scope.

Till then, hang on, for God is here
And angels stand so very near
And mercy under priesthood hand
Will nurture all who kneel and stand

A Son, A Son is born this day
In Fathers own appointed way
And I will leave it best alone
What he has not yet to me shown

To others he may verify
To strengthen and to sanctify
But keep it close its yours to keep
And let him tell this one lost sheep.

Harold B. Curtis

Perhaps the word “criteria” is misplaced since the determining factors are always in flux. (i.e., our willness to receive more light and truth, our capacity to live in ways that may be radically different from our cultural experience, etc.) And yet, even in my attempt to explain why it is misplaced a criteria begins to emerge. Even you say: “Kaimi is dealing with a subject here that falls outside the bounds of what God has seen fit to reveal”.

So, perhaps the only real “criteria” is simply (as you say) “what God has seen fit to reveal”. I agree that we shouldn’t automatically suppose something to be false because it’s not found in the scriptures–unless, of course, it’s false. And I’m one of those who believes that some things are just plain false. And off I go! Running in a circular argument!