View source for Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Becoming Gods/Chapter 7

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{{H1
|L=Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Becoming Gods/Chapter 7
|H=Response to claims made in "Chapter 7: After All We Can Do"
|S=
|L1=
|T=[[../../|Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st-Century Mormonism]]
|A=Richard Abanes
|<=[[../Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]
|>=[[../Chapter 8|Chapter 8]]
}}
{{ChartBecomingGodsCh7}}
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{{H2
|L=Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Becoming Gods/Chapter 7
|H=Response to claims made in Becoming Gods, "Chapter 7: After All We Can Do"
|S=
|L1=Response to claim: 183 - Latter-day Saints are claimed to reject the "Evangelical belief" that "Christ was born of the virgin Mary"
|L2=Response to claim: 184 - "Until recently, the common belief clearly implied throughout the history of Mormonism...was that Jesus' conception occurred via sexual intercourse between Heavenly Father (Elohim) and Mary"
|L3=Response to claim: 185, 405n41 - Early LDS leaders redefined "virgin" to mean a woman who has never known a mortal man, since Heavenly Father is immortal
|L4=Response to claim: 187, 406n54-55 - Latter-day Saints reject the idea that the death of Jesus on the cross was a significant part of the atonement
|L5=Response to claim: 201 - The three heaven doctrine has no basis in the Bible, but is only based upon a vision of Joseph Smith
}}
</onlyinclude>

==Response to claim: 183 - Latter-day Saints are claimed to reject the "Evangelical belief" that "Christ was born of the virgin Mary"==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Becoming Gods
|claim=
Latter-day Saints are claimed to reject the "Evangelical belief" that "Christ was born of the virgin Mary, who, when the Holy Ghost came upon her, miraculously conceived the promised messiah."
|authorsources=<br>
#{{s||Isaiah|7|14}}
*{{s|1|Nephi|11|18-21}}
}}
{{disinformation|This claim is entirely false.
}}
*{{CrossRef:Abanes:One Nation|chapter=13|pages=287, 575n38(PB)}}
{{:Question: Do Mormons believe that Mary was still a virgin when Jesus was born?}}

==Response to claim: 184 - "Until recently, the common belief clearly implied throughout the history of Mormonism...was that Jesus' conception occurred via sexual intercourse between Heavenly Father (Elohim) and Mary"==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Becoming Gods
|claim=
"Until recently, the common belief clearly implied throughout the history of Mormonism...was that Jesus' conception occurred via sexual intercourse between Heavenly Father (Elohim) and Mary."
|authorsources=<br>
#{{s||Luke|1|35}}
*{{s|1|Nephi|11|14}}
*{{s|1|Nephi|11|16-18}}
*{{s|1|Nephi|11|20}}
*{{s|1|Nephi|11|24}}
*{{s|1|Nephi|11|26-28}}
*{{s|1|Nephi|11|32-33}}
}}
{{misinformation|The author cites a number of scriptures from the Book of Mormon, ''none'' of which imply sexual intercourse between Elohim and Mary.
}}

==Response to claim: 185, 405n41 - Early LDS leaders redefined "virgin" to mean a woman who has never known a ''mortal'' man, since Heavenly Father is immortal==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Becoming Gods
|claim=
Early LDS leaders redefined "virgin" to mean a woman who has never known a ''mortal'' man, since Heavenly Father is immortal.
|authorsources=<br>
#Joseph F. Smith, Charles Penrose, "Message of the First Presidency," vol. 5, p. 34. "...his unique status in the flesh as the offspring of a mortal mother and of an immortal, or resurrected and glorified, Father"
}}
{{propaganda|This is the author's conclusion. The author wants to talk about a "sexual union" again, but the statement he uses in his citation in the endnotes says nothing about redefining "virgin" to mean a woman who has never known a mortal man. It is certainly true that Latter-day Saints believe Jesus Christ to be the literal son of our Heavenly Father, but the author takes liberties in drawing his conclusions about the event.
}}
{{:Question: Do Mormons believe that Mary was still a virgin when Jesus was born?}}

==Response to claim: 187, 406n54-55 - Latter-day Saints reject the idea that the death of Jesus on the cross was a significant part of the atonement==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Becoming Gods
|claim=
Latter-day Saints reject the idea that the death of Jesus on the cross was a significant part of the atonement.
|authorsources=<br>
#Cky J. Carrigan, "Did Jesus Christ Die on the Cross to Pay for Our Sins?: A Survey of Mormon Teachings on the Atonement of Christ," Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Ministries to New Religions, Biola University, Jan. 25, 2003. 
}}
{{disinformation|The author has made a false statement. Although Latter-day Saints believe that the atonement was carried out in the Garden of Gethsemane, the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and his subsequent resurrection is of extreme significance to Latter-day Saints.
}}
{{:Question: Are Latter-day Saints are not true Christians because they do not use the cross and believe that the atonement occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane?}}

<!--====201====
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|claim=
The third and highest kingdom of glory has three levels, and only those who reach the highest level become gods.
|response= 
* [[Plan of salvation/Three degrees of glory]]
*[[Deification of man|Human deification/''theosis'']]
|authorsources=<br>
#Bruce R. McConkie, ''Mormon Doctrine'', "Those who obtain exaltation will gain all power and thus themselves be omnipotent...Godhood is to have the character, possess the attributes, and enjoy the perfections which the Father has. It is to do what he does, have the powers resident in him, and live as he lives."
}} -->

==Response to claim: 201 - The three heaven doctrine has no basis in the Bible, but is only based upon a vision of Joseph Smith==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Becoming Gods
|claim=
The three heaven doctrine has no basis in the Bible, but is only based upon a vision of Joseph Smith.
|authorsources=<br>
#{{s||D&C|76||}}
}}
{{misinformation|See {{b|2|Corinthians|12|2}} and {{b|1|Corinthians|15|40-41}}
}}
{{:Plan of salvation/Three degrees of glory/Not biblical}}
{{endnotes sources}}


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