Doctrine and Covenants 76:24


askandanswer
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24  That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.

 (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 76:24)

 This scripture seems to me to be saying that the inhabitants of the worlds that have been and are created by God are begotten sons and daughters unto God. If this is a correct understanding of this verse, at first glance, the idea that there are many begotten sons and daughters of God does not seem to be consistent with the idea Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son. Can both of these ideas be correct, and if not, what might be the best way to reconcile them? What is it that is different in their identities and relationship with God, rather than in their roles, between God's many begotten sons and daughters on this and other worlds, and His only begotten Son?

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It depends on context. Jesus' title as only begotten comes from his having been born of God in the flesh. Meanwhile the begotteness of the inhabitants of other worlds probably refers to their being spiritually the sons and daughters of God. From this standpoint we are all begotten of God. We could probably create another category of begotten for those who are born again of God. 

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Elohim created the Spirits of Men.

Jesus Christ created the Earth and the physical tabernacle of Man.

Due to sin, we are separated from God.  But, Chris’t Atonement allows us to be purified and “spiritually reborn” so we can be reunited with God again. 

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D&C 76 is in many ways a response to the Gospel of John—it is thick with allusions to and quotations from that book of scripture.  76:24 reflects John 1:3 and 12; but with an important modifier:  whereas John says Jesus gave us power to become children of God, Joseph Smith clarifies that actually we’ve been children of God all along.

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15 hours ago, askandanswer said:

24  That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.

 (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 76:24)

 This scripture seems to me to be saying that the inhabitants of the worlds that have been and are created by God are begotten sons and daughters unto God. If this is a correct understanding of this verse, at first glance, the idea that there are many begotten sons and daughters of God does not seem to be consistent with the idea Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son. Can both of these ideas be correct, and if not, what might be the best way to reconcile them? What is it that is different in their identities and relationship with God, rather than in their roles, between God's many begotten sons and daughters on this and other worlds, and His only begotten Son?

My understanding is that there is a difference between "begotten unto" God and "begotten of" God. Here in the flesh, the children of Adam and Eve's posterity are begotten by mortals, but they are God's spirit children, so they are begotten in the flesh to bring them back to ["unto"] God with bodies of flesh and bone through the redemption of Christ. On the other hand, Jesus was begotten by Mary and God Himself, making Jesus the literal offspring of [" begotten of"] Heavenly Father.

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