Great points, Alec and Leslie R. As far as Jesus' words go, I was distinguishing between those Jesus spoke in person, in a sermon or dialogue, and these he spoke through others. However, I am not sure that that distinction matters in the end, as you point out. As far as "Son of Man" goes, you are obviously right, Leslie--Son of an Exalted Man is an important interpretation of this term (along with those suggested in Ezekiel and Daniel) and only serves to reinforce my point about humanity not undermining divinity. After all, if both Jesus and Heavenly Father treasure their humanity, perhaps it is indeed an extremely precious gift. Thanks for your comments and clarifications.
AleceDecember 22, 2015
This is a lovely article; however, I take issue with the following statement made by Brother Kramer: "So, what did Jesus give us while he was on earth? For one, he gave us his words. I have not surveyed the Scriptures rigorously, but it seems fairly clear to me that there are more words attributed directly to Jesus in the four gospels than in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants combined."
In reading this statement, I immediately recalled that nearly all of the words of the Doctrine and Covenants can be attributed to Christ -- in fact -- for me -- that is the hallmark of that book of scripture -- that most of it was directly revealed to Joseph Smith by Jesus Christ.
Here is what the introduction to that book of scripture says about He, whose "voice" is paramount within the work: "In the revelations, one hears the tender but firm voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking anew in the dispensation of the fulness of times;" In fact, Section One of the D&C confirms this: 1 "Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together.
2 For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated."
And the rest of the verses in that section reinforce that witness.
I'll never forget how I felt when I first realized that I was hearing the voice of the Lord transmitted to me through the Prophet Joseph Smith without suffering loss through translation or through a filter of any kind.
Of course, Christ's words to us through the Gospels are wonderful, but they weren't written down for many years and so we can't be sure that they were never adulterated, but we can be sure of His words as recorded in the D &C.
Leslie R.December 21, 2015
You write, “I also find it interesting that Jesus preferred to call himself the Son of Man rather than the Son of God, although certainly he was both.”
I very much enjoyed this article, and am convinced Jesus did undergo the trials of morality that we endure, so he could better understand and succor us in our trials. But I also believe the title he gave himself, Son of Man, referred to his divine nature rather than that human nature which came from his remarkable mother. In all modern scripture, the word “Man” in that title is capitalized. In Moses 6 (part of the JST translation of the beginning books of Genesis) we read: “Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time” (Moses 6:57). God the Father is the Man of Holiness, and therefore Christ is the Son of the Man of Holiness. It seems clear to me Jesus was teaching that vital doctrine which has been lost to most of humankind, that His Father is, in very fact, an exalted Man.
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Bradley KramerDecember 23, 2015
Great points, Alec and Leslie R. As far as Jesus' words go, I was distinguishing between those Jesus spoke in person, in a sermon or dialogue, and these he spoke through others. However, I am not sure that that distinction matters in the end, as you point out. As far as "Son of Man" goes, you are obviously right, Leslie--Son of an Exalted Man is an important interpretation of this term (along with those suggested in Ezekiel and Daniel) and only serves to reinforce my point about humanity not undermining divinity. After all, if both Jesus and Heavenly Father treasure their humanity, perhaps it is indeed an extremely precious gift. Thanks for your comments and clarifications.
AleceDecember 22, 2015
This is a lovely article; however, I take issue with the following statement made by Brother Kramer: "So, what did Jesus give us while he was on earth? For one, he gave us his words. I have not surveyed the Scriptures rigorously, but it seems fairly clear to me that there are more words attributed directly to Jesus in the four gospels than in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants combined." In reading this statement, I immediately recalled that nearly all of the words of the Doctrine and Covenants can be attributed to Christ -- in fact -- for me -- that is the hallmark of that book of scripture -- that most of it was directly revealed to Joseph Smith by Jesus Christ. Here is what the introduction to that book of scripture says about He, whose "voice" is paramount within the work: "In the revelations, one hears the tender but firm voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking anew in the dispensation of the fulness of times;" In fact, Section One of the D&C confirms this: 1 "Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together. 2 For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated." And the rest of the verses in that section reinforce that witness. I'll never forget how I felt when I first realized that I was hearing the voice of the Lord transmitted to me through the Prophet Joseph Smith without suffering loss through translation or through a filter of any kind. Of course, Christ's words to us through the Gospels are wonderful, but they weren't written down for many years and so we can't be sure that they were never adulterated, but we can be sure of His words as recorded in the D &C.
Leslie R.December 21, 2015
You write, “I also find it interesting that Jesus preferred to call himself the Son of Man rather than the Son of God, although certainly he was both.” I very much enjoyed this article, and am convinced Jesus did undergo the trials of morality that we endure, so he could better understand and succor us in our trials. But I also believe the title he gave himself, Son of Man, referred to his divine nature rather than that human nature which came from his remarkable mother. In all modern scripture, the word “Man” in that title is capitalized. In Moses 6 (part of the JST translation of the beginning books of Genesis) we read: “Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time” (Moses 6:57). God the Father is the Man of Holiness, and therefore Christ is the Son of the Man of Holiness. It seems clear to me Jesus was teaching that vital doctrine which has been lost to most of humankind, that His Father is, in very fact, an exalted Man.
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