Earliest Restoration Reference to Being Literal Spirit Children of God

[David T]

Only one I could think of as a candidate was D&C 76:23 & 24,:

For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father; 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.

But that may be only a reference to being begotten of by Christ. The section header even says, "Inhabitants of many worlds are begotten sons and daughters unto God through the atonement of Jesus Christ"

So if this isn't it, where is this doctrine first taught? Did Joseph teach it, or did it come later?

[David T]

Here's the 'poetic version' of these lines...

And I heard a great voice bearing record from heav'n,

He's the Saviour and only begotten of God;

By him, of him, and through him, the worlds were all made,

Even all that career in the heavens so broad.

Whose inhabitants, too, from the first to the last,

Are sav'd by the very same Saviour of ours;

And, of course, are begotten God's daughters and sons

By the very same truths and the very same powers.

[thesometimesaint]

nackhadlow:

Don't know directly which, if any, came first. But LDS believe ALL men, and women are begotten children of God, the Father, and will have the opportunity to become the adopted children of God, the Son.

[David T]

I know that, and believe it.

What I'm looking for is when this specific doctrine was first taught in our dispensation, and if it was Joseph that first taught it.

[Helorum]

where is this doctrine first taught? Did Joseph teach it, or did it come later?

You might want to read this paper:

Van Hale, "The Origin of the Human Spirit in Early Mormon Thought"

http://mormonmiscellaneous.com/Papers/originspirit.pdf

[David T]

Thanks! Very interesting and useful.

My question came, because in a Gospel Doctrine class, the question was brought up, "What wonderful restored doctrines did Joseph Smith teach?", and one responded, "That we were intelligences that were later born as the literal spirit children of God".

Now, I knew that the Intelligence -> Spirit concept was not taught by Joseph, (he seemed to view the terms as being synonyms) But I then realized I couldn't think of any revelation by Joseph himself that taught the literal-children-of-God either.

[Helorum]

You might also want to consider the material presented by Benjamin F. Johnson in 1840:

http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache%3AbrR9cWkWPxkJ%3Aemp.byui.edu%2FSATTERFIELDB%2FPDF%2FQuotes%2FMan%2520Must%2520Descend%2520Below%2520All%2520Things.pdf+%22believe+that+adam+knew+all+about+it+before%22&hl=en&gl=us&pli=1