Mary, The Mother of God

When Nephi was shown the tree of life in his vision, he described it, saying, “the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow” and “which is precious above all.” [1 Nephi 11:8-9]   Nephi asked the angel for the interpretation of the tree and was shown a “virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.” [vs. 13]   The angel then asked Nephi what he beheld and he responded with, “A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.” [vs. 15] The words virgin, pure and white refer to the holiness of Mary.  The term “virgins” can be literal as well as symbolic as in the parable of the 10 virgins.   Nephi, in describing Mary as fairer than all the virgins, was not saying she was better looking than her contemporaries, but she was far above in holiness and purity than ALL virgins – probably meaning more than any mortal.

Nephi’s description of the tree and Mary were identical.   The angel then asked Nephi, “Knowest thou the condescension of God? … Behold the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.” [vs. 15, 18]  Then the angel told Nephi to look again and he beheld “the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.” [vs. 20]  The angel then exclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!  Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?” [vs. 21]

 Nephi responded to the question posed by the angel about the meaning of the tree with “It is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore it is most desirable above all things.” [1 Nephi 11:22]  The angel added, “Yea, and most joyous to the soul.” [vs. 23]

The fruit of the tree was described by Lehi as “desirable to make one happy” [1 Nephi 8:10] and “it was most sweet, above all I ever before tasted…and the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.  And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceeding great joy.” [vs. 11-12]   The fruit of the tree could be symbolic of Jesus Christ, the “fruit” of Mary.  Nephi described the fruit as “most precious…the greatest of all the gifts of God.” [1 Nephi 15:36]   Certainly, God’s gift of His Son is the greatest gift He could bestow on His children.  The fruit was to be eaten.  Likewise, Jesus said, “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life and…he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” [John 6:54, 57]  It is through the atonement of Jesus Christ that we receive a remission of sins, and brings great joy as Alma the Younger described when he was made clean, “… I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.  And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain! [Alma 36:19 – 20]”

If Eve is known as “the mother of all living” [Gen. 3:20], then Mary could be known as “the mother of eternal life” through her son, Jesus Christ.   

Not much is mentioned about Mary’s life in the scriptures.  However, there are apocryphal writings that describe the birth of Mary.  In the Infancy Gospel of James [also known as the Protoevangelium of James], written about 150 A.D., we find the earliest surviving document about the birth and childhood of Mary.  There is also the Infancy Gospel of Matthew [also known as the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew] which gives more details and includes the journey into Egypt and more on the childhood of Jesus.[i]  When reading them, one must keep in mind what the Lord said about the apocrypha:  “There are many things contained therein that are true, and…there are many things contained therein that are not true, which are interpolations by the hands of men.” [Doc. & Cov. 91:1-2] 

Briefly, both the Infancy Gospel of Matthew and James state that Mary’s parents were Joachim and Anna, the daughter of Achar, of the tribe of Judah.  The Infancy gospel of Matthew says that Joachim was a shepherd who “divided his possessions three ways—to the poor, widowed and orphans; to those who worshipped God; and kept a third for himself and all his house.”  Joachim also served in the House of the Lord.  For many years, He and Anna were unable to have children and after much supplication, an angel appeared to them individually and promised their prayers would be answered.  The Angel said to Anna,

“Be not afraid, Anna, for there is seed for thee in the decree of God; and all generations even to the end shall wonder at that which shall be born of thee.”

To Joachim the angel said,

“To you will God give such fruit as no prophet or saint has ever had from the beginning, or ever will have.”

Anna had made a vow to the Lord, saying, “Thou, O God, knowest my heart, that from the beginning of my married life I have vowed that, if thou, O God, shouldst give me son or daughter, I would offer them to Thee in Thy holy temple.”  When Mary was in her third year of age, Joachim and Anna presented Mary to serve in the Temple.  It was said that “Mary went up the steps of the temple so swiftly, that she did not look back at all; nor did she, as children are wont to do, seek for her parents.” 

Then Anna, filled with the Holy Spirit, said before them all:

“The Lord Almighty, the God of Hosts, being mindful of His word, hath visited His people with a good and holy visitation, to bring down the hearts of the Gentiles who were rising against us, and turn them to himself.  He hath opened His ears to our prayers:  He hath kept away from us the exulting of all our enemies.  The barren hath become a mother, and hath brought forth exultation and gladness to Israel.  Behold the gifts which I have brought to offer to my Lord, and mine enemies have not been able to hinder me.  For God hath turned their hearts to me, and Himself hath given me everlasting joy.”  

Both infancy gospels claim that Mary was attended to by angels in the temple.  The Infancy Gospel of James says that when Mary was twelve, the Priests held a council saying, “Behold, Mary has reached the age of twelve years in the temple of the Lord.  What then shall we do with her, lest perchance she defile the sanctuary of the Lord?”[ii]  Zacharias, the high priest[iii], entered into the Holy of Holies and prayed concerning her.  An angel appeared saying, “Zacharias, Zacharias, go out and assemble the widowers of the people, and let them bring each his rod; and to whomsoever the Lord shall show a sign, his wife shall she be.”  So the word was spread and the men assembled.  The priests gathered rods from these men and the one from which a dove came forth was to be Mary’s husband.  Joseph, who was a widower with grown children[iv], was the owner of the rod that miraculously produced a dove.  Joseph was concerned because he was much older than Mary, but the priests encouraged him to be obedient to the will of the Lord.

Joseph said to Mary, “Behold, I have received thee from the temple of the Lord; and now I leave thee in my house, and go away to build my buildings, and I shall come to thee.  The Lord will protect thee.”  The usual betrothal period was a year.  While Joseph was gone, building houses by the sea-shore, Mary was given the assignment of sewing purple for the veil of the temple.  It was during that time that the angel appeared to her and told her,

“Fear not, Mary:  for thou has found favour with God.  And, behold, thou shall conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus.  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest:  and the Lord God shall give him the throne of his father David:  and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” [Luke 1:30-32]

Mary responded with, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” [IBID, vs. 34]  The angel then said, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also that thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” [IBID, vs. 35]   

Elder Robert C. Oaks spoke of this event, “One who powerfully exemplified childlike submissiveness was Mary, the mortal mother of Jesus Christ. After the angel Gabriel told her of her divine calling, she replied, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” [Luke 1:38] Mary knew the potential impact of Gabriel’s message. Her neatly planned life—with its future marriage and family in a familiar village, surrounded by her lifelong friends—was not to be. The laws of the day would demand that she be stoned for expecting a child in her current circumstances. Yet she offered no words of reservation or restraint. Her response reflected her willingness to believe all things. Certainly her rewards for her faith are rich and eternal.”[v]

After her conception, Mary’s visited Elizabeth, who was several months pregnant with her miracle baby, John. Luke records that upon Mary’s arrival, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost and exclaimed, “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.  And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” [IBID, vs. 43-44]   Mary, in joyous exultation, said,

My soul doth magnify the Lord,  And my spirit rejoiceth in God my Savior.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden:
For, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

For he who is mighty hath done to me great things;
And I will magnify his holy name, For his mercy on those who fear him
From generation to generation.

He hath showed strength with his arm;
He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their high seats;
And exalted them of low degree.

He hath filled the hungry with good things;
But the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath helped his servant Israel
In remembrance of mercy,
As he spake to our fathers,
To Abraham, and to his seed forever.
                           ---Luke 1:46–55

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to Joseph’s home. The Infancy Gospel of James says Mary was sixteen years old at that time and six months pregnant when Joseph returned and found her big with child.  There is much detail about the complexities of that situation in both infancy gospels.   In the Gospel of James, it records that “Joseph was greatly afraid, and retired from her, and considered what he should do in regard to her…and said, If I conceal her sin, I find myself fighting against the law of the Lord; and if I expose her to the sons of Israel, I am afraid lest that which is in her be from an angel, and I shall be found giving up innocent blood to the doom of death.  What then shall I do with her?  I will put her away from me secretly.”

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife:  for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:  for he shall save his people from their sins.” [Matt. 1:20-21]

Regarding the birth of Christ, both infancy gospels say that Mary gave birth in a cave that was brightly lit by the power of God.  Joseph went into Bethlehem and brought back two midwives, Zelomi and Salome, who attended to the birth.[vi]  The Gospel of Matthew includes the angels appearing to the shepherds and the new star that shone over the cave “from the evening till the morning.  And the prophets who were in Jerusalem said that this star pointed out the birth of Christ, who should restore the promise not only to Israel, but to all nations.”  Luke states that Mary “pondered all these things in her heart.” [2:19]

 

Clyde Livingston said, “I have admired Mary very much for the ability to keep things in her heart. That is because, I believe, for centuries, Jewish girls were reared with the admonition to be good, and if they were lucky, they could be the mother of the Messiah.  Well, Mary was the chosen one, and she did not have to brag about it.”[vii]

 

The Infancy Gospel of Matthew also includes the presentation of the infant Jesus at the Temple, along with the testimonies of Simeon and Anna.  It records when Anna saw the baby, she said, “In Him is the redemption of the world.”  When Simeon saw the infant Jesus, “he cried out with a loud voice saying:  God hath visited His people, and the Lord hath fulfilled His promise.  And he made haste, and adored Him.  And after this he took Him up into his cloak and kissed His feet, and said:  Lord, now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word:  for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation which Thou has prepared before the face of all people, to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.”

Luke states that Simeon also said to Mary, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel: and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” [Luke 2:34-35] Luke said that Mary and Joseph   “marveled at those things which were spoken of him.” [2:33]

The Infancy gospel of Matthew also gives the story of the wise men --  “When the second year was past, Magi came from the east to Jerusalem, bringing great gifts” and details their visit with Herod and the slaying of the male children of two years old and younger.  The Infancy Gospel of James includes the slaying of Zacharias in the temple.   

The Infancy Gospel of Matthew depicts the journey of Joseph, Mary and Jesus to Egypt and details several supernatural occurrences.  It also says that while they were in Egypt, Affrodosius, the governor of the city, believed in the divinity of Jesus and the whole city was converted unto the Lord.   It also confirms that after the death of Herod, they returned to dwell in Nazareth, their homeland.[viii] 

There are also accounts of the childhood of Jesus in the Infancy Gospel of Matthew that say he exercised his supernatural powers among his playmates.  For instance, there is a story of James, the older step-brother of Jesus going into the garden to get vegetables and was bitten by a snake.  Jesus had come with him and took hold of his hand and blew on it to cool it and it was healed and the serpent died.  Many of the supernatural events are very questionable, yet Melchizedek, when a child, “feared God, and stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire” [Gen. 14:26], so it is possible that Jesus, as a child, performed miracles.  

Luke records that when Jesus was twelve years old, they traveled to Jerusalem to attend the feast of the Passover.  Jesus would have also been officially initiated in the Jewish rites of manhood and became a ‘son of the law’ subject to the fasts and under obligation to attend the feasts.[ix]  On the return journey, Mary discovered that Jesus was not with their group of kinsfolk and friends.  She and Joseph hurried back to Jerusalem, where they found Jesus in the temple “sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.” [Luke 2:46]  Mary exclaimed to Jesus, “Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.”  One can imagine how Mary must have felt losing the Son of God! Yet, Luke stresses that Mary “kept all these sayings in her heart” [2:51] in regards to Jesus’ statement about “my Father’s business” as she grew in understanding of her special son.

The next account of Mary is at the wedding in Cana, located about 10 miles northeast of Nazareth.  Many scholars believe that the wedding was of some family member because of Mary’s role in being concerned about furnishing the guests with wine, when the supply ran out.[x]  In asking Jesus to fix the problem, she must have known His ability to perform miracles, even though John states that this was the beginning of His miracles. [John 2:11]  The Joseph Smith translation is so helpful in this account where Jesus says, “Woman what wilt thou have me to do for thee?  That will I do; for mine hour is not yet come” [IBID vs. 4 JST] instead of the rude sounding, “Woman, what have I to do with thee?”   There is no mention of Joseph at the wedding and some scholars feel that by this time, Joseph had died.  After the wedding feast Jesus, Mary, and the other members of the family went to Capernaum, where they stayed until time to go to the Feast of the Passover in Jerusalem.

Matthew, Mark and Luke record an account of Mary waiting to speak to Jesus when he was teaching the people. He used that opportunity to explain that “whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, my sister, and mother.”[xi]  

The sorrow Mary must have felt seeing her special son upon the cross must have been indescribable.  Jesus, out of concern for her welfare said, “Woman, behold thy son” and to John the Beloved, “Behold thy mother!” [John 19:26] [xii] 

There is another apocryphal writing entitled the Gospel of Bartholomew, a post resurrection account written in the 5^th or 6^th century.[xiii]   Contained it is a story when the apostles ask Mary to pray and to tell them of her holy conception.  Peter had said unto Mary: “Thou art she that hast brought to nought the transgression of Eve, changing it from shame into joy.”   Then the apostles said unto her: “Thou oughtest to pray, thou art the mother of the heavenly king.”

“Then Mary stood up before them and spread out her hands toward the heaven and began to speak thus:  O God the exceeding great and all-wise and king of the worlds (ages), that art not to be described, the ineffable, that didst establish the greatness of the heavens and all things by a word, that out of darkness (or the unknown) didst constitute and fasten together the poles of heaven in harmony, didst bring into shape the matter that was in confusion, didst bring into order the things that were without order, didst part the misty darkness from the light, didst establish in one place the foundations of the waters, thou that makest the beings of the air to tremble, and art the fear of them that are on (or under) the earth, that didst settle the earth and not suffer it to perish, and filledst it, which is the nourisher of all things, with showers of blessing: (Son of) the Father, thou whom the seven heavens hardly contained, but who wast well-pleased to be contained without pain in me, thou that art thyself the full word of the Father in whom all things came to be: give glory to thine exceeding great name, and bid me to speak before thy holy apostles.”  Mary continued with,

When I abode in the temple of God and received my food from an angel, on a certain day there appeared unto me one in the likeness of an angel, but his face was incomprehensible, and he had not in his hand bread or a cup, as did the angel which came to me aforetime.

And straightway the robe (veil) of the temple was rent and there was a very great earthquake, and I fell upon the earth, for I was not able to endure the sight of him.   But he put his hand beneath me and raised me up, and I looked up into heaven and there came a cloud of dew and sprinkled me from the head to the feet, and he wiped me with his robe.   And said unto me: Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the chosen vessel, grace inexhaustible. And he smote his garment upon the right hand and there came a very great loaf, and he set it upon the altar of the temple and did eat of it first himself, and gave unto me also.   And again he smote his garment upon the left hand and there came a very great cup full of wine: and he set it upon the altar of the temple and did drink of it first himself, and gave also unto me. And I beheld and saw the bread and the cup whole as they were.

And he said unto me: Yet three years, and I will send my word unto thee and then shalt conceive my (or a) son, and through him shall the whole creation be saved. Peace be unto thee, my beloved, and my peace shall be with thee continually.

And when he had so said he vanished away from mine eyes, and the temple was restored as it had been before.

The Gospel of Bartholomew also gives accounts of Mary receiving instruction from the resurrected Christ.  Another early Christian apocryphal writing, the Pistis Sophia, written from around 250-300 A.D., also has Mary, along with the apostles and others receiving instruction from the resurrected Christ.

There is another apocryphal writing regarding the death of Mary.  It is the Book of John concerning the Falling Asleep of Mary.[xiv]  It says that Mary went to the sepulcher of Christ to burn incense and pray.  One day as she was praying, the archangel Gabriel came to her and said:

“Hail, thou that didst bring forth Christ our God!  Thy prayer having come through to the heavens to him who was born of thee, has been accepted; and from this time, according to thy request, thou having left the world, shall go to the heavenly places to thy Son, into the true and everlasting life.”

She returned to Bethlehem and again prayed unto the Lord, saying, “My Lord Jesus Christ, who didst deign through Thy supreme goodness to be born of me, hear my voice, and send me Thy apostle John, in order that, seeing him, I may partake of joy; and send me also the rest of Thy apostles, both those who have already gone to Thee, and those in the world that now is, in whatever country they may be, through Thy holy commandment, in order that having behold them, I may bless Thy name much to be praised; for I am confident that Thou hearest Thy servant in everything.”

The account says that John and the other apostles were transported by the Spirit to Mary’s home and that those such as Andrew, Philip, and Thaddaeus who had died, were raised by the Holy Spirit out of their tombs to give honor to “the mother of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, because the day of her departure is at hand, of her going up into the heavens.”  The account continues, “And having gone in beside the mother of our Lord and God, and having adored, we said:  Fear not, nor grieve; God the Lord, who was born of thee, will take thee out of this world with glory.” 

“And rejoicing in God her Saviour, she sat up in the bed, and said to the apostles:  Now have I believed that our Master and God is coming from heaven, and I shall behold Him, and thus depart from this life, as I have seen that you have come.” 

Mary then stretched her hands to heaven and cried, “I adore, and praise, and glorify Thy much to be praised name, O Lord, because Thou hast looked upon the lowliness of Thine handmaiden, and because thou that art mighty hast done great things for me; and, behold, all generations shall count me blessed.”

Then there was thunder from heaven and angels and the voice of the Son of Man was heard and an assembly of the first-born saints stood beside the house.  “And the Lord, speaking to His mother, said:  Mary.  And she answered and said:  here am I, Lord.  And the Lord said to her:  Grieve not, but let thy heart rejoice and be glad; for thou hast found grace to behold the glory given to me by my Father.  And the holy mother of God looked up, and saw in Him a glory which it is impossible for the mouth of man to speak of, or to apprehend.  And the Lord remained beside her, saying:  Behold, from the present time thy precious body will be transferred to paradise, and thy holy soul to the heavens to the treasures of my Father in exceeding brightness, where there is peace and joy of the holy angels.”  And Mary said to Him, “Lay thy right hand upon me, O Lord, and bless me.  And the Lord stretched forth His undefiled right hand, and blessed her.”

Mary then praised the Lord saying,

“I adore this right hand, which created the heaven and the earth; and I call upon thy much to be praised name Christ, O God, the King of the ages, the only-begotten of the Father, to receive Thine handmaid, Thou who didst deign to be brought forth by me, in a low estate, to save the race of men through Thine ineffable dispensation.”

The Lord then said to Peter, “The time has come to begin the singing of the hymn.  And Peter having begun the singing of the hymn, all the powers of the heavens responded with the Alleluiah…and the Lord stretched forth his undefiled hands, and received her holy and blameless soul…and a voice out of the heaven was heard, saying:  Blessed art thou among women.”

The account records that after they placed her body in a new tomb, for three days the voices of invisible angels were heard glorifying Christ who had been born of her.  When the three days had ended, the voices were no longer heard and from that time forth all knew that her “spotless and precious body had been transferred to paradise.”

The early protestant reformers had high regard for Mary.  Martin Luther said, “It is certain that Mary is the Mother of the real and true God.  The veneration of Mary is inscribed in the very depths of the human heart.” [xv]    “It cannot be denied that God in choosing and destining Mary to be the Mother of his Son, granted her the highest honor,” declared John Calivin.[xvi]  Ulrich Zwingli said, “It was fitting that such a holy Son should have a holy Mother.”[xvii]

Alma described Mary as a “chosen and precious vessel.” [Alma 7:10]  Elder Bruce R. McConkie writes, “We cannot but think that the Father would choose the greatest female spirit to be the mother of his Son.”[xviii]  Neal A. Maxwell said, “Just as certain men were foreordained from before the foundations of the world, so were certain women appointed to certain tasks. Divine design—not chance—brought Mary forward to be the mother of Jesus.“[xix]

There is an interesting story told in the July 1990 Ensign[xx], about the struggles of a new covert to the church just prior to baptism.  She had a dream in which she saw Mary, the mother of Jesus.

The night before her baptism, Raj felt great emotional turmoil. She believed that this new church was true—but how could she leave the beliefs that she had held all her life? Keshwa was working through the night, so after Raj put their three children—Ravendra (then eight years old), Amol (four), and Pramol (two)—to bed, she lay alone in her room, crying and praying for much of the night. Finally, about 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, she fell asleep.

As she slept, she had a dream that settled her fears. In her dream, she saw a picture of the Hindu goddess Laksmi, much like the picture to which she had prayed throughout her life. As Raj watched, one of her cousins threw a stone and broke the picture. Raj cried. But then she heard a voice. She turned and saw the missionary who would baptize her the next day. “Don’t worry,” he said. “Look at the picture now.” Raj turned back to see that it had changed into one of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

That night, Raj Kumari received a spiritual witness that generations before, the Hindus had invented Laksmi to take the place of a real woman—the mother of the son of God. The Hindu people had thus lost the knowledge of Jesus Christ and his atonement.

Raj awoke feeling fresh, peaceful, and thrilled with her newfound testimony of Jesus Christ. She and Keshwa were baptized that day—29 January 1983.

Mary ought to be held in the highest esteem.  She was, as Nephi said, “exceedingly fair and white”, meaning pure and holy, “above all other virgins” [emphasis added].  She was and is a “precious and chosen vessel” of the Lord.  What honor she must have felt and still feels to be the mother of the Son of God, our Lord, Jesus Christ!   He would want us to honor her.   

 

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[i] Both infancy gospels can be read in full on the internet.

[ii] When a young women reached menstrual age, she could not reside in the temple because she would become ritually unclean.  In the Infancy Gospel of Matthew, it says that Mary made a vow to be ever virgin saying, “It cannot be that I should know a man, or that a man should know me”.  That is why the plan for the widower of the rod that produced the dove would be her “guardian” to whose keeping she could be entrusted.  With the technology of artificial insemination, we can now see that it was very feasible for Mary to have been impregnated with the seed of God and remain a virgin.

[iii] It is believed that this is the same Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist.

[iv] The Infancy Gospel of Matthew says that Joseph had four sons:  James, Joseph, Judah, Simeon and two sisters.

[v] Ensign, July 2005, “Believe All Things”, Elder Robert C. Oaks

[vi] Both infancy gospels claim that Mary also gave a miraculous “virgin” birth, attested to by the midwives.  The Catholic Church believes in the perpetual virginity of Mary in a literal sense, that she never bore any more children and never “knew” Joseph in an intimate way.

[vii] Clyde is a friend of mine that reviews my articles for me.

[viii] It is interesting that there is no mention of Joseph’s older children being taken with them to Egypt, which supports the writings that his children were adults at that time.

[ix] The Mortal Messiah, McConkie, Bruce, Book 1, pg. 375.

[x] Some believe that the wedding in Cana was Jesus’.

[xi] Matt. 12:46, Mark 3:31, Luke 8:19

[xii] Some scholars believe this is another evidence that Mary did not give birth to any other children, otherwise Jesus would not have been worried about her temporal welfare, for if she had other children, they certainly would have taken care of her.

[xiii] The Gospel of Bartholomew can also be found on the internet.

[xiv] This apocryphal writing can also be found on the internet.

[xv] Martin Luther’s Works, Translation by J. Pelikan, vol. 24, p. 107

[xvi] John Calvin, Calvini Opera, [Braunshweig-Berlin, 1863-1900], Vol. 45, pg. 348

[xvii] E. Satkemeier, De Mariologia et Oecumenismo, K. Balic, ed., [Rome, 1962], pg. 456.  All three early reformers believed in the perpetual virginity of Mary.

[xviii] The Mortal Messiah, Book 1: From Bethlehem to Calvary, Salt Lake City, Deseret Book Co., 1979, p. 327   

[xix] “The Women of God,” Ensign, May 1978, p.10

[xx] “Kubendra and Raj”, by Shirleen Meek, July 1990 Ensign.