The Only Begotten — Part 2 (full of grace and truth)

When studying the use of the “Only Begotten” in the scriptures (posted as part 1 of this series), I noticed a strong correlation with the phrase, “full of grace and truth”. Almost without exception, when grace and truth are used together in the scriptures it is in one of the passages naming the Son as the Only Begotten. 

Let us go back to the Pearl of Great Price again, where this expression is used the most. In Moses 1, we find this twice:

And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth (Moses 1:6)

And by the word of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth. (Moses 1:32)

If we count Moses 1 as the beginning of our scriptures, since it is preceding the creation account that we find in Genesis 1, we see that the Only Begotten who is full of grace and truth is introduced in the very beginning. But we could also look at it chronologically based on a timeline. After all, Moses 1 is God speaking to Moses. We could go back to Adam and the first instance of introducing the Savior of the world, as recorded in the scriptures. I quoted it in the last post and it is unique to the Book of Moses

And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. (Moses 5:7)

Sure enough, there it is. This is speculative, but my preliminary theory is that what we read in Moses 5:5-8 was highly significant among believers during the first temple period among the Jews and anyone who kept this tradition after the Deuteronomist reform where such talk about the Only Begotten was censored from scripture. Adam had just been cast out of the Garden of Eden. He was asked to sacrifice and after showing his obedience, he got the explanation along with an introduction of the Savior of mankind. He is introduced as “the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth”. This is a key passage that remains in oral traditions, scriptures and cultural heritage of later prophets.

One of the few uses of “Only Begotten” in the Bible is found in John 1:14. This is also interesting because John starts out with “in the beginning”, which is a metaleptic reference to the creation account. Here is the verse:

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

With the additional knowledge found in the Book of Moses about how God revealed the creation account to Moses and how Adam was taught about the ultimate sacrifice by the Savior, these highlighted terms may also be viewed as metalepsis.

In part 1, I demonstrated that 6 out of 9 Book of Mormon uses of “Only Begotten” are in the context of referring back to ancient times. The other 3 lack that context but guess what: 2 out of those also link “Only Begotten” with grace and truth. Here they are:

I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name. (Alma 5:48)

And not many days hence the Son of God shall come in his glory; and his glory shall be the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, equity, and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long-suffering, quick to hear the cries of his people and to answer their prayers. (Alma 9:26)

In both these verses, Alma and Amulek are talking about things to come. But I wonder if the wording they use have particular meaning to an audience who have read the brass plates. That which was soon to come was what had been taught from the beginning, by the mouth of angels, who visited Adam and others revealing the plan of redemption through the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.