Some critics say Latter-day Saints reject it. The Book of Mormon names Mary and calls her a virgin, centuries before Christ was born.
Yes. Latter-day Saints believe Jesus was born of Mary, a virgin, who conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost. They accept Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18–23 and Luke 1:35. The Book of Mormon foretold it: Alma said Jesus “shall be born of Mary … she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost” (Alma 7:10), and Nephi saw “the virgin … the mother of the Son of God” (1 Nephi 11:18).
The short answerYes, without qualification
Latter-day Saints believe Jesus Christ was born of Mary, a virgin, who conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost. They accept the Bible’s accounts: “she was found with child of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:18–23), and “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:34–35).
The Book of Mormon adds witnesses written centuries before Christ was born. Alma prophesied: “he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God” (Alma 7:10).
The BibleIsaiah, Matthew and Luke
Isaiah: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Matthew quotes it as fulfilled, “which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:22–23). Mary asked, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” and the angel answered with the promise of the Holy Ghost and the power of the Highest (Luke 1:34–35).
The Book of MormonNephi’s vision of Mary
Around 600 B.C., Nephi saw “in the city of Nazareth … a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.” The angel told him: “Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.” Then Nephi “beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms. And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!” (1 Nephi 11:13–21).
King Benjamin even named her: “he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary” (Mosiah 3:8). Anyone who calls the Book of Mormon unchristian has to reckon with how plainly it teaches the virgin birth. On the “at Jerusalem” wording, see Born at Jerusalem: Alma 7:10.
The literal Son of the Eternal FatherWhy it matters
Latter-day Saints believe Jesus is the Son of God in the most literal sense: the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. Nephi’s angel called Him “the Son of the Eternal Father” (1 Nephi 11:21). The Pearl of Great Price records that, 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” (Moses 6:57). From His mother, Mary, He inherited mortality and could die; from His Father, He inherited power over death, so He could lay down His life and take it again.
That fits the larger Restoration teaching about God. Our Heavenly Father is a glorified, exalted Man of Holiness with “a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” (D&C 130:22), the literal Father of our spirits and the Father of Jesus in the flesh. Joseph Smith taught in the King Follett sermon that “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man.” Jesus said He received “of his fulness” from the Father (D&C 93:3–4). See Do Latter-day Saints Believe in the Trinity?.
What critics claimThe mechanism question
Some critics quote 19th-century sermons that speculated about how the conception happened and say Latter-day Saints therefore deny the virgin birth. They don’t. The Church’s canon, the four standard works, says what the Bible says: Mary was a virgin, and she conceived “by the power of the Holy Ghost” (Alma 7:10). Latter-day Saints affirm what scripture affirms and do not add details scripture does not give.
Check the premiseThe presuppositions baked into the question
Before this question can be answered fairly, the person asking has to justify a few assumptions packed inside it:
- That Latter-day Saints deny the virgin birth. The Book of Mormon teaches it three separate times (1 Nephi 11; Mosiah 3:8; Alma 7:10).
- That the Book of Mormon contradicts the Bible on Christ’s birth. Both say a virgin conceived by the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:35; Alma 7:10).
- That speculative 19th-century sermons are binding doctrine. Doctrine is what is in the standard works and taught by the Church as a body; scripture does not describe a mechanism.
- That “Son of God” is only a title. Latter-day Saints believe Jesus is literally the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh (1 Nephi 11:18–21).
FAQQuick answers
Do Latter-day Saints believe Mary was a virgin?
Yes. Alma 7:10 says “she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost.”
Does the Book of Mormon mention Mary by name?
Yes: “his mother shall be called Mary” (Mosiah 3:8), and “he shall be born of Mary” (Alma 7:10).
What did Nephi see about the virgin birth?
A virgin in Nazareth, “the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh,” later “bearing a child in her arms” (1 Nephi 11:13–21).
Do Latter-day Saints believe Jesus is the literal Son of God?
Yes. They believe He is the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, “the Son of the Eternal Father” (1 Nephi 11:21).
Why do some say Latter-day Saints deny the virgin birth?
Critics point to 19th-century speculation; the standard works affirm the virgin birth and say Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost.
What does Isaiah 7:14 say about the virgin birth?
“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Matthew 1:23 applies it to Jesus.
What did the angel tell Mary in Luke 1?
“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).
How do Latter-day Saints see Mary?
With deep honor. Nephi saw her in vision as “exceedingly fair and white” and “most beautiful and fair above all other virgins” (1 Nephi 11:13, 15).
SummaryKey takeaways
- Latter-day Saints affirm the virgin birth.
- The Book of Mormon names Mary and calls her a virgin (Mosiah 3:8; Alma 7:10).
- Nephi saw the virgin and child around 600 B.C. (1 Nephi 11).
- Jesus is the literal Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh.
Read 1 Nephi 11 next to Luke 1. For quick, sourced answers, open Galatians18, and follow me on X at @TraviXai.
Sources
- King James Bible (churchofjesuschrist.org): Isaiah 7:14 · Matthew 1:18–23 · Luke 1:30–35
- Book of Mormon: 1 Nephi 11:13–21 · Mosiah 3:8 · Alma 7:10
- Doctrine and Covenants: D&C 93:3–4
- Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:57
- Joseph Smith, King Follett sermon, April 7, 1844, History of the Church 6:305
- Featured image and in-article graphic: original graphics by thebookofmormon.ai (painterly backgrounds; no photographs or likenesses of real people).
