In a
fascinating essay entitled, “Some Metaphysical Reflections on the Gospel of
John,” David Yarn, then-professor of philosophy at BYU, wrote the following,
showing the “high Christology” among Latter-day Saints, one that has been
part-and-parcel of LDS discourse and theology all throughout our history, not
just a development to seem more “mainstream”:
Being
First, let us consider perhaps the most basic
of all philosophic concepts, being. This word is the noun form of the verb “to
be.” “To be” ordinarily means “to exist.” For something to exist or to be means
that it is. In case the “it” happens to refer to a person one would more
properly say he is. The comparable form in the first person singular is I am.
This is the name Jesus used in an encounter with the Jews who claimed to
identify themselves with Abraham. In maintaining his priority to Abraham, Jesus
said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58.) Here Jesus referred to himself
in the same language used in the revelation to Moses at the burning bush: “I AM
THAT I AM . . .Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me
unto you.” (Exodus 3:14.) Of course, this statement has the force of saying, I
am he who is.
Jesus used the phrase “I am” in many
statements to his disciples, in John’s book, We all use the phrase “I am”
extensively; however, the “I am” statements of Jesus are of great ontological significance;
for example, he says to the Samaritan woman regarding the Messiah, “I that
speak unto thee am he.” (John 4:26.) To others he said, “I am the bread of life”
(Ibid., 6:35), “I am the living bread”
(Ibid., 6:51), “I am the light of the
world” (Ibid, 8:12), “I am the door
of the sheep” (Ibid., 10:7), “I am
the resurrection, and the life” (Ibid.,
11:25), “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am” (Ibid., 13:13), “I am the way, the truth,
and the life” (Ibid., 14:6), and “I
am the vine, ye are the branches.” (Ibid.,
15:5.)
Implicit in all of these statements is the
idea that Jesus has a secure ontological status. He, in his own, being, is
living bread, light, the door, the resurrection, the life, the way, the truth,
the vine, the Lord, the Master, the Messiah.
Of course, the preface to John’s Gospel, already
alluded to, relates importantly to what I am saying. It identifies Jesus as the
Word, who was made flesh, and dwelled among men (Ibid., 1:14), and as he who made all things. (Ibid., 1:3.) Also the preface says, “In him was life; and the life
was the light of men.” (Ibid., 1:4.)
These statements are consistent with the
others just cited which come from various parts of John’s Gospel on the point
that being is in some way inherent in Jesus. Of Jesus, to say he is, is not
enough for “isness” in Jesus implies so many things beyond mere existence.
Jesus not merely is, he is God. To be is one thing, to be God is quite another.
As stated earlier, we all say, “I am;” Jesus said, “I am he.”
The priority of Jesus is asserted by John in
the opening sentences of his book. He said: “In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with
God.” (Ibid., 1:1-2.) Therefore, from the outset John identifies
Jesus as the Word, says that he was with God in the beginning, and that he was
God. And then, as it were, to be sure that although Jesus is God, he would not
be confused with the Father, he repeated, “The same was in the beginning with
God.” (Ibid., 1:2.) (David H. Yarn,
Jr., The Gospel: God, Man, and Truth
[Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1965], 182-83)