monogenēs

Semantic range

1. 1only child (Luke 7:12; 8:42; 9:38)
2. 2unique, one of its kind
3. 3traditionally parsed monos + gennaō, only-begotten; more likely monos + genos, only of its kind

Most modern lexicons favour "unique, one of a kind" over "only begotten," reading the second element as genos (kind) rather than gennaō (beget). Hebrews 11:17 supports it: Isaac is called Abraham's monogenēs though Abraham had Ishmael too — Isaac is the unique son of the promise.

Latter-day Saint doctrine holds both senses without strain, and for a reason peculiar to the Restoration: Christ is unique precisely in the manner of His begetting. He is "the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh" (Jacob 4:11; Alma 12:33–34; D&C 93:11) — the sole person whose mortal body came from a divine Father and a mortal mother. Since all human beings are spirit children of God (Acts 17:28–29; D&C 76:24), the title cannot mean God's only child; it must mean the only one begotten in that way.

See also

• λόγοςlogos
• υἱοθεσίαhuiothesia
• ΧριστόςChristos