What Do Latter-day
Saints Believe About God?
"With the vast majority of
their fellow Christians, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
believe in a God of love, who has all knowledge and all power (see 1 Nephi 11:22; 2 Nephi
1:15; 2 Nephi 9:20; D&C 38:1-3; Moses 1:6; 1 Nephi 7:12; Alma 26:35)." FARMS
God
"The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate and distinct
beings who constitute one Godhead. Generally speaking, the Father is the Creator, the Son
is the Redeemer, and the Holy Ghost is the Comforter and Testifier" Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
The
Godhead
"Latter-day Saints believe in God the Father; his Son,
Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost (A of F 1). These three Gods form the Godhead, which
holds the keys of power over the universe. Each member of the Godhead is an independent
personage, separate and distinct from the other two, the three being in perfect unity and
harmony with each other (AF, chap. 2)." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
God the
Father
"Latter-day Saints also attribute omnipotence and omniscience to the
Father. He knows all things relative to the universe in which mortals live and is himself
the source and possessor of all true power manifest in it."Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
Jesus
Christ, the Son of God
"Jesus Christ is the central figure in the doctrine of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Prophet Joseph Smith explained that "the
fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets,
concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and
ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only
appendages to it" (TPJS, p. 121). Latter-day Saints believe that complete salvation
is possible only through the life, death, resurrection, doctrines, and ordinances of Jesus
Christ and in no other way." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
The
Holy Ghost
"Joseph Smith taught that the influence of the Holy Ghost, which is
the convincing power of God of the truth of the gospel, can be received before baptism,
but the gift, or constant companionship, of the Holy Ghost, which comes by the laying-on
of hands, is obtained only after baptism (TPJS, p. 199)." Encyclopedia of
Mormonism
Mother
in Heaven
"Latter-day Saints infer from authoritative sources of scripture and
modern prophecy that there is a Heavenly Mother as well as a Heavenly Father." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
What do Latter-day Saints mean when they say that God was
once a man?
"It is the first principle of
the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse
with Him as one man converses with another, and that He was once a man like us; yea, that
God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself
did." Joseph Smith
Condescension
of God
"Such condescension denotes, first, the love of God the Father, who
deigned to sire a son, born of a mortal woman, and then allow this Son
to suffer temptations and pain (Mosiah
3:5-7), "be judged of the world," and be "slain for the sins of the
world" (1 Ne. 11:32-33). Second, it signifies the love and willingness of God the Son
(Jesus Christ) to die for mankind." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
Omnipotent God;
Omnipresence of God; Omniscience of God
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses the familiar
terms "omnipotent," "omnipresent," and "omniscient" to
describe members of the Godhead." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Name of God
"Latter-day Saints invoke the name of God in prayers, in ordinances
such as baptism, in testimony bearing, and in sermons." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Godhood
"Logically and naturally, the ultimate desire of a loving Supreme
Being is to help his children enjoy all that he enjoys. For Latter-day Saints, the term
"godhood" denotes the attainment of such a state—one of having all divine
attributes and doing as God does and being as God is." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Early
Christian Deification
"From the second to eighth centuries, the standard Christian term for
salvation was theopoiesis or theosis, literally, "being made God," or
deification. Such language survived sporadically in the mystical tradition of the West and
is still used in Eastern Orthodoxy. LDS doctrines on eternal progression and exaltation to godhood reflect a similar view of salvation." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
Theodicy
"Theodicy is the attempt to explain God's goodness and power and
reconcile these with the evident evil in the created world." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
The Doctrinal Exclusion: Trinity and the Nature of God
"If by 'the doctrine of the Trinity' one means the New Testament
teaching that there is a Father, a Son, and a Holy Ghost, all three of whom are fully
divine, then Latter-day Saints believe in the doctrine of the Trinity. It is as simple as
that. The Latter-day Saints' first article of faith, written by Joseph Smith in 1842,
states, "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in
the Holy Ghost......However, if by "the doctrine of the Trinity" one means the
doctrine formulated by the councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon and elaborated upon by
subsequent theologians and councils--that God is three coequal persons in one substance or
essence--then Latter-day Saints do not believe it. They do not believe it, because it is
not biblical. Words central to the orthodox understanding of the Trinity --words like coequal, consubstantial, and circumincession, or the word trinity itself, for
that matter--are not found in scripture. " Are Mormons Christian?
The Nature of God
in the Book of Mormon
Dr. Robert L. Millet discusses what the Book of Mormon reveals about the
nature of each member of the godhead and the relationships among them. Dr. Millet focuses
especially on the preeminent role of Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon as both Father and
Son and as Eternal God.
Theogony
"Theogony refers to the origin of God and has been a subject of
religious inquiry throughout the ages." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Theology
"The traditional task of theology (from the Greek theos, God, and
logos, study of) is to seek understanding of God's reality, to describe divine things
rationally, and to elaborate the present meaning of past manifestations of God, whether
theoretically, practically, descriptively, or critically." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
God the Father
"Latter-day Saints perceive the Father as an
exalted Man in the most literal, anthropomorphic terms. They do not view the language of
Genesis as allegorical; human beings are created in the form and image of a God who has a
physical form and image (Gen. 1:26)."Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Names
and Titles of God the Father
"Known names and titles of God the Eternal Father are limited in
number, especially when compared to the names applied to Jesus Christ (see Jesus Christ,
Names and Titles of)" Encyclopedia of Mormonism
The Glory of
God
"Glory is an intrinsic attribute and emanation of God, which LDS
scriptures associate with divine law and with the power and Spirit that "proceedeth
forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space" (D&C
88:7-13)." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
The Work
and Glory of God
"The Lord answered the first question by explaining that "this
is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of
man" (Moses 1:39)." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Ahman
"Ahman is twice mentioned as one of the names of God in the Doctrine
and Covenants." Encyclopedia of MormonismElohim"Occasionally, Latter-day Saints use Elohim in its plural sense as a
common noun to refer to the plurality of gods known to exist (TPJS, pp. 371-74). However,
despite their belief that many lords and gods exist in addition to Elohim, Jehovah, and
the Holy Ghost (D&C 121:28-32), they follow the example of Jesus and Paul, who
worshiped the Father in Heaven (Matt. 19:17; 1 Cor. 8:4-6). " Encyclopedia of
Mormonism
Endless and Eternal
"The terms "endless" and "eternal" have at least
two connotations each in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are used
both as adjectives and as nouns. The adjectival forms, fitting the more traditional
viewpoint, denote a concept of time without beginning or end. In a second, less familiar
usage, the phrase "Endless and Eternal" functions as a noun, another name for
God (Moses 1:3; 7:35)—in the manner of "Alpha and Omega," or "the
Beginning and the End." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Fear of God
"In ancient scripture the phrase "fear of God" typically
signified faith, reverence, and trust. Fear of God, so defined and felt, tends to diminish
other forms of fear that arise in the absence of genuine faith." Encyclopedia of
Mormonism
Foreknowledge
of God
"Modern scripture speaks unequivocally of the foreknowledge of God:
"All things are present before mine eyes" (D&C 38:2). It affirms that God
has a fulness of truth, a "knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as
they are to come" (D&C 93:24, emphasis added)." Encyclopedia of
Mormonism
Kolob
"Kolob means "the first creation." It is the name of the
planet "nearest to the celestial, or the residence of God." Elder Bruce R.
McConkie(See Basic Beliefs home page; Teachings About the Godhead home page)
Holy Ghost
Always Have His Spirit
At October 1996 General Conference, Elder Dallin H. Oaks explains the
nature of the Gift of the Holy Ghost and its importance in our lives.
The
Cloven Tongues of Fire
At April 2000 General Conference, President Boyd K. Packer teaches
"in every language, the Spirit of God--the Holy Ghost--guides, or can guide, every
member of the Church. "
His Peace
At April 1997 General Conference, Elder Dennis E. Simmons
explains that a troubled soul can be filled with peace by maintaining the companionship of
the Holy Ghost.
The Holy
Ghost
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
teaches that the Holy Ghost is a spirit man, a spirit son of God the Father." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
The Holy
Spirit of Promise
"The Holy Spirit of Promise is one of many descriptive name-titles of
the Holy Ghost and refers to a specific function of the Holy Ghost." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
The Gift of the
Holy Ghost
"The gift of the Holy Ghost is the
right or privilege of receiving divine manifestations, spiritual gifts, and direction from
the Holy Ghost. This gift is conferred upon members of the Church by the laying on of
hands following baptism. It is considered one of the essential ordinances of the gospel of
Jesus Christ and an absolute prerequisite of salvation." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Gifts
of the Spirit
The seventh Article of Faith of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reads: "We believe in the gift of
tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so
forth." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Baptism
of Fire and the Holy Ghost
"Baptism of fire and the Holy
Ghost refers to the experience of an individual who receives the ordinance of the laying
on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is the second in
a two-part sequence following baptism by immersion in water through which a repentant
person committed to Christ and his gospel is born of God or born again." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
Light of Christ
"The Light of Christ refers to the spiritual power that emanates from
God to fill the immensity of space and enlightens every man, woman, and child. Other terms
sometimes used to denote this same phenomenon are Holy Spirit, "Spirit of the
Lord," and "Spirit of Truth," but it is different from the Holy
Ghost." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Spirit
of Prophecy
"Spirit of prophecy is equated in Revelation 19:10 with "the
testimony of Jesus." For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
having a testimony of Jesus Christ means receiving personal spiritual assurance through
revelation by the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the literal Son of God, the creator of the
world, and that through his Atonement all people will be resurrected and live
forever." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Confirmation
"Confirmation in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a
sacred ordinance essential for salvation." Encyclopedia of Mormonism
The Gift of
Discernment
"The gift of discernment consists of the spiritual quality or skill
of being able to see or understand, especially that which is hidden or obscure." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
The Sign of the Dove
"The Prophet Joseph Smith explained: 'The sign of the dove was
instituted before the creation of the world,
a witness for the Holy Ghost, and the devil cannot come in the sign of a dove.'" Encyclopedia
of Mormonism
(See Prayer, Fasting, and
Revelation home page, Basic Beliefs home page; Teachings About the Godhead home page; Gaining the Guidance of the Holy
Ghost family home evening lessons) |
