Difference between revisions of "Godhead"
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Even though Mormons believe in three members of the Godhead, they still view such belief as a belief in a single God. Though the existence of other gods or divine beings is acknowledged by the Church and its members, this fact is considered almost irrelevant to salvation: the other gods—which Latter-day Saints would refer to as exalted beings—have no impact on this sphere of existence, are not worshipped by members, nor is their eternal role defined. | Even though Mormons believe in three members of the Godhead, they still view such belief as a belief in a single God. Though the existence of other gods or divine beings is acknowledged by the Church and its members, this fact is considered almost irrelevant to salvation: the other gods—which Latter-day Saints would refer to as exalted beings—have no impact on this sphere of existence, are not worshipped by members, nor is their eternal role defined. | ||
| − | [[Category: Jesus Christ]] | + | [[Category: The Godhead]][[Category: Jesus Christ]] |
Revision as of 16:48, 1 August 2006
Mormons believe in one God as taught in the scriptures. They believe that God the Father (Heavenly Father), Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate and distinct personages who together constitute what is known as the Godhead. (This belief is distinct from the traditional Christian doctrine of the Trinity, which generally maintains that they are three persons but one in essence.) All three members of the Godhead are eternal and equally divine, but play somewhat different roles. While the Holy Ghost is a spirit without a physical body, God and Christ do possess distinct, perfected, physical bodies of flesh and bone. Although Mormon theology sees the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost as separate beings, they are considered to be "one God" in most every other possible sense—most importantly they are one in purpose.
Mormonism posits most of the same attributes to the members of the Godhead that Trinitarian Christianity posits to the Trinity: omnipotence, omniscience, omnibenevolence, eternal, immutable, immortality, and immanence in the universe but not transcendence of it. However, the meaning held for some of these attributes differ significantly. For example, Mormons believe that God, as creator, is actually the organizer of the universe because they believe that all matter (including humans) have always existed and will always exist. God's omnipotence does not transcend logic or the basic laws of physics, though mankind may not necessarily understand those laws fully, and God's immutability concerns primarily His creations and His future status, not His status prior to that time.
Even though Mormons believe in three members of the Godhead, they still view such belief as a belief in a single God. Though the existence of other gods or divine beings is acknowledged by the Church and its members, this fact is considered almost irrelevant to salvation: the other gods—which Latter-day Saints would refer to as exalted beings—have no impact on this sphere of existence, are not worshipped by members, nor is their eternal role defined.
