“Godhead,” Doctrinal Study (2022)
“Godhead,” Doctrinal Study
Godhead
Working together to bless our lives
When people say, “I believe in God,” what do they mean? They might mean many different things. Some believe God to be a power or energy that fills the universe. Some think of God as a feeling, the source of all love and goodness. Some call Him Creator or Father. Some believe in multiple Gods; others believe there is only one. There is some truth in all of these beliefs.
As Latter-day Saints, “we believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” 1 We call this the first article of our faith—first because understanding these three divine Beings, who together make up the Godhead, is a first step in understanding who we are, why we exist, and what we can become.
If you’d like to learn about the Godhead more deeply, consider the suggestions below.
What we know about the Godhead
God the Father and Jesus Christ want you to know Them. They don’t want to seem distant or mysterious. Through the Holy Ghost, we come to know Them better. 2 What’s more, Heavenly Father invites us to approach Him individually, to know Him through our personal experiences with Him. As Jesus said in a prayer to God the Father on behalf of His followers, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” 3
Think about
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It might be interesting to explore passages of scripture that mention multiple members of the Godhead—for example, Matthew 3:16–17; John 5:19; 14:6–10, 26; 3 Nephi 11:25–27, 35–36. What do passages like these reveal about the members of the Godhead? What do you learn about Their relationship with each other?
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God has revealed additional truths in our day through the Prophet Joseph Smith. For example, consider reading about his experience in Joseph Smith—History 1:13–17 with this question in mind: What does Joseph’s experience reveal about the Godhead? You could also read what the Joseph taught about the Godhead in Doctrine and Covenants 130:22.
Activity for learners
If you want to help children learn more about the Godhead, consider this idea. You could show them a picture of Joseph Smith’s First Vision and ask them to talk about what they see in the picture. Draw their attention to the fact that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have bodies like ours—that we are created in Their image!
If you want to learn more
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “The Godhead and the Plan of Salvation,” general conference, Apr. 2017
United in blessing us
Although there are three distinct members of the Godhead, They are “one God” in the sense that They are perfectly united in purpose. And what is that purpose? Heavenly Father has said, “This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” 4 In other words, Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost work together to accomplish Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation. Each has a specific role to play in that plan, but Their objective is the same—to bless you!
Think about
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One way to learn how the members of the Godhead work together is to study the various titles given to each of Them. You might list some of these titles, as described in the following scriptures:
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Heavenly Father: Malachi 2:10; Hebrews 12:9; Doctrine and Covenants 121:32
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Jesus Christ: John 1:29; Helaman 15:13; Doctrine and Covenants 110:4; Moses 4:2
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Holy Ghost: John 14:26; 16:13; Doctrine and Covenants 76:53
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Several hymns and children’s songs teach about the different roles of the members of the Godhead. Consider singing or listening to one or more of these: “Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah,” “Our Savior’s Love,” “I Know My Father Lives,” “He Sent His Son,” and “The Holy Ghost.” Note what you learn from each hymn or song about how the members of the Godhead work together to bless you.
Activity for learners
A simple way to illustrate the unity of the Godhead could be to find a three-legged stool, a tripod, or something else that is stable and functional because it has three legs. Or you might consider how members of a team or an orchestra work together to accomplish a single goal. We can think of them as one stool, one team, or one orchestra—but each member works together in unity.
If you want to learn more
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Gospel Topics, “God the Father,” “Roles of Jesus Christ,” “Roles of the Holy Ghost”