CHAPTER 1
The Godhead
The first thing that we must consider in this study, is a concept ofwhat God is like, and what our relationship is to him. The truesignificance of such an understanding is emphasized in the wordsof the Savior as He prayed, "and this is life eternal that they might knowthee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent" (John 17:3).
From this statement we understand that one of the prerequisitesof eternal life is to know God and His Son Jesus Christ.
In an effort to explain the nature of God, the majority of theChristian churches, through time and councils, have evolved adoctrine that describes God as a spirit only, without body, parts,or passions, and the Godhead as being comprised of three beings,the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, but they are one insubstance. This explanation of God and the Godhead is extremelyvague and creates virtually no plausible concept of what or whoChristians are expected to worship. (see note 1 for discussion onthe Spirit of God and of man at the end of this chapter).
However in Genesis 1:26, we read a very plain inference by Godto His own bodily characteristics, "And God said let us make man,in our own image, after our likeness".... and again in Genesis 1:27,we read, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of Godcreated he him, male and female created he them".
Without groping for dubious meanings we glean from thesescriptures, in their simplest interpretation, that mankind lookslike God.
To further understand our Heavenly Father, let us for just amoment consider His supreme creation whom He has formed inhis own image—MAN.
In general analysis we know that man is composed of a skeletalstructure of bones that is covered with sinew and flesh. Butthere is still a more vital part of man, a part that gives life to thestructure of flesh and bones. This part is known as "the spirit",and it is this part that leaves our bodies when we die. The bodyand the spirit together constitute the soul of man.
Jesus, the one perfect man to walk the earth, was born into thisworld like anyone else, so He too had a body of flesh, bones andspirit. He was active in his ministry only three years when theJews crucified Him. His body was wrapped in linen and placedin a borrowed tomb. Three days after His death the spirit of Jesusreentered His body, as He had foretold (John 2:19-22), and Hearose (Luke 24: 1-9), a resurrected being having everlasting andeternal life.
The events that transpired immediately after Jesus rose from thetomb are rich in explanation of the physical make up and structureof a resurrected, immortal person.
Luke has recorded a momentous meeting that took place afterthe death of Jesus.
His Apostles had gathered the eighth day in secrecy for fear of theJews and were discussing, no doubt, with considerable joy, howthe tomb was empty, and that Jesus had appeared to some of themand to the women out side of His tomb. And then Luke tells usof a wonderful thing that happened.
"And as they thus spake Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and saithunto them, peace be unto you. But they were terrified and a affrighted, andsupposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, why are yetroubled and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands andmy feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not fleshand bones as ye see me have. And while they yet believed not for joy, andwondered, he said unto them, have ye here any meat? And they gave hima piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb, and he took it and did eatbefore them" (Luke 24: 36-43).
That the Apostles and disciples were terrified and frightenedwhen they saw Jesus, is positive evidence that the time of thismeeting was after His death, because they supposed that they hadseen a spirit. This reaction of the Lord's disciples is a very normaland human one when we realize that they had recently seen theirbeloved Master die on the cross. Were this not the case, no doubtHis appearance would have caused them to feel joy and certainlynot fear.
Let us therefore bear in mind that Jesus stood before His Apostlesand disciples, a resurrected man, with a body that was everlastingand had eternal life. Then He opened their understandings andtaught them that a spirit and a resurrected man are not the samething at all, "for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have",indeed He invited them to satisfy their curiosity through a senseof perception other than their eyes that afterwards they mightnot think that they had been deceived. He invited them to touchand handle His body. What the eyes refused to believe the touchwould only confirm.
The Jesus that stood before them was a resurrected man. Jesuswas now the risen Lord, He had claimed His body through theresurrection. The tomb was empty.
Where then is the resurrected and immortal body of Jesus? Theanswer lies in the scriptures; for as the Apostles and disciples stoodand watched Him ascend into Heaven, two men in white, whowere angels, appeared to them and said, "Ye men of Galilee, whystand ye gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up fromyou into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him gointo heaven" (Acts 1:9-12).
Jesus ascended into heaven with a solid resurrected body andwhen He appears the second time He most assuredly will appearwith the same, immortal, body.
We have no scriptural or logical evidence to indicate that Jesus atthis very moment does not have the same identical body that Heshowed to his Apostles and disciples.
John in his letter to the saints plainly states, "When Jesus appearswe shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).
We know then that Jesus, the Son of God and the second memberof the Godhead has an immortal body of flesh, bones and spirit.
God the Eternal Father also has an immortal body of flesh, bonesand spirit and is a separate personage from the Son.
In speaking to the Hebrews Paul stated that Jesus, "is in the expressimage of God" (Heb 1: 3).
The Savior too made pointed reference to His exact identity tothe Father, when He declared to Phillip, "He that hath seen me,hath seen the Father" (John 14: 9).
Probably the most obvious refutation of the doctrine propagatedby modern day Christianity that God and the Son are onesubstance is the very relationship that exists between them.
For instance, when Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane,in referring to His impending crucifixion, He asked the Father,"Remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will but thine be done"(Luke 22: 42-44).
The evidence in this scripture that the Father and the Sonhave separate wills is also a significant testimonial to theirindividuality.
As if in answer to His prayer an angel came to Jesus to strengthenHim and thereby He learned what course lay before Him forhis divine Father had sent Him strength to endure and not towithdraw. (see Luke 22: 43).
The Saviors life is a glorious example of painstaking obediencein word and deed to the will of His Father and there are manyscriptures that plainly declare the individuality of the Father andthe Son. For example, John 8: 17-18, "It is also written in yourlaw, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness ofmyself and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me"...., verse26, "and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him",and verse 29,.... "and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Fatherhath taught me alone; for I do always those things that please him". Alsoin John 5: 19, we read,.... The Son can do nothing of himself, butwhat he seeth the Father do: for what things so ever he doeth, these alsodoeth the Son likewise".
To read these scriptures is to learn that the Father and the Sonare two different personages, for here again their individuality isevident in the absolute acquiescence of the Son to the will andcommandments of the Father.
In many vital tenets of the gospel the Savior demonstrated thepattern of behavior for all sincere followers through His personalexample. As we read of His association with the Father we can seeanother example of righteousness, in perhaps the most importantgospel truth in all Christianity that ever was or ever will be....that of obedience!
To declare that Jesus and the Father are the same personage is toattempt to destroy the relationship that exists between them andto make of little effect or to nullify completely this great exampleof obedience on the part of the Savior. Indeed the Saviors actionscould honestly be considered as fraudulent and deceitful if He andthe Father are the same person, because the real value of obediencelies in the act whereby one individual having free choice voluntarilysubmits His will to the will of another. An act that would beimpossible if the Father and the Son were the same personage.
It is true that many scriptures quote Jesus as saying that He and theFather are one, and indeed they are. Let us briefly consider such ascripture. In John 17: 20-21 we read, "Neither pray I for these alone,but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that theyall may be one; as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they mayalso may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me".
Here we read of Jesus asking His Father to bless His disciples andall those who believe on their words, that they will become onewith the Father and the Son. If the "oneness" that Jesus speaks of isactually the same kind of "oneness" as attributed to the Godheadby the sectarian faiths, then all who believe in Christ and accepthim as their Savior, can assume that after this life they will losetheir "individuality" in the ethereal mass or substance known asGod.
Such doctrine not only has no scriptural basis but is repugnant tothe intelligence.
The "oneness" of the Godhead as described in the bible is that ofpurpose and unity, not substance.
Real achievement and perfection is embodied in oneness whereinseparate personalities learn to associate in perfect harmony withone another through mutual obedience to law and order.
Contrary then to popular modern day, "Christian belief", welearn from the bible that the Godhead actually consists of threeseparate personages, not one, and that two of these personageshave immortal bodies of flesh and bone and spirit while the thirdis a personage of spirit, "For he dwelleth with you, and shall be inyou" (John 14:17).
The Latter Day Saints teach and believe that the Godhead consistsof three separate personages who are one in purpose and unity,but not substance.
The Latter Day Saint understanding of the Godhead is notderived wholly from the King James version of the bible, butfrom a marvelous experience that a fourteen year old boy hadin the spring of 1820. The name of this boy is Joseph Smith Jr.He was one of a family of eleven souls and, at the time of thisexperience, lived near Manchester, Ontario County, in the stateof New York.
In the community in which the Smith family lived there arose anunusual excitement over the subject of religion. Great prosyletingefforts were being exerted by preachers of many Christian faiths,resulting in serious contentions and bad feelings among the variouspreachers as well as their converts. As Joseph Smith explains it:
"some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterians,and some for the Baptists. Some crying lo here and others, lo there."
Joseph Smith states that he was confused by the conflictingdoctrine of these Christian faiths. He wanted to join a churchbut was dismayed at the different interpretations of the scripturesthat each church presented.
In this troubled state of mind he was reading in the bible, one dayin James 1: 5 which reads, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask ofGod, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not and it shall begiven him".
In his own words Joseph Smith exclaims, "Never did any passage ofscripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at thistime to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of myheart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person neededwisdom of God, I did, for how to act I did not know, for the differentsects understood the same passage of scripture so differently as to destroy allconfidence in settling the question by an appeal to the bible".
Joseph Smith eventually decided that the only way to learn whatChurch was true was to do as James directed and ask God. So,in accordance with this decision he went to a secluded grove oftrees, near his home, where he knelt down and commenced tooffer up the prayer of his heart to know which of all the Churcheswas true that he might join it.
He had scarcely begun to pray when he was seized upon by somegreat power that bound his tongue so that he could not speak andseemed as though it would utterly destroy him. He relates, "Butexercising all my power to call upon God to deliver me out of the powerof the enemy that had seized upon me, and at the very moment when Iwas ready to sink to despair and abandon myself to destruction, not to animaginary ruin, but to a power of some actual being from the unseen world,who had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my being, justat this moment of great alarm I saw a pillar of light exactly over my headabove the brightness of the noon day sun, which descended gradually untilit fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered fromthe enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I sawtwo personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standingabove me in the air. One of them spoke unto me, calling me by name,and said, pointing to the other.... This is my beloved Son hear him".
Joseph's purpose in going to the Lord was to learn which of allthe sects was right. He therefore no sooner gained sufficientpossession of himself so that he was able to speak, than he askedthe personages who stood above him, what church he should join.He was told, "You must join none of them, for they are all wrong", andthe personage who addressed him said that: "all their creeds are anabomination in my sight, for they draw near to me with their lips, buttheir hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandmentsof man, having a form of Godliness, but they deny the power thereof"(Joseph Smith History 1:1-19).
During this highly significant and glorious interview, JosephSmith was told that if he were true and faithful in all things hewould be an instrument in the hands of the Lord in bringing forththe Church of Jesus Christ.
Joseph didn't go into the grove of trees to get a new Church.He assumed one of the existing ones was the true one, and onlywanted to know which one it was.
This revelation was not expected or sought after. However whenhe came out of the grove of trees he knew beyond a shadow of adoubt that God and his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, lived.
He learned that each has a glorified body and that they are twodistinct and individual beings. He learned that man is indeedcreated in the image of God, and that Deity will speak to a man ora boy if they choose to. He also learned knew that these powerfulbeings had a work for him to do, and his life had just taken aprofound and sobering direction.
Joseph went into the grove of trees to make an oral attempt atprayer, perhaps because his home, a small structure was verycrowded with 11 souls living in a small space. He had seen thisparticular grove of trees before and was impressed with the quiteand beauty of the place.
I have been there. The grove is about 2 city blocks from the househe lived in. It is a large grove of poplar trees with a small clearingin the center. I was there, alone, on a cool sunny Septembermorning. Birds were chirping and the floor of the grove wascovered with a growing carpet of leaves. The sun was streamingdown through the bright autumn leaves. It was very pretty. Whohasn't seen a beautiful view of nature and felt the awe of being inthe presence of the majesty of God.
One might think that this was a very mature decision for a fourteenyear old boy. But we must remember that frontier teenagersmatured fast under the challenge of heavy work. Cutting andclearing trees, stumps and moving rocks, in order to plant andtend a crop to provide food for the family and some meagercash necessities was dawn to dusk labor and all hands were badlyneeded. Daily life was a serious business usually requiring oneto grow up fast. Education was attempted after work around thekitchen table reading the bible by candle light.
Also there is no doubt that Joseph had faith that he would receivean answer. The effort to go to the grove and their to make theattempt to talk with God bears testimony to his faith.
It is also important to remember that at age fourteen, Joseph hadnot developed the sophistication to settle in his mind the decisionsof weighty philosophical matters that most of us establish in ourlives, usually at a time when we venture forth on our own.
