Latter-day Saint Beliefs About God
The distinct understanding of the Godhead that emerged from Joseph Smith's First Vision and shapes all subsequent teaching.
- God the Father and Jesus Christ are separate beings with tangible bodies.
- The three members of the Godhead are united in purpose, not substance.
- The Holy Ghost is a spirit personage who conveys truth and sanctifies.
- This view sets Latter-day Saint doctrine apart from creedal Trinitarianism.
Latter-day Saints believe in three distinct divine personages who together constitute the Godhead: God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. They are one in purpose, glory, and doctrine but separate in being and substance.
Revelation Through the First Vision
In 1820 Joseph Smith described seeing two personages standing in the air above him. The Father introduced the Son and instructed Joseph to hear the Son. This single experience established that the Father and Son are physically separate, each possessing a body of flesh and bones, and that the Holy Ghost is a third, spirit-only member of the Godhead.
How the Godhead Functions
God the Father is the literal father of the spirits of all humankind and the creator of the universe through his Son. Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten in the flesh, serves as Savior and mediator. The Holy Ghost testifies of both, reveals truth, and performs the sanctifying work of the gospel. They act in perfect harmony while remaining distinct individuals.
This understanding matters because it directly shapes how Latter-day Saints pray, understand their own divine potential, and relate to scripture. It also marks the clearest doctrinal break from historic Christian creeds that define God as a single substance existing in three persons.
