The doctrine of the Trinity states that there is one God who exists eternally in three persons – God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. This doctrine is central to mainstream Christianity, but Mormons have a different perspective.
Mormons, also known as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, do not believe in the traditional Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Instead, they believe that the three members of the Godhead are three distinct beings, not three persons comprising one God.
The Mormon View of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit
Mormons believe that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are three separate divine beings. God the Father and Jesus Christ have perfected physical bodies, while the Holy Spirit exists as a personage of spirit. Mormons reject the orthodox Christian belief that the three are of one unified eternal essence or substance.
God the Father
Mormons believe God the Father, or Elohim, is the supreme being and literal father of human spirits. He is the god of this world. Elohim was once a man who progressed to godhood. He has a perfect immortal body of flesh and bones. According to Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, God “has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22).
Jesus Christ
Mormons believe Jesus was the firstborn spirit child of God the Father and thus the eldest brother of all human spirits. Jesus is Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament. Mormons accept most of the biblical teachings about Jesus, including his virgin birth, sinless life, divinity, miracles, atoning death, and resurrection. However, they believe Jesus is a separate being from God the Father.
The Holy Spirit
Mormons refer to the Holy Spirit as the Holy Ghost. They believe the Holy Ghost is a separate being from God the Father and Jesus Christ, with the role of testifying of truth and carrying out the will of the Father and Son. The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit, not having a physical body. The Holy Ghost has limited knowledge, power, and presence, unlike the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent Father and Son.
The Development of the Mormon View of the Godhead
The Mormon view of the Godhead evolved over the early years of the church, moving from essentially trinitarian to a conception of three separate beings comprising the Godhead. This evolution was influenced by Joseph Smith’s evolving theology and cosmology.
1830 Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon, first published in 1830, contains language suggestive of trinitarian theology. For example, 1 Nephi 11:18 states that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are “one God.” This and other trinitarian-sounding passages reflect the theological environment in which Smith translated the Book of Mormon.
1832-34 Lectures on Faith
The Lectures on Faith, originally presented in 1832 and later canonized, contain nontrinitarian teachings, referring to the Godhead as “two personages,” God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. However, the lectures still reflect an element of ontological unity between the Father and Son.
1835 First Vision Accounts
In 1835, Joseph Smith penned two accounts of his foundational First Vision experience that described seeing two divine personages – God the Father and Jesus Christ. Earlier accounts mentioned only one being. This played a key role in developing the Mormon view of the Godhead.
1838 First Vision Account
Smith provided his most well-known First Vision account in 1838, explicitly referring to his vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ as two personages. He described them as having separate forms and being able to speak to each other. This cemented the view that they are two beings.
Development of Temple Theology
Joseph Smith continued developing temple rituals and doctrines in the 1840s that revealed new beliefs about the Godhead, including the existence of God the Mother. Mormons later rejected the teaching of a God the Mother figure while retaining distinct roles and forms for God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Key Differences From the Doctrine of the Trinity
Mormon beliefs about God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost depart significantly from the traditional doctrine of the Trinity affirmed by orthodox Christianity. Here are some key differences:
Separate Embodied Beings vs. One Being in Three Persons
Mormons believe the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three distinctly separate beings, with the Father and Son having perfected physical bodies and the Holy Ghost having a spirit body. This differs from the Trinity doctrine that they are three co-equal persons comprising one eternal God.
Ontological Unity vs. Ontological Separation
The Trinity doctrine emphasizes that the three persons of the Trinity share the same eternal divine essence or substance. In contrast, Mormons see the Godhead members as ontologically separate – three fully distinct divine beings.
God Was Once a Man vs. God as Eternal and Unchanging
Mormons teach that God the Father was once a man who progressed to become an exalted God. Traditional Christianity teaches that one of God’s unique attributes is that He has always existed eternally as God. The idea that God was once a man is incompatible with historical Christianity.
Multiple Gods vs. There is Only One God
Mormon teachings about exaltation imply the existence of multiple Gods. Couples who achieve exaltation themselves become gods and goddesses who procreate spirit children. Traditional Christianity emphatically rejects any idea of multiple Gods, stating there is, was, and always will be only one eternal God.
Key Biblical Passages Mormons Interpret Differently
To support their doctrines about the Godhead, Mormons interpret some biblical passages differently than mainstream Christianity. Here are some key examples of this:
Genesis 1:26 – “Let us make man in our image”
Mormons interpret this as God the Father speaking to Jesus Christ. Traditional Christianity sees this as referring to the triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 9:6 – Jesus referred to as “Everlasting Father”
Mormons say this is a symbolic title and does not mean Jesus is the same being as God the Father. Traditional Christianity uses this text to argue Jesus is fully divine and of the same eternal essence as the Father.
John 10:30 – Jesus said, “I and the Father are one”
Mormons take this statement by Jesus to mean he is united in heart, mind, and purpose with God the Father. But they argue Jesus did not mean they were the same being. Traditional Christianity interprets this as meaning Jesus shares the divine essence with the Father.
John 17:20-22 – Description of unity between disciples and God
Jesus prays that his followers may be “one” just as he and the Father are “one.” Mormons argue that since Jesus clearly was not saying his disciples would all become one ontological being, his use of “one” also does not mean that between him and the Father.
Mormon Defenses of Their Nontrinitarian Theology
Mormons offer several lines of reasoning to defend their theology of the Godhead as three separate divine beings against the doctrine of the Trinity. Some key arguments include:
The Book of Mormon
As mentioned earlier, the Book of Mormon contains a few passages with trinitarian-sounding language. However, Mormons argue other passages refer to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as “one God” in a united sense but still distinct beings. Mormons use Book of Mormon verses to argue against ontological oneness between the members of the Godhead.
Statements of Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith’s accounts of his First Vision experience provide the foundation for the Mormon belief in separate embodied beings comprising the Godhead. Mormons grant more weight to Smith’s direct statements than inferred doctrines from biblical interpretation used to support the Trinity.
Jesus’ Baptism
When Jesus was baptized, the Father spoke from heaven and the Spirit descended as a dove. Mormons present this scene as evidence of the separate personhood of the three members of the Godhead.
Lack of Biblical Clarity
Mormons argue the doctrine of the Trinity relies heavily on inference and interpretation. They say the Bible does not contain a clear, definitive statement of the doctrine of one God existing in three persons.
Humanization of God
Mormons argue against the dual nature of Jesus asserted by Trinitarians – that he was fully divine and fully human. They say that infringes on the uniqueness and perfection of God.
Trinitarian Christian Defenses
Trinitarian Christians have rebuttals to the Mormon arguments against the Trinity doctrine. They defend the traditional doctrine with arguments like:
Biblical References to the Trinity
Though not stated succinctly, Trinitarians see many passages such as Matthew 28:19, John 1, and others that hint at the triune nature of God.
The Early Church Believed in the Trinity
Christian apologists argue the Trinity doctrine developed to explain biblical passages consistently understood by early church fathers to imply Jesus was fully divine yet one God exists.
Monotheism
Trinitarians accuse Mormonism of being polytheistic or henotheistic, incompatible with the Bible’s unwavering declaration that there is only one eternal God.
ontological Oneness with Distinction
Trinitarians say their doctrine allows for both diversity and unity within the Godhead, whereas Mormons argue in a way that compromises God’s unity.
Conclusion
The Mormon concept of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost as three distinct physical and spiritual beings starkly contrasts with the doctrine of the Trinity as taught by mainstream Christianity. This difference in views of the nature of God is one of the most fundamental divergences between Mormonism and orthodox Christianity.
Understanding how these core beliefs differ helps highlight the important theological gaps between Mormonism and the historic Christian faith. Their divergent views of God the Father, Jesus Christ, salvation, and other concepts prevent most mainstream Christians from viewing Mormons as orthodox believers.
This fundamental difference about the nature of God also shapes each religion’s practices, rituals, doctrine, and entire worldview. As with any core spiritual beliefs, humility, grace and open discussion allow thoughtful examination of both perspectives.