And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen. (2 Nephi 31:21)
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes called “Mormons,” do not believe in the doctrine of the trinity. God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three distinct individuals. So what does the above scripture from the Book of Mormon mean?
On LDS.org, we learn what it means to say God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are one God:
“Although the members of the Godhead are distinct beings with distinct roles, they are one in purpose and doctrine. They are perfectly united in bringing to pass Heavenly Father’s divine plan of salvation.”
People learning of the church for the first time are sometimes puzzled by this belief, and it can be helpful to understand more about why we believe as we do on this subject.
Joseph Smith, the first prophet of modern days, learned of the true nature of God and Jesus when he was fourteen years old. Confused about which church to join, he followed the advice of the Bible (James 1:5) and went to the woods to pray about the problem. As he prayed, God and Jesus came to him to answer his question. You can read more about this at Mormon.org.
Because he saw God and Jesus, Joseph understood that they were separate beings. When the Bible speaks of Jesus as God’s Son, Joseph realized this was a literal statement. When Joseph grew up and was called by God to restore the gospel to the earth, He learned more about this fascinating subject.
Harpers Bible Dictionary, a non-LDS authority on the Bible, says the trinity is not found in the Bible. (Paul F. Achtemeier, ed. (1985), 1099) Instead, it was defined as a part of Christian doctrine in 325 BC at the Council at Nicaea. The Nicene Creed, which developed from this council held by various scholars to unify the various Christian beliefs circulating, contained the doctrine of the Trinity and was passed along to Christians as if it had come from the Bible. It is the result of argumentation, debate, and decision, not prayer or prophecy.
There is indeed confusion in the Christian world over this doctrine, but Christ Himself felt no confusion about it. He said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” (John 6:38, King James version of the Bible.) There is no clearer statement that Jesus knew He and God were distinct individuals.
For more on this subject, read Apostasy and Restoration by Dallin H. Oaks.
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
