How Is the LDS Church Different?

How Is the LDS Church Different?

I am frequently asked to explain how the LDS Church is different from other Christian religions or to describe what we, as members of the Church believe.  This is usually a good place to start.  In an interview between Joseph Smith and then US President Martin VanBuren, the President asked Joseph how the LDS Church differed from other religions of the day.  Joseph responded, “we differ in [1] the mode of baptism and [2] in the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands.”  He determined all other considerations were contained in the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Baptism.  As to the mode of baptism, the LDS Church practices baptism by complete immersion, which baptisms are usually performed in a small pool called a baptismal font. 

The Godhead.  Joseph Smith wrote thirteen “Articles of Faith” that summarize the doctrines of the Church.  The First Article of Faith discusses our belief regarding the nature of God,

“We belief in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.”  

LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley declared this Article of Faith is “the pivotal position of our religion.”  Joseph Smith taught, “It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God.”  During His mortal ministry, the Savior reiterated the importance of understanding the nature and character of God, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”  (John 17:3).

Unlike many Christian religions that believe in the conception of a “Holy Trinity,” we believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are distinct beings, separate from each other with independent roles, but one in purpose.  We believe that the Father and Christ have bodies of flesh and bones that are visually similar to our bodies.  This makes sense, as Genesis 1:27 tells us that man is created in God’s image.  We believe that the Holy Ghost does not have a body but is a personage of Spirit.  We refer to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost collectively as the “Godhead,” with the three each being a separate member of the Godhead.

Substantial scriptural evidence supports the separate nature of the members of the Godhead.  These interactions evidence their separate nature:

·         Christ’s Baptism:  All three members of the Godhead were present when Jesus was baptized by John. While the Savior stood in the water next to John, the Father’s voice was heard, and the Holy Ghost appeared in the form of a dove.  (See Matt. 3:16-17).

·         Christ’s Promise of Comfort:  In preparation for leaving His disciples, the Savior promised, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter [the Holy Ghost], that he [the Holy Ghost] may abide with you forever;”  (John 14:16)

·         The Transfiguration.  The Savior was transfigured and brought into the presence of the Father prior to the crucifixion.  (Matt. 17:1-5).

·         The Intercessory Prayer:  In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Savior prayed to the Father and acknowledged,
o   “I have glorified thee on the earth”;
o   “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do;”
o   “For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me;”
o   “They have believed that thou didst send me;”
o   “[t]hou hast sent me into the world.”
(John 17:4,8,18, 22)

·         The Savior acknowledged, “O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee…” (John 17:25-26).

·         Conversation with Anaias.  A conversation between Peter and Anaias evidences that Peter understood the divine nature of the Holy Ghost.  Acts 5:3-4 (“why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost … ? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God”).

·         Stephen’s Vision.  After the Savior’s ascension, Stephen recounted seeing the heavens open “and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God” while Stephen was “full of the Holy Ghost.”  (Acts 7:55)

And the list goes on.  In each of these examples, it is clear that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate beings.  Some discussion of the united purpose of Godhead creates confusion as to their separate nature.  See John 17:21 (“That they all may be one; as thou Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”); 1 John 5:7 (“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”).

            Nature of the Holy Ghost.   As the only member of the Godhead without a physical body, the Holy Ghost has a unique role.  As members of the Church, after we are baptized, we are confirmed with the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  This is the gift for the Holy Ghost to dwell within us so long as we are acting in a righteous manner.

The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit and does not have a body because of the nature of His roles.  Among His roles are to comfort, teach, witness, and sanctify.  His nature as a personage of spirit allows Him to accomplish these roles in a unique way that would not be possible as an embodied deity.  Christ taught that the Holy Ghost, as a personage of spirit, can literally dwell within our hearts.  “Even the Spirit of truth … but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”  John 14:17; D&C 130:22 (“The Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.  Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell.”).

            In the last General Conference of the Church, we were taught, “As a spirit being, the Holy Ghost has the unique responsibility of being an agent through which personal revelation is received.”  President Joseph Fielding Smith taught that “the Spirit of God speaking to the spirit of man has power to impart truth with greater effect and understanding than the truth can be imparted by personal contact even with heavenly beings.” 

 Nature of God.  God, the Father, is our Creator and He directed the creation of the Earth and our spirits.  My testimony of the teachings of the separate and distinct members of the Godhead is strengthened by what this means as to the nature of our Father.  Although I do not completely understand the nature of God, I do know that because we believe that the Father has a physical body, we know something about his nature.  We have a Heavenly Father who created us in His image.  He is real.  He is personal.  He is individual. 

His personal and individual nature means that we can develop a personal and individual relationship with Him.  He is aware of us as individuals and loves us as a Father.  In fact, Christ taught, that he “so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16).  This understanding provides me great comfort, especially in moments of trials when I am speaking to Him on my knees.  Because He is real and individual, and because He is my Father, He can communicate direct and real answers to me.




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