Three Gods / no Trinity

They say

Deuteronomy 6:4 — God is one. You’re polytheists.

The Shema’s ‘one’ is ’echad — a united one, the same word as one flesh. Moses had yachid for solitary-only. He did not use it. Stephen saw two. Jesus’ baptism names three. 1 Corinthians 8:6: one God the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ. We read the scenes. They read the creed back into the scenes.

• John 17:21

  KJV · That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee.

  NRSVUE · That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you.

• Acts 7:55–56

  KJV · He… saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.

  NRSVUE · He… saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

• Gospel Topics

  Godhead

  “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are three distinct beings who are one in purpose.”

• Gal1:8 library

  Oneness of God

They say

John 10:30 — I and the Father are one. That’s the Trinity.

Two chapters later Jesus prays that the Twelve ‘may be one, as we are one.’ If John 10:30 fuses essence, the apostles got promoted into the Trinity. He meant the oneness of a perfectly united Father and Son — which is what we preach.

• John 10:30

  KJV · I and my Father are one.

  NRSVUE · The Father and I are one.

• FAIR

  Nature of God / Godhead

• Gal1:8 library

  Godhead

They say

Even your book says ‘one God’ — so why three beings?

2 Nephi 31:21 says the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ‘is one God.’ 3 Nephi 11: the Father speaks of the Son; the Spirit bears record. The Book of Mormon is fiercely one-God and clearly three persons. That is Paul, not paganism.

• 2 Nephi 31:21

  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.

• 3 Nephi 11:7

  Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.

• Preach My Gospel

  Lesson 1 — The Restoration

They say

Joseph invented three gods in a grove.

Joseph Smith—History 1:17 is Acts 7 in a grove: two Personages. D&C 130:22 is the Restoration’s grammar — the Father and the Son have bodies; the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit. Gospel Topics: three distinct beings, one in purpose. That is not three unrelated deities.

• Joseph Smith—History 1:17

  I saw two Personages… One of them spake unto me… pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

• Doctrine and Covenants 130:22

  The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost… is a personage of Spirit.

• Gospel Topics

  Godhead

  “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are three distinct beings who are one in purpose.”

They say

Henotheism. You just won’t say homoousios.

Correct: we will not say a word the Bible never uses. FAIR and the Gospel Topics page both teach social / purpose unity, not creedal essence. Use those two links. Then read John 17 out loud.

• FAIR

  Nature of God / Godhead

• Gospel Topics

  Godhead

  “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are three distinct beings who are one in purpose.”