Mormon Church

by Whitney M., member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), and student at Brigham Young University (BYU).

The Love of God the Father

We learn that scripture, even though it can be written about what happened to someone else, still applies to our lives and God’s blessings described therein can be our blessings also.  I’ve just read the inspired account of Moses’ vision of God and encounter with Satan, as recorded in a modern volume of scripture known as The Pearl of Great Price: Book of Moses.

What Moses learned in his vision about God, his relationship with Him, and the blessings and strength in that relationship as a child of God, can also be applied to myself. The first part of this revelation that affects my relationship with God are the words endless, without end, and never cease. This beginning part of the revelation teaches me about the steadfastnesss of God and reminds me of the promise that our Heavenly Father is always there. God’s love, support, and power are never ceasing.

After the vision described in Moses  …..(see below Moses 1:10)  and Moses is fallen to the earth and finally regains his strength like unto a man he realizes that man is nothing, which is something he hadn’t before realized. This statement reminds me of the scripture that says you cannot serve God and mammon. It helps me to remember that we are here because of our Heavenly Father and that without Him and his gospel we are nothing.

 And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed.

 

God is Our Literal Father

I like this because it is humbling and reminds me that we need to respect, love and honor our Heavenly Father above all others. My favorite part about Moses and what he learned is when he is approached by Satan. Moses’s simple answer to Satan when asked who art thou is “I am a son of God.” I love this simple and powerful statement. This reminds me about God our Heavenly Father that He is like our earthly father. He is here to guide us, give us comfort,give us reproach, to listen and love.

This strengthens my relationship with my Heavenly Father because I know He is like my own father. His hand is continually reaching out to support me, but it is my job to have faith and put my hand in his to receive his guidance. I love that Moses learns that his Heavenly Father does not abandon him. When Satan is in his presence and he feels such despair he calls upon the strength of the Holy Ghost and his Heavenly Father. It is a powerful example to me. Moses was literally face to face with Satan. I only face temptation and sometimes my faith can waiver. To surely know that God, your Heavenly Father is always there is a great faith builder to me.

God’s Irrefutable Love

The last excerpt that left an impression on me is when Heavenly Father tells Moses that his work and his glory is to “bring about the immortality and eternal life of man.” If this doesn’t tell us of  about God’s irrefutable love for his children then I don’t know what does. Our Heavenly Father’s goal is to help us make it back to Him and knowing that He is there to help me accomplish this is a great blessing in my life.

Additional Resources:

More on the Nature of God.

Attend a local meetinghouse and learn more about God.

Members of the Godhead are united in purpose and will but consist of three separate Beings: God, the Eternal Father; Jesus Christ, His Son, our Redeemer; and the Holy Ghost. This view of the Godhead is based on ancient and modern revelation, and Mormons‘ belief in the personal appearance of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith in 1820.

Personal Response by Roger Keller

The Latter-day Saint (nicknamed Mormon) understanding of the Godhead and the nature of God are rooted in the prophet Joseph Smith’s first vision in which the Father and the Son appeared to Joseph standing side by side. The two members of the Godhead were clearly two separate, distinct personages. These two with the Holy Ghost, also an individual person of spirit, constitute the Godhead of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. They are absolutely one in love, will, purpose, and direction. There is no variation among them, and to underline this unity, even though it is not an ontological unity, Latter-day Saints often define the doctrine of the Godhead as “Social Trinitarianism,” thereby underlining the indivisible unity of the three.

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