God in Mormonism
Mormon belief teaches that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three distinct personages. These three make up the Godhead. All three are united in purpose: to bring the children of God back to His presence. God the Father and Christ have a perfect body of flesh and bones. The Holy Ghost is a spirit son of the Father who confirms truth. Mormons refer to God the Father also as our Heavenly Father, for Mormons believe that He is the Father of our spirits.
Psalm 82:6: “I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.”
Man is created in the image of Heavenly Father. Our Heavenly Father is concerned about each of His children. He loves them and wants them to return to Him. To do this, Heavenly Father requires that we each live exemplary lives and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is necessary to learn all we can about salvation and live righteously.
Matthew 5:48: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Mormonism teaches that Heavenly Father is the Father of Jesus Christ, who was sent to earth to pay the price for all the sins of mankind. If we believe in Jesus Christ, strive to live righteously by obeying His commandments, we can be saved through the power of His atonement for our sins. Heavenly Father is both just and merciful. He has designed a plan for us to return back to him. Mormons refer to this plan as the plan of salvation. Much of the doctrine found in the plan was revealed through the prophet Joseph Smith in the early days of the Mormon Church.
Part of the plan of salvation is the requirement that one must have a body to obtain joy in the eternities. Mormons believe that the physical body is a gift from the Lord, and we must take care of our bodies if we are to return to live forever with Heavenly Father. When Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son in a vision, he described the Father as having “a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22-23). Thus, Mormon Doctrine posits that having a physical body here on earth prepares us to one day be like our Father in Heaven.
What Mormons believe is that God the Father wants to hear from each of us daily through prayer. It is in our best interest to communicate with Him, because He has commanded it and will protect us if we are obedient.
Doctrine and Covenants 10:5: “Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.”
It is Mormon belief that it is important for each man and woman to know that Heavenly Father is indeed their Father and that he knows and loves His children. This understanding gives us the strength and determination that are required to persevere through life’s difficulties and to live righteously.