The Bible Teaches That the Members of the Godhead Are Three Separate Beings
Matthew 3:16–17
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
President Dallin H. Oaks said:
“In common with the rest of Christianity, we believe in a Godhead of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. However, we testify that these three members of the Godhead are three separate and distinct beings. We also testify that God the Father is not just a spirit but is a glorified person with a tangible body, as is His resurrected Son, Jesus Christ.
“When first communicated to mankind by prophets, the teachings we now have in the Bible were ‘plain and pure, and most precious and easy’ to understand [1 Nephi 14:23]. Even in the transmitted and translated version we have today, the Bible language confirms that God the Father and His resurrected Son, Jesus Christ, are tangible, separate beings. To cite only two of many such teachings, the Bible declares that man was created in the image of God, and it describes three separate members of the Godhead manifested at the baptism of Jesus [see Genesis 1:27; Matthew 3:13–17].
“In contrast, many Christians reject the idea of a tangible, personal God and a Godhead of three separate beings. They believe that God is a spirit and that the Godhead is only one God. In our view, these concepts are evidence of the falling away we call the Great Apostasy.”
(“Apostasy and Restoration,” Ensign, May 1995, 84.)
