Personality of the Father and the Son

Man Created in the Image and Likeness of God

The simple story told by the Prophet Joseph Smith of his interview with the Father and the Son makes it easy to understand the teachings of the Bible relating to this important matter. It must be remembered, however, that this knowledge was not obtained by the Prophet through a study of the Bible. We take the Bible merely to prove that his story harmonizes fully with the teachings thereof, some of which we shall now consider.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:26-27.)

Attempts have been made to explain that this creation was only in the spiritual image and likeness of God, but after reading Joseph Smith's simple story, one wonders how a historian could have made a more clear-cut, understandable statement of what actually happened in the creation of man, especially when one reads: "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth." (Genesis 5:3.)

Joseph Smith found that he was as literally in the image and likeness of God and Jesus Christ as Seth was in the likeness and image of his father Adam.


Moses' Testimony of the Personality of God

This also makes the experience of Moses and his associates and seventy of the elders of Israel seem so reasonable and easy to understand:

Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel.

And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. (Exodus 24:9-10.)

And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.

And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. . . . (Exodus 33:9-11.)

Could any historian be expected to describe this event any more clearly than to say that the Lord and Moses talked with each other "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend"? Does anyone need to be told how a man speaks to his friend? The Father and the Son spoke with Joseph Smith "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." There is only one thing that made this possible, and that is the fact that God did create man in his own image and likeness. Could any other image or likeness have been half so wonderful?


Paul's Testimony of the Personality of God

Paul, the apostle, tried to make clear what kind of personage God was by telling us that his Son, Jesus Christ, was "the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person," and that he "sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." (Hebrews 1:3.) This, of course, could only have been possible when his Father did have a form on whose right hand he could sit.


Stephen's Testimony of the Personality of God

Paul's description of God gives real meaning to the words of Stephen, when he was being stoned to death by his enemies:

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. (Acts 7:55-56.)

Thus he saw two separate and distinct personages, one, the Son, standing on the right hand of the other, the Father.


John's Testimony of the Personality of God

This is in accord also with the report of John's baptism of Jesus:

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:

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:16-17.)

Here each of the three members of the Godhead is distinctly and separately mentioned: (1) Jesus, coming up out of the water; (2) the Holy Ghost, descending like a dove; (3) the voice of the Father from heaven, expressing his love and approval of his Beloved Son. How could one possibly believe these three to be one person without body or form?


The Resurrected Lord

Consideration should now be given to the resurrected Lord. Unless he now has his body of flesh and bone that was laid away in the tomb, he must have died a second time, for when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the sepulchre to see the body of Jesus, they found that an angel of the Lord had descended from heaven and was sitting on the stone that he had rolled back from the door:

His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: . . .

And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (Matthew 28:3, 5-6.)

Following his resurrection, Jesus appeared to many. While the eleven apostles were gathered together at Jerusalem discussing what had happened,

Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. (Luke 24:36-39.)

To further prove that he had his body, he took a piece of broiled fish and of honeycomb and did eat before them.

With his resurrected body he ascended to heaven in the presence of five hundred brethren: . . . he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once. . . ." (1 Corinthians 15:6.)

His apostles saw him ascend into heaven and the "two men [who] stood by them in white apparel" affirmed the fact:

And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:10-11.)

If Jesus is one in spirit with his Father, without body or form, so large that he fills the universe and so small that he dwells in each heart, as so many believe and as the churches teach, then what meaning has the resurrection which is commemorated each Easter in the Christian churches, and what did he do with his body after he showed it to his apostles and others?


Joseph Smith's Testimony of the Personality of Jesus

Joseph Smith again beheld the same Jesus who had been seen ascending into heaven after his resurrection. This is the testimony given of Jesus by Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, following a vision they received at Hiram, Ohio, on February 16, 1832:

And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about.

And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fulness:

And saw the holy angels, and them who are sanctified before his throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb, who worship him forever and ever.

And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. (Doctrine and Covenants [D&C] 76:19-24.)

Note how this parallels Joseph Smith's first vision and the testimony of the Father at Jesus' baptism. The Father spoke of his Son—two separate and distinct persons. The Father must have had a voice or he could not have spoken.

This testimony shall now stand as a witness unto all to whom it shall come, until he shall again return to reign as "Lord of lords and King of kings." (See Revelation 17:14.)

An understanding of the reality of his existence and personality gives real meaning to the promise found in Christ's Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8.)


Scriptures Often Misunderstood Concerning God's Personality

There are a few statements in the Bible that have been misunderstood and have led to a misconception of the personality and form of God and of his Son, Jesus Christ. Brief consideration might be given to some of them:

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18.)

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:12.)

In the Inspired Version of the Bible, as rendered by the Prophet Joseph Smith, we read the following:

And no man hath seen God at any time, except he hath borne record of the Son; for except it is through him no man can be saved. (John 1:19.)

He also gives us the rendition of 1 John 4:12 as follows:

No man hath seen God at any time, except them who believe. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

The Prophet Joseph Smith's understanding of the true meaning of these scriptures was made plain in a revelation received by him from the Lord at Hiram, Ohio, in November 1831: "For no man has seen God at any time in the flesh, except quickened by the Spirit of God." (D&C 67:11.)

This doctrine was further clarified in the visions of Moses as revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith:

But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him. (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 1:11.)

It is thus plain that man can only see God when "quickened by the Spirit of God." This is apparently what John had in mind in the following statement:

It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. (John 6:45-46.)

Paul spoke of God as an "invisible God":

In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. (Colossians 1:14-15.)

Further study of Paul's teachings indicates that he had the same understanding as John; that while God is invisible to men generally, he is not invisible to the prophets, for he indicated that Moses saw the invisible God: "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible." (Hebrews 11:27.)

John also referred to God as a spirit, which is confusing to some: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24.)

This should not be confusing, since we are all spirits, clothed with bodies of flesh and bones. John says we are to "worship him in spirit and in truth." He would not, however, imply that our spirits should leave our bodies so that we can worship him "in spirit."

Paul declared: "But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." (1 Corinthians 6:17.) We are spirits in the same sense that John had in mind when he said "God is a Spirit."

The Oneness of the Father and the Son

There has been much misunderstanding regarding the oft-repeated statement that Jesus and his Father are one. A careful reading of the seventeenth chapter of John should clarify this matter fully. As Jesus was about to be offered up, he prayed unto his Father and thanked him for his apostles, saying, "that they may be one, as we are." (John 17:11.) Then he added:

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

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. (John 17:20-21.)

Now it is very apparent that Jesus was not speaking of oneness of personage, but oneness of purpose, for he further prayed that they might be with him, which would be unnecessary if the oneness referred to was of personage instead of purpose.

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:24.)

Again it is evident that the oneness referred to has no reference to oneness of personage, for if Jesus and his Father were one in person, how absurd to think that Jesus would pray unto himself, or that he would love himself before the foundation of the world. He said: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3.)

This true knowledge of God and of his Son, Jesus Christ, has come again to the world in this dispensation, not through a study of the Bible, but through the actual appearance of these heavenly personages to the young Joseph Smith, as he has so eloquently testified.


(Legrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1950], 22.)