Sunday Lesson, June 25th

Our lesson this week was on the April 2017 conference talk by Elder Oaks on the Godhead. Elder Oaks explained that the doctrine of the Godhead makes our church stand out and has an impact on many other beliefs that we have. Throughout the lesson we discussed why it is so important that we know the true nature of the Godhead. Elder Oaks taught that each member of the Godhead has an important and distinct role in the plan of salvation.

We first discussed that one thing that sets us apart is that we believe we can come to know God. We lived with them before mortality and learned what we could as spirits. We are on earth to learn, through experience, even more about God. Our learning will continue after this life. We know that God the Father and His Son have bodies of flesh and bone and we know many things about their nature and character.

We then discussed the different roles of each member of the Godhead. Joseph Smith described the roles of the Godhead thus, “God the first, the Creator; God the second, the Redeemer; and God the third, the Witness or Testator… [It is] the province of the Father to preside as the Chief or President, Jesus as the Mediator, and the Holy Ghost as the Testator or Witness.”

Elder Oaks started by describing the role of God our Father as the president and leader of the Godhead. He taught, “God the Father is the Father of our spirits. We are His children. He loves us, and all that He does is for our eternal benefit. He is the author of the plan of salvation, and it is by His power that His plan achieves its purposes for the ultimate glory of His children.”

Next, we discussed the important role of the Savior. President Thomas S. Monson taught, “Essential to the plan [of salvation] is our Savior, Jesus Christ. Without His atoning sacrifice, all would be lost.” The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth and testifies of the Father and Son. His role is essential for us to know we are on the right path.

We are blessed to understand God’s plan of salvation for all of His children and the role of each member of the Godhead within that plan.