Reform Overly Rigid View of the Nature of the Godhead

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The Church needs to UNDO the Nicene Creed, instead of creating their own version of it as they somewhat have. Allowing space for MULTIPLE working orthodox Christologies, which help us LEAD greater Christianity into more knowledge instead of simply alienating ourselves from them.

Joseph Smith restored at least TWO seemingly distinct Christologies, just as the early pre-Nicene Church had. The first of these was at least on the surface similar to the standard Nicene view, where the Father was “a personage of Spirit,” and the Son “a personage of Tabernacle.” (See lectures of Faith) Christ being “both the Father & the Son” (Ether/Mosiah). Even Joseph Smith’s early 1832 & 1835 accounts of the first vision aligned with this view, mentioning only ONE divine being.

Later in Joseph’s life, he restored an expanded, more complex view of the Godhead similar to many of the pre-Nicene sects of Christianity. This included expanding his account of the First Vision to include the more complete two divine beings. This mirrored the expanded social-trinity Christologies held by many first and second century Christian Jews & Egyptians mystery schools which taught various views of God, just as valid as the views which won out in the Nicene Creed.

WE SHOULD HAVE FAITH THAT THIS WAS BY DESIGN! Joseph’s job as a restorer was not necessarily to completely solve these early Church disagreements and paradoxes, but to restore them and let the church body relook at them as God continually reveals himself. But instead of holding space for these multiple views, the church has more or less created its own Nicene Creed, defining a particular orthodox (and often inconsistent) view. WE NEED TO REFORM THIS, and lead the way in helping greater Christianity relook at the many ways the prophets, scriptures and early church fathers saw the Godhead.

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Overview of Views

The Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith’s canonized Lectures on Faith contain Christologies which uniquely challange Nicene Christians, while meeting them where they are. The Father is specifically defined as “a personage of Spirit” and Christ is presented as BOTH the Father AND the Son. Not until Brigham Young would the Father be recognized as having a physical body in relation to the restored early gnostic doctrine of progression of gods.

In Lectures on Faith, originally part of the Doctrine & Covenants we read,

“There are two personages who constitute the great, matchless, governing and supreme power over all things… They are the Father and the Son: The Father being a personage of spirit, glory and power… The Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, a personage of tabernacle, made or fashioned like unto man, being in the form and likeness of man… He is called the Son because of the flesh… He, being the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, and having overcome, received a fulness of the glory of the Father, possessing the same mind with the Father, which mind is the Holy Spirit that bears record of the Father and the Son. These three are one.. (Lectures On Faith 5:2)

Similarly, the Book of Mormon lays out a Godhead or Christology more compatible (or palatable) to standard Trinitarian view with many verses about Christ being BOTH the Father and the Son. A concept often befuddled by D&C 130:22 and traditional/cultural LDS views of God established later by Brigham Young.

14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son… 16 Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh. (Ether 3:14–16)

1 And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people. 2 And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father AND THE Son— 3 The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son— 4 And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth. (Mosiah 15:1–5)

27 …verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one. (3 Nephi 11:27)

These are VERY IMPORTANT distinctions. As the words of Joseph Smith in the lectures on faith and Book of Mormon also agree much more closely with what the revelation of the LORD’s Jewish prophet Jachanan Ben Kathryn says concerning how the gentiles have corrupted the true understanding of the Godhead, presumably through their creeds and platonic thinking. And Brigham Young seems to have continued this corruption, instead of allowing the complexities of Joseph & The Book of Mormon’s words to stand for themselves.

4 Ye shall correct the Gentiles in their ways, for, lo, they have corrupted themselves; in things old and new they have corrupted themselves, in that they say I am not one. Lo, I Am One, saith the LORD. JHWH is my name. I have none other. My Spirit is holy and my tabernacle is Saviour. I am Saviour, and beside me there is no god. There is no other path but mine. I split not asunder. Thou shalt not be instructed of the churches, but thou shalt instruct them, for indeed have they corrupted themselves before me; and my spirit shall come upon you to teach the nations. (Book of Ben Kathryn 46:14)

During the time of Brigham Young, the Church changed the view of the Godhead taught in the Book of Mormon and in Joseph’s Lectures on Faith to agree with their own interpretation of Joseph’s King Follet Discourse & Sermon in the Grove. (About the same time Brigham introduced the now denounced Adam-God Theory.) This ‘standardization’ of the nature of God was not unlike the early church’s mistake in codifying the trinity at the Nicene Creed.

In fact, just as the Nicene creed corrupted Christianity by expelling Nestorians, Monophysites or others who did not align with the rigid Trinitarian dogma, we have somewhat codified Brigham’s ‘Godhead Doctrine’ into the third question of our Temple Recommend questions.

We need to recognize that D&C 130:22’s statement that “the Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as any mans… [and] the Holy Ghost… is a personage of Spirit” was NOT a revelation, was written ONLY according to William Clayton’s memory of what he THOUGHT Joseph said in conversation with a small group at Ramus Illinois on April 2, 1843. (JS Papers rendition) That Willard Richards ‘Journal’ account comes only from William Clayton’s account (JS Papers rendition). And that it DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS what Joseph Smith carefully laid out in his canonized Lectures of Faith, speaking of the Godhead.

Note that even though it may be implied, Joseph seems to be careful NOT to say that God the Father has a body of flesh & bone in either the King Follet Discourse or the Sermon in the Grove. Much like the Lectures of Faith, he calls him only a ‘personage’. Using the same language as Hebrews 1:3 and the Nicene Creed. (hypostasis, translated as ‘being’, ‘substance’ or often ‘personage’).

I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods. (JS. Sermon in the Grove, June 1844)

1 God… hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son… Who being the brightness of [God’s] glory, and the express image of his person[age] (hypostasis), and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high [highest divinity]. (Hebrews 1:1–3)

This language refutes the Nicene Creeds, which condemns as heretics those who hold that Christ “is of another substance or essence” (hypostasis) than the Father; but still carefully stays within the language used by Hebrews chapter 1. We should be doing the same today. Holding space for all the views of the godhead without dogmatically condemning classic trinitarianism while upholding some preferred version of social trinitarianism modalism, arianism or tritheism.

We as LDS people and Mormons need to repent, and turn to Jewish peoples to help us understand these ancient concepts of God’s ’emanations’ or ‘spirits’ and get away from the platonic ideas of personhood (hypostases), substance and Consubstantialness (Homoousios). We need to NOT hold rigid interpretations of God or use his nature as a form of dogma or division!

If we do not repent of this, we pose the risk of rejecting the coming Jewish prophets such as Jachanan Ben Kathryn. Just as we have already disregarded the teachings of our own dispensation head–Joseoph Smith. The coming groups of converted Messianic Jewish people with their deep understanding of the Hebrew language and ancient Jewish conceptions of God will help break the false views of god brought about by Hellenistic, Platonic and early non-Jewish/non-Hebrew speaking theologians. We need to ready ourselves for this!

We should lean on new “Jewish” ideals of godhood taught by authors like Blake Ostler (books/youtube), Dan McClellan (books/youtube), and Margaret Barker (books/youtube), but at the same time we should NOT get weighed down or attached to dogma that puts narrow definitions on the nature of God which lead to division!

NOTE THAT PROGRESS IS BEING MADE ON THIS.

LDS scholars such as Dan McLellin and Blake Ostler have been reconnecting LDS concepts to the original Hebrew texts and ancient interpretations to create new, less rigid frameworks for interpreting the God Head. Blake Ostler effectively argues that Joseph Smith followed early gnostic ideas taught in the Apocryphon of John & Tripartite Tractate to equate the Hebrew concept of ‘Spirit’ with Greek and modern concepts of ‘Mind’. By calling the Spirit “the Mind,” Joseph Smith solved the philosophical problem of ‘How can two separate physical beings (Father and Son) be “one God”? He suggests, They aren’t one in body, but they are one in Logos or Mind/Spirit. Thus the Holy Breath or Spirit of God is an emanation which invisibly unifies otherwise separated entities. Much like the wind unifies the movement of trees or waves from the sea unify rocking boats or waves from a tuning fork unify humming bells, God’s mind or SPIRIT, or even the telestial class of SPIRIT beings act to unify the beings of the divine council. (Father, Sons, Angels, Cheribs, ects)] This logic follows the gnostic ideas of the Gospel of Phillip were it says “”The Father” and “the Son” are single names; “the Holy Spirit” is a double name. For they are everywhere: they are above, they are below; they are in the concealed, they are in the revealed. The Holy Spirit is in the revealed: it is below. It is in the concealed: it is above.” (3rd century, Gospel of Phillip of the Nag Hammadi Library)

1 God (Elohim) has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods (elohim) he holds judgement. (Psalm 82:1)

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God (bene elohim) [of the council] came to present themselves before the LORD (YHWH), and Satan came also among them. (Job 1:6)
4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?… when the morning stars (kowkbe) sang together and all the sons of God (bene elohim) shouted for joy? (Job 38:4–7)

7 And the Lord God (YHWH of the Elohim) formed man (ā-ḏām) of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Spirit); and man [the Son of God, Luke 3:38] became a living soul… 22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us [an Elohim]… 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; (Gen 2:7, 3:22 & Gen 6:2)

Remember the days of old…When the Most High [God] apportioned the nations.. and fixed the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the gods [70 nations or stars or sons of God] (Duet 32:7-8, Dead Sea Scrolls)

32 According to that which was ordained in the midst of the Council of the Eternal God of all other gods before this world was, that should be reserved unto the finishing and the end thereof, when every man shall enter into his eternal presence and into his immortal rest. (D&C 121:32)

“Rosh—the head, Sheit—grammatical termination… “The head one of the Gods brought forth the Gods.” That is the true meaning of the words. Baurau signifies to bring forth. If you do not believe it, you do not believe the learned man of God. Learned men can teach you no more than what I have told you. Thus the head God brought forth the Gods in the grand council… The head God called together the Gods and sat in grand council to bring forth the world.” (Joseph Smith, King Follet Sermon).

In summary. We need to join hands with the Jewish people in reforming the Geek concept of the Trinity. This starts with reforming Brigham’s overly narrow & restrictive Godhead (or interpretation of Joseph’s progression of Gods) which the church has pushed for over a hundred years.

1. My Theory

I have my own revisionist explanation of how Joseph Smith saw the Godhead. But again to be clear, I think we should move away from imposing rigid views on this topic. Whether they be mine, Brigham Youngs or anyone else. We should be free to speculate and steer clear of creating our own ‘Nicene Creed’ type definitions which define orthodoxy on this difficult to understand topic. ESPECIALLY VIEWS WHICH ASSIGN PERSONHOOD TO THE MANY TITLES OF GOD.

But to summarize my view, I believe Joseph defined the unity of ‘The One True God’ in D&C 76’s THREE Glories of God. And he does it in the same way that he defines the ‘One True Church’. (see my article here). An assembly or collective of completely unified individuals spanning different hierarchies. Much like Zion it is separate beings unified by “one heart and one mind” (Moses 7:18) . Note how he stresses that EACH of these echelons of heaven is ONE with itself & each other.

92 And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, which excels in all things—where God, even the Father, reigns upon his throne forever and ever; 94 They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace; 95 And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion. 96 And the glory of the celestial is one [wherein dwells the fullness of the Father v.92], even as the glory of the sun is one. 97 And the glory of the terrestrial is one [wherein receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fulness of the Father. v.77], even as the glory of the moon is one. 98 And the glory of the telestial is one [wherein is the Holy Spirit but not the presence of the Son v.86], even as the glory of the stars is one; (D&C 76:77–98)

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord (YHWH) is one.” (Duet 6:4/Mark 12:29)

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5, 1 Cor 8:6)

And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen. (3 Nephi 11:27)

In other words, The Father, Son & Holy Ghost are archetypes or symbols of ONE God who manifests across different ‘glories’ or levels of eternal beings. Completely unified in heart, mind and spirit, but separate in glory, function and only sometimes individuality. The term LORD God (YHWH Elohim) would be synonymous to the Egyptian terms (quoted in the Kolbrin below) ‘Head God’, or ‘God of the Gods’, or ‘Father of the Gods’ or “the Council of the Eternal God of all other gods” of D&C 121:32. It is NOT a term referring only to Jesus, but can apply to BOTH the Father AND/OR the Son, AND/OR even the Spirit — as the Son & Spirit are both emanations/titles/servants of the Father. (As in a king giving his title or name & even a piece of his consciousness to a servant which allows that being to speak in His Name).

Thus YHWH is BOTH the Father and the Son (Mosiah 15:1–5, Ether 4:7), and even sometimes also the Spirit or Angel of the LORD or any one of many emanations/titles given in scripture. Note the following scriptures:

8 “But now, O Jehovah (YHWH), thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” (Isaiah 64:8)
6 “Do ye thus requite Jehovah (YHWH), O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee?” (Deuteronomy 32:6)
11 “I (Jehovah/YHWH) am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.” (Jeremiah 31:9)
“I thank thee, O Father, Lord (YHWH?) of heaven and earth…” (Matt 11:25)

(see also John 10:30, 17:11-23, D&C 20:28; 121:28)

(see also John 10:30, 17:11-23, D&C 20:28; 121:28)

“Now the Lord (Kyrios/YHWH) is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty… even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Cor 3:17–18)
“Whither shall I go from thy [YHWY’s] spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy [YHWY’s] presence? (Psalm 139:7)
“Who hath directed the Spirit of Jehovah (YHWH), or being his counsellor hath taught him?” (Isaiah 40:13)
“By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath [Ruach/Spirit] of his [YHWY’s] mouth (Psalm 33:6)
“And the angel of the LORD (YHWH) appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire…When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush” (Exodus 3:2–4)

So YHWH or the unseeable, Invisible God (Col 1:15, John 1:18, 1 John 4:12), relates to mankind through a symbolic set of emanations such as His Son, His Spirit, His Angel, His Word, His Voice, His Council. Which Christ and his apostles (and Joseph Smith) simplified into a system of THREE levels of THREE beings. Father – Son – Spirit. With the Spirit or Holy Ghost representing both the highest invisible aspect or Breath of God as well as the lower active force or spirit world aspect of God.

  • 1. The Most High God or Spirit of God: The Most High God is SPIRIT. This ‘first’ or highest member of the Godhead is symbolically made the same as the ‘last’ or lowest. As taught in the Gospel of Philip & Egyptian manuscripts of the Kolbrin, the Holy Spirit “is above and below“. He is “First and Last”. He is the “Great Spirit” of Oahspe. The impersonal, unknowable Law of God which pervades the universe of D&C 84. The “intelligent infinity” of The Law of One. This ‘first, highest’ essence or substance is sometimes called or equated and/or mistaken with the Father.
  • 2 God the Father, Father God or Head God: This is the LDS Celestial Glory of unified embodied beings. The Head God of the Hebrew & Babylonian council of gods. The 5th density of beings in The Law of One. The Orion Chief placed over earth of Oahspe. The Metetron of the Book of Enoch. The God of all other Gods of D&C 121.
  • 3. God the Son: This is the LDS Terrestial Glory of beings. The 7 or 12 ‘Sons of God‘ of the Hebrew & Babylonian council of gods. The Law of One 4rth density beings. This is the aspect of God which condescends to becomes mortal. These are also Celestial beings (God the Father) when they have condescended to become Mortal. Also the Angel of the Lord when operating at a corporal level (touchable).
  • 1. The Holy Ghost or Spirit of God: This is the LDS Telestial Glory of beings–in other words, The Church in the Telestial/Prison level of the Spirit World. Also Celestial beings when operating as ministering Spirits on a non-corporal (not touchable) level. Also the 70 ‘Servants of God‘ of the Hebrew & Babylonian council of gods. This ‘last’ or lowest member of the Godhead is symbolically made the same as the ‘first’ or highest.

Reforms to Think about Regarding My Model

As the Book of Ben Kathryn states, the Gentiles as well as the LDS church has errored its rigid view and contentions over the Godhood. Even the unique wording of question one in the temple recommend interview seems to wrongly test our belief or view of God as a “social trinity” (or three distinct beings one in purpose but separate in body) as opposed to Judaic, Catholic or Protestant views with differing ideas concerning unity of substance and essence, etc. It seems like the type of divisive question that the early Catholic Arians often forced upon the Monophysites before excommunicating and ostracizing them.

(See the Wikipedia articles on sabellianism/modalism, trinitarianism, or the Nestorian debates to get a grasp on how trite most of our Mormon understandings of the historical Christian concepts of trinity actually are.)

This question only reinforces the false pride within the church that our “social trinintarian” views are uniquely different and superior to those of Greater Christianity at large. The Book of Mormon essentially contains classic Trinitarian views on God (Alma 11:38–39, Mos 15:1-4, Ether 3:14–15, Mosiah 16:15), and it seems Church leaders have changed some of these verses to better align with current views. (for instance, 1 Ne 11:18,21, 32 & 1 Ne 13:14)  The bible contains verses which conflict with current views (1 Tim. 1:17 | 1 Tim. 6:16 | Jer. 23:23–24 | 1 Kings 8:27, Acts 17:24–28, John 4:24). Joseph Smith’s lectures of Faith define the Father as “a personage of Spirit”, the son as a “personage of tabernacle [flesh]”, and the Spirit being “the mind” of the Father and Son  (LOF 5:2). And that later, these views were expanded to make “the Father have a body”, and the Holy Ghost to be “a personage of Spirit” (130:22). That views of God held by Old Testament prophets very plainly appear to be vastly different than our current view. (Elohim is a plural form of the Word ‘God’… and definitely not the “name” of the Father).  That Joseph Smith’s King Follet Discourse and D&C 121:32/132 adds complexities to these social Trinitarian views which create more questions than it answers concerning the nature of God(s). That D&C 88:6–13, 93:7-35 teach of an omnipresent non-anthropomorphic aspect of God more in line with Tim. 1:17, 1 Tim. 6:16 and many early church fathers, and more in line with my current beliefs. (Beliefs that understanding the exact nature of God is impossible and blasphemous. That we only understand the part of God that is revealed to us, and that God reveals himself/itself differently to different people and that we should respect that and seek to ‘know’ god in our own unique way, instead of forming dogmatic or creedal opinions of him/her/it).

I really wouldn’t have an issue with this question, except that the pride within the predominate view we’ve pushed for the last hundred years is causing so many to falter, lose their testimonies or leave our faith. People lose faith when the church places so much emphasis on the supposed dogmatic “truth” of our ideas on God — and then they find out those ideas are not even entirely consistent. And worse, our pride will cause many of our members to reject the coming Jewish prophets. I suggest we stop testing members on their view of God as a requirement for entering the temple and start asking members about their beliefs and experiences with God, so that we may find ways to add to and grow their beliefs in meaningful ways. I suggest we start stressing our scriptural similarities with the Christian trinity, (and even Jewish/Muslim Unitarianism) not just our imagined differences. I believe learning the nature of God as He is symbolically taught in our scriptures is very important and deeply personal. I think the conflicting and even paradoxical descriptions of God in LDS and Christian scripture are purposefully designed to try and discourage dogmatic creeds or idol interpretations of deity. Let’s find and define God together as a church and enjoy each other during the journey, not arrogantly dictate our narrow interpretation of God as seen by one of his many, many witnesses.

2. The Greek “Split”: Philosophical vs. Functional

The traditional Christian Trinity was codified in the 4th century using Greek philosophical terms like hypostasis (person/underlying reality) and ousia (substance). The LDS ‘Godhead’ was codified under Brigham young in the 1860s. Both need to be reformed.

  • The Problem: To a Hebrew mind, defining God by “substance” is a Gentile mistake. Hebrew is a language of action and function, not abstract essence.
  • “Splitting asunder”: When the Creeds speak of “Three Persons,” a Hebrew speaker hears the word person and thinks of a separate individual with a separate will. This creates the “split” the text mentions. It begins to look like Tritheism (three gods) wearing a “Monotheism” mask.

3. The Power of “Echad” (The Jewish Unity)

The center of Jewish life is the Shema: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One (Echad).”

  • Compound Unity: In Hebrew, Echad doesn’t always mean a lonely “1.” It often describes a unified plurality.
    • Example: A “cluster” of grapes is Echad.
    • Example: A man and woman becoming “one flesh” is Echad.
      Example: A united monarchy or kingdom.
  • The “Jewish” View: A Messianic or Hebraic view of the Trinity doesn’t see “three people in one office.” It sees the One God manifesting His presence in different “modes of being” or “spheres of action” without ever dividing His fundamental unity. Example of modes are face, arm, back or scepter. Or spirit, word and body. All different modes of the same being.

Jewish Emanations of God

So the Jewish concept of God was one of ONE single God or HEAD GOD OR GODHEAD surrounded by various emanations or faces or modes. Thus God is understood as Ein Sof (The Infinite), an utterly incomprehensible, transcendent essence that exists beyond all description, but interacts with the universe through ten distinct emanations or “attributes” known as the Sefirot. These Sefirot—ranging from Wisdom and Kindness to Severity and Majesty—act as channels, or “filters,” through which divine energy descends and reveals itself in the created world without in any way dividing or changing the perfect unity of God. While these emanations, particularly the final one (Malchut or Shechinah), represent the immanent Divine Presence active in the world, they are not separate deities or independent beings, but rather instruments of divine will, often likened to light radiating from a single, unchanging source.

Emanation (Hebrew/English)Meaning & FunctionRole in the Godhead / Manifestation
Memra (The Word)The Creative “Saying.”Used in the Targums to represent God’s active involvement in the world without making Him “human-like.”
Shekhinah (The Presence)The Indwelling.The “feminine” aspect of God that rested in the Tabernacle. It represents God’s proximity to Israel.
Malakh Adonai (Angel of the Lord)The Sent One.A specific messenger who speaks as God and is addressed as God, often seen as God’s “Visible Form.”
Metatron (God’s Name/Son)The Prince of the Countenance.In mystical texts, the “Lesser YHVH” who bears God’s name and mediates between heaven and earth.
Panim (The Face)Divine Countenance.Represents God’s favor or direct presence. To see His “Face” is to experience His unshielded essence.
Yad / Zeroa (The Hand/Arm)Divine Power.Represents God’s intervention in history, specifically in judgment or the deliverance of Israel (the “Outstretched Arm”).
Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit)Divine Breath/Inspiration.The prophetic force that rests upon individuals, enabling them to speak or act with divine authority.
The Sefirot (= Egyptian Attribute deities)The 10 Attributes.The Kabbalistic “channels” through which God’s light flows into the universe (e.g., Wisdom, Mercy, Justice).

4. The “Jewish” Godhead: Pre-Christian Concepts

Before the Gentile Church arrived, Jewish scripture and tradition (the Targums and early mystical writings) already had a “Complex Monotheism.” This is likely what the Book of Ben Kathryn suggests Messianic Jews will “restore”:

The Memra (The Word)

In ancient Aramaic translations of the Old Testament (Targums), whenever God interacts with the physical world, he does so through his Memra (The Word). The Memra is God, yet it is how God “steps out” of eternity into time.

Jewish Correction: Instead of the Greek Logos (which became a philosophical concept), the Hebrew Memra is God’s active, creative voice.

The Shekhinah (The Presence)

Jewish thought identifies the Shekhinah as the indwelling, “feminine” presence of God on Earth. In a Jewish “Trinity,” the Holy Spirit isn’t just a third “person” in a list; it is the Shekhinah—God’s actual, felt presence in the Temple and the heart.

The “Angel of the Lord”

The Old Testament is full of “The Angel of the Lord” who speaks as Yahweh, accepts worship as Yahweh, and is called Yahweh, yet is sent by Yahweh.

The Jewish Insight: This isn’t a “split” in God; it is God’s Messenger-Self. It is the “Face of God” that can be seen, while the “Essence of God” remains hidden.

4. How the Traditional Trinity or LDS Godhead is “Wrong”

A restored Jewish perspective on god will bring:

  1. Stop counting, start experiencing: Traditional Trinitarianism gets bogged down in the math of “3=1.” The Jewish view focuses on the authority of the Father acting through the agency of the Son by the power of the Spirit. It’s a chain of command, not a committee.
  2. Remove the “Greek Masks”: The word “Person” (persona) comes from the theatre—it implies a mask. Jewish culture prefers the term “Spirit”, “Name” or “Face.” God has many “Names” (Elohim, Yahweh, El Shaddai), but they are all the same “One.”
  3. Humanity as the Bridge: A Jewish view sees the Messiah (the Son) not as a “divine substance” that joined a “human substance,” but as the Perfected Man who is the physical Tabernacle for the fullness of the One God.

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5. Summary of Views

Below is a summary of the views of Blake Ostler, Dan McClellan & Margaret Barker on the concept of LORD God or unity of God in the bible. We should lean on new renewed ancient “Jewish” ideals of godhood that are starting to be taught by authors like Blake Ostler (books/youtube), Dan McClellan (books/youtube), and Margaret Barker (books/youtube), but at the same time we should NOT get weighed down or attached to dogma that puts narrow definitions on the nature of God which lead to division!

Succinct Summary of Views

  • Dan McClellan (Historical-Critical): Focuses on Evolution. He argues that Yahweh and El were originally two different gods in a pantheon (Father and Son/Subordinate). Over centuries, they merged into one single character. He views “LORD God” as a linguistic fossil of that merger, not a reference to two distinct living persons in a Godhead.
  • Blake Ostler (Philosophical/LDS): Focuses on Unity of Will. He accepts the historical distinction but argues it represents a “Social Trinity.” To him, Yahweh (the Son/Jesus) is the God of Israel who speaks for and embodies Elohim (the Father). “LORD God” is the title of the Son acting with the Father’s full authority.
  • Margaret Barker (Temple Theology): Focuses on Restoration. She argues that the first Christians weren’t inventing something new; they were returning to the “First Temple” theology where Yahweh was the High Priest/Son of the High God (El Elyon). She believes “LORD God” refers specifically to the Son (the Angel of the LORD) who manifests the invisible Father to humanity.
FeatureDan McClellan (Historical-Critical)Blake Ostler (LDS Philosophical)Margaret Barker (Temple Theology)
Primary FrameworkSecular/Historical EvolutionSocial Trinitarianism (LDS)
“Monarchical Monotheism”		Pre-Christian “First Temple” Religion
Who is “LORD” (YHWH)?A distinct deity who was later “promoted” to the top.The pre-mortal Jesus Christ (The Son).The Son of God and the Great Angel.
Who is “God” (El/Elohim)?The original Canaanite High Father god.The Eternal Father (El).The Most High God (El Elyon).
Is the Son distinct from the Father?Historically, yes (as two different gods); later, no (merged into one).Yes, as two distinct persons in one Godhead. (Beni Elohim)Yes, the Son is the visible “LORD” who reveals the invisible “God.”
Meaning of “LORD God”A linguistic merger of two previously separate gods.The Son (Yahweh) acting with the Father’s (Elohim) authority.The Son/High Priest appearing in the name of the Most High.
Terminology for Gods manifestationsmodes or ‘extensions of God’s own personhood’ (presentation#1)names or ‘kingships’ of God? (presentation#1, presentation#2)visible manifestation of the invisible El Elyon
View of MonotheismMonotheism was a late development/invention.Monotheism is “Unity of Heart/Mind,” not “Numerical Oneness.”Monotheism was a “distortion” by the later reformers
(Deuteronomists).

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6. Ancient Texts & Channeled Scripture on the Godhead

The Law of One on the Unity of God

The Law of One may be one of the most elegant descriptions of a social trinity which harmonizes some of the arguments made by the above authors on plurality vs unity of God. In its opening chapter it summarizes what it says was the view of some of the higher beings who reveal God to mankind. Beings who have been exalted to a state of unity called a ‘social memory complex’ or a type of group consciousness that no longer dwells in a physical or spiritual world bound by time.

1.7 Ra: Consider, if you will, that the universe is infinite. This has yet to be proven or disproven, but we can assure you that there is no end to yourselves, your understanding, what you would call your journey of seeking, or your perceptions of the creation.

That which is infinite cannot be many, for many-ness is a finite concept. To have infinity you must identify or define that infinity as unity; otherwise, the term does not have any referent or meaning. In an Infinite Creator there is only unity. You have seen simple examples of unity. You have seen the prism which shows all colors stemming from the sunlight. This is a simplistic example of unity.

In truth there is no polarity for all will be, as you would say, reconciled at some point in your dance through the mind/body/spirit complex which you amuse yourself by distorting in various ways at this time. This distortion is not in any case necessary. It is chosen by each of you as an alternative to understanding the complete unity of thought which binds all things. You are not speaking of similar or somewhat like entities or things. You are every thing, every being, every emotion, every event, every situation. You are unity. You are infinity. You are love/light, light/love. You are. This is the Law of One.

May we enunciate this law in more detail? (Law of One, Session 1)

1.1 We, too, have our place. We are not those of the Love or of the Light. We are those who are of the Law of One. In our vibration the polarities are harmonized, the complexities are simplified, and the paradoxes have their solution. We are one. That is our nature and our purpose… We are not a part of time and, thus, are able to be with you in any of your times.

1.5 Ra: The identity of the vibration Ra is our identity. We as a group, or what you would call a social memory complex [or exalted group-consciousness], made contact with a race of your planetary kind which you call Egyptians.

Also of interest are the verses in the ancient Egyptian scroll section of the KOLBRIN which explain how the Egyptians (and Hebrews by extension) actually saw the distinction between The Most High God and lower emanations of God.

The Kolbrin (specifically in the Egyptian scrolls like the Scroll of Masters and the Scroll of Creation) explicitly makes the claim that Egyptian “polytheism” was a misunderstanding by the uneducated masses, whereas the priesthood understood all “gods” to be facets of a single, supreme Creator.

This concept is often referred to in the text as the “One God of the Secret Name” or the “Hidden One.”

Key Verses and Concepts from The Kolbrin

While the book is divided into many small verses, the most direct explanation of this “Monotheism behind Polytheism” is found in the Egyptian Book of the Masters:

  1. The Many as Attributes of the One: The text states that the “gods” are merely names given to the various powers and attributes of the Supreme Being.“Men speak of many gods, but they are only names for the powers of the One. The many are but as the fingers on a hand or the beams from a sun.” (Paraphrased from the Scroll of the Masters).
  2. The “One without a Second”: In the Scroll of Creation, the text describes a singular, eternal source that existed before everything else.“In the beginning, there was only the One, the Uncreated, the Self-Sustaining… He is the Hidden One, whom no man knows by his true name, for to name Him is to limit Him.”
  3. The Priesthood vs. The People: The Kolbrin explains that the “images” and “idols” were used as teaching tools for those who could not grasp the abstract nature of a single, infinite God.“The wise know that God is one, but the foolish need many images to focus their wandering minds. Thus, the attributes of the One were given form, that the ignorant might have something to grasp.”

The following (and many more ancient egyptian Kolbrin scrolls) can be searched out at this link.

CRT:1:3 Before the beginning, there was only one consciousness, that of The Eternal One whose nature cannot be expressed in words. It was The One Sole Spirit, The Self Generator, which cannot diminish, The Unknown, Unknowable One brooding solitary in profound pregnant silence. CRT:1:4 The name which is uttered cannot be that of this Great Being who, remaining nameless, is the beginning and the end, beyond time, beyond the reach of mortals, and we in our simplicity call it God. CRT:1:5 He who preceded all existed alone in His strange abode of uncreated light, which remains ever unextinguishable, and no understandable eye can ever behold it. The pulsating draughts of the eternal life light in His keeping were not yet loosed. He knew Himself alone; He was uncontrasted, unable to manifest in nothingness, for all within His Being was unexpressed potential. (The Kolbrin, Creation Scroll 1:3-7)

MPR:2:1 There is but one God, the High God, the Designer, the Creator and Ruler of the Earth and the Lord of the Kingdoms of Light and Darkness. Everlasting, All Powerful and beyond the understanding of men. The Great Dweller in Everlasting Pregnant Silence, Unseeable, Unknowable. MPR:2:2 By a command He created man, and in His indulgence permitted the gods to be fashioned. He is the Source of all that is, the Father of Fathers, the Mother of Mothers, the One Who preceded the sun. The sun is not God, though His creation, for its brightness bestows light and life upon the Earth… It is the instrument of the High God, His furnace fire of life. The sun is removed from man at night time, but the True God is always with him. Man never walks alone; he is never unescorted. MPR:2:3 To this God alone give praise, Self-Created, Maker of Heaven and Earth, Founder of the Kingdoms of Light and Darkness… (Kolbrin, Morals & Precepts. Scroll of the Nature of the True God)

MAN:34:44 The new form of worship introduced by this Pharaoh [Nabihaton] was simple enough… Behind the symbols and ceremonial, the Pharaoh worshipped the [ONE] Spirit behind the Sun, the Spirit of Light and Life as a direct, fully conscious member outflowing from The Great God Behind All. The king, however, being cut off in the midst of his instruction, perceived the road but dimly… [and revealed Sacred Mysteries, kept hidden by the Enlightened Ones and the Twice Born to the common masses.] (Manuscripts 34, Annexed Scroll Two)

GLN:2:14 “Men call on many gods, though above all there is but One; yet whatever they call Me, I will hear them, for I am The God Above Names, The God Embracing All Names. Whatever men believe, if it serves Good, it serves God. But gold necklaces are not for sheep and outward forms of worship must suffice for the spiritually undeveloped. The rituals of men may often be empty ceremonials, but they may also guard the Great Mysteries behind them.” (Scroll of Gleanings, Kolbrin)

MAN:11:15 Men say, “There are many gods, therefore which among them shall we worship? We cannot know.” They are confounded by their own foolishness, for choice is easy… MAN:11:16 The pillars of all wisdom [counsel or emanations of God] are numbered as the fingers upon a hand… MAN:11:17 The Earth at his feet, the Heavens above, The Great God of gods or the unreal gods of men…

OGS:8:21 … Great Gods, old and new, hasten the day! (There is but One God, but men view Him differently, through their own deceptive eyes, in many aspects, and He appears to them to be many).

SOF:19:10 The barbarians make images of God to make Him more understandable. Are we much better, who make images of Him in our likeness within our thoughts?

SCL:10:8 O Watchers, announce to the Lords of Light and to the Lords of Darkness that I am one, who has penetrated the Mystic Veil but is destined to return to the Realm of Heaviness. O Watchers, announce that I am now a self-knowing everlasting spirit. O Father of the Gods, who is above all, issue the decrees of fate, which ensure that henceforth, I live a life of service, that I may live purposefully when I return to fulfil my destiny.

GLN:2:14 “Men call on many gods, though above all there is but One; yet whatever they call Me, I will hear them, for I am The God Above Names, The God Embracing All Names. Whatever men believe, if it serves Good, it serves God. But gold necklaces are not for sheep and outward forms of worship must suffice for the spiritually undeveloped. The rituals of men may often be empty ceremonials, but they may also guard the Great Mysteries behind them.”

GLN:8:6 “Perchance, too, this Great God does not exist. Who besides you knows of Him? If He be so great, is it not more likely that He would be worshipped by gods rather than by men? Is it not more likely that lesser gods stand intermediate between Him and men’? If a shepherd or husbandman comes to the palace seeking justice or grace, does he see me or an official under me? You say your God is approachable by anyone. Does this enhance His stature? Which is greater, the ruler who judges disputes between swineherds and listens to their complaints, or the ruler who appoints effective officials to deal with swineherds? Surely the former rules amid chaos while the latter rules with efficiency. Do not both of us believe, as all men believe, that there is One Great God above all gods, but we believe that being so great, this Being is beyond approach by mere mortals. Only in this do we differ, you and I.” GLN:8:7 Hurmanetar [Gilgamesh] answered her, saying, “I know him not as He is; all I know is that He exists.
GLN:10:7 God answered Hurmanetar, saying… GLN:10:8 “You call upon Me as the Father of the Gods, nor do you err in this. Yet I am the Hidden God, the God of Secret Manifestation, the Wronged God, the Betrayed God, the Disappointed God. I am the God who sought to give love Divine to men by making them My heirs, making them partakers of divinity, co-creators with Me.

GLN:11:16 ‘There are three great spheres, and that containing the Earth is held together by the Great Glow outflowing from the God of Gods. That part of the Great Glow, which is light and contains life is called Manah, while that which is heavy and contains the flesh of things of the Earth is called Manyu.”

GLN:11:17 “The One Who is the God of Gods is so great that He cannot be defined in the speech of men. Neither can they conceive Him in their thoughts, for He is beyond their understanding. Mortal man has limitations; therefore,let men conceive Him as they will. It is of no importance, providing their conception serves both His purpose and the glorification of man.” GLN:11:18 “Man is not yet great, and until he becomes so it is well that he worship the many Godforms conceived within his thoughts, providing they be such as tend to raise him above himself. Nor do ritual and worship do harm of themselves, unless they, too, thickly overlay the truth so it is buried from sight. Ritual and outward forms of worship can be aids to purification of thought and provide a kind of sustenance for the Lord of the Body. What are the Lesser Gods beloved by unawakened men but thought-conceived friends and guides? Yet, this is a dangerous path men tread, balanced between light and darkness. Therefore, when man wanders towards the abyss of darkness, reveal a little more light, that he may see and so return to the path. Beware, too, lest he follow gods that are false guides and would lure him into the quicksand of carnality, or into the wilderness of ignorance.”

MAN:33:7 … Before creation commenced there was the One Father/Mother Being and from this Divinity came the heavenly Twins. From these were born three, and the three became many. MAN:33:8 The Originating Divinity is called many names among men, and in Egypt His names are hidden in other names. Among the Chosen Ones, He is called The Craftsman Creator, but men and women name Him differently among the people. Likewise, some say ‘Him’ while others say ‘Her;’ it is all alike, for these are no more than the words and distinctions of mortal man. Heaven is the sphere of God, the true abode of His Spirit in essence. There is the Heaven above, which is the High Heaven, and the Heaven below, which is the reflection of the High Heaven. The true Centre of God is in Newit.

MPR:2:1 There is but one God, the High God, the Designer, the Creator and Ruler of the Earth and the Lord of the Kingdoms of Light and Darkness. Everlasting, All Powerful and beyond the understanding of men. The Great Dweller in Everlasting Pregnant Silence, Unseeable, Unknowable… MPR:2:17 He is the Creator, in whose Spirit image and likeness, you were fashioned. His laws ordained your present estate and circumstances upon Earth. The power of your intellect is His promise of godhood, and the marvels of your body are the works of His hand. His soul communes with your soul, and the consciousness He shares with you is the source of your life… MPR:2:24 He sits enthroned in the universal centre, and the divine rays, which flow from His presence, hold all forms in stability. He moves His finger in the nightskies, and the stars dance along their pathways. He walks upon the wings of the wind and encompasses all the kingdoms of Heaven and Earth… MPR:2:32 However, for men in general, the Undiscovered God is not apparent. He has no man-made image in His likeness, and He stands in obscurity behind the great alcove beyond the temple within the Place of Flame. Yet, He makes Himself known in subtle ways, for He cannot remain unmanifested to the truly spiritual, any more than a river can remain hidden, for it dissolves away the ground, in which it is concealed. So will the Great God spring forth in the midst of material things and, dissolving away their solidity, shine forth to the sincere seeker… MPR:3:17 The gods of the North and South provide food for the body of man, but it is the God of All Ages, who provide sustenance for the soul. As the body has its particular foods, which nourish it, so has the soul. As the body is impoverished by lack of proper sustenance, so is the soul.

An example of quotes from 300’s BC from Greek historian theopompus showing their tradition of considering stars or zodiacs ‘gods’ as well as ‘attributes gods.

They have also many stories to relate concerning the gods, for example that Horomazes… created six gods, the first three deities respectively of good-will, truth, and orderliness, the others of wisdom, wealth, and a good conscience. By the latter rivals as it were to these were formed of equal number. Then Horomazes extended himself to thrice his stature as far beyond the sun as the sun is beyond the earth, and adorned the heaven with stars, appointing one star, Sirius, as guardian and watcher before all. He made also other twenty-four gods and placed them in an egg, but Areimanius produced creatures of equal number and these crushed the egg . . . wherefore evil is mingled with good. At the appointed time however Areimanius must be utterly brought to nought and destroyed by the pestilence and famine which he has himself caused, and the earth will be cleared and made free from obstruction, the habitation of a united community of men dwelling in happiness and speaking one tongue. Theopompus further reports that according to the magi for three thousand years in succession each of the gods holds sway or is in subjection, and that there will follow on these a further period of three thousand years of war and strife, in which they mutually destroy the works of one another. Finally Hades will be overthrown, and men will be blessed, and will neither need nourishment nor cast a shadow. And the deity who has accomplished these things will then take rest and solace for a period that is not long, especially for a god, and moderate for a sleeping man. To this effect then is the legendary account given by the magi. (Plutarch ca. 100 A.D. Cumont, ii, p.33-36, De Iside et Osiride, ch. 46. Theopompus lived in the 4th c. B.C.)

Connection to Historical “Henotheism”

Your observation actually aligns with a real-world Egyptological concept called Henotheism or Monolatry.

  • The “Ba” of God: Many genuine ancient Egyptian hymns (like the Great Hymn to Aten or the Hymns to Amun) describe the various gods as the “Bas” (manifestations or souls) of a single, hidden deity.
  • The Kolbrin’s Perspective: The Kolbrin takes this a step further by framing it as a “Secret Wisdom” that was lost or corrupted over time.

This perspective in the Kolbrin is very similar to the “Hermetic” traditions that emerged later, which also claimed that ancient Egyptian religion was a deeply philosophical monotheism hidden behind a mask of animal-headed deities.

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Scriptures from the Gnostic Pearl & Nag Hammadi Library

Here’s a few more verses from The Gnostic Bible or Expanded Gnostic Writings that echo Brigham’s

2 Father and Son are single names, but Holy Spirit is a double name. Father and Son are above, but Holy Spirit is above and below. Father and Son are personally present above, but they are present through Holy Spirit above and below. (Principles of the Covenant ch.8:2, Gospel of Phillip, Nag Hammadi)

3 The Father is the Only Begotten of the Father. The name of the Father is the Son. The name of the Son is the Father (9:3)

3 There is a name which mortals do not use unless they have been enlightened; it is the name of the Father, which the Parents have given to the Son, for the Son could not become Father unless he bears the name of the Father. Those who know this name do not use it freely, for the names of Deity are sacred, filled with power, and this name is the most sacred of all. (3:3)

3. How did the Lord Jesus reveal himself to us in this mortal realm while he taught here? He lived here as a mortal, although he revealed himself to be the Son of the Eloheim. We say he lived among us, teaching the principles of the Heavenly Father and the Earthly Mother, but this mortal existence is more death than life. While he revealed himself as Son of the Eloheim, he also declared himself to be Son of Man, for his Father is Divine Anthropos, and the Son is preeminently human, as well as divine. He embraced both humanity and divinity within himself, so that he could die as a human, but vanquish death as a God. He came from a higher plane; he was the Son of a God. In fact, he, himself, was a God before this physical realm was organized. 4. This seems difficult to understand to the mortal mind, but when we have put on the mind of Christ, it all becomes clear. There is nothing difficult to understand in the Word of Truth, but we must first put on the mind of Christ, the Holy Spirit, so that we no longer think as mortals, but as the children of the Eloheim. (Mystery of the Resurrection, Nag Hamadi Library)

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This is a backstory in the Mentinah Archive of the Creation/Temple Drama. But what does it really add? That the Holy Ghost is an eternal, uncreated being just like the Elohim (and Michael is one of his generals?). That the new plan of using ‘spirit beings’ allowed people to progress as much in one life as hurdreds of lives under the former system. Does it say Christ was one of the Holy Ghost People or one of the Sons of the Elohim? (I think it says sons of the Elohim… he was only a few lives away from graduating telestial existence). I DONT THINK IT SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT THE HOLY GHOST GETTING A BODY? https://platesofmormon.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/volume2.pdf

128) Elohim Heavenly Father: …This new thing will bring the necessary experience together for all to receive exaltation in as little as one life more
130) Elohim Heavenly Father: Each of you must subdue your own desire for eminence for one lifetime and set self aside, submitting to the will of Elohim Heavenly Father, Elohim Heavenly Mother, the Chosen One and the Holy Ghost. Each of you must give up all that you have already created and become as one just starting out, a little child at the beginning of the long and arduous labors. Nevertheless, though you shall be as one only just embarking on the journey, because of he New and Everlasting Covenant, you may be blessed with all that I and your Mother in Heaven have.
131) Elohim Heavenly Mother: One of you will be required to take upon you all of the consecrated experience and descend to the very beginning, to condescend to give up all that you have already accomplished, to accept the aggregate of all the creative experiences into one, and then to sacrifice it all for the good of all. The result of this consecration, sacrifice and Atonement will bring about a new thing in the cosmos, a new order, a New and Everlasting Covenant. Through it, all who are willing will become like Us, even Your Heavenly Parents.
133) Narrator: But there was a lesser portion of the children of Elohim Heavenly Father and Elohim Heavenly Mother, and among this third part was one who wished to attain the Celestial Glory without subduing his own will to that of any other. And some few joined with him and were of like mind. They counseled against the New and Everlasting Covenant. He was one like unto the Firstborn of Elohim, having nearlycompleted his work and was known to all as a child of light, even Lucifer.
Narrator: The Spirits of the Holy Ghost People possess the bodies of the astral bodies, as well as the plants, animals, and other mundane bodies in creation and all have joy.