Core Beliefs of Latter-day Saints: Doctrine and Scripture

The Godhead

At the heart of Latter-day Saint belief is the conviction that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three distinct, glorified, immortal personages who work together in perfect unity. This understanding differs from the traditional Christian doctrine of the Trinity, which describes God as three persons in one substance. For Latter-day Saints, the three members of the Godhead are separate beings, each with a body of flesh and bone (in the case of the Father and the Son), but perfectly unified in purpose and will. God the Father is the supreme being and creator; Jesus Christ is His Son and the Savior of mankind; the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit without a physical body, whose role is to bear witness of truth and comfort the faithful.

The Plan of Salvation

The plan of salvation is the framework through which Latter-day Saints understand human existence and purpose. According to this doctrine, before mortality, all humans existed as spirit children of God the Father in a premortal life. In that heavenly council, God presented a plan for the creation of the earth and the opportunity for His children to receive mortal bodies, gain experience, and develop faith and character through facing opposition and temptation. Jesus Christ volunteered to be the Savior, accepting the responsibility to atone for the sins of all humanity, while Satan rebelled against the plan and was cast out. Those who came to earth in mortality are those who chose to follow Christ's plan in the premortal existence.

Mortality is the time of testing. Humans are given agency -- the power to choose for themselves -- and are subject to temptation and opposition so that they might grow and develop. The purpose of mortality is not merely individual salvation, but also progression toward the divine nature of God Himself. As Joseph Smith taught, citing John 17:3, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (Doctrine and Covenants 132:24). Knowledge of God and progression toward godliness are central to salvation.

One unique feature of Latter-day Saint belief is the emphasis on eternal families. Members believe that family relationships -- marriage, parenthood, siblinghood -- can and should continue beyond death through sacred ordinances performed in temples. The temple sealing ordinance allows families to be sealed together "for time and all eternity," meaning that the bonds that unite family members on earth will persist in the life to come. This teaching shapes Latter-day Saint life profoundly, making family relationships not temporary but eternal.

The afterlife in Latter-day Saint doctrine is described as three degrees of glory, each with different levels of exaltation and peace. The highest is the celestial kingdom, reserved for those who accept Jesus Christ, are baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and remain faithful. Within the celestial kingdom there are three levels of reward, with the highest -- exaltation -- reserved for those who are sealed in the temple and live worthy of that covenant. The terrestrial kingdom is for those who were honorable but did not accept the full gospel in life, and the telestial kingdom is for those who rejected the gospel and committed grievous sins. Even those in the lower kingdoms will inherit a glory that surpasses human imagination, reflecting God's mercy toward all His children.

Scripture and Revelation

Latter-day Saints believe that God's gospel was corrupted or lost after the death of the apostles, resulting in centuries of spiritual darkness called the apostasy. The Restoration, which began with Joseph Smith's divine vision in 1820, brought back the fullness of the gospel. Joseph Smith received gold plates from the angel Moroni and translated them into the Book of Mormon, a record of God's dealings with ancient peoples on the American continent. He also received other revelations that became the Doctrine and Covenants and received sacred texts that comprise the Pearl of Great Price.

The standard works -- the scriptures by which Latter-day Saints live -- are four: the Bible (especially the King James Version, valued for its poetic language and theological precision), the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. These four books form the doctrinal foundation of the faith. Members believe that God continues to speak through living prophets and apostles, and that conference addresses by the President of the Church and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles carry the weight of continuing revelation.

Practices and Commitments

The Word of Wisdom, revealed to Joseph Smith in 1833, is a health code that forbids the use of tobacco, strong drinks (alcohol), and "hot drinks" (interpreted as coffee and hot tea), and recommends the use of grains, fruits, vegetables, and meat used sparingly. Members who keep the Word of Wisdom are promised greater health and spiritual strength. Faithful adherence to the Word of Wisdom is required for entry into the temple.

Tithing is the payment of one-tenth of income to the church, and it is considered a covenant between the member and God. The practice is based on ancient biblical precedent and is seen as an act of faith and acknowledgment that all blessings come from God. Members also fast once a month (going without food and drink for two consecutive meals) and donate the cost of that meal as a fast offering to help the poor and needy.

Temple ordinances are sacred ceremonies that members believe are necessary for the highest salvation. These include baptism for the dead (performing proxy baptism for ancestors who did not have the opportunity to be baptized in life), endowments (receiving sacred covenants and instruction about God's plan), and sealings (binding families together for eternity). Temples are considered sacred spaces where heaven and earth meet, and the ordinances performed there are believed to unlock the blessings promised in the gospel.

The Articles of Faith, written by Joseph Smith in 1842, are thirteen concise statements that summarize core Latter-day Saint doctrine. They affirm belief in God the Father, Christ, and the Holy Ghost; the Bible and other scriptures; the reality of modern revelation; the importance of correct ordinances; the central role of Jesus Christ's atonement; the right to worship according to conscience; the subjection to civil laws; the gathering of Israel; and the hope for universal happiness and eventual redemption. These thirteen statements remain the theological cornerstone of the faith.