(cont'd) And this is life eternal...

Continuing with Elder Holland's talk from my previous post

Continuing with Elder Holland's point:

"We declare it is self-evident from the scriptures that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate persons, three divine beings..."

A second example he uses to make his case is:

2) His baptism at the hands of John (Matthew 3)

The gospel of Matthew records:

13 ¶ Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
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.

In verse 16, Jesus comes out of the waters of baptism and sees the Spirit of God descending upon him, then in verse 17, God the Father speaks from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." It is hard to get more direct evidence than that provided by these two versus that God the Father, his son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three individual beings.

3) The Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17)

1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them:
and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

Peter, James and John are with Jesus when God the Father proclaims, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." Here is yet another self-evident instance in the New Testament of the separate nature of God the Father, and his son, Jesus Christ.

4) The martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7)

The account of the martyrdom of Stephen provides yet another instance of God the Father and Jesus Christ as two separate beings.

54 ¶ When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 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,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

In verse 55, Stephen sees "Jesus standing on the right hand of God", and proclaiming "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."

There is no denying the plain witness of the New Testament that God the Father and Jesus Christ are two separate beings.

Elder Holland does not stop there. He continues with more examples. These will be examined in subsequent posts.