“We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in his son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” The “Lectures of Faith” that once comprised the first part of the Doctrine and Covenants give further information about the Godhead, including: “That he changes not, neither is there variableness with him; but that he is the same from everlasting to everlasting, being the same yesterday, today and forever; and that his course is one eternal round, without variation.” “The True God,” in Chapter 2 of the Book of the Law of the Lord gives further information about God, including that he is the “only true God.” More information is in our 1847 tract Catholic Discussion.  According to the Bible, the God of the prophets and apostles has arms, hands, loins, feet, face, eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, lips, and tongue.  In the Bible, Jesus Christ was a carpenter’s son or the son of Joseph; and he was the son of David, the seed of David according to the flesh, and the root and offspring of David.

“We believe that men will be punished for their own sins and not for Adam’s transgression”—that Christ redeemed us from Adam’s transgression as a free gift, and from our owns sins if we repent (see the Book of Mormon).

We believe that the ordinances of the gospel are (1) faith in Jesus Christ; (2) repentance; (3) baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and (4) laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.  We immediately baptize any earnest person eight years old and upwards who asks to be baptized and professes faith and repentance.  See the “Articles and Covenants” of the church (Section 2 of the Doctrine and Covenants) and Chapter 11 on “Baptism” in the Book of the Law of the Lord.