The nature of God is often debated by other religions and cults. Thus, when the issue of the Trinity comes up, many point to this verse as evidence that this is not a biblical teaching. After all, it is argued, there are three gods referenced here: the Father, whose voice comes out of heaven; the Son, Jesus, who is being baptized by John the Baptist; and the Holy Spirit, who came down upon Jesus as a dove. Therefore, how can God be “one” when this clearly shows He is three? The answer is quite simple. Indeed, God is one (Deut 6:4; Mark 12:29), yet He is revealed in three Persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As one Christian apologist has put it, we should think of God as being one “what” (the unity of His essence) revealed in three “whos” (the individual Persons making up the Trinity). Each is distinct from the others, so it makes sense that they are described as separate.

For other passages discussing common passages used by Latter-day Saints, click here.