Most Christian churches accept the biblical idea of a holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. Confusion and mysticism has surrounded this conception of the Trinity for over a thousand years however. Some hold the view that these beings are a mystical combination of one-in-three and three-in-one. Others say that God is only a spirit. Many believe that Jesus and his Father are one and the same being.

When the Lord Jesus Christ lived and ministered among the Jews in the Holy Land, he organized a church among them. Many people do not understand this, but it becomes clear as one gains familiarity with the scriptures. He called 12 men to be apostles, other men to be "seventy" (Luke 10:1 & 17), and gave these men his authority - or priesthood. We know that Peter, the chief apostle, led the church in the absence of Jesus and oversaw further organization and development.

Paul says that the Lord

Many good Christians that consent to have conversations about the LDS church, express an opinion that goes something like this: "I'll hear what you have to say, but I'm going to test it all by the bible. The bible is the final authority. If it doesn't square with the bible, I won't believe it."

Note: This post was written a few years ago, prior to the Church publishing this essay on Race and Priesthood.  I'm still keeping it up here, because I think there's some good things here.  But suffice it to say, the landscape has changed somewhat..