In a sermon
dated 17 November 1867, Brigham Young used Elohim
(“Eloheim”) to denote a single divine person, not in the sense of “gods” (many
LDS I have encountered naively think all instances of Elohim means “gods,” so
this is apropos):
We have great reason to be thankful for the
blessings we enjoy as individuals and as a people. There is no other people on
the earth, that we have any knowledge of, who are blessed to the same extent as
this people called Latter-day Saints. If we are blessed more than others, we
should be more thankful than others. The blessings and bounties of the Lord
upon us are bestowed according to our faithfulness and obedience to the requirements
made of us. We have seen times in our history as a people, that if the hand of
God had not been immediately over us, we must have perished. But to secure His
blessings the Lord requires the strict obedience of His people. This is our
duty. We obey the Lord, Him who is
called Jehovah, the Great I AM, I am a man of war, Eloheim, etc. We are under many obligations to obey Him. How shall
we know that we obey Him? There is but one method by which we can know it, and
that is by the inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord witnessing unto our spirit
that we are His, that we love Him, and that He loves us. It is by the spirit of
revelation we know this. We have no witness to ourselves internally, without
the spirit of revelation. We have no witness outwardly only by obedience to the
ordinances. (JOD 12:99)
