“God” as a Relationship of Unity
Among a Plurality of Persons
There is also an important sense in which “God” does not
refer to any person or individual but to an essential relationship shared by
many individuals. (5) This relationship is so profound and the unity so
complete that the persons who share this unity have identical experiences, know
exactly the same things, agree perfectly with the decisions by all others
sharing this unity and always act in complete unison. This unity is so perfect
that it is improper to think of one person in this unity acting without the
others. In this sense, there is a single agency exercised by these beings, a
single purpose in action and a single act for each state of affairs brought
about these persons acting in unity. When “God” is used in this sense it refers
to the single governing power in the universe and the single will guiding the
affairs of humanity. It is thus appropriate to speak of “God” rather than
“gods” in the sense of more than one agency.
Blake T. Ostler, Exploring Mormon Thought: The Attributes
of God (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2001), 10-11
