Written by Cassandra Ball, a BYU student, studying a volume of scripture known as the Pearl of Great Price, which is written by prophets; members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “Mormons” revere it as sacred text. This post comes from a book within the Pearl of Great Price known as The Book of Moses; it is an extraction from the translation of the Bible as revealed to Joseph Smith the Prophet, June 1830—February 1831.

God the Father Has a Body Similar to Ours

In a book of scripture known as the Pearl of Great Price, Moses chapter one, we learn that Moses is the titular character makes a number of discoveries regarding the Jesus Christ, the Universe, and where his place was within it. As a person who accepts the Book of Moses as a reliable source, his early discoveries have had a profound impact on my own life and belief system.

Moses’ first discovery is fairly straightforward – he was able to speak to the God the Father face to face (Moses 1:2). The implication there is clear – if the Lord has a literal face, we can conclude that He also has a physical body. It is glorified and perfected, but nonetheless apparently fairly similar to Moses’ own mortal body with a face and hands and vocal cords.

Moses’ next discovery is along a similar vein – he is God’s son (Moses 1:4), and in similitude of the Lord’s only begotten, Jesus Christ (Moses 1:6). God the Father tells Moses that he has work to do, which implies that the Lord has known Moses for much longer than Moses’ life on earth. He is then able to view the entirety of the God’s creation before the Lord’s glory withdraws from him and he is left unto himself, musing about the nothingness of man (Moses 1:7-11).

Shortly after that occurs, Satan appears, hoping to tempt Moses into worshiping him. Because of Moses’ new found knowledge, he knows that Satan is not worthy of worship. After Moses banishes Satan three times, Satan finally departs

As an individual, many of these lessons are small, but nonetheless profound. If God had a physical body when Moses saw Him, it means that He has had a physical body like Moses’ and like mine. It further implies that at some point, our mortal bodies will have the capacity to be glorified and perfected like unto His

I can also conclude that I myself am a daughter of the Father, and in similitude of the Savior (broadly speaking, at least). If the Lord was aware of Moses, and had a job for him to do, then the same must be true of me, as well.

Finally, I am left to wrestle with the tension between my own nothingness, and my own unlimited potential, just as Moses did. Although he felt that man was nothing in comparison to the greatness of the Lord, he was able to successfully banish Satan, exercising power over him. Satan is often portrayed as an immensely strong being, but he cannot withstand the power of a righteous human being. Therefore, it stands to reason that human beings (including myself) have the potential to likewise banish Satan and become more akin to the Lord. By claiming and honoring my divine heritage, I can one day become perfected and live with God the Father for eternity.

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