“My next sermon will be to both Saint and sinner. One thing has remained a mystery in this kingdom up to this day. It is in regard to the character of the well-beloved Son of God, upon which subject the Elders of Israel have conflicting views. Our God and Father in heaven, is a being of tabernacle, or, in other words, He has a body, with parts the same as you and I have; and is capable of showing forth His works to organized beings, as, for instance, in the world in which we live, it is the result of the knowledge and infinite wisdom that dwell in His organized body. His son Jesus Christ has become a personage of tabernacle, and has a body like his father. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Lord, and issues forth from Himself, and may properly be called God’s minister to execute His will in immensity; being called to govern by His influence and power; but He is not a person of tabernacle as we are, and as our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ are.”
Exegetical Breakdown
“One thing has remained a mystery in this kingdom up to this day…”
Brigham acknowledges that even within the Church, the nature of Christ has remained unsettled and debated. This sets the stage for a revelatory correction intended for both Saints and the world.
“Our God and Father in heaven, is a being of tabernacle…”
This affirms that God the Father has a physical, glorified body—a direct refutation of creedal Christianity’s view of God as immaterial or incomprehensible. His body is described as “organized,” meaning ordered, eternal, and composed of refined matter.
“…as, for instance, in the world in which we live…”
The creation is a manifestation of God’s organized body and intelligence. This aligns with the principle that God’s glory is intelligence and that matter is eternal and governed by divine law.
“His Son Jesus Christ has become a personage of tabernacle…”
Jesus Christ, as the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, has a body “like his Father.” This is not merely a mortal body, but an exalted, resurrected one. The verb “has become” implies a process—His divine embodiment was completed through mortality, death, and resurrection.
“The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Lord…”
Brigham defines the Holy Ghost as the Spirit of God—not a tabernacled being, but one who issues forth from God. He is personified as “God’s minister,” executing divine will throughout “immensity,” a term denoting cosmic scale.
“…but He is not a person of tabernacle as we are…”
Brigham draws a distinction in embodiment: the Holy Ghost is divine and personal but does not yet possess a body of flesh and bone. This is consistent with later teachings that He will eventually receive a body.
Hermeneutic Layers
Doctrinal Layer
God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ are both exalted beings with tangible, perfected bodies. This embodiment is not a limitation but a perfection—organized matter infused with infinite intelligence and glory. The Holy Ghost, while divine, remains a spirit capable of ministering through all creation, but not yet tabernacled.
Anti-Creedal Contrast
Brigham’s language directly opposes Trinitarian and creedal Christian interpretations of an incorporeal or “immaterial” God. He affirms a theology grounded in materiality, progression, and relational hierarchy—one that is deeply consistent with Latter-day Saint scripture but radically different from Nicene tradition.
Bridge to JD 1:52
While this sermon segment focuses on the Godhead, it begins to set the stage for Brigham’s return to Adam theology. The transition to Adam and Eve’s descent into Eden follows this block directly in JD 1:52, where the divine structure of parenthood and embodiment is applied to the origin of mortality.
Cross-Referencing Context
These teachings expand upon the foundation laid in JD 1:50, and reinforce earlier statements in JD 6:275:4 about exalted beings organizing worlds and producing tabernacles for their spiritual posterity. The embodiment of deity is not speculative—it is the starting point for understanding eternal relationships and creative authority.