One God? Am I the only one a little confused?

[dauser]

WE believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
And we are Baptized and married in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost.

Yet the following scriptures suggest the Eternal Father, His Son and Holy Ghost are...One?, Not three, undivided? Connected? United? In purpose? Not in body? A trinity yet one?

And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.

6. D&C 20:28
Which Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one God, infinite and eternal, without end. Amen.

Who is willing to have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth which is in Christ Jesus, who is the Only Begotten Son of God, and ordained to be a Mediator between God and man; who is one God, and hath power over all men.

And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

How important is it to have this all figured out?

[davedan]

It is critical to understand how the Godhead are 1 and how they are 3.

1. God the Father and Jesus Christ are 1 in purpose but 2 individual wills. The 2-ness of wills is critical to the gospel. If Jesus Christ were the same person, being, and individual as the Father, what kind of feat would it be that Christ voluntarily submitted his independent will to the Father? Independent will is the essence of independent existence. Christ expression before the Atonement: "Not as I will, but as thou wilt" is the essense of the purpose of all existence.

Also, the fact that Christ subdued his independent will to the will of the Father is the essence of the definition of CHARITY = The Pure Love of Christ -- for the FATHER. It is because of the Love of Christ for the Father that Christ was empowered to do good and be good more than any other person. If Jesus Christ and the Father are the same person, being, individual then we are just saying that God loved Himself and was empowered for loving Himself and doing His own will.

2. God the Father and God the Son are 2 individuals in person and being in that Christ can condescend to our sinful state. God sent the Son to redeem man. Many believe that because they accept Christ, and Christ is in them and with them that they "have arrived" at their final destination. They forget that it is Christ mission not to just leave us as we are, but change us, justify, sanctify and perfect us until be can return in the presence of our Perfect Father in Heaven.

3. God is complete and perfect alone. Christ said that we must be perfect as our Father in Heaven in perfect. Christ was sent to Earth to perfect man, and not to perfect and complete God the Father.

[drjme]

I like to use the example of the centurion in the bible to describe how the oneness of God works:

5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

The centurion recognizes that Christ is operating under Authority similar to how He operates under the authority Of His 'superior', and those under Him also would operate under the authority of His superior.
The will of the centurions superior passes down through the line of authority, no matter who that will comes down through, it is still recognized as the will of caesar. regardless of who represents the authority and will of the superior it is still recognized and obeyed as the actual will of the supreme.
And so with us recognizing the will through the HG, Christ etc, there is a direct line of authority and will that is from the Father and we recognize and do not grieve that will.
Christ commends the centurion for His faith and understanding, because Christ came to reveal the Father, and because the only way to the Father is through Him, to US he is one and the same as The Father.

[Simon]

God invited all of us to "be one, even as Christ and the Father are one"

I think this says it all... Be one in intend, one in understanding, one in love, one in brortherly kindness, one in truth, one in light, one in God

[jbalm]

Joseph Smith's concept of the godhead evolved over time. Just look at the Lectures on Faith. Also, if you can find it, look at the changes that were made to the BOM regarding the "oneness" of Christ and the Father.