Question
Gramps,
I was reading 1st Nephi chapter 3 and wondering if referencing the Lord is referring to Jesus Christ or Heavenly Father. How do you tell the difference when the Lord is used in the scriptures and who it’s referring to?
LeAnn
Answer
Hi LeAnn,
This is a common question and is easy to get confused about, especially for those who are young in their gospel understanding, so you’re definitely not alone in wondering this. To be sure, there are quite a few spots in the scriptures where it can become a little ambiguous whether the Father or The Son is being referred to, especially without the aid of living prophets. This is likely why there was so much confusion in the first few hundred years A.D. when there were so many debates in the Roman Empire about the nature of the Godhead in general. But to help clarify this, let’s review two fundamental scriptural basics about The Father and The Son and their roles.
1. The Father is the spiritual Father and creator of our spirits, including the spirit of Jesus Christ, our Savior. (see Romans 8:16 and Bible Dictionary: “Firstborn”)
2. Jehovah, the sacred scriptural name title of Jesus Christ, is sometimes referred to as a father figure because, under His Father’s direction, He created all of it. He is also the Father of our Salvation, having paid the price for our sins and our salvation from all negative effects of the fall and mortality. He is the One anointed by the Father to be the means of our Salvation from sin and death.
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