Does Matthew 28:19 says about Trinity?

Matthew 28:19 and the Godhead: The Latter-day Saint View

You know that classic missionary line? -

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost - Matthew 28:19 "

Will, Most Christians who hear this will immediately think of the Trinity as a three-in-one, a classic church teaching. But if you get into Latter-day Saint theology, you’ll get a totally different view or understanding of what that means. Let’s move forward to the topic. This won't be long, promise. LOL!

The Usual Trinity Teachings
Alright, so most Christians, like Catholics, Protestants, and some other non-Unitarians, read this verse and see it as a bullseye for the subject of the Trinity. You get the big Nicene Creed moment (back in 325 AD), taking out the idea that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are somehow “of the same substance” or “of one being” (homoousios). Theologians like Justo González explain the Trinity as a way to keep Jesus divine and still claim one God. While Karl Barth (another theologian) put it as “one God, three modes of being. (Seinweise)” Sounds confusing?

But here’s the thing, though: this whole “three-in-one substance” thing? It’s not actually spelled out in the Bible. Not even close to the context. Raymond E. Brown, a known Bible scholar, flat-out says the Trinity is more of an “inference.” In other words, people sort of pieced it together after the fact, using a lot of Greek philosophy, &, honestly, it ends up in intense debates. Was it really all about it?

How do Latter-day Saints understand this study?
Now, if you go into a Latter-day Saint Sunday School and bring up the Trinity, you’ll get a polite smile and a quick correction. LDS see the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as three separate beings. Like, literally separate beings. Not one person was wearing three costumes. Joseph Smith, as the prophet of the church, said that he saw both the Father and the Son as separate personages during his First Vision, which some consider the most important part in our history, or yes, the restoration. The Holy Ghost? Still God, but a “personage of spirit”—which is a way of saying “doesn’t have a body, but still a being” (See Doctrine and Covenants 130:22 if you want some references.)

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once explained,

“We declare it is self-evident from the scriptures that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate persons, three divine beings,...To acknowledge the scriptural evidence that otherwise perfectly united members of the Godhead are nevertheless separate and distinct beings is not to be guilty of polytheism; it is, rather, part of the great revelation Jesus came to deliver concerning the nature of divine beings.”

And to say it straight, not a three-person bond into one. And if you actually read the New Testament with this in mind, you’ll notice scenes where the three act independently. During the baptism of Jesus Christ, we noticed that Jesus was in the water, and the Father’s voice was heard from heaven, and then the Holy Ghost descended like a dove. Or when Jesus prays to the Father. Not exactly one person talking to himself.

And what's the context of Matthew 28:19?
Latter-day Saints take notes in digging into the language. The Greek says “in the name [singular] of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Some folks say the “name” part shows shared authority, not that they’re joined together as one being. James Dunn, a biblical scholar (not LDS, by the way), points out that early Christians sometimes just baptized in Jesus’ name (see Acts 2:38), so maybe the focus isn’t on metaphysics but on the authority behind it all.

So, again, it’s about the unity, not the substance. This fits right in with LDS scriptures, which say the Godhead is “one God” in purpose, but the members are “infinite and eternal” as distinct beings (check out 2 Nephi 31:21 and Doctrine and Covenants 20:28 if you’re feeling studious).

Why It Even Matters
You might be wondering, who cares? Well, the whole Trinity vs. Godhead debate shaped a lot of church history. The Trinitarian doctrine didn’t just come out fully formed—it was studied and figured out in a bunch of councils, with plenty of arguing about Jesus’s nature. Latter-day Saints look at all that chaos and say, “Hey, we got the original setup back.” They call it the “restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21). President Russell M. Nelson basically said this modern revelation cleared up centuries of confusion and restored the original, unfiltered version of who God is.

LDS doctrine also says God and Jesus have bodies, not just a floating transparent plastic in the air. (Joking around) That’s not a small detail—it shapes how Latter-day Saints see the whole point of life and salvation. And the resurrection of the spirit and body of man has a point and meaning.

So, Wrapping Up
Matthew 28:19 is a big deal for Latter-day Saints; it’s about three separate beings acting as one God working in perfect sync, not a three-in-one unsolved mystery of science. These teachings were backed up by scriptures and teachings from modern prophets. At the end of the day, it’s all about understanding who’s who in heaven—and, honestly, for me as a Latter-day Saint, it just makes more sense this way. As most leaders in general want us to understand and learn that these truths “bring us closer to God.” And who doesn’t want that?

Check out References for you to follow (You can Google it if you think the link is broken, LOL!)

Thank you, and have a nice day.
Jerry N. Bustillo