“If we speak of Jesus Christ as being our Father, we are not making any mistake because, spiritually, he begot us. No question about it—he united spirit and body, providing a resurrection for every living thing. We do not make any mistake in speaking of the Savior as our God, as our Father, and also as the Son of God because he received all authority. Jesus declared the Father conferred all authority upon him, and so he becomes to us a Father. Moreover, he begot us spiritually in the resurrection… .
“… We are his sons and daughters. He is a Father to us because he begot us and saved us from death, uniting spirit and body. What is a father but one who gives life?”
(The Fatherhood of Christ [address to seminary and institute of religion personnel, Brigham Young University, 17 July 1962], pp. 5–6).
| Elohim—Our Heavenly Father | Our Earthly Father | Jesus Christ—Our Savior and Spiritual Father |
| 1. We were born of an eternal Heavenly Father. | 1. Each of us had an earthly father who gave us mortal life and thus became our physical father. | 1. Jesus Christ is he who gives us immortality beyond the grave through the Resurrection. Since that is true for all men, he is the Father of all the family of God. |
| 2. We acquired spiritual qualities and characteristics from God. | 2. We have acquired earthly qualities and characteristics from him. | 2. We can be spiritually reborn through the sanctifying influence of the Atonement; hence, for all who will repent, be baptized, and endure faithfully to the end by following the Spirit, Christ becomes their father. |
| 3. All of us are now spirit sons or daughters of God and have part of his divine nature in us. | 3. We bear his name and have part of his nature in us. | 3. Through rebirth we acquire distinct Christlike qualities, partake of his divine nature, and become his son or daughter. |
| 4. Can you see the reasonable basis for belief that you can become a God like he is by progressing here and hereafter? | 4. Consider the reasonable truth that you possess many of his characteristics and can become like him. | 4. We now take upon ourselves a new name, even the name of Jesus Christ. Do you understand that you have the qualities and power to become like him through this “mighty change” called spiritual rebirth? |