1Start
At the baptism of Jesus, all three members of the Godhead were present, each in a different way (Matthew 3:16–17).
2Read Together
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell this story, and each adds a detail. Luke says Jesus was praying when the heavens opened (Luke 3:21).
Matthew 3:16–17 · King James Version
16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
3What It Teaches
The Son had just come up out of the water. The Holy Ghost descended “in a bodily shape like a dove,” a sign that he was there (Luke 3:22). The Father spoke from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
These are three separate beings, united in purpose. Jesus said he would pray to the Father, and he promised that the Father would send the Comforter (John 14:16; 14:26).
Others have seen the Father and the Son together. Stephen “saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55). In 1820, Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son standing above him in the air (his account).
The Father’s first words in the Gospels are about his love for his Son. He feels that love for each of his children too.
4Talk About It
The Father said he was well pleased with his Son. How do you think it felt to hear that, and how can we tell each other what we love about one another?