Ask A Mormon: Is it true that Mormons believe Jesus and Satan were brothers?

A. I can understand that this is a startling and unsettling thought for some people, since Jesus and Satan are so diametrically opposed in every way. It’s important to remember that Latter-day Saints are not Trinitarians. We believe that God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are three entirely separate and distinct beings. According to LDS theology, God is the father of all spirits, including Jesus Christ, you, me and yes, even Lucifer. Angels, devils and human beings all started out at the same place. We are all spirit children of God, and our choices and the exercise of our free will, in large part, determine our state.

We believe that before we were born, we all lived as spirits with our heavenly parents. At one point, Father gathered all of his children together in what we call the “Great Council in Heaven.” He presented his plan for us to continue learning and growing and progressing. He would create an earth for us to live on. We would be born into physical bodies, and we would experience both good and evil during our mortal lives and learn to choose between them. We would not be able to remember our life before birth, so we would have to learn to live by faith.

Because God knew that we would make mistakes and sin, which would disqualify us from returning to live with him again, his plan provided for a savior who would redeem us, taking our sins upon himself and cleansing us. Jesus, God’s firstborn (Colossians 1:15), stepped forward and offered himself as that savior, declaring “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.” Lucifer, another of God’s children, a “son of the morning” (Isaiah 14:12), also offered to fill the role of savior, but demanded some fundamental changes to God’s plan. Lucifer wanted to call the shots, deny us free will and claim all the glory: “wherefore give me thine honor” (Moses 4:1-4). When Lucifer’s modifications were rejected, he rebelled against God, and thus became Satan, or the devil, and was cast out of heaven. In this rebellion, he convinced “a third part” (Revelation 12:4) of his Father’s spirit children to follow him, and they were cast out, as well, losing the opportunity to be born into physical bodies.

Christ and Lucifer represent the two extreme opposite ends of the spectrum. Christ is the most advanced of all of God’s children. He learned so much and became so much like his Father that their wills are the same. He completely submitted to his Father’s will, which is why he is our Savior, our Redeemer and our Lord. Lucifer is the exact opposite — his rebellion against God was so complete and his fall so total that he is completely cut off from God’s presence. As God’s children, we all choose which path we will take and which master we will follow.