The Number One and the Secrets of Oneness

The number one marks the beginning. It is drawn with a single vertical line. It may seem that the number one is a rather simple number, and that there is little to learn from such simplicity. Its meaning seems obvious, without need of explanation. But as simple as it may seem, there is no number that recurs in scripture as often as the number one. With occurrences numbering in the thousands we must conclude that there is greatness to this smallest of numbers. It is a number that holds all the secrets of the universe; and these secrets are the secrets of oneness.

The concept of "oneness" may also seem intuitively obvious. But the hasty conclusion may overlook the true essence of its meaning. Handicapped with a finite mind, man struggles to understand the concepts of infinity, perfection, and timelessness. Similarly the mind of man struggles to understand what is meant by perfect oneness. Webster defines oneness as "the unity of mind, feeling, or purpose." Although the definition may come easy, true understanding of perfect unity does not, and the realization of true oneness is even more elusive; nevertheless, its importance seems certain.

Perhaps one of the more intriguing examples of the importance of oneness is found in the Hebrew language. The Hebrew alphabet unmistakably emphasizes the importance of oneness. The very meanings to many of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet have a recurring theme of oneness. Since the meanings of Hebrew words have their foundation in the meanings of the letters, the message of oneness is conveyed in nearly every word of the Hebrew language. The lesson of oneness is an inescapable lesson of the language. And just as it was that by the power of the word the universe was created, so it is that the message of oneness is is a message that fills the immensity of space.

Oneness of God

The story of oneness must begin with the story of God for as it is written, "there is one God; and there is none other but he." (Mark 12:32; 1 Corinthians 8:6; James 2:19) Most of the major world religions believe in the oneness of God. The Ten Commandments underscore the principle of one God with the command, "I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me." (Exodus 20:2-3) It was on the first day of Creation that God displayed His glory and power when He "created the heaven and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)

Believing in the oneness of God, it might seem peculiar that the name used for God in Hebrew is Elohim. Elohim is plural and not singular, yet the verb that is used is singular as rightly it should be given the oneness of God. Of even greater interest is the passage in the first chapter of Genesis wherein a plurality of Creators is identified. The passage reads: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . . So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." (Genesis 1:26-27)

These Creators are identified in the very first Article of Faith which reads, "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." Despite the concept of oneness, there are many other passages which also teach of a plurality in the Godhead. When Christ came to earth He testified that He was the God of Abraham. (John 8:58) He also testified that He only did those things which the Father had taught Him. (John 8:28) And we learn that Christ is the Word of God and that all of Creation was made by Christ under the direction of the Father. (John 1:1-3) Christ also taught of a Godhead of three and of the requirement for baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 28:19)

Scriptural evidence expounding on the separateness yet oneness of the Godhead is abundant. Plurality does not exclude oneness, in fact, true oneness cannot exist without plurality. Therefore, despite the existence of a plurality of Gods in the Godhead, it must be emphatically clear that the Godhead is one. Although separate in person they are one in mind, one in heart, one in purpose, one in glory, one in power, one in all spiritual attributes. The perfection of that oneness defies human understanding. So unified is their oneness that the human mind falters in its attempts to understand it; nevertheless, God is one.

But the message of the oneness of God extends well beyond the Godhead; it extends to the family of man. One of the most over-riding objectives of God is to be one with all of His children; not one in substance or person, but one in all other attributes. Perhaps the most convincing evidence of this objective is found in the heart-warming prayer of the Son of God in what is known as the great intercessory prayer. It is during this prayer that Christ prayed to the Father that we be one with God even as Christ is one with the Father. (John 17) Just as our finite minds struggle to comprehend the perfections of our God, so do our minds  falter when we try to consider our potential oneness with the Most High God. Our hearts are humbled when we consider what great love He must have for us that He would desire for us to be one with Him. Yet mortal words cannot begin to say what could be said, and what someday will be said about the oneness of God and His children.

Oneness of Heaven

A perfect oneness reigns among all celestial beings. There can be no disunion, no discord, no contention, and no conflict. They must be one in spirit, one in heart, and one in love. If the heavenly hosts were not one, they would not be fit to dwell with God in heaven. Only oneness can exist in the courts on high. It is precisely because of this oneness that heaven is heaven.

However, oneness does not mean one in substance nor does it mean the loss of choice or individuality. In fact, true oneness cannot exist unless it preserves choice and individuality. Life is meaningless without the power to direct that life. God cherishes and loves the uniqueness of each of His children. He preserves there uniqueness. He loves the goodness of their individuality. The agency of man, that is his freedom of choice, is of paramount importance to God, (2 Nephi 2) for without agency there is no existence. (D&C 93:30) It was because of God's desire to preserve agency that a war was fought in heaven. It was Lucifer who wanted to destroy the agency of man and assume the glory and power of God. Because Lucifer rebelled against God, he was cast down from heaven and he became Satan, the father of all lies. (Moses 4)

Oneness of Man

All mankind shares a common origin. We are all spiritual children of our Father in Heaven. We have all descended through Adam and Noah. We all belong to the same family with God as our Father. We are literally brothers and sisters. The extreme importance of unity among the family of man was the final message in the very last two verses of the Old Testament. These read: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:5-6) Apparently, the very salvation of mankind is dependent on the oneness of the family of man.

So intimate is the family relationship of man with God that God has said, "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17) God has also taught, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40) So unified is the family of man, that how we treat others is judged the same as how we treat God. When one of us suffers, we all suffer. When one of us joys, we all joy. It was Christ who prayed that man become one with God as He (Christ) was one with the Father. We are one family.

Oneness of Man and Woman

After creating Adam and Eve, God commanded man and woman that they should be "one flesh." (Genesis 2:24) This is one of the very first lessons of oneness in the Bible. Although this seems to be a figurative injunction, this symbolism in no way diminishes from the importance of the principle. It is likely that the only persons who truly understand the meaning of such oneness are those who approach it. So important is the concept of oneness between man and woman that unless they are one they are not acceptable to God, ". . . neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 11:11) This does not mean that the man and woman become one in person nor one in substance. But it does mean that they are to become one in purpose, one in mind, one in love, and just like the Godhead, one in all  spiritual attributes.

Oneness of Faith

It is written, there is, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." (Ephesians 4:5) God's goal is to create oneness and unity. "And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another." (Mosiah 18:20-21) And He has said, "I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine." (D&C 38:27)

The New Testament specifies God's formula for achieving this oneness: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13) Thus it can and should be said that the need for apostles and prophets will not end until we have achieved a unity of the faith. This is God's everlasting formula for the achievement of oneness. He does not change His mind.

When Christ visited the ancient Israelites in the New World after His resurrection, the first command he gave was baptism into one faith. The second command He gave was the elimination of contention and the creation of unity:

"And there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been; neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been. For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away." (3 Nephi 11:28-30)

Conflict, contention, and disputations are the enemy of oneness. They are the enemy of heaven, the enemy of God, and the enemy of the Family of Man.

Oneness of Truth

There is only one truth. That truth is the truth of God, for God is light and truth. (D&C 93:36) There cannot be two truths anymore than there can be two Gods. God does not change and His truth does not change. All truth can be circumscribed into one great whole. "Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come." (D&C 93:24)

Oneness of the Universe

All of the universe testifies that Christ is the one and only Messiah. He has said, "And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me." (Moses 6:63)

Oneness of Zion

"And the Lord called his people ZION, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them." (Moses 7:18) "For if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things." (D&C 78:6) "If ye are not one ye are not mine." (D&C 38:27)

Oneness of the Messiah

The Messiah is the Only Begotten of the Father. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. (1 Timothy 2:5) "And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent." (Mosiah 3:17) "And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also." (Alma 42:15)

It was the first Plague of Moses, that is the plague of blood, which was a type and shadow of future events. Just as the plague of blood was the first plague that eventually led to the freedom of the children of Israel, so it is that by the blood of Jesus Christ that atonement was made for sin. The word atonement itself means "at-one-ment." The purpose of the atonement is to make man one with God. The atonement is the transcendent event in the history of the world. Without the atonement the works of God and the salvation of man would have come to naught. As Christ came in the meridian of time, the atonement is the focal point of the history of mankind.

The principle of oneness is the foundation upon which all truth is built. The object and design of creation is to achieve oneness. It is the most oft-repeated message in the universe. Although the number one is the smallest of numbers it conveys the greatest of meanings and it unlocks the greatest of secrets.