Nicene Creed and Scripture

I find the Nicene Creed confusing and contradictory, and believe it to be a 4th century compromise brokered by Constantine in an effort to reduce conflict and solidify his own power as emporer. I’m not aware of any claim of this Creed to be inspired or to have a divine origin.

I find the creed to be contradictory to the teachings of Jesus about his own nature as described in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

For example, how do you explain the voice from heaven at Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:16-17, or Jesus’ prayer in John 17: “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:”

or Jesus’ description of His unity with the Father being similar to the unity all of us experience as followers of Christ later in that chapter: ” . . . Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”

or the variety of other references to Jesus looking up to heaven and hearing a voice, as in John 12:28: “Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.

“Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.”

Who was Jesus praying to? And who was that voice from heaven? Was he a ventriloquist? The people around him certainly didn’t perceive it that way.

For your reference, here is a good description of the nature of Christ in this aspect from the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 15

“I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people.

“And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son—

“The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son—

“And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth.

“And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people.”

In other words, I believe Jesus could be referred to as both the Father and the Son, and He was the Lord of the Old Testament and the Creator of the Earth. But, he also had a Father in Heaven who He followed and prayed to, and who introduced him with a voice from heaven as “My Beloved Son.” The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost all are perfectly unified, “one” in purpose, just as all of us followers of Christ should be.

To me, that concept makes more sense and seems more compatible with the Bible than the Nicene Creed does.