Because all religions outside of Christianity deny the idea that Jesus is God, this verse is often cited to show how Jesus is less in nature than the Father. After all, since Jesus said the Father was greater than He, isn’t the Father better than He? Yet Jesus never gave up His deity when He became a man, which Paul pointed out in Phil 2:5-11 when he taught how Jesus humbled Himself by taking on a human nature. Consider an illustration where the president of the United States walks through the door. Would it be accurate to say that someone “greater” had just entered the room? Notice, the word is “greater” and not “better.” While the president is not “better” than any other human, he/she does have greater power and thus has greater authority, so this would truly be an accurate statement. In the same way, Jesus—though He never became less than the Father in His nature—“became flesh and took up residence among us” (John 1:14).

For other passages discussing common passages used by Latter-day Saints, click here.