The Holy Ghost

Volume Two—Chapter Five THE HOLY GHOST

#Who Is He?

Our ability to ponder and understand the Holy Ghost and his mission is limited by our finite, mortal minds. Elder B. H. Roberts wrote:

Man, with all his boasted intelligence, is, after all, in this sphere of existence, cribbed, cabined, and confined to limits extremely narrow, so far as his ability to comprehend facts is concerned. There is obviously much that is beyond our power to understand in relation to the Holy Ghost, from whom proceeds influences so subtle, powerful, sensitive, intelligent, and universal that they are beyond our present powers of comprehension (The Gospel and Man’s Relationship to Deity, 194).

Elder Robert’s misgivings notwithstanding, in this chapter we will consider, in some detail, the scriptural descriptions of this divine being.

Let us first acknowledge that the Holy Ghost is a glorious and divine man. Much of the secular Christian world does not believe the Holy Ghost is a unique and distinct being. Rather, “he” is widely believed to be merely a power or influence emanating from the Father.

He is very much an individual. He possesses understanding, a will, and independence. Jesus said, concerning the Comforter, “Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you” (John 16:13- 14). John’s description describes the Holy Ghost as a hearer, a speaker, an agent, a guide and teacher, a testifier, and a conveyer of divine truths. He receives from the Lord and manifests the Lord’s words and yearnings to mortals. He knows all things, feels, rejoices, loves, grieves, investigates, entices, teaches, judges, prophesies, speaks, and reproves.

There is no reason to believe he belongs to any other round of creation or any other Father in heaven. Hence, it is logical to suppose he is a spirit man, a spirit child of our Heavenly Father belonging to our round of creation. He is therefore our spirit brother. The Holy Ghost is a he, not an it. He possesses understanding, affections, and personal powers. These attributes exist in him to perfection.

The Holy Ghost is the minister or agent of the Godhead, carrying into effect the decisions of the Supreme Council. Apparently, he has remained in the premortal, spirit phase of his existence because of his calling. He is separate and distinct from the Father and the Son. All three are of one mind and one purpose. They are so perfectly united they constitute one Godhead, the supreme governing power of heaven and earth.

The Holy Ghost can be in only one place at one time. He does not and cannot transform himself into any other form or image than that of the spirit man he is. His power and influence, however, can be manifest at one and the same time through all the immensity of space (D&C 130:22-23; TPJS, 190, 275-76; Gospel Doctrine, 59-62). We say that the Holy Ghost “abides or dwells in the hearts” of the righteous saints of all dispensations or “falls upon man.” In fact, it is only the Holy Ghost’s influence that literally abides in or falls upon the hearts of men.

A common misconception is that the Holy Ghost assumed the form of a dove and was seen by those present at the baptism of Christ:

And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove (1 Nephi 11:27).

What exactly does this verse mean when it implies the Holy Ghost descended from heaven “in the form of a dove”? Did the spirit body of the Holy Ghost confine itself to a dove’s body or did the Holy Ghost himself appear in the form of a dove? Joseph Smith taught that as the invisible Holy Ghost descended, a dove was caused to descend upon Jesus. The dove was a heavenly sign that the Holy Ghost was present. Joseph further taught:

The sign of the dove was instituted before the creation of the world, a witness for the Holy Ghost, and the devil cannot come in association with the sign of a dove. The Holy Ghost is a personage, and is in the form of a personage. He does not confine himself to the form of the dove, but his presence may be accompanied by the sign of the dove. The Holy Ghost cannot be transformed into a dove; but the sign of a dove was given to John to signify the truth of the deed, as the dove is an emblem or token of truth and innocence (HC, 5:261).

One suggestion has been made for which we have no scriptural or prophetic confirmation. It is that the Holy Ghost may be a calling instead of a distinct individual, and more than one individual has functioned or may yet function in that calling. While this is theoretically possible, there is no reason to believe it is true.

#The Holy Ghost and Other Names

Ghost is an Old English word meaning “spirit.” The names by which he is called and which almost always refer to the Holy Ghost include: Holy Spirit, Spirit of God, Messenger of the Father and the Son, or simply the Spirit. He may also be referred to by several other titles as mentioned below. See also the discussion below under the heading, “Confusing Scriptural Terminology.”

#How Might an Individual Recognize the Promptings of the Holy Ghost?

The perceived subjective feelings produced by the active influence and ministrations of the Holy Ghost vary from individual to individual. The general qualities of these feelings include emotional warmth and poignancy. Specifically, they may include comfort, security, peace, happiness, a feeling of well being, being “moved to tears,” and, when appropriate, a feeling of urgency. While the scriptures suggest that a physical “burning in the bosom” is a typical manifestation of the Spirit (D&C 9:7-9), in my limited experience, this turns out to be quite uncommon. As a young missionary, I once heard Elder Mark E. Petersen say he had “never experienced a burning in his bosom” (personal communication). When it does occur, this “burning,” as it turns out, is less a feeling of heat and more a feeling of comfort and serenity. It may be simply a “positive warm feeling.” It would appear that each individual must learn to identify his own unique indicators of the Spirit’s influence.

Feelings that suggest one is not having an experience with the Holy Ghost include contention, turmoil, confusion, or anxiety.

The Spirit’s communications with man may arrive in different forms. Enos reported that while he was “struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind” (Enos 1:10). These promptings may occur as a feeling or impression, a specific thought, or even an audible voice. The thoughts may occur as words, phrases, or even complete sentences.

Elder Jay E. Jensen of the Seventy wrote an insightful article on the many ways the Holy Ghost manifests himself. In his article, Elder Jensen assured us: “If we are attentive, we will recognize [his] promptings” (“Have I Received an Answer from the Spirit?” Ensign, April 1989, 21).

#What Does He Do? What Are His Functions?

What are the specific “callings” and responsibilities of the Holy Ghost? How does he actually function in our lives? Exactly how does he minister unto men? Generally, he enables and facilitates communication between the spiritual realm and the mortal earth.

We may separate all revelations into two categories: ad hoc (Latin, “to the fact”) and standing. Ad hoc revelation is tailored specifically to a particular individual in certain specific circumstances. It certainly may come via the light of Christ, but light tailored to the particular individual and circumstances. Standing revelation is the fixed light of Christ. It radiates continuously and unchangingly to all the universe. It is always there—available for the taking. This light consists of each and every eternal truth and every attribute of Christ.1 Through the medium of his light, the Lord makes his attributes and eternal truths available to humankind contingent upon their obedience to the commandments of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Man is allowed to partake sequentially and incrementally according to his obedience. This is the mechanism of man’s spiritual growth.2 The Holy Ghost is the liaison who oversees and encourages all personal revelation of both types.

All communication that passes between God, or his agents, and man occurs under the direction of the Spirit. The prophet Joseph Smith taught: “No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelation” (TPJS, 328). We might also acknowledge the converse of this statement: no man can receive revelation without receiving the influence of the Holy Ghost. To enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost is to enjoy the spirit of revelation (D&C 8:2-3). In this role he is called the Revelator.

#His Titles

There are actually several titles for the Holy Ghost found in scripture. Each acknowledges another of his separate roles. He has accepted several varied and complex assignments in interacting with the intelligences passing through their mortal probation. Knowledge of these various titles and their implied functions is helpful in enabling one to recognize his promptings. We will consider his several titles.

Let us first be reminded that his overriding and key motivation, which he shares in common with the Father and the Son, is to see to the exaltation of as many intelligences as possible and the highest possible level of eternal salvation for all others.

Holy Spirit of Promise. This title indirectly references the power (the sealing power) by which earthly ordinances and other righteous acts are rendered valid and binding both on earth and in heaven. For example, the covenants of baptism and eternal marriage, if entered into diligently and for all the right reasons, may be sealed on earth as well as in heaven by the Holy Spirit of promise. To seal is to ratify, justify, approve, authenticate, validate, and render binding. Thus, an act sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise is one approved by and regarded as valid by the Lord.3

Every ordinance is sealed with a promise of a reward based upon the faithfulness of the recipient. Paul taught the Ephesians that after acting on their faith in Christ they “were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” In this case the promise was the surety of their “inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession” (Ephesians 1:12- 14). In other words, prior to the resurrection and exaltation of righteous man (“the redemption of the purchased possession”), the Holy Ghost may assure the man of his eventual exaltation. The Lord, of course, did his “purchasing” by his atoning sacrifice.

The sealing of earthly covenants and performances is conditional. It depends upon the recipient’s personal commitment, worthiness, and motives. They must be “just and true” (D&C 76:53). If a person has received the sealing of the Holy Spirit of promise, but subsequently becomes unrighteous, the seal is broken until full repentance and forgiveness occur (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:55; 2:94-99).

The necessity of sealing by the Holy Ghost is emphasized in the following scriptural passage:

All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise . . . are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end have an end when men are dead (D&C 132:7).

Earthly representatives of the Lord, such as missionary elders, bishops, and stake presidents, may be deceived by an unworthy person. No one can deceive the Holy Spirit. He knows perfectly the hearts of men, and he will not ratify an ordinance entered into unworthily. This safeguard is attached to all blessings and covenants associated with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Everything we do in the Church has eternal consequences. In the last analysis, probably all commandments or things we are asked to do for the Lord are spiritual rather than simply temporal in their nature (D&C 29:34-35). For example, attending meetings, saying “amen” after prayers, home teaching, taking the sacrament, singing hymns, praying, teaching a class, going to the temple, or participating in ordinances may all produce spiritual blessings and spiritual growth in us. Those benefits, however, depend on whether or not these activities are participated in with the proper motives and attitudes.

The Spirit—the Holy Spirit of Promise—is called to judge us. Each instance of our keeping a commandment, each occasion of true repentance, each private victory over self, and each covenant enter into may accrue to our spiritual growth. The Holy Ghost searches our hearts. He may ratify an action when we are sincere and properly motivated. If we perform diligently and with proper motives, our actions will be given his stamp of approval. He may also withhold his ratification if an individual does the wrong thing or even “the right thing for the wrong reason.”

Righteousness is the state in which all our righteous actions are in harmony with pure motives. It is doing all the right things for the right reasons. However, there often exists a gap between the outward action, the outward sign, the outward ordinance, and the true internal motivation. For example, we may partake of the sacrament (the outward ordinance), but we may not receive a remission of our sins or a renewal of our baptism unless the ordinance is ratified by the Holy Spirit of Promise. It will not be ratified unless we are truly repentant and receive the sacrament with the proper spirit and attitude. Other poignant and readily applicable examples might include temple attendance, paying of tithes and other contributions, home teaching and visiting teaching, etc. Each of us is imperfect and may do some right things for the wrong reasons. We can fool many people, especially ourselves, but “the Comforter knoweth all things” (D&C 42:17). It is not possible to deceive the Holy Ghost and thereby gain an undeserved blessing.

The Holy Spirit of promise, then, oversees the promises or blessings associated with righteous actions. He may choose to grant or withhold those promises. Ultimately, it is the Spirit’s prerogative to seal a man up unto eternal life. This is referred to as being “sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise” or receiving “the more sure word of prophecy” (D&C 88:3-4; 124:124; 131:5-6; 132:18-26; Ephesians 1:13). The Holy Ghost, in addition to the Second Comforter (Christ), can seal a man up to eternal life or make his “calling and election sure.” The Holy Spirit of Promise validates this promised blessing or seals it upon the person.4

Justifier and Sanctifier. In his role as the “Holy Spirit of Promise” he watches and judges each man relative to the laws of God. When he is satisfied with the motivation and effort of man to obey, he first justifies the man—he removes the penalties assessed by the law of justice for the prior disobedience of the law he has just succeeded in obeying. He certifies that the man is “forgiven” of his sins and no longer considered “sinful” in that particular area by those who make the demands of the law of justice. He also sanctifies him—he purges from him that part of his natural self that resulted in his prior disobedience. We may say that he burns it from his soul “as if by fire.” As another part of sanctification, he grants an increment of the divine attribute, a “gift of the Spirit,” the man is striving to emulate. These gifts do not come from the Holy Ghost, but rather through him.5 They originate with the Savior and are communicated via the light of Christ. The Spirit acts as the intermediary facilitating the man’s receipt of that light.

Comforter. Our earthly mortal experience brings into the life of every individual adversities and trials. They are unavoidable. While these adversities are the “opposition in all things” that often trigger our spiritual growth, our adversities can at times be most difficult or even overwhelming. The Lord stands willing to wrap his arms around you when you need it most. He is willing to provide tangible and real comfort to the sufferer. His agent in extending this comfort is the Holy Ghost. A positive feeling of peace or calm assurance is a common manifestation of the Spirit.

One universal adversity of this mortal experience is the uncertainty over our eternal future. What really awaits us after death? Will we cease to exist? Will we live on and be warmly received into a spiritual realm? The Spirit is able and willing to provide the assurance of an exciting eternal future to the diligently righteous. This is one type of comfort he provides.

It is ironic that just today, as I sat at my computer, I received tragic news about a member of my extended family. I will call her Sister Brown. This saintly young woman is known among her family, friends, and associates as one having “a heart of gold.” She is “willing to do anything for anybody.” She recently befriended a four-year-old girl I shall call Carla. Carla is the daughter of Sister Brown’s neighbor and friend. This friend is a member but currently not active in the Church. Consequently, Sister Brown offered to take Carla to Primary. A few days ago, she picked Carla up for primary and then drove her home afterward. On arriving at Carla’s home, Sister Brown stopped her car on the driveway which sloped steeply upward from the road to the garage. She stepped out of her car and assisted Carla up the stairs to her house. Before Carla entered the door to her house, her brother and some of his friends called out to her, inviting her to come and see something interesting at the bottom of the driveway behind Sister Brown’s car. Carla ran to look, and, as she did so, the car popped out of park and rolled down the driveway. Everyone was able to get out of the way except for Carla. She was run over and killed. One can only imagine the pain. I have been on my knees today praying for Carla’s family and for Sister Brown. I pled that the Savior would visit each of them, hug them and reassure them of the eternal nature of our lives. I know the situation here in mortality precludes the Lord’s being able to literally answer my prayer, but he can answer it through the influence of his Spirit, the Comforter. The Holy Ghost can communicate the very presence of the Lord to those in need. I pray he will in this particular case.

Revelator. I have already referred to this title as referring generally to the Spirit’s role in facilitating all communication between the spiritual realm and mortal earth. This communication is received by many different people and for many different purposes. We will briefly mention several examples so that you may acquire a better feeling for nature of the Spirit’s communications and the several categories into which they fall. It is also hoped this will better enable you to identify the promptings and manifestations of the Spirit. Some of these categories are associated with separate titles.

1. He aids us in recalling (bringing to mind things after they have been previously learned) secular and spiritual truths so that these truths may be spoken or considered anew. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).

In commenting on one specific application of this function of the Holy Ghost, Elder B. H. Roberts wrote:

I maintain that it would be impossible for man to live the law of the gospel without some such grace being conferred upon him by the Lord. The law of the gospel requires men not only to do good to those who do good to them, but to do good to those who despitefully use them; not only to lend to those who lend to them, but to lend to those of whom they can hope to receive nothing in return; to revile not those who may revile them—in a word, the law of the Gospel is summed up in this: “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). However fine this may be in theory, or however beautiful it may look on paper, to carry it practically into the affairs of life is difficult. When reviled it seems but natural to answer railing with railing, blows with blows, and for injury inflicted, return as much in kind as is within one’s power to inflict. And unless in possession of this grace bestowed by the Holy Ghost, i.e., having brought to one’s recollection at the moment of temptation of these laws—when smarting under a sense of injustice, or suffering under wrongs heaped upon one—it would be difficult if not impossible to live up to these heavenly precepts. But by having the Holy Spirit as one’s prompter in the moments of temptation, and by cultivating the Christian virtue of patience, this law of the Gospel, so contrary to the natural disposition, may be complied with, and the follower of Christ, like his Master, may be able to say for those who inflict injury upon him, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (The Gospel and Man’s Relationship to Deity, 202).

The Spirit makes known to an individual that which should be spoken or recalled in a given situation. “Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man” (D&C 84:85). This type of revelation— this recalling—does not come “out of the blue.” It is knowledge the individual took the time to study and learn. Then, and only then, can the Spirit help the individual to recall it when it is timely.

2. He confirms to the heart and mind of a person (“testifies” to him) of the veracity and significance of spiritual truths (Moroni 10:4-5; John 14:26; 16:13- 14; 1 Corinthians 2). A confirmation of spiritual truth is received only by that individual who diligently desires and seeks it through study, pondering, and praying. Such a confirmation brings personal, deeply-felt knowledge. Indeed, it brings a “testimony” or “witness” of spiritual truths. This form of knowledge motivates an individual to action and changes their thinking and priorities. Each increment of this knowledge is a gift of the Spirit.

The special mission of the Holy Ghost is to “testify” of the Father and the Son (John 15:26; 2 Nephi 31:18). As he testifies of the Son, Christ becomes a personal and poignant reality in the life of the individual. The person ceases to merely know about the Savior. He comes, rather, to actually know him and to experience him. Nephi testified that Christ manifests himself “unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people” (2 Nephi 26:13). In this role, the Spirit may be more specifically referred to as the “Spirit of truth” or the “Testator.”

The influence of the Holy Ghost may abide with both the speaker and hearer of spiritual truths. In order for the hearer to most effectively receive a spiritual witness, the speaker must possess such a witness. To be heard by the Spirit’s influence, a truth must be spoken by the Spirit’s influence. “Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men” (D&C 11:21).

In this role, the Spirit is said to be a teacher. But to be truly “taught,” the hearer must act on the spiritual impressions received. His pre-existing behavior must be modified by the revealed truths. Spiritual truth, when truly understood, compels or motivates an individual to action. This occurs only if the truth is witnessed to the heart and mind of the individual by the Spirit of God. When a man hears a spiritual truth, but there is no influence of the Spirit present, that truth may still be understood logically, but it will not ring true. It will have no impact on the feelings and priorities of the individual. In fact, that truth will often seem naive or foolish to the hearer. The apostle Paul taught, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

When a man receives a witness from the Holy Ghost of a spiritual truth, we say the man is “enlightened” by the Holy Ghost. Brigham Young said that only the Spirit of the Holy Ghost can bring a man to “rightly understand” the first principles of the gospel. Without revelation, there can be no competent witness of Christ or his gospel (Revelation 19:10).

The divine commission and power to teach the truths of salvation rests with the Holy Ghost. Jesus was filled with the power of the Holy Ghost (Luke 4:1). The Father made available to Jesus the Spirit without measure (John 3:34). Such is the standard for all who go forth in Christ’s name. “Ye are not sent forth to be taught,” the Savior said to the early Latter-day Saints, “but to teach the children of men the things which I have put into your hands by the power of my Spirit; and ye are to be taught from on high” (D&C 43:15-16).

All of the ministrations of the Holy Ghost are conditional. They are based upon an individual’s worthiness. Thus, they are reversible. A man who receives a witness of a gospel principle but then becomes unworthy and forsakes that testimony will surely lose his testimony. It cannot abide with him.

3. The Spirit sometimes constrains. When we speak of the Spirit’s “constraining” function, we mean he compels to some action. Constraining often has the secondary meaning of preventing a certain action and encouraging another. In his article, “Have I Received an Answer from the Spirit?” mentioned above, Elder Jensen, reported an experience of Wilford Woodruff. Elder Woodruff was bringing some saints from New England and Canada to the West. They had scheduled passage on a boat, but the Spirit spoke to Elder Woodruff, “Don’t go aboard that steamer, nor your company.” He obeyed the voice. The boat departed and, some fifty yards downstream, caught fire and sank (see also A Story to Tell, 320).

The revelation that constrains is one of the more common forms of revelation. It often comes by surprise, when we have not requested it. Or, it may come as sought-for guidance on a particular subject. If we are living in tune with the Spirit, a constraining force will steer us away from things we should not do, situations we should not find ourselves in, or from places we should not go. A scriptural example is found in 2 Nephi 32:7 where Nephi, in the midst of a great sermon explaining the power of the Holy Ghost, suddenly declares, “And now I . . . cannot say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance.”

A common way to seek revelation is to propose a particular course of action and then to pray for inspiration to confirm it (D&C 9:7-9). When an important decision is to be made, the Lord almost always requires each of us to use all the earthly resources available to us including reason, research, pondering, and prayer. The Lord expects us to make a decision (see D&C 58:26-29). If our decision is correct, he, through his Spirit, will often confirm its correctness. If it is incorrect the Lord may induce a “stupor of thought” or a forgetting (D&C 9:9) or something equivalent.

Sometimes constraining and confirming revelations are combined. The Lord, through his Spirit, may at times turn our head from one course of action and simultaneously confirm the wisdom of an alternate course.

4. The Holy Ghost is the spirit of prophecy. “He will shew you things to come” (John 16:13). By the Spirit the future has been unfolded to the prophets. The Spirit may also allow any individual to prophesy of things in the future that are pertinent to his or her particular life. The Spirit of God may deliver to an individual an unexpected, even unsolicited, message from the Lord when it is necessary for that individual to know. The Spirit’s tendency to sometimes constrain, as just discussed above, is an example.

The scriptures teach that another use for the term “spirit of prophecy” is in reference to a testimony of Jesus (Revelation 19:10).

5. Through the ministrations of the Holy Spirit, an individual may be prompted to know what things he must do in order to progress to become like God. He may be taught those sinful characteristics of which he needs to repent. This help is given to help him align his life with that of the Savior. “For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:5). This knowledge, of course, is received only by the individual who prayerfully seeks it.

6. The Spirit may reveal new secular or temporal knowledge to the prepared mind when it is expedient. It is likely most all great scientific discoveries were made under the influence of the Holy Ghost. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Columbus, for example, was aided by the Spirit of God in his important discoveries (1 Nephi 13:12-13). It is also likely the great discoveries and inventions of our earth’s history have been made by someone who enjoyed the ministrations of the Holy Ghost, at least temporarily. Such great minds as those of Galileo, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, Einstein, Franklin, and Edison all introduced to the earth new and needed concepts, discoveries, and works of art. Manifestations of the power of the Spirit of God may also be seen in the watershed events of history, particularly in the minds of those instrumental in bringing to pass those events.

This knowledge must be earned. It cannot be received by the unprepared, unstudied, or un-schooled mind. Diligent study and pondering and an incremental and logical foundation must be established to qualify an individual for this type of revelation. Ralph Waldo Emerson observed that knowledge sometimes comes as “flashes of light, in sudden discoveries” (“Experience,” The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson). This light cannot be recognized by him who has not paid the price to receive and recognize it. The ill-prepared individual will not recognize the “flashes of light” even if they were to come. An example may be seen in the lives of those instrumental in the formative and preservation events of the United States of America. We well might expect that considerable prior preparation was required in the lives of such individuals as George Washington, John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, and others.

Recently, I was made aware of a physician author writing in one of the world’s leading medical journals. He commented on the “accidental” or serendipitous discoveries made in medicine over the years, for example the discovery of penicillin. He supposed that these discoveries are probably not, in fact, accidental, but rather the rewards of a merciful God to an individual who has done the work to prepare himself to make the discovery. Rather than being due to true serendipity, they are due to what the author called “divinipity.” He coined the saying, “Serendipity is ‘divinipitous,’ but ‘divinipity’ is not serendipitous, a saying worth remembering” (Biji Kurien, British Medical Journal, [March 13] 2004, 328:E284).

7. The Spirit may recall to our minds things we knew in the premortal world. The Spirit is willing to reveal to us things about our premortal self if we diligently seek them. Brigham Young said:

When true doctrines are advanced, though they may be new to the hearers, yet the principles contained therein are perfectly natural and easy to be understood, so much so that the hearers often imagine that they had always known them. This arises from the influence of the Spirit of Truth upon the spirit of intelligence that is within each person (see D&C 6:15) (Discourses of Brigham Young, 160).

As we receive instruction from the Spirit in spiritual matters, we are often reminded, more than taught anew, of things we knew and abilities we had in the premortal world.

8. The Spirit may facilitate the understanding of an individual reading the scriptures. He also enhances the understanding of one who seeks for and encounters spiritual concepts in other ways. Describing the influence of the Holy Ghost as it fell upon him and Oliver Cowdery, the prophet Joseph Smith said:

We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation. Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of (JS-H 1:73-74; Alma 5:46).

The prophet Nephi added:

And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost . . . was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him. . . . For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come” (1 Nephi 10:17-19).

The Lord often provides us with spiritual teachings in the scriptures in a skeletal or outline form. And even that outline is usually not presented in a well-ordered, step by step format. If we study diligently, however, the Spirit will help us establish and then fill in the gaps of a logical and functional outline. He will help us acquire a more comprehensive understanding of scriptural truths.

9. The Holy Ghost directs that for which one should pray. “He that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will of God; wherefore it is done even as he asketh” (D&C 46:30).

10. By the influence of the Holy Ghost, a man may come to possess powers of discernment. An individual may discern situations and people. He is helped to know the truth about them. This is divinely-revealed truth. Therefore, through the Spirit’s influence, one may come to truly know the heart of another. By the Spirit, a man is guided into all truth and preserved from error. Thus, a man may avoid being deceived or led astray.

Discernment is a form of judgment. The Lord counseled Hyrum “to judge righteously” (D&C 11:12). Every decision we make requires a judgment. Ultimately, we are not to judge as to any person’s standing before the Lord (Matthew 7:1-5). But as we sojourn in life, it is not possible to avoid judging situations, motivations, intentions, and actions. And all of these involve other people. The Spirit helps us to know the truth about others.

A good example is found in Alma 10 which describes Alma and Amulek’s preaching in Ammonihah. Amulek preached to the lawyers, described as “learned in all the arts and cunning of the people.” These lawyers tried to trip him up and make him “contradict the words which he should speak.” Mormon then records, “Now they knew not that Amulek could know of their designs. But it came to pass as they began to question him, he perceived their thoughts” (verses 15-17).

11. The Holy Ghost may provide information to man, often in response to prayer. Often needed information is communicated by the quiet whisperings of the Spirit. A child may lose a treasured possession, pray for help, and be inspired to find it. An individual has a problem at work or at home, prays for help, is led to the information necessary to resolve it. A Church leader prays to know who the Lord would have him call to fill a position, and the Spirit whispers a name.

12. At times the Spirit may impel a person to action. This is not a case where a person proposes to take a particular action and the Spirit either confirms or restrains. Rather, this is a case where revelation comes when it is not being sought and impels some action not proposed. This type of revelation is obviously less common than other types. A scriptural example is Nephi’s being constrained to kill Laban as he lay drunk in the street (1 Nephi 4). This act was so far from Nephi’s heart that he recoiled and wrestled with the Spirit, but he was again directed to slay Laban. He finally acquiesced to the promptings.

An experience of Wilford Woodruff’s being warned by the Spirit is well known in the Church. He had been sent to Boston by President Brigham Young to gather some of the saints. He was traveling in a carriage with his wife and children. At a member’s home he parked the carriage beneath a large oak tree.

I was sent to Boston by President Young. He wanted me to take my family there and gather all the Saints of God in New England, in Canada, and in the surrounding regions, and stay there until I gathered them all. I was there about two years. While on the road there, I drove my carriage one evening into the yard of Brother Williams. Brother Orson Hyde drove a wagon by the side of mine. I had my wife and children in the carriage. After I turned out my team and had my supper, I went to bed in the carriage. I had not been there but a few minutes when the Spirit said to me, “Get up and move that carriage.” I told my wife I had to get up and move the carriage. She said, “What for?” I said, “I don’t know.” That is all she asked me on such occasions; when I told her I did not know, that was enough. I got up and moved my carriage four or five rods and put the off fore wheel against the corner of the house. I then looked around me and went to bed. The same Spirit said, “Go and move your animals from that oak tree.” They were two hundred yards from where my carriage was. I went and moved my horses and put them in a little hickory grove. I again went to bed. In thirty minutes a whirlwind came up and broke that oak tree off within two feet from the ground. It swept over three or four fences and fell square in that dooryard, near Brother Orson Hyde’s wagon, and right where mine had stood. What would have been the consequences if I had not listened to that Spirit? Why, myself and wife and children doubtless would have been killed. That was the still, small voice to me—no earthquake, no thunder, no lightning; but the still, small voice of the Spirit of God. It saved my life. It was the spirit of revelation to me. (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, 295-96).

Elder Dallin H. Oaks tells of an experience of his grandmother Chasty Olsen Harris. As a young girl, she was tending some children who were playing in a dry riverbed near their home in Castle Dale, Utah. Suddenly she heard a voice that called her by name and directed her to get the children out of the riverbed and up onto the bank. It was a clear day, and there was no sign of rain. She saw no reason to heed the voice and continued to play. The voice spoke to her again, urgently. This time she heeded the warning. Quickly gathering the children, she made a run for the bank. Just as they reached it, an enormous wall of water that originated with a cloudburst in the mountains many miles away, swept down the canyon and roared across where the children had played. Except for this revelation she and the children would have been lost (The Lord’s Way, 31).

13. The Spirit may instill sudden positive thoughts and feelings whether or not they are sought in prayer. The positive quality identifies them as having a divine origin. The Lord told Oliver Cowdery, “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation” (D&C 8:2–3). At the same time the Holy Ghost instills positive feelings, he may speak to our minds with sudden, clear mental insight, enlightenment, affirmation, or understanding. In a revelation to Hyrum Smith, the Lord promised: “I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind” (D&C 11:13).

14. The Spirit leads us to do good. The Lord told Hyrum Smith: “Put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good” (D&C 11:12). Promptings to do good works may often be manifestations of the Spirit. Each of us has learned of a person in need and felt prompted to help. Each of us has felt to say a certain thing to an associate, and it turned out to be just what the individual needed. Also, it is likely each of us has been helped by someone else’s being prompted to help us.

Hyrum Smith was also taught that the Spirit leads us “to do justly” (D&C 11:12). When we do what is just, we do what is fair, honest, and forthright.

Satan will not prompt us to do that which is good or just. He will lead us to lie, cheat, or take advantage of others. The prophet Mormon said, “[The devil] persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him” (Moroni 7:17).

15. Hyrum Smith further learned that the Spirit leads us “to walk humbly” (D&C 11:12). His promptings incline us to put others first and ourselves last. He may prompt us to proactively seek after the needs of others.

16. The Spirit “occupies our minds” and “presses upon our feelings”. Often the Spirit’s teachings do not come to us in an instant or in a day. It sometimes takes more than that for him to get our attention or to complete an idea he is trying to teach. We may find an idea, in incomplete form, recurring and fermenting in our mind for days, weeks, months, or even years. We often do not have a complete understanding of the idea, but we are attracted back and back to it. The prophet Joseph had such an experience with the doctrine of baptism for the dead. He said, “As that subject seems to occupy my mind, and press itself upon my feelings the strongest” (D&C 128:1). In spite of many distractions in his life at the time, including being pursued by his enemies, the concept of ordinances for the dead kept recurring in his mind. Undoubtedly the Spirit was responsible. It is likely President Spencer Kimball had a similar experience with the doctrine of the Blacks and the priesthood.

Administrator of priesthood power. For the administration and governing of his earthly kingdom, God has allowed his ordained earthly servants access to a portion of his power. God’s power may be borrowed by the worthy servant. This divine borrowed power is referred to as the servant’s priesthood.6

The Spirit functions as a judge to monitor whether or not the servant is worthy to borrow God’s power. He then effects the transmission of the power from God to the earthly priesthood holder.

An individual in the service of the Lord may receive instructions in his duties through the influence of the Holy Ghost. The Lord gave insight into the way in which Moses was able to lead the Israelites: “Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground” (D&C 8:2-3). Moses was instructed in his priesthood duties by the Holy Ghost.

The Spirit functions in the same way in circumstances when a servant of God is called to perform a creative function in God’s universe. The project of creation of our universe was directed by Jehovah and Michael. Perhaps all of us participated in the process in some measure. It is likely we used the power of the priesthood for this calling. That is, we were allowed to borrow the Father’s power in order to complete our part of the creation. Perhaps Jehovah and Adam also utilized the power of the Father for their part. The Holy Ghost is the medium through which the priesthood power is conveyed to and exercised by any holder of the priesthood authority: “The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light” (Genesis 1:2-3). “He divideth the sea with his power. . . . By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens” (Job 26:12, 13). “As the words have gone forth out of my mouth even so shall they be fulfilled, that the first shall be last, and that the last shall be first in all things whatsoever I have created by the word of my power, which is the power of my Spirit. For by the power of my Spirit created I them; yea, all things both spiritual and temporal” (D&C 29:30-31).

File leader of the angels. Angels minister to mortals upon the earth. All these angels are people who belong to our round of creation and to our earth (D&C 130:5). Angels are individuals in various states of their eternal progression. They may be premortal spirits or spirits of just men made perfect (D&C 76:69; 129:3). These latter are spirits who have lived in mortality, died, and been assigned to a state of paradise. They are sealed up to eternal life and are awaiting their resurrection. Angels may also be translated or resurrected beings. The latter may visit the earth with or without displaying their light or glory.

We are not taught in scripture the priesthood organization which governs the ministering angels. It is logical to suppose that the Holy Ghost himself is their file leader. He is, after all, in charge of all information that passes between heaven and earth. “Angels also speak by the power of the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 32:3).

#The Gift of the Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost may minister to any mortal on earth at any time. His influence may be given and withdrawn and applied in any situation and to any person, as he wishes. It is clear, however, that some mortals may be accorded a special blessing and advantage if they are but willing to qualify themselves. This is an enhanced entitlement to his influence. This special blessing is called the gift of the Holy Ghost. In order to qualify for this supernal gift, one must accept Christ and commit to obey his commandments, repent of one’s sins, be baptized in water by one having proper priesthood (Aaronic) authority, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by one holding the higher (Melchizedek) priesthood.

Joseph Smith taught that the influence of the Holy Ghost, which is the convincing power of God as to the truth of the gospel, can be received before baptism. But the gift, or more constant companionship, of the Holy Ghost, which comes by the laying-on of hands, is obtained only after baptism (TPJS, 199). “You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man,” Joseph said, “if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half—that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost” (TPJS, 314). Thus, a person is expected to receive, prior to baptism, the witness given through the ministrations of the Holy Ghost to the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, of scripture, and of the words of the living prophets. But the full outpourings of the Spirit do not come until the person has complied with the command to be baptized. Only after baptism can the gift of the Holy Ghost be conferred by one in authority (D&C 76:52).

The New Testament account of how the saints in Samaria received the gift of the Holy Ghost makes clear that bestowal of this gift requires a higher authority than is needed for performing baptisms (see Acts 8:14-17). The conferral of the gift of the Holy Ghost may be referred to as the “baptism of the Spirit.”

There seems to be both a “quantitative” and a “qualitative” aspect to the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Quantitatively, the individual blessed to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost has a greater susceptibility to light. Hence, he has a greater susceptibility to receiving divine communication through the Holy Ghost. Those with the gift are entitled to more of the influence of the Holy Ghost more often than those without the gift. They may even enjoy his influence constantly if they qualify themselves by their worthiness. This blessing includes greater access to all of the types of ministrations of the Holy Ghost.

Qualitatively, the individual who receives the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands may enjoy a more intimate and functional relationship with the Spirit. For example, he is authorized to participate in the process of justification and sanctification or the “baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost” by priesthood ordinance.7

The gift of the Holy Ghost is the most important gift man can receive in mortality. It is the secret to unlocking the divine potential within him. To those qualified to be sealed up to eternal life, the Lord said, “The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter [a rod or wand that acts as a symbol of royal power or authority] an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion [the range of time and space over which you shall rule] shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever” (D&C 121:46).

On one occasion, the prophet Joseph Smith was asked “wherein [the LDS Church] differed from the other religions of the day.” He replied, that it was in “the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying-on of hands . . . [and] that all other considerations were contained in the gift of the Holy Ghost” (HC, 4:42).

The influence of the Holy Ghost cannot be received or maintained by someone who is not worthy. The Holy Ghost’s influence will not abide with an unrighteous person. Thus, the actual companionship of the Holy Ghost may be received immediately after the laying on of hands, or it may be experienced subsequently, depending on when the receiver becomes a fit companion for that holy being. Should the individual cease to be clean and obedient, the Holy Ghost will withdraw his influence.

The Holy Ghost is vital to our spiritual progress, and the gift of the Holy Ghost accelerates that process. The Spirit’s influence will continue to be vital until we are allowed to live in the direct presence of the Father and Son. Then, apparently, our access to the light of Christ will be greater. At that time, we will have no further need of an intermediary.

At least those in the celestial kingdom will no longer need the ministrations of the Holy Ghost. An intriguing verse in the Doctrine and Covenants, however, suggests that those in the telestial kingdom might still have a continuing need. D&C 76:86 refers to souls abiding in the telestial realm: “These are they who receive not of his fulness in the eternal world, but of the Holy Spirit through the ministration of the terrestrial.” Those in the terrestrial kingdom are blessed to enjoy the presence of the Savior. It is difficult to speculate as to the ongoing role of the Spirit in that kingdom.

#What Actually Happened on the Day of Pentecost?

During his mortal sojourn, Christ’s instructions to his apostles contained repeated promises concerning the coming of the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth (John 14:14, 16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:7, 13). The Lord was referring to the gift of the Holy Ghost. It had not been available to his apostles during the time he personally ministered among them. Certainly the influence or power of the Holy Ghost was active during Christ’s mortal sojourn in the conversion of his apostles and others. For example, Christ’s teachings were spoken and received by the influence of the Holy Ghost. But, the gift of the Holy Ghost apparently had not been available.

In his last interview with the apostles, the Lord repeated his assurances of a spiritual baptism soon to take place. He said: “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:5). He referred here to the baptism of the Spirit or the receiving of the gift of the Holy Ghost. This promise was fulfilled at the succeeding festival of Pentecost. The apostles, having assembled together, were endowed with great power from heaven (Acts 2:1-4). They received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Being filled with the Holy Ghost, they spoke in tongues other than their own as the Spirit gave them utterance. Other manifestations and signs of this spiritual endowment occurred almost as part of a “celebration” of receiving of the gift of the Holy Ghost. Flames of fire appeared like unto tongues which rested upon each of them. The promised blessing, so miraculously received, was then in turn administered by the apostles to those who sought their instruction. Peter, addressing the Jews on that same day, declared, on the condition of their acceptable repentance and baptism, “Ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).8

Let us consider in detail the day of Pentecost. Jesus was crucified at the time of the annual Passover feast. On the “third day” (actually less than two days later—Friday afternoon to Sunday morning), he was resurrected. He tarried with the apostles after his resurrection for forty days. Thus, his ascension occurred forty-two days after the Passover. In eight more days the annual feast of Pentecost would take place. This feast was established by revelation to Moses to be fifty days after Passover (see Leviticus 23:15-16). Gathered in Jerusalem for this particular Pentecost were thousands of Jews from at least fifteen near eastern and middle eastern nations (see

Acts 2:9-11). These natives of neighboring lands spoke the language of their place of origin (Acts 2:5-12).

On this occasion, the gift of the Holy Ghost came upon the Twelve. They spoke in tongues to these visitors from many lands. Miraculously the people understood them. The apostles taught them the gospel of Jesus Christ. How many thousands were present we do not know. The record says that from these visitors the Twelve converted and baptized three thousand in that one day (Acts 2:41). After their baptism, these new converts would return to their homelands. Thus, the Church had members almost immediately located in widely scattered areas. Missionaries would subsequently be sent to those locations to nourish these new members and build up branches.

It is significant that the gift of the Holy Ghost should come on the day of Pentecost. This was a “feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours” (Exodus 23:16). The paschal lamb of the Passover symbolized the death of the Lord, and thus Jesus was crucified at Passover time. Similarly, the receiving of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost symbolized that the Holy Spirit is the first fruit of our faith in Jesus Christ.

Because of the events on the day of Pentecost, we sometimes refer to an unusual outpouring of the influence of the Spirit of God as a “Pentecostal” outpouring of the Spirit. Dramatic outpourings of the power of the Spirit are exceptional. The usual manifestations of his influence are quiet. They occur to those willing to repent and be baptized by water and by the Spirit, and then continue on repenting and striving to become like Christ.

#The Spirit or Light of Christ

The expressions “Spirit of Christ” or “light of Christ” seem in the scriptures to share a unique and specific meaning. Each man born into mortality receives, as an unearned entitlement, a limited but definite susceptibility to a certain portion of the light of Christ. It is likely only a small portion of all of the light potentially available to man. This susceptibility to the light of Christ is known as the Spirit of Christ or the light of Christ.9 This free gift functions as a man’s conscience. “For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil” (Moroni 7:16).

A modern-day prophet, Harold B. Lee said:

Every soul who walks the earth, wherever he lives, in whatever nation he may have been born, no matter whether he be in riches or in poverty, had at birth an endowment of that first light which is called the light of Christ, the spirit of truth, or the Spirit of God—that universal light of intelligence with which every soul is blessed (Stand Ye in Holy Places, 115).

It is this Spirit that touches one’s heart, declaring the truthfulness of the gospel to the soul. Brigham Young proclaimed that this Spirit has “enlightened, instructed, and taught by revelation every man or woman who has ever been upon the face of the earth (JD, 2:139-40).

Are the Holy Ghost and his influence involved in the Spirit or light of Christ? Is that universally-given susceptibility to a small amount of the light of Christ immediate or mediate? That is, does the light find its way to the heart of a man through the veil without the ministrations of the Holy Ghost, the mediator? Or is the Spirit involved in this process? Surely the process is mediate and the Holy Ghost is necessarily involved. We may thus also define the light of Christ as a limited susceptibility to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

As a part of this entitlement, each man may receive further light and knowledge through the ministrations of the Holy Ghost. Of course, the conditions of repentance, obedience, worthiness, and purposeful striving for knowledge apply. While a man is in mortality, this opportunity for greater light and knowledge does not necessarily include the gospel in it fulness. But it would appear that each man who lives to the age of accountability will have adequate opportunity to accept or reject eternal principles of truth sufficient for him to be judged by the Lord (D&C 137:7-9).

We may metaphorically regard the Spirit of Christ as a small hole in the veil, located above the head of each of God’s children. Through this hole may come heavenly communication in the form of light regulated by the Holy Ghost. While this Spirit of Christ may be given to all men as a free gift, it is certainly possible to plug up this figurative hole through inattention, lack of response, disobedience, and wickedness.

The Spirit of Christ is a stewardship for which each man is responsible. If a man will respond to the subtle promptings that pass through the hole, then the hole will gradually enlarge so that more and more heavenly communication is possible.

#Confusing Scriptural Terminology

As we study the scriptures and the writings of the modern-day prophets concerning the Holy Ghost, we may become confused by the terminology. As noted above, there are several terms or titles used to refer to the Holy Ghost. Some of these titles may have other meanings in addition to their referring to the Holy Ghost. Most often, if one understands all of the possible meanings of a title, one is able to decide which meaning is intended based on the context of a given verse of scripture. Sometimes, however, abbreviated scriptural accounts leave much room for doubt. Nothing short of additional revelation can identify precisely what meaning is intended. Let us attempt to solve this problem.

“Spirit of the Lord.” There are three separate, distinct meanings for this title found in the scriptures. They are:

1. Jesus Christ in his premortal spirit form. This is the form he had from the time of his spirit birth as the Firstborn of the Father until he was born of Mary. He existed in this form as he created this earth and worlds without number. He possessed this spirit form while he presided over the universe as Jehovah.

In Ether 3, we read the account of the brother of Jared’s seeing the spirit body of Jesus. Jesus explained to the brother of Jared: “Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit” (Ether 3:16).

A more difficult passage is 1 Nephi 11:11. In this verse Nephi, during his great vision of the tree of life, encounters a spirit guide: “For I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another.” Is this spirit guide the Holy Ghost or the Lord Jesus Christ himself? It is difficult to be certain, and we have been taught by authority both meanings.

2. The light of Christ. This is that emanation, radiation, or signal radiating from the person of Jesus Christ and “fill[ing] the immensity of space.”9 This light may be referred to also as the “Spirit of the Lord.”

3. It is also a synonym for the Holy Ghost, that spirit man who is a member of the Godhead.

“Spirit of Truth.” This title also has three distinct meanings in the scriptures: 1. It may refer to Jesus Christ himself. John bore record that our Lord “was in the beginning, before the world was.” He was “the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him.” He was called the Spirit of truth because he was “full of grace and truth” (D&C 93:6-11; John 1:1-18). As the Spirit of truth, Jesus is the revealer and dispenser of truth through the Holy Ghost. All gifts of the Spirit come from him (Moroni 10:18). “My voice,” he said, “is Spirit; my Spirit is truth; truth abideth and hath no end; and if it be in you it shall abound” (D&C 88:66). The resurrected Lord referred to himself thus: “The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit of truth, and John bore record of me saying: He received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth” (D&C 93:26).

2. It may also refer to the Holy Ghost. This title signifies that his mission is to guide mankind to all spiritual truths. So completely is his mission associated with bearing witness of the truth that John said of him, “The Spirit is truth” (1 John 5:6). Referring to the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Lord said to his apostles: “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall be speak; and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:13-14; D&C 6:15; 107:71; see also D&C 50:17-21).

3. In one specific instance in the scriptures, the term “spirit of truth” (note the lower case s) is contrasted with the spirit of error. It is used simply to refer to the influence of the persuasive power of truth: “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:6).

“Holy Ghost.” The designation Holy Ghost may refer to the man himself. However, rather than referring to the person of the Holy Ghost, the phrase is often used to refer to the influence of that person. The scriptural phrase to “receive the Holy Ghost” means to receive and enjoy the gift and power of the Holy Ghost.

Since the Term “Holy Ghost” may be used to refer to the influence of the Holy Ghost, the impersonal pronoun it may be appropriately at times used to refer to that influence. For example: “For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:5, italics added). Also, “But behold, there are many that harden their hearts against the Holy Spirit, that it hath no place in them; wherefore, they cast many things away which are written and esteem them as things of naught” (2 Nephi 33:2, italics added). When referring to the man himself, however, we ought to always use the personal pronoun he.

#The Sin Against the Holy Ghost

Jesus taught that no sin is greater than the sin against the Holy Ghost (Matthew 12:31-32). Denying the Holy Ghost is the ultimate blasphemy, even the unpardonable sin. It consists of willful rebellion by one who has reached a lofty state of spiritual development. He has had the heavens opened to him and has come to “know God” and possess “perfect light” (TPJS, 357-58). Yet, he comes out in open rebellion against the Lord and his kingdom. Such a person is beyond repenting. He is a traitor to God. He is sealed up to Satan as surely as the sons of God are sealed up to Christ. He has “denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto [himself] and put him to an open shame” (D&C 76:35).

Unpardonable means that it cannot be paid for either by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ or by the personal suffering of the sinner. The only sin that is unpardonable is the sin against the Holy Ghost. The individual guilty of this sin shall not be forgiven and will become forever a son of perdition. Indeed, it would have been “better for [him] never to have been born” (D&C 76:32).

Which people here in mortality are capable of committing such a sin, and what behavior can result in this awful penalty? Joseph Smith taught that before an individual could commit this sin, he must “have the heavens opened unto him, and know God and then sin against him. . . . He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it” (TPJS, 358).

Such a person must have received knowledge and power beyond what the vast majority of us have received. Spencer W. Kimball taught: “The sin against the Holy Ghost requires such knowledge that it is manifestly impossible for the rank and file to commit such a sin” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 23).

It seems likely the individual who qualifies is he who has entered into the highest priesthood covenants that can be entered into here in mortality, including the covenant of having one’s calling and election made sure. Then he must be found guilty of more than mere passive dissent. He must come out in open rebellion against the church and kingdom and even against the Savior himself. He rebels against the Savior to the point that he seeks after the blood of Christ, and he would, if possible, shed his blood anew. This knowledge must be acquired in mortality. An individual cannot become a son of perdition in the post-mortal spirit world. Joseph Smith taught, “A man cannot commit the unpardonable sin after the dissolution of the body” (TPJS, 357).

Only those who commit this sin will know the nature of this torment and its duration:

The end thereof, neither the place thereof, nor their torment, no man knows; neither was it revealed, neither is, neither will be unto man, except to them who are made partakers thereof . . . wherefore, the end, the width, the height, the depth, and the misery thereof, they understand not, neither any man except those who are ordained unto this condemnation (D&C 76:45-46, 48).

Once an individual is condemned to become a son of perdition, the penalty is final. The Prophet Joseph taught that it is incorrect to teach that the sons of perdition will be redeemed at some future day (TPJS, 24).

And why is the unpardonable sin called the “sin against the Holy Ghost”? He who commits this sin betrays the repeated confirmations of the Spirit of God. He sins against all that is true, all that is good, all that is wholesome. And he does so after he has been undeniably and repeatedly testified to by the Holy Ghost. He also has been sealed up to eternal life by the Holy Ghost.

#What Do We Know About the Origin and Eventual Destiny of the Holy Ghost?

In this dispensation, little has been revealed as to the origin or destiny of the Holy Ghost. We have already speculated that he is a spirit child of our Father in heaven belonging to our round of creation. Elder Bruce R. McConkie has referred to any expressions on these matters as “both speculative and fruitless” (Mormon Doctrine, 329). I, thus, stand corrected.

The history of his ministrations on this earth are adequately documented. He has been actively involved in influencing the family of Adam on the earth since the time of Adam himself. Even the gift of the Holy Ghost has been present on the earth since the first man. Latter-day Saints understand that by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel Adam received the Holy Ghost. He thus learned that redemption from the fall will come through Christ to all who accept him (Moses 5:6-9). Thus, the gospel was “preached, from the beginning, being declared by angels,” by the voice of God, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost (Moses 5:58-59; 2 Peter 1:21). Nephi (about 600 BC) testified that the Holy Ghost is “the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men” (1 Nephi 10:17).

Is the Spirit destined to receive a mortal body and then a celestial eternal body? Is he destined to become a creator god? Intuitively, we must conclude that he most certainly is. However, we will have to await further conclusive light on this subject. There is an interesting statement in the diary of George Laub purportedly made by the prophet Joseph Smith: “But the Holy Ghost is yet a spiritual body and waiting to take to himself a body as the Savior did or as God did or the gods before them took bodies” (The Words of Joseph Smith, 382).

For a more complete discussion of the light of Christ, see volume 1, chapter 15, The Concept of Light.

2 For a discussion of the process of spiritual growth, see volume 1, chapters 7, Spiritual Growth—Gifts of the Spirit, and 8, The Blessings of Spiritual Gifts.

3 See chapter 11, The Sealing Power.

4 See chapter 16, Calling and Election Made Sure.

For a more complete discussion of the processes of justification and sanctification, see volume 1, chapter 17, Justification and Sanctification.

6 See chapter 12, Priesthood.

See volume 1, chapter 18, Baptism, the Ordinance that Brings Spiritual Growth.

8 Please see the discussion of the terminology surrounding the Day of Pentecost in chapter 16, Calling and Election Made Sure, particularly the section, “Is Having One’s Calling and Election Made Sure the Same as Receiving the Second Comforter?”

9 Again, the reader may wish to review volume 1, chapter 15, The Concept of Light.