Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Godhead 6?

Article of Faith 1

We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ,

                                and in the Holy Ghost.

This is the sixth and last article on the Godhead in my series on the Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The past few weeks, I discussed the character of God the Father or Elohim, and last week I discussed Jesus Christ or Jehovah. Since Jesus Christ taught that His disciples “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9), we can know that He has the same character traits as His Father.

Through latter-day revelation, we know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ each have a physical body made of flesh and bone, but the Holy Ghost is a spirit personage. Doctrine and Covenants 130:22-23 teaches as follows:

22 The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.

23 A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him.

My essay for this week will use the words of Elder Bruce R. McConkie to explain clearly who the Holy Ghost is.

There are several ways in which the labors and ministry and status of “God the third,” who is the Holy Ghost, are separate from the other members of the Godhead. Chief among them are these:

1. He is a personage of spirit.

The Father and the Son have tangible bodies of flesh and bones, while “the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.” That is, he is a spirit person, a spirit entity, a spirit man. He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Lord. Why this difference between him and the other two members of the Godhead? With reference to his status as “a personage of Spirit,” the scripture says: “Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.” (D&C 130:22.) That is to say, according to the eternal laws ordained by the Father, there are certain separate and distinct things to be done by a spirit member of the Godhead. He is to dwell, figuratively, in the faithful, and he is to speak to their spirits in a special and particular way, which he can do because he himself is a spirit.

2. He is the Testator, Revelator, Comforter.

The Holy Ghost is God’s minister; he is appointed to teach and testify, to bear witness of the Father and the Son, and to reveal all needful things to men. As the Testator, he bequeaths salvation, through an eternal testament, to the heirs of God. The Holy Ghost is a Revelator. Almost always the first great revelation received by any person is a testimony of the truth and divinity of the Lord’s work on earth. “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:5.) He is the Comforter. Those who enjoy his companionship find their whole souls are filled with comfort and joy. And the very reason men are commanded to repent and be baptized is so they “may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that [they] may stand spotless before [the Lord] at the last day.” (3 Nephi 27:20.)

 3. He uses the light of Christ in his ministry.

The light of Christ (also called the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of the Lord) is a light, a power, and an influence that proceeds forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space. It is the agency of God’s power and the law by which all things are governed. It is also the agency used by the Holy Ghost to manifest truth and dispense spiritual gifts to many people at one and the same time. For instance, it is as though the Holy Ghost, who is a personage of spirit, was broadcasting all truth throughout the whole universe all the time, using the light of Christ as the agency by which the message is delivered. But only those who attune their souls to the Holy Spirit receive the available revelation. It is in this way that the person of the Holy Ghost makes his influence felt in the heart of every righteous person at one and the same time. (Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 69-70)

How Does the Holy Spirit Speak to You?

             For my Come, Follow Me lesson this week, I studied Doctrine and Covenants 85-87. The revelation that is now known as Section 85 was given through the Prophet Joseph Smith on November 27, 1832, at Kirtland, Ohio. It is an extract from a letter from the Prophet to William W. Phelps who was living in Independence, Missouri.

            By November 1832, approximately 800 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had gathered to the land of Zion in Jackson County, Missouri. Members who moved to Missouri were expected to live according to the Lord’s law of consecration. Under this law, a member would consecrate or dedicate property and resources to the Lord through a legal deed that was signed by both the member and the bishop.

In return, the bishop would give the member property and resources, through another legal deed. The property and resources were called an “inheritance” or “stewardship” and would be given according to the needs and wants of the member and his family. The Church members who settled in Jackson County, Missouri, and who were obedient to the law of consecration received an inheritance of land that had been purchased by agents for the Church of Jesus Christ.

The Prophet received letters from Church leaders in Missouri, including William W. Phelps, in October and November 1832. Joseph Smith wrote to Phelps on November 27, 1832, to answer questions asked by Phelps. At the time of writing, the Prophet was aware that there were some members of the Church living in Missouri who were not living the law of consecration. His letter addressed the issue of whether those members should receive land inheritances.

The revelation that is now Doctrine and Covenants 85 says that the Lord’s clerk should keep a history and general church record containing all the things that transpire in Zion. A list of the names of “all those who consecrate properties, and receive inheritances legally from the bishop” were to be included in that record. (See verse 1.) However, the record should not include the names or the genealogy of those who did not live the law of consecration – including the names of their children.

Verse 6 explains that the above instructions were spoken by “the still small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things, and often times it maketh my bones to quake….”  Previous revelations taught about the Holy Spirit. Doctrine and Covenants 6:23 tells us that the Holy Ghost “speak[s] peace to [our] mind” about the matters that concern us. Doctrine and Covenants 8:2 tells us that the Spirit will speak “in your mind and in your heart.”

Doctrine and Covenants 9:7-9 tells us that the Spirit will not freely speak to us, but that we must “study it out in [our] mind” and ask God if it is the right decision. If it is the right decision, the Spirit will “cause that your bosom shall burn within you,” and you will “feel that it is right.” However, if it is incorrect, “you shall have a stupor of thought that will cause you to forget the thing which is wrong.”

Doctrine and Covenants 11:12-13 tells us that we should put our trust in the Holy Ghost because the Spirit “shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy.” A later revelation found in Doctrine and Covenants 128:1 tells us that the Holy Ghost will “occupy [our] mind, and press itself upon [our] feelings when the Lord is ready to teach us.

Sister Vicki F. Matsumori, a former counselor in the Primary General Presidency gave the following counsel about listening for the Holy Ghost:

Because the Spirit is often described as a still, small voice, it is … important to have a time of quiet in our lives as well. The Lord has counseled us to “be still, and know that I am God” [Psalm 46:10]. If we provide a still and quiet time each day when we are not bombarded by television, computer, video games, or personal electronic devices, we allow that still, small voice an opportunity to provide personal revelation and to whisper sweet guidance, reassurance, and comfort to us” (“Helping Others Recognize the Whisperings of the Spirit,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 11).

            I have learned that the Holy Ghost speaks to me when I am quiet and relaxed. For numerous years, He spoke to me through dreams. I knew of pending deaths of each my parents through messages received in dreams, and I saw events happening in my older son’s life as he served his mission. The message was always accurate, but surrounding details were different. The dreams do not come as frequent as they once did, probably because I am listening better during my awake hours.

Another time that the Spirit speaks to me is in the early hours of the morning when I am just beginning to awaken. Still another time is when I am working in my yard, without any noisy distractions and feeling at peace with the world. Sometimes, the promptings come while I am in sacrament meeting, in the temple, or even driving the car. One of the most frequent times that I hear the still, small voice is during scripture study. I invite you to find some quiet time on a regular basis where you can hear the voice of the Spirit.

Gift of Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead. He is "a personage of Spirit" (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22) without a body of flesh and bones; therefore, His influence can be everywhere at once. He loves us just as the Father and the Son love us. He testifies of the Father, the Son, and all truth. He also prepares us to return to live in the presence of God by purifying and sanctifying our hearts until we have no more desire to do evil.

The gift of the Holy Ghost is the privilege to receive continual guidance and inspiration from the Holy Ghost. This gift is given to people who have been baptized and confirmed as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The gift of the Holy Ghost is enjoyed by all who truly receive it.

The Holy Ghost may temporarily guide a person without the gift of the Holy Ghost (see Doctrine and Covenants 130:23). This guidance is a temporary experience unless the person is baptized and receives the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. A Roman soldier named Cornelius received inspiration from the Holy Ghost telling him that the gospel of Jesus Christ was true, but he did not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost until after he was baptized. (See Acts 10.) According to Joseph Smith, the Holy Ghost would have left Cornelius if he had not been baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. (See Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, p 97.)

People today who are not members of the Church know by the power of the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true (see Moroni 10:4-5). If they do not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, that initial testimony will leave them and they will not receive the continuing assurance that can comes to those who have the gift of the Holy Ghost.

After people are baptized, they are confirmed as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and are given the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. Every worthy elder of the Church, when authorized, may give the gift of the Holy Ghost to another person. Each person is told to "receive the Holy Ghost." This means that the Holy Ghost will come to us with inspiration and guidance only when we are faithful and desire His help. We are worthy of help from the Holy Ghost when we keep the commandments of God and keep our thoughts and actions pure.

When the Holy Ghost "speaks" to us, it is usually referred to as a "still small voice" (see 1 Kings 19:9-12; Helaman 5:30; Doctrine and Covenants 85:6). President Boyd K. Packer explained, "The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear…. While we speak of `listening' to the whispering of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, `I had a feeling….' This voice of the Spirit speaks gently, prompting you what to do or what to say, or it may caution or warn you" (Ensign, Nov. 1994, 60).

The gift of the Holy Ghost is one of the greatest gifts Heavenly Father gives to His children. It is through the Holy Ghost that we may know that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, that the Book of Mormon is true, that God's Church has been restored to the earth, that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God, and that there is a living prophet on earth today.

The Holy Ghost shows us all things that we must do (see 2 Nephi 32:5). The Holy Ghost sanctifies us to prepare us to live in God's presence. The Holy Ghost also brings other gifts to us. The gift of the Holy Ghost can also bring peace to our hearts and understanding of the things of God to our minds (see 1 Corinthians 2:9-12). I have received the Holy Ghost many times in my life. I am very grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost. I love to feel the peace that He always brings, and I know that He love us.