Every time a person is baptized as a new member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the ordinance usually includes a brief talk on baptism and another on the Holy Ghost. I have been asked many times to present an introductory, short talk on the Holy Ghost. These talks are meant to acquaint, not confuse a person about the Holy Ghost, who is a member of the Presiding body of Gods over our universe. Most converts are or have been members of a protestant church or a Catholic church. As Latter Day Saints they must come to an altogether different concept of who rules this Universe we live in. The doctrine of churches other than The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a totally different concept of the three personages who represent the Presidency of the Universe. Each member of the Godhead is a separate and distinct individual with different responsibilities and the last two have specific assignments in respect to this earth and we, the Father’s children. We have been placed here on this earth that He has created in order for us to mature, to be tested, and to see if we will do all things that He has commanded. The Plan is the Father’s plan of Salvation for each of us, His spirit children who became mortal, to experience this physical world, to mature, and to become more like Him. Jesus Christ was the Father’s first born, Like the Father, He was the one who was most intelligent. His assignment was to create, to teach and to serve as an example. He volunteered to be the sacrificial lamb, the one who would be born to earth as the literal son of God who had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again. The need to lay down his life was necessary to satisfy universal justice, so that the Father could bring us back to His presence. (That is another story). The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit, his companionship is the greatest gift that mortal man can enjoy. Even though he can be in only one place at a time, his power and influence can be manifest or felt throughout the universe. His influence is so great that he is referred to by many names such as the: Comforter, Testator, Revelator, Sanctifier, Holy Spirit, Spirit of Promise and the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Ghost has been an influence on earth from the very beginning. He it is that… “persuadeth men to do good” (Ether 4:11) President Wilford Woodruff spoke at a conference at the Weber Stake in 1896 and told the story of Brigham young being visited by Joseph Smith. Joseph told Brigham that he should tell the people to labor to obtain the spirit of God; that they needed that to sustain them and to give them power to do their work on the earth. Adam, at some point, began to understand life and his purpose and was obedient to all things the Lord commanded him. We read in Moses 6:64-68 “And it came to pass, when the Lord had spoken with Adam, our father, that Adam cried unto the Lord, and he was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and was carried down into the water, and was laid under the water, and was brought forth out of the water. And thus he was baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit, and became quickened in the inner man. And he heard a voice out of heaven, saying: Thou art baptized with fire, and with the Holy Ghost. This is the record of the Father, and the Son, from henceforth and forever; And thou art after the order of him who was without beginning of days or end of years, from all eternity to all eternity. Behold, thou art one in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my sons. Amen.” (One of my favorite scriptures)
Each of us may be born of the Spirit, and thus become a son of God, even as was Father Adam. Mosiah elaborated on the process by saying; “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. “ Mosiah 3:19 The question that many people have is, “If the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit what does he look like?” In the Book of Ether, at the time the people were building the tower, referred today as the tower of Babel, there was a small group led by a righteous man named Jared. Mahonri Moriancumor, Jared’s brother, and the people were instructed to build barge-like vessels to cross the sea to a land favored of the Lord. After completing the barges they realized that there was no light in them for the people to see. The Brother of Jared, called upon God and asked Him to touch sixteen moulton stones which he had prepared to provide light for them during their voyage. The Lord stretched forth his hand and the brother of Jared saw his finger. The scriptural event;) “And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear. And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen? And he saith unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood. And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast And he answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me. And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak? And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie. And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you. Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters. And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image. Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh. Ether 3:6-16
Mahonri saw the spirit of Christ before He was born to earth. That is the way we all appeared before birth and the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit who is also in the image of the Father. One day when the Holy Ghost may also have finished His assignment, He will be born to an earthly mother and gain a physical body as did Christ. We do not know all things. Wise King Mosiah said; “And we, ourselves, also, through the infinite goodness of God, and the manifestations of his Spirit, have great views of that which is to come.”