Who is the Holy Ghost?

[Bassil]

Jesus is our eldest brother. Is the Holy Ghost another brother, too?

[rpn]

Plenty of speculation.  No revelation.

[JAHS]

3 hours ago, Bassil said:

Jesus is our eldest brother. Is the Holy Ghost another brother, too?

The Holy Ghost was probably created by God and another spirit brother of ours but still one of the Gods, just as Jesus is a God

President Heber C. Kimball stated:
“The Holy Ghost is a man; he is one of the sons of our Father and our God; and he is that man that stood next to Jesus Christ, (Journal of Discourses, 5:179)

Here is something President Joseph Fielding Smith said about the speculations about the Holy Ghost:
"There is so much in relation to the gospel that we are required to do and so many commandments to observe and ordinances to receive in order that we may obtain an exaltation in the kingdom of God, that we should have no time to enter into speculation in relation to the Holy Ghost.
Too many members of the Church bother themselves about something which does not concern us and which has not been revealed. They neglect the weightier matters and fail to seek for the light and truth which is revealed and also to obtain and be true to the ordinances and covenants so essential to our salvation."(Answers to Gospel Questions, vol. 2 p. 148)

[Bassil]

1 hour ago, JAHS said:

President Heber C. Kimball stated:
“The Holy Ghost is a man; he is one of the sons of our Father and our God; and he is that man that stood next to Jesus Christ, (Journal of Discourses, 5:179)

That was very clear. Thank you.

[The Nehor]

Maybe another child of the Father.

Maybe some other type of being we have no reference for.

Maybe the Holy Ghost is me.

Edited August 25, 2023 by The Nehor

[gopher]

C'mon, you can't mention speculation without actually listing any examples!  Joseph Smith - the Holy Ghost is Joseph Smith.  After he was born, someone else took his place as the Holy Ghost.

[Amulek]

4 minutes ago, gopher said:

C'mon, you can't mention speculation without actually listing any examples!  Joseph Smith - the Holy Ghost is Joseph Smith.  After he was born, someone else took his place as the Holy Ghost.

Hmm...so the Holy Ghost isn't any specific individual, per se, it's more like an office or perhaps a title - kind of like the Dread Pirate Roberts (pardon the blasphemy).

Not sure that is correct, but I suppose it's not out of bounds as far as speculations are concerned.

 

[JLHPROF]

9 hours ago, The Nehor said:

Maybe another child of the Father.

Maybe some other type of being we have no reference for.

Maybe the Holy Ghost is me.

Holy Ghost speaks only truths.

The Nehor on the other hand...

[CV75]

15 hours ago, Bassil said:

Jesus is our eldest brother. Is the Holy Ghost another brother, too?

It depends on how you describe each of the terms above, and what "above" means.

Edited August 25, 2023 by CV75

[JLHPROF]

2 hours ago, gopher said:

C'mon, you can't mention speculation without actually listing any examples!  Joseph Smith - the Holy Ghost is Joseph Smith.  After he was born, someone else took his place as the Holy Ghost.

Depends on how you define the office of Holy Ghost.

Remember Joseph taught that the Godhead means: "Everlasting covenant was made between three personages before the organization of this earth and relates to their dispensation of things to men on the earth. These personages … are called God the first, the Creator; God the second, the Redeemer; and God the third, the Witness or Testator.".  

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-2?lang=eng

We call God the Witness or Testator the Holy Ghost because the Holy Ghost is the witness of all truth.

Moroni 10:5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

The personage of the Holy Ghost will:

1. Bear witness of the Father and the Son.

2. Testify of them, the everlasting covenant, and the plan of creation.

3. Provides truth, revelation etc.

Whether Joseph Smith meets those qualifications or someone else yet to be born qualifies more is a matter of faith and belief.

Joseph also taught during his life that "The Holy Ghost is now in a state of probation which if he should perform in righteousness he may pass through the same or a similar course of things that the Son has.”

[The Nehor]

4 hours ago, JLHPROF said:

Holy Ghost speaks only truths.

The Nehor on the other hand...

So how do you tell which is which?

 

[JAHS]

27 minutes ago, The Nehor said:

So how do you tell which is which?

 

I never listen to people who talk out of their butts.

[Pyreaux]

On 8/24/2023 at 7:11 PM, Bassil said:

Jesus is our eldest brother. Is the Holy Ghost another brother, too?

The Holy Spirit of Wisdom is our Sister and Jesus' Wife in the Book of Proverbs and Wisdom of Solomon, the Daughter of God. LDS custom of misgendering her was inherited from the King James English translation from the gender-neutral words in Greek New Testament, but it's consistently feminine in the Hebrew Bible. Eastern Orthodox still call her "Lady" Wisdom to our "Lord" Christ. 

[gopher]

19 hours ago, JLHPROF said:

Depends on how you define the office of Holy Ghost.

Remember Joseph taught that the Godhead means: "Everlasting covenant was made between three personages before the organization of this earth and relates to their dispensation of things to men on the earth. These personages … are called God the first, the Creator; God the second, the Redeemer; and God the third, the Witness or Testator.".  

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-2?lang=eng

We call God the Witness or Testator the Holy Ghost because the Holy Ghost is the witness of all truth.

Moroni 10:5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

The personage of the Holy Ghost will:

1. Bear witness of the Father and the Son.

2. Testify of them, the everlasting covenant, and the plan of creation.

3. Provides truth, revelation etc.

Whether Joseph Smith meets those qualifications or someone else yet to be born qualifies more is a matter of faith and belief.

Joseph also taught during his life that "The Holy Ghost is now in a state of probation which if he should perform in righteousness he may pass through the same or a similar course of things that the Son has.”

Good quotes.  What do you think about the speculation that the Holy Ghost will be the last spirit from our group in the pre-existence to be born and given a body?

[JLHPROF]

48 minutes ago, gopher said:

Good quotes.  What do you think about the speculation that the Holy Ghost will be the last spirit from our group in the pre-existence to be born and given a body?

Well the quote says the Godhead "relates to their dispensation of things" so I think that God the Witness or Testator relates specifically to this last dispensation.

Whether that means the office belongs to the final person born in this dispensation or to the head of this dispensation I couldn't say.

[mfbukowski]

Mary Mother of Jesus aka "Wisdom"

 

Maybe.

[Dario_M]

I always have understood that the Holy Ghost is not God or Jesus Christ himself. But that the Holy Ghost is another individual.  Who is close to the person who got baptized and needs direction from him. 🫂

[Calm]

2 hours ago, Dario_M said:

I always have understood that the Holy Ghost is not God or Jesus Christ himself. But that the Holy Ghost is another individual.  Who is close to the person who got baptized and needs direction from him. 🫂

That is a good description of LDS belief.  He is not the Father nor the Son and we don’t know anything about him, save he is another spirit child of the Father, I believe….though I am not sure if this is revealed doctrine or a reasoned out teaching.  Exactly how his being a spirit allows him to connect with us is not explained, though in John it’s called his dwelling with us and is in us.***  Perhaps because he doesn’t have a resurrected perfected body, we can tolerate his presence without having to be protected as appears to be needed when the Father or the Son shows themselves to mortals.  

Major speculation and possible heresy warning, not my personal belief either:

There is some speculation I have heard that the Holy Ghost is female and the male gender has just been assumed rather than revealed.  “She” might be assumed to be male because she has the priesthood and can confirm ordinances.  One of the most likely possibilities if the Holy Ghost is female is she is Heavenly Mother, but if you start teaching this you might get excommunicated as it is viewed as a heresy by many leaders.  I personally don’t think it matters if the Holy Ghost is male or female, though I kind of like the idea that Heavenly Mother and some of her daughters are in a Goddesshead and are as involved in humankind’s progress as the Father, Son, and Spirit.  Perhaps (remember this is pure speculation for fun) their involvement is overseeing the next stage of progression after death or maybe they were the ones that prepared us for mortality and post death will have both the Gods and Goddesses directly involved because at that time we need both of their examples in order to learn how to be one with them and grow into exaltation ourselves.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1996/10/always-have-his-spirit?

Fundamentalist LDS groups speculate he is different individuals who have lived in the past, but I think their reasoning is messed up with ideas associated with reincarnation, so imo they are actually heresy, but there might be variations that aren’t so far afield.  All the speculation is the result if people wanting to know more than God has shared, so they think God is sending secret messages or revelation that does not follow the doctrinal revealed way, so it can be dangerous for some who take speculation too seriously.

Basically just ignore everything I just wrote and pay attention to mfb’s post for actual doctrine.    I have a compulsion to share too much info at times, lol.

***

Quote

John 14:17

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

 

Edited September 1, 2023 by Calm

[mfbukowski]

Doctrine teaches that He is a male spirit who has not yet been incarnated, so that he is able to dwell in us.

He is one of the Godhead, unified as one with the Father and Son as they are in one mission, together, bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life,in exaltation, of humankind

Not much else is taught.

Edited September 1, 2023 by mfbukowski

[Sara H]

On 8/24/2023 at 8:11 PM, Bassil said:

Jesus is our eldest brother. Is the Holy Ghost another brother, too?

In another thread, there is a discussion about whether or not it is possible for two spirits to enter the body of a single person and reside there. The solution to both of these questions is contained in a single passage of the D&C. The verse also answers the question that you have posed. It is explained in D&C 130-22 that the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit and that the reason he does not have a physical body is because if he had a physical body, he would be unable to dwell inside of us. This is the reason why the Holy Ghost does not have a physical body. Yes, he does enter inside our body, could sound a little creepy depending on your beliefs. 

 

Therefore, the Holy Ghost is a spirit child of God, and it is likely that he has made the decision to forgo the experience of being mortal. This is because his holy calling as a member of the Godhead necessitates him to do so. This, however, does not necessarily indicate that he will never have a body composed of flesh and bone. After he is released from his heavenly calling as the Holy Ghost, I believe that he will have the opportunity to live on a planet that he probably assisted Heavenly Father in constructing and spend his life in the same manner as we do today after he is given this option.

 

[Bassil]

51 minutes ago, Sara H said:

Therefore, the Holy Ghost is a spirit child of God, and it is likely that he has made the decision to forgo the experience of being mortal. This is because his holy calling as a member of the Godhead necessitates him to do so. This, however, does not necessarily indicate that he will never have a body composed of flesh and bone. After he is released from his heavenly calling as the Holy Ghost, I believe that he will have the opportunity to live on a planet that he probably assisted Heavenly Father in constructing and spend his life in the same manner as we do today after he is given this option.

Thank you for clarifying.  🙏

[mfbukowski]

How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

It's substance theology, it's Aquinas.  I'm not Catholic any more for a reason

 

Edited September 1, 2023 by mfbukowski

[jonah747]

8 hours ago, Calm said:

That is a good description of LDS belief.  He is not the Father nor the Son and we don’t know anything about him, save he is another spirit child of the Father, I believe….though I am not sure if this is revealed doctrine or a reasoned out teaching.

@Bassil

The Encyclopedia of Mormonism has a detailed section on teachings about the Holy Ghost.

https://eom.byu.edu/index.php?title=Holy_Ghost

[Calm]

2 hours ago, jonah747 said:

@Bassil

The Encyclopedia of Mormonism has a detailed section on teachings about the Holy Ghost.

https://eom.byu.edu/index.php?title=Holy_Ghost

That is a great collection of info about his calling.

[Bassil]

3 hours ago, jonah747 said:

The Encyclopedia of Mormonism has a detailed section on teachings about the Holy Ghost.

Thank you for the link. 🙏