Who is the Holy Ghost?

[Kabane52]

According to LDS theology, Heavenly Father is an exalted man who used to live on another planet. He has a body of flesh and bone. Jesus Christ is the literal spirit son of Heavenly Father and his wife (or one of his wives) and the literal flesh and bone son of Heavenly Father and Mary. The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit, no flesh or bone. So, my question is:

1. Is the Holy Ghost God?
2. If so, how is the Holy Ghost God, since He is not one in essence with Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ, nor is He a spirit child of Heavenly Father.
3. If not, what is he?

[Kabane52]

Hello?

[Cow Poke]

[JAYMZ]

Most LDS will say he is another god, who has not yet received a physical body.....but one day he will.

Some have suggested on this site that the Holy Spirit would have to become a savior for another planet to achieve his physical form.

[Kabane52]

I thought that gods attained godhood through exaltation of their physical bodies, and thus gods are always flesh and bone...it seems the LDS simply have an inconsistency within their theology.

[Cow Poke]

Any LDS wanna take this on?

[JAYMZ]

I thought that gods attained godhood through exaltation of their physical bodies, and thus gods are always flesh and bone...it seems the LDS simply have an inconsistency within their theology.

Maybe thats why they are not too eager to enlighten you.

[Sparko]

didn't I already do a thread on this?

Not only do they believe the Holy Ghost is a God who has not been exalted with a body yet, but until the incarnation, Jesus, as Jehovah was the God of the old testament and he hadn't been exalted with a physical body yet either.

very inconsistent.

[Kabane52]

But they believe that Jesus was a spirit child of Heavenly Father. What is the origin of the Holy Spirit?

[JB]

But they believe that Jesus was a spirit child of Heavenly Father. What is the origin of the Holy Spirit?

So far as I know, Latter-day Saints hold that the same is true of the Holy Spirit. For example,

The Holy Ghost is also a spirit son of God.

And as for the other related issues:

The Holy Spirit will still need to receive a physical body at some point - though I do not think he will be required to be in it very long. I am thinking he will receive it in the way the rest of us have. However, he will remain in it for a very short time, and be changed quickly (as in the twinkling of an eye) so that the space of time between his physical death and the receiving of his glorified body will be mere moments. I'm thinking this will take place at the end of the Millenium when his services as Holy Spirit will no longer be required. Inasmuch as Father has bestowed upon him the authority and powers necessary to fulfill his calling as the Holy Spirit, he has not yet received exaltation nor received all of the keys, power and authority of full god-hood yet. I am sure his rewards and blessings will be in accordance with the work he has done for Father.

I'm not certain yet, however, whether the spirit-child status of the Holy Spirit would be a generally accepted LDS position, so caution should still naturally be used before imputing it to all Latter-day Saints.

[Kabane52]

hmm, interesting.

[BrotherAardvark]

But they believe that Jesus was a spirit child of Heavenly Father. What is the origin of the Holy Spirit?

There is no origin of the Holy Ghost. He has always co-existed with the Father and Son and always will. No beginning and no end.

We also believe that all humans have always existed. This doctrine is found here:

(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 93:29 - 30)
29 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.
30 All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence.


We reject the creation creatio ex nihilo theory and believe that matter/energy and intelligence have always, and will always exist. Human beings (Including the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) are entities of intelligence, the Father being the most intelligent of them all.

[Kabane52]

Okay, yes, yes, I'm aware of that. You also believe that the Father existed as a human intelligence before He existed as a divine intelligence. And you believe that Jesus Christ was begotten as a spirit child of the Father. Do you believe the same about the Holy Spirit?

[Sparko]

There is no origin of the Holy Ghost. He has always co-existed with the Father and Son and always will. No beginning and no end.

We also believe that all humans have always existed. This doctrine is found here:

(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 93:29 - 30)
29 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.
30 All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence.


We reject the creation creatio ex nihilo theory and believe that matter/energy and intelligence have always, and will always exist. Human beings (Including the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) are entities of intelligence, the Father being the most intelligent of them all.

He was more intelligent than HIS Father?

[BrotherAardvark]

Okay, yes, yes, I'm aware of that. You also believe that the Father existed as a human intelligence before He existed as a divine intelligence.

No. This is a myth put forward by many of our critics. We believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost have always been the one true God and always will be.

While some claim otherwise (even some members of the LDS Church) I rely upon sound LDS doctrine.

In addition to the testimony of God's eternal nature in the bible:


(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 31:21)
21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 20:17)
17 By these things we know that there is a God in heaven, who is infinite and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting the same unchangeable God, the framer of heaven and earth, and all things which are in them;
(underline mine)

(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 20:27 - 28)
7 As well as those who should come after, who should believe in the gifts and callings of God by the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the Father and of the Son;
28 Which Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one God, infinite and eternal, without end. Amen.

And you believe that Jesus Christ was begotten as a spirit child of the Father. Do you believe the same about the Holy Spirit?

Yes. And I believe the same about you and me. All mankind are the spiritual offspring of Heavenly father.



(New Testament | Acts 17:29)
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God...

(New Testament | Romans 8:16)
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:


Now, as to the origin of the rumors that we believe the Father as not God from the beginning, this probably stems from the LDS speculation (very widely held within the church - including the leaders) that God the Father at one time lived a mortal life just like Jesus Christ did. But the critics claims will not hold water for we clearly believe Jesus was God (Jehovah of the OT) before His birth as a baby to Mary, and therefore if the Father lived a mortal life "just like Jesus did", as we often speculate, then He (the Father) was also God before his mortal life and also lived a perfect life "just like Jesus did".

I would like to point out, however, that there is very little LDS doctrine on the matter, so what I have said above about the Father living a mortal life is really just a widely held speculation. No LDS are required to hold such a view. I have never heard it taught over the pulpit. The only bit of evidence in the Bible for such a speculation comes from here:

(New Testament | John 5:19)
19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

There are members of the LDS church (who remain in good standing) who reject the speculation that the Father lived a mortal life. However, one must have faith in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to remain in good standing.

I find the whole controversy comical. Our Christian critics call us heretics because we speculate that God The Father once lived a mortal life, and yet this is exactly what they believe about God the Son. That is called a double standard in the Aardvark forest.