2 Nephi 31:8

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Reference Search: 2 Nephi 31:8

8 Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.

Quote for Discussion

Holy Ghost—“form of a dove”

Joseph Smith taught that the Holy Ghost descended in the “sign” of the dove. “The sign of the dove,” he explained, “was instituted before the creation of the world, a witness for the Holy Ghost, and the devil cannot come in the sign of a dove. The Holy Ghost is a personage, and is in the form of a personage. It does not confine itself to the form of the dove, but in sign of a 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.”

Teachings, pp. 275-76