Holy Ghost

[tanya]

why in the book of mormon and the bible doe they refer to the HOly ghost as It and itself? when in reality the hg is a He In the bible i believe it is in romans 8 and it can be found throughout the bom using "it."

Thanks tanya just wondering :-)

[a-train]

Although the Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead, His work and calling is to influence us, to comfort us, to edify us, to spritually heal us, and dwell in us. When we feel these things from Him, He does NOT have to enter the room or touch us. He can do this remotely through spiritual means. His omnipresent influence and power is what we refer to as 'it'.

'The Spirit of the LORD' is often used to describe the influnce of the Holy Ghost. In this regard we would call it an 'it'.

So you find both 'He' and 'It' throughout the scriptures and in the language of the Prophets.

-a-train

[Steele]

In 1 Nephi 11, there are quite a few references to the Spirit as a man, i.e., him, he, etc. Notably:

10 And he [The Spirit] said unto me: What desirest thou?

11 And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another.

12 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence.

There are other examples, but that's a good start.

[Mahonri]

He is most assuredly a male spirit.

His influence is sometimes referred to as "it'.

Do you have it?

Get it, and keep it!

[Mahonri]

He is most assuredly a male spirit.

His influence is sometimes referred to as "it'.

Do you have it?

Get it, and keep it!

[Traveler]

One of the interesting points of Christian doctrine as understood among the LDS is that even though there is a G-dhead comprised of the Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost that we would only come to know personal things about the Son – who is Jesus Christ.

Though we know of the Father and Holy Ghost we are given very little to know of them. Though the Holy Ghost testifies that the Father is G-d and that Jesus Christ is his Son we know very little of the Holy Ghost. It is only through Christ that we learn of G-dlyness.

The Traveler

[tanya]

Maybe the HG is in us the same way we are in HF...John 14:7 :-) Tanya

[S2LR]

Maybe the HG is in us the same way we are in HF...John 14:7 :-) Tanya

D&C 130:22 implies that the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit so that he may dwell in us. In reality his personage can only be in one place at one time. It is his influence that we are all able to enjoy concurrently.

[Hemidakota]

Why in the book of Mormon and the Bible refers to the Holy Ghost as It and itself? When in reality the hg is a He. In the bible i believe it is in romans 8 and it can be found throughout the bom using "it."

Thanks tanya just wondering :-)

It is matter of a writer’s viewpoint in describing the Holy Spirit. For those who had the privilege with viewing the GODHEAD, will self-admit, the Holy Spirit is a male without a mortal body. Nevertheless, that will change when the Millennium arrives and the Holy Spirit will be privilege in obtaining one. Could you imagine the mother surprise in knowing her child was the third member of the GODHEAD?

[the Ogre]

I am glad this thread exists. In my everyotherweek D&D group (yes I'm a geek and mourn Gary Gygax's death), this has come up. One of the members (the DM in fact) thinks the HG is G-d's wife explaining why it is unforgivable to deny [her].

I have always thought that the genderless discussion of the HG was because the HG does not have a body. I do know that gender existed before our births. The Nephi section has always been a help in explaining away the HG's apparent lack of gender, but I don't think it is that important. Gender might not be as important as we humans make it out to be and so the L-rd hasn't commented on this topic yet.

Fun though, but eventually as not important as creationism v. evolutionism.

[Silver Girl]

I am glad this thread exists. In my everyotherweek D&D group (yes I'm a geek and mourn Gary Gygax's death), this has come up. One of the members (the DM in fact) thinks the HG is G-d's wife explaining why it is unforgivable to deny [her].

I have always thought that the genderless discussion of the HG was because the HG does not have a body. I do know that gender existed before our births. The Nephi section has always been a help in explaining away the HG's apparent lack of gender, but I don't think it is that important. Gender might not be as important as we humans make it out to be and so the L-rd hasn't commented on this topic yet.

Fun though, but eventually as not important as creationism v. evolutionism.

But, here is one thing to consider... In order to be a member of the Godhead, I would assume one must have the Preisthood... A woman cannot hold the Preisthood... (except when she is "holding" her hubby close in a big old hug!!)

Just A Thought!!

Silver Girl

[rameumptom]

Silver Girl,

Women DO hold the priesthood, they just hold it differently than men do.

When a man and woman are sealed in the temple, THEY enter into the Patriarchal Priesthood together. We are made priests and priestesses unto God.

President Packer once described it this way: a man holds two keys. The first key opens a vault door. Within the vault is a chest, requiring two keys. He has one of the keys, the woman holds the other key. Together, they are able to open the chest.

Will women be in the Godhead? I would say we first need to establish two things: there may be a difference in Godhead as First Presidency in Heaven, and Godhead as in a relational quorum of gods and goddesses.

Blake Ostler's first volume on Exploring Mormon Thought describes the Godhead as a fully and complete relational experience. It isn't just 3 guys hanging around with each other on the couch, rooting for the same football team; but it is a quorum of gods that are enhanced by the experience of indwelling with one another through thought, feeling, and emotion.

In the Celestial sealing, man and woman seek to become one, even as the Godhead are one. Once again, we have a relational experience that is total and complete on all levels.

[Hemidakota]

After a lengthy search, I cannot for the life of me, find the journal entry of Joseph Smith relating to others of a grand vision of seeing both Adam and Eve, in a glorious splendor beauty sitting on exalted thrones together.

LATE EDIT: Not the one I was looking for [detailed] but does illustrate the magnitude of the woman and man together.

Zebedee Coltrin reported having been with the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery when they "saw the heaven open and in it a great golden throne and on it a man and woman with hair as white as snow." They were told by Joseph that "the man and woman was Father Adam and [Mother] Eve." On another occasion Joseph Smith expressed his familiarity with the Ancient of Days. At the time he was going on a mission to Upper Canada and had stopped in Pennsylvania at the home of a member of the Church. This brother's wife had been given a remarkable spiritual manifestation, in which she saw a glorious personage. As she described the personage to the Prophet, she asked him to confirm whether the vision came from God or from some other source. Joseph declared that it came from God and that the personage she saw was undoubtedly Michael the Archangel, or Adam, adding that he had seen him "several times." (Hyrum L. Andrus, Joseph Smith, the Man and the Seer, p.93)