The Seventy's Course in Theology, Fifth Year: Divine Immanence and the Holy GhostRoberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
The Seventy's Course in Theology, Fifth Year: Divine Immanence and the Holy Ghost
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
_4. Mode of Union Between the Holy Ghost and Men:_ The question
will be asked, however, how the doctrine of the personality of the
Holy Ghost, in the sense of his being a spirit-personage, in the form
of man, is to be made compatible with the idea that the Holy Ghost
operates simultaneously upon the minds of many persons; in fact becomes
an indwelling influence and power in them. "Receive ye the Holy Ghost,"
is said to all those who accept the ordinances of the gospel--both the
first and second part of the Christian baptism; and the theory is that
though these become an innumerable host, such as no man can number,
there would still be for each a personal relationship with the Holy
Ghost. Each would receive him; each would be baptized of the Spirit;
and that which each would receive would be his bond of fellowship with
God, his union with the divine life, his re-established communion with
God, hitherto severed by sin. To each the Holy Ghost would be his
special source of knowledge, as we have seen, of God the Father, and
Jesus the Son;[A] the Holy Ghost would be the life of God in the life
of each; the power by which he would be conformed to the very image
and likeness of God--inducted in fact into the divine nature. How
can all this be if the Holy Ghost be regarded as a personage, in the
sense of his being an individual; and necessarily limited by the laws
of form and substance? That is to say, that as a personage, he is not
everywhere present; as a personage, not capable of being in two places
at the same moment of time; as a personage, limited as to the amount of
substance or spiritual essence of which he subsists; as a personage,
not of unlimited or inexhaustible substance, extending throughout the
universe. These conclusions are inevitable from the nature of beings,
however refined of substance or essence, or however exalted in office
and power, or however glorious, if to them we ascribe form; or if God
in his word prescribes form to them, as in this case. These conclusions
are inevitable where form is the mode of existence.
[Footnote A: No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy
Ghost. I Cor. xii:3. "I bear record of the Father, and the Father
beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father
and me." III Nephi xi:32.]
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