To this conclusion one is helped by the teaching of the Prophet of the New Dispensation. Joseph Smith, in a discourse at the Nauvoo Temple, on the 29th day of January, 1843, said--and his remarks were especially prepared as he was answering some doctrinal questions about the mission of John, the Baptist, the greatness of it--"He was entrusted with the important mission to baptize the Son of Man," said the Prophet; "Whoever had the honor of doing that? Whoever had so great a privilege and glory? Whoever led the Son of God into the waters of baptism, and had the privilege of beholding the Holy Ghost descend in the form of a dove, or rather in the sign of the dove, in witness of that administration? The sign of the dove 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 [conform?] itself to the form of a dove, but in sign of the 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 above is an emblem or token of truth and innocence."[A] [Footnote A: History of the Church, Vol. V, pp. 260, 261.] That exposition, as it excels all other attempts at exposition in beauty and rationality, so does it make it possible to hold to the thought of the Holy Ghost as a Spirit-Personage in form like man--nay, rather, like his two associates of the holy Trinity as to form--the most perfect in beauty and stately grandeur of all forms living--although differing in substantive nature, as spirit matter differs from spirit matter united with tabernacles of flesh and bone. LESSON XVII. (Scripture Reading Exercise.) WHO MAY RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST. ANALYSIS. I. Preparation for Union. II. Holy Temples for Indwelling Holy Spirit. III. The World and Holy Spirit Incompatible. IV. The Case of Cornelius. REFERENCES. Works and the Scriptures cited in the body of the lesson. _SPECIAL TEXT: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in yon? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." (Doc. and Cov. iii:16, 17.)_ DISCUSSION. _1. Preparation for Union With the Holy Ghost:_ It will be remembered that John the Baptist was sent to preach repentance and baptism before the coming of him who was to baptize with the Holy Ghost. It will also be observed, in the teachings of Peter on the day of Pentecost, after his arguments and the power of the Spirit by which he spake had aroused belief in the minds of the people, that he required them to repent and to be baptized for the remission of their sins before he gave them the promise of the Holy Ghost.[A] [Footnote A: Acts ii:38.]