On the American continent, too, as you must remember, Jesus chose twelve apostles. The Holy Ghost rested mightily upon them, and the way in which Jesus conferred the Holy Ghost on them is interesting. The third Nephi records the incident in these words: "It came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of these sayings, {44} He touched with His hand the disciples whom He had chosen, one by one, even until He had touched them all, and spake unto them as He touched them." Moroni describes the incident more fully: "The words of Christ, which He spake unto His disciples, the twelve whom He had chosen, as He laid His hands upon them. And He called them by name, saying, ye shall call on the Father, in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this, ye shall have power that on him whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles." [Sidenote: How to confer the Holy Ghost.] As Jesus Himself did, then, amongst the Nephites, and as He instructed the Nephite apostles to do, so also did the Jewish apostles. They conferred the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. It is the proper way. When the Church was re-established by the great American, Joseph Smith, the ordinance of the laying on of hands was restored with it. [Sidenote: Nature of the Holy Ghost.] Now, you may be wondering, what kind of being is the Holy Ghost, that it may be conferred by the laying on of hands? Many people have wondered about the same thing. Indeed, even learned men have wondered so much that they have become utterly confused. Yet, here again, the truth is very simple. Jesus said to Joseph Smith, "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us." {45} [Sidenote: Importance of the Holy Ghost.] You can readily see that the Holy Ghost is a very important personage. First, He is a member of the Godhead. Then, through His influence we are led from darkness into light, and are thus enabled to recognize the truth. Then He testifies of Jesus Christ, and of God who sent Him. Indeed, so important is the testimony of the Holy Ghost that Jesus Christ Himself asserted that all sins may be forgiven except the sin against the Holy Ghost. And to Joseph Smith, Jesus said that the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost consisted in the denying of the testimony that Jesus is the Christ, after having once received that testimony, and thus approving of His death. The denial of such a testimony would be the denial of the Holy Ghost also; for "no man can know that Jesus is the Christ, but by the Holy Ghost." THE REFERENCES Matt. 3:13-16. John 3:34. John 1:32-35. Acts 2:1-4. John 16:7, 8, 13. 3 Nephi 18:36, 37. John 14:26. Moroni 2:1,2. Matt. 28:19. Doc. and Cov. 33:15. John 6:53. Doc. and Cov. 130:22. Luke 4:1-20. Doc. and Cov. 132:27.