Such the declaration of Joseph, the Prophet, in some instruction given to the Church at Ramus, Illinois, April 2nd, 1843;[A] and admitted into the body of the Doctrine and Covenants as doctrine of the Church.
[Footnote A: Hist. of the Church—the Journal History of the Prophet—Vol. V, p. 325.]
With this also, of course, the teaching of President Young agrees: "The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Lord, and issues forth from himself, and may properly be called God's minister to execute his will in immensity; being called to govern by his influence and power; but he is not a person of tabernacle as we are and as our Father in heaven and Jesus Christ are."[A]
[Footnote A: Journal of Discourses, Vol. I, p. 50.]
4. "Spirit," Its Substantive[A] Nature: To aid in a proper understanding of the meaning of the Prophet in the passage just quoted, it is necessary to ascertain what is meant by him in using the terms "spirit" and "personage." At Ramus, Illinois, 17th of May, 1843, the Prophet, "speaking of Eternal Duration of Matter," said: "There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but is more fine or pure, [i. e. than gross matter] and can only be discerned by purer eyes. We can not see it, but when our bodies are purified, we shall see that it is all matter."[B] "In tracing the thing to foundation," said the Prophet in an editorial of the Times and Seasons, April, 1842, "and looking at it philosophically, we shall find a very material difference between the body and the spirit; the body is supposed to be organized matter, and the spirit, by many, is thought to be immaterial, without substance. With this latter statement we should beg leave to differ, and state that spirit is a substance; that it is a material, but that it is more pure, elastic and refined matter than the body; that it existed before the body, can exist in the body; and will exist separate from the body, when the body will be mouldering in the dust; and will in the resurrection, be again united with it."[C]
[Footnote A: Substantive (2) "Having substance or reality." Example of use: "The mind is a substantive existence, possessing a uniform structure of character, however fundamentally different from the bodily structure." G. T. Curtis, Creation and Evolution, p. 470.]
[Footnote B: "History of the Church," Vol. V, p. 393. The passage, except the introductory sentence, is admitted into the body of the Doctrine and Covenants (sec. cxxxi:7, 8).]
[Footnote C: Hist. Ch, Vol. IV, p. 575.]
From this, one is justified in concluding that because the Prophet refers to the Holy Ghost as a "spirit," he does not thereby mean an immaterial being, or personage; a being not matter; but a being, a personage of finer and more subtle material than flesh and bone, else the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.[A]
[Footnote A: An important truth hinges upon this doctrine and is considered later.]