2. The Holy Ghost Revealed: In his "Articles of Faith," Elder James E. Talmage says:
"That the Holy Ghost is capable of manifesting himself in the true form and figure of God, after which image man is shaped, is indicated by the wonderful interview between the Spirit and Nephi, in which he revealed himself to the Prophet, questioned him concerning his desires and belief, instructed him in the things of God, speaking face to face with the man. 'I spake unto him,' says Nephi, 'as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in 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 to another.'"[A]
[Footnote A: Articles of Faith, p. 164; and I Nephi xi:22. Elder Orson Pratt refers to the same passage in 1850, and makes the following comment: "Whether this Spirit that Nephi saw 'in the form or a man' was the person of the Holy Spirit, or the personal Spirit of Jesus, which, about six hundred years afterwards took upon himself flesh, is not definitely stated. The brother of Jared, some two thousand years before Christ, saw the personal Spirit of Christ, which was in the form of a man. Nephi might have seen the same; but we are rather inclined to believe from the context, that he saw the personage of the Holy Spirit; if so, this establishes, beyond doubt, the personality of the Holy Spirit.">[
Of this evidence for the personality and even the individuality of the Holy Ghost, in human form, it might be said that since the pre-existent spirit of the Christ, and doubtless the spirits of all men, existed in human form, some one of these of sufficient excellence and holiness could by appointment have ministered unto Nephi, and be called the "Spirit of the Lord." But a close consideration of the context of the quoted passage will, I think, dispel that idea and leave established the view of the author of the "Articles of Faith," and that view to which Elder Orson Pratt more especially inclined, viz.: that on the above occasion there was given to the Prophet Nephi a view of the spirit-personage of the Holy Trinity, known to us in the word of God as the Holy Ghost. The considerations which lead me to that conclusion are that in the chapter preceding the one in which it is declared that the "Spirit of the Lord" was "in the form of a man," Nephi had expressed his desire to see and hear, and know of these things by the power of the Holy Ghost, "which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him."[A] Then in a subsequent verse he remarks: "And the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these things, and deny them not."[B] Then follows the narrative in which occurs the statement that the "spirit of the Lord," which conversed with Nephi, was "in the form of a man" This juxtaposition of the terms "Holy Ghost" and the "Spirit of the Lord," "in the form of a man," is too significant to doubt of identity of personage.
[Footnote A: I Nephi x:17.]
[Footnote B: Ibid 18.]
3. The New Testament on the Personality of the Holy Ghost: It is also clear from the New Testament scriptures that the Holy Ghost is a "spiritual personage" in the sense presented in this lesson, for the reason that he is referred to as a personage, and as doing those things which only a personage, in the sense of that personage being an individual, would do. In these scriptures the Holy Ghost is quite generally "HE" rather than "IT." "I will pray to the Father," said Jesus, "and he will give you another Comforter, * * * even the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you."[A] "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, * * * he shall teach you all things;"[B] "* * * He shall testify of me."[C] He will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you."[D] "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment."[E]
[Footnote A: John xiv:16, 17.]
[Footnote B: John xiv:26.]
[Footnote C: John xv:26.]