Letters Exhibiting the Most Prominent Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

by Orson Spencer

THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST.

Liverpool, June 29, 1842.

Reverend and Dear Sir,—The subject of my fifth letter is one of surpassing importance. It is, sir, the "GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST," by the laying on of hands.

The magnitude of the subject warrants me to say, in few words, what belongs to it, without those copious scripture references which you can look after at your leisure. If you will honestly listen to my description of the office-work of the Holy Ghost, you will clearly perceive, that, since the time Jesus left the earth, it is more extensive and important than even the work of the other personages of the Godhead.

The Holy Ghost performs the double office of a WITNESS on earth and a RECORDER in heaven. Being an unembodied personage, he can move among men without the danger of being mobbed and killed, as was not the case with Jesus Christ. He takes up the work of man's redemption, just where Jesus Christ left it, and has a distinct part to act until the second coming of Christ, that in due time He also may obtain glory with the Father, even as Jesus does—yea, a fulness of the Godhead by himself.

According to promise he came on the day of Pentecost, either with a retinue of sanctified spirits, or in the simple unity and grandeur of his own potent agency, and filled the house. He then disbursed among the disciples a variety of tongues—gifts for men which the Conqueror had promised. With the keys of revelation, peculiar to his office, he unlocked their understanding (with perfect impunity to himself) and bore witness that Jesus was Christ. His testimony not only confirmed the disciples, who had been previously baptized, beyond the shadow of all further doubt, but convinced some thousands of the sin of unbelief.

He immediately informed Peter, to whom Christ had promised to send the keys of the presidency over the church by the Holy Ghost (for he could do nothing till the Holy Ghost should bring them), that He, the Holy Ghost, would ever be an attendant upon penitent believers that should be "baptized for remission of sins," whenever his minister should lay on hands. He authorized him to make a solemn standing PROMISE to this effect, viz.: that the Holy Ghost's presence as a WITNESS to truth, should invariably follow the imposition of hands. But he also gave him to understand, that none should lay on hands or preach but such as should be called by revelation, even as was Aaron. He assured him that he would henceforth abide with the church, and enable obedient believers to work certain miraculous signs, such as healing the sick, casting out devils, nullifying the properties of poison wickedly administered, and speaking with new tongues—and these and other confirmations of the truth should invariably attend the true church to the end of the world, or as long as true believers continued on the earth; and if these miraculous signs did not follow believers, they might know that they were rejected of God, as reprobate silver is rejected of men.

The Holy Ghost further informed him, that He was the LIVING WITNESS on earth, in connexion with the WATER and the BLOOD, and sealed up the testimony of all the witnesses concerning all believers on earth, and then took them to heaven and recorded them in the BOOKS, by the mutual agreement of the Father and the Son, against a time of awards and punishments. He also informed him that he always obtained a perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ's mind touching all church transactions on earth, and faithfully communicated the same to chosen men and believers, according to their capacity to receive and use such knowledge; and should continue to act in this Office of enlightening and comforting the church, "until they all come to the unity of the faith and the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ," which he possessed before he left the earth. And he would also communicate Christ's mind concerning the destinies of nations, and the judgments, famines, and pestilences, &c., with which Jesus Christ would visit the earth.

The Holy Ghost would also reveal the deep purposes of God, not only concerning the future glory of the Church, but also concerning individuals that lived before the foundations of the world, and what would be their state in worlds that are future. And even all things that Jesus Christ knew concerning the interest, salvation, and endless felicity and glory of the church—and the misery and final undoing of such as obey not God, the Holy Ghost would communicate in visions, dreams, and revelations. Thus the earth would be filled with knowledge, and Christ would again return here with all the departed saints, and literally bring down a celestial city of splendid mansions—even the New Jerusalem—and God would once more dwell with men in peace.

Let it be understood, that not only apostles, but all obedient believers in the primitive age had the gift of the Holy Ghost, and, consequently, the "spirit of prophecy." "He that hath the testimony of Jesus hath the spirit of prophecy." How do men have the testimony of Jesus? I answer, through the agency of the Holy Ghost. Let it be understood, and marked with INDELIBLE EMPHASIS, that the HOLY SPIRIT is the GREAT WITNESS on earth—that He, the spirit of truth, has transmitted the mind of Jesus to believers in visions, dreams, prophecyings, &c. For this purpose Jesus sent the SPIRIT into the world, that he might reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.