The end of the period of preparation.

It was the day of the baptism. Jesus had completed the years of preparation for His ministry of service. We know very little of what He did during the eighteen years from the time of His first visit to the temple to the time of His baptism. The historian Luke tells us that Jesus went down to Nazareth with His parents and was subject to them. "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." The day of the baptism was momentous, however; for it was the day on which the special witness of Jesus made special recognition of Him as the Christ.

The testimony at the baptism.

John the Baptizer was performing the ordinance of baptism in the river Jordan for all those who requested it. Thither, then Jesus went; for He, too, wished to be baptized. But when Jesus approached, John felt that in Him was One greater than he; just such a One as he had himself predicted, whose shoestrings he was unworthy to untie. When, therefore, Jesus asked for baptism, John replied, "I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?"

"And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered Him.

"And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straight-way out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and he (John) saw the Spirit of God {42} descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him. And, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased."

John's testimony.

A little later, John bore testimony to those assembled about him, thus: "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and It abode upon Him. And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God."

Who the Comforter is.

Now, this Spirit that John saw descending like a dove and lighting upon Jesus was the same Spirit that Jesus later promised—as we learned in the preceding chapter—and that was to testify of Him. Concerning this Spirit Jesus said also just before His crucifixion, "I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you."

Who, then, is this Spirit, this Comforter? Jesus tells plainly: "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name. He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." The Holy Ghost, then, is a special witness to Jesus; and the Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead in heaven. When Jesus commissioned the apostles after His resurrection to preach the Gospel, He said to them, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing {43} them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." It is further clear that, as a member of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost is a member separate and distinct from God and the Son; for at the baptism of the Son, all three were individually and separately present.

The mission of the Holy Ghost.

The duties of the Holy Ghost are many. When Nicodemus came by night to be instructed by Jesus, Jesus assured him that, "except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God;" for, said He, "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." This means, of course, that when one receives the gift of the Holy Ghost, one enters upon a new spiritual life. And in bringing about such a new spiritual life, the Holy Ghost convinces the sinner of his evil deeds, and leads him to the truth, testifying as we have already learned of the Christ.

The Holy Ghost in Jesus and the apostles.

Jesus, himself, was "full of the Holy Ghost." After the ascension. His promise of a Comforter was literally fulfilled to the Apostles. On the day of Pentecost, they "were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

The Holy Ghost amongst the Nephites.

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."

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.

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} 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.
THE QUESTIONS

1. How old was Jesus when He went to John to be baptized?

2. Why was Jesus baptized?

3. How did John recognize Jesus as the Son of God?

4. Who is the Comforter?

5. What is His relation to God and to Jesus?

6. What is the mission of the Holy Ghost?

7. How is the Holy Ghost conferred?

8. What kind of being is the Holy Ghost?

9. Why is the Holy Ghost of special importance?