he period of

st 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 s

mony at t

ished 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 sho

to be so now; for thus it becometh us to ful

ere opened unto Him, and he (John) saw the Spirit of God {42} descending like a dove, and light

s tes

e 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 des

Comfor

e preceding chapter-and that was to testify of Him. Concerning this Spirit Jesus said also just before His crucifixion, "I tell you the truth;

, 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 n

n of the H

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 l

t in Jesus an

r was literally fulfilled to the Apostles. On the day of Pentecost, they "were all filled wi

st amongst t

f 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 H

nfer the

ish apostles. They conferred the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. It is the proper way. When the Chur

f the Ho

earned 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

ance of the

o 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 deny

REFE

13-16. J

2-35. Ac

, 13. 3 Neph

26. Moro

. Doc. and

Doc. and

. Doc. and

QUES

s when He went to J

as Jesus

recognize Jesus

s the Co

relation to G

e mission of

he Holy Gho

of being is t

ost of special import