The Holy Spirit
What does the Bible teach about the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is God, one with the Father and the Son. One of God’s many blessings to all believers is the companionship of the Holy Spirit, who acts as our advocate, counselor, and helper, teaching, guiding, strengthening, and comforting us.
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession — to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:13-14
Stop talking past each other. Gain a better understanding of the words that are unique to Mormonism and the differences of shared terms between Mormonism and Christianity.
What does Mormonism teach about the Holy Spirit?
Mormonism teaches that the Holy Ghost provides inspiration and witness to help worthy Mormons make the right choices. Some describe his work as a burning in the bosom.
In Mormonism, the greater one’s worthiness, the stronger the Holy Ghost’s presence.
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we should make ourselves worthy to receive this special messenger and witness of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
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All honest seekers of the truth can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, leading them to Jesus Christ and His gospel. However, the fulness of the blessings given through the Holy Ghost are available only to those who receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and remain worthy.
Gospel Principles, Chapter 7: The Holy Ghost
Why this Matters
For our LDS friends, the Holy Spirit is a conditional presence, a gift that can be lost if they are not worthy. But the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is a seal of our redemption, a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance, not because we hold tightly to him, but because God holds tightly to us (Ephesians 1:13–14).
Additionally, when God brings someone into his family through saving faith in Jesus, he doesn’t just visit them with his Spirit; he dwells within them. The Holy Spirit takes up residence in believers, making them his temple and marking them as fully redeemed, wholly his. This indwelling Spirit is not a reward for righteous living but a gift of grace. He doesn’t come and go, depending on our performance. Even when we stumble, he remains faithful. When we are weak, he remains steadfast and strong.
Through the Spirit, we are not just forgiven—we are adopted. We no longer stand before God as servants hoping for approval but as sons and daughters who cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit assures us that we belong, convicts us when we wander, comforts us with Christ’s finished work, and continually points us back to the cross where our sins were fully paid.
In Mormonism, the Spirit is a guide we must earn, a presence that comes and goes. But in the gospel, the Holy Spirit is a permanent, powerful, and personal presence—God himself, never leaving or forsaking us. His presence guarantees our eternal inheritance, not because we are worthy, but because Christ is.
Scripture References
Titus 3:6
1 Corinthians 3:16
1 Corinthians 6:19
Ephesians 1:13-14
Galatians 4:6
Summary
Christianity
The Holy Spirit lives in every believer, teaching, guiding, strengthening, and comforting us.
Mormonism
The Holy Spirit provides help to worthy Mormons.