Gender (aka sex) is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal and eternal identity and purpose. (The FAMILY: A Proclamation to the World, 2nd para.) Unembodied, bodied (aka a living soul), disembodied, or re-embodied spirits contain gender attribute-specific components for reason of identity and purpose—God’s purpose. I hate to have to state the obvious here, but: males are men, and females are women. And, each man or woman is a beloved spirit son or daughter of perfected Heavenly Parents (a Perfected Man and a Perfected Woman).
God has established that gender is an eternal biological characteristic, which existed even before we were born to this earth.
Although we are uncertain as to the Holy Ghost’s paternal origin (whether he is our God El’s son), he is unquestionably a son of a God. (“In this dispensation at least, nothing has been revealed as to his origin or destiny; expressions on these matters are both speculative and fruitless,” wrote McConkie.)
Nephi says the Spirit of the Lord is a man. (1 Nephi 11:11 [9-12])
In 1 Nephi 11, Nephi converses with the Spirit of the Lord (aka the Holy Ghost). Nephi sees in vision what Lehi had received in a previous dream (aka vision), as recorded in Chapter 8.
Interestingly, Lehi doesn’t call attention to the identity of the man he sees in his dream. But, in Chapter 8, Lehi does write that he “saw a man…dressed in a white rob.” (Not necessarily the Holy Ghost.)
4 “…I saw in my dream, a dark and dreary wilderness.
5 “And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me.
6 “And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.
7 “And it came to pass that as I followed him…”
The scripture doesn’t mention who the man is that guided Lehi through his dream of the Tree of Life. As part of these notes, it’s not necessary to spend time trying to better ID the heavenly attendant in Lehi’s dream.
What IS important to recognize is that the individual who speaks to Nephi in vision IS the Holy Ghost.
1 NEPHI 11
10 “And he said unto me: What desirest thou?
11 “And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the 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 with another.
12 “And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence.”
Nephi saw and spoke with the Holy Ghost, and that personage was a man.
In this dispensation, the Prophet Joseph Smith also identifies the Holy Ghost as a man within the transcript of the King Follett Discourse:
“Now, I ask all who hear me, why the learned men who are preaching salvation, say that God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing? The reason is, that they are unlearned in the things of God, and have not the gift of the Holy Ghost; they account it blasphemy in any one to contradict their idea. If you tell them that God made the world out of something, they will call you a fool. But I am learned, and know more than all the world put together. The Holy Ghost does, anyhow, and He is within me, and comprehends more than all the world; and I will associate myself with Him.” (King Follett Discourse, bold added)
In the Gospel of John, we learn that the Holy Ghost is a man. John 14:26 says:
“But 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 Savior continues to explain the mission of the Holy Ghost, in John 16:7, it reads:
“Nevertheless 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.”
And, further in verses 13-14:
13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, 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 shew you things to come.
14 ”He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
Therefore, the individual assigned priesthood responsibility of an Holy Ghost, is a man.
