Question: Dear Donny, Since the LDS Church believes that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have bodies, how is it that the Holy Ghost is God but hasn't got a body? This seems to contradict what the Mormon Church teaches, that we must have bodies before we can attain godhood. Will the Holy Ghost have to eventually come to Earth to get a body?
Response: Thank you for such a thoughtful question. I can see why there may be some confusion on this point.
Actually the scriptures make it very clear that Jesus was a god, the creator of this earth before his mortal mission (His atoning sacrifice and organizing His true church). He then returned to sit on the right hand of the Father.
Here are some passages that refer to his role as the creator:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:1-3)
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
"GOD, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;" (Hebrews 1:1-3)
And in Paul's epistile to the Collossians speaking of Christ he wrote, "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth." (Colossians 1:16)
To me, it follows that if Christ created this earth, he did so before he obtained a mortal body and was resurrected. Knowing that Christ was an active part of the Godhead before he was born of Mary, makes it easy for me to understand that the Holy Ghost would not have to have a body to also be part of the Godhead
We believe that the Holy Ghost has a specific role to communicate by the spirit to the souls of men who diligently seek spiritual guidance and that his being a spirit, for some reason accommodates that role.
Our Doctrine and Covenants states, "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. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 130:22)
I personally am grateful for the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter the Holy Ghost which I have felt as a guide in my life.
Thanks again for the question.
