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Joseph Smith Speaks From Heaven

When a deceased person is permitted to make a communication to the living, we can only expect that their choice of words will have been well thought out.

The prophet Joseph Smith came from heaven to relay a message to both Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff. The message was for the saints. Please read the following:

One morning, while we were at Winter Quarters, Brother Brigham Young said to me and the brethren he had a visitation the night previous from Joseph Smith. I asked him what he said to him. He replied that Joseph had told him to tell the people to labor to obtain the Spirit of God; that they needed that to sustain them and to give them power to go through their work on the earth.

Now I will give you a little of my experience in this line. Joseph Smith visited me a great deal after his death, and taught me many important principles.

Among other things he told me to get the Spirit of God; that all of us needed it. (The Deseret Weekly, 53:21, p.642-3, Nov. 7, 1896)

It is interesting to learn that brother Brigham then visited Wilford Woodruff after he died and reiterated the exact same message.

But why the Holy Spirit? Why not "pray always," or "love your neighbor," or "redeem the dead," or "spread the gospel," etc.?

When it is all said and done, if you could only relay one message, what would it be? Would it have been the same, and if so why?

I do not believe that either Joseph Smith or Brigham Young meant that it would be a good idea to only carry the Spirit around with us. There must have been a fruit or function of the Holy Spirit, which they meant would be of most worth to man. Perhaps the fruits and functions are several or variable. Regardless, they chose to keep it simple and said "Spirit."

What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit? What did they really mean?

Let's begin with what Jesus Christ said about it:

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: for he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (John 16:13-14)

According to Jesus Christ, there are at least three purposes of the Holy Spirit:

  1. Guide you into all truth.
  2. Show you things to come.
  3. Glorify Jesus.

If these things are true, and if Joseph Smith and Brigham Young found these things out, then I could see why they would use the word "Spirit."

But what would be the single best word that describes what the Holy Spirit does?

The preponderance of scriptures dealing with the Holy Spirit show that its main function is that of "revealer of truth." To render Joseph Smith and Brigham Young's admonitions more functional, I propose the following rendering:

"Tell the saints to seek to obtain revelation from God, for by it, God can lead them right."