The Holiness Ghost: A History

I’ve been thinking about LDS teachings regarding the Gift of the Holy Ghost—how they developed and how they differ from the views of other Christian faiths. The LDS church teaches that the Gift of the Holy Ghost is an essential saving ordinance that one must receive in order for their baptism to be complete. Water baptism without this subsequent confirmation is taught to be ineffectual and void of grace. It is this baptism of fire that sanctifies the individual and purges them of their sins. Water baptism is merely the sign of the covenant, but the bestowal of the Gift of the Holy Ghost is the real deal that enables the individual to be saved from the effects of sin. Other Christian traditions believe in varying versions of this. Some believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs as part of a water baptism. Others—akin to Mormons—separately confirm a member after baptism through the laying on of hands and “confer” the Spirit then.

The holiness movement—which emerged from 19th century Methodism—promoted the idea that sanctification unto perfection is the work of the Holy Spirit. Once received, the Holy Spirit removes the effects of “inbred sin” over the course of one’s life through devotional practice. Similarly, Mormons teach that the Gift of the Holy Ghost enables one to overcome “the natural man” and eventually to be perfected in Christ. Notably, Mormonism emerged in the context of very active Methodist revivalism and MANY of the earliest converts were formerly Methodist. Mormons further believe that the Gift of the Holy Ghost endows recipients with the privilege of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, provided they remain constantly worthy. This endows them with spiritual gifts, including discernment between right/truth vs wrong/error.

Spiritually Dunking on ExMormons

This introduces an interesting dynamic, in that faithful LDS are taught they must constantly remain worthy of the Spirit’s companionship by remaining faithful to the teachings of their church. Failure to strictly follow LDS teachings will offend the Spirit and cause it to depart. The Holy Spirit’s companionship can be regained through repentance and the regular renewal of one’s baptismal covenants through the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, which can only be administered by the church. Receiving this elsewhere is ineffectual, if not sinful itself. In this way, LDS teachings regarding the Gift of the Holy Ghost reinforce loyalty to the church. The threat of losing the Spirit’s companionship motivates strict adherence to LDS teachings, and the need to regularly receive the sacrament instills dependence upon LDS authorities. Indeed, one of the ways bishops “correct” wayward members is to restrict access to the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Interestingly, Mormons only deny the sacrament to wayward baptized members. The unbaptized are permitted the sacrament, it is just said to be ineffectual.

The loss of the companionship of the Holy Ghost also provides a rhetorical device to explain away apostasy. That is, those who deviate from LDS teachings lose the gift of discernment that the Holy Ghost provides, and thus are easily lead into error and away from the church. Thus, former members who believe they were lead out of the LDS church through the influence of the Spirit are taught to be deceived. These individuals are said to have lost the Spirit when they seriously entertained doubts about the church. In Mormon culture, this is sometimes referenced by the “light in their eyes.” Members who have the Spirit are irresistibly effective missionaries because they have “a light in their eyes.” Those who leave the church are often said to have “lost the light in their eyes.”

The Fruits of the Loyalty Ghost

To me, these LDS teachings regarding the Gift of the Holy Ghost are spiritually harmful and establish unhealthy relationships with the church. They invoke the Spirit to establish the church as the gatekeeper of members’ individual spirituality. They invoke the Spirit to reinforce unwavering loyalty to the men who lead the church. They invoke the Spirit to trivialize the experiences of those who feel they are spiritually led out of the church. They invoke the Spirit in declaring some members unworthy of communion. The LDS teachings regarding the Gift of the Holy Ghost invoke the Spirit in establishing the church—and the men who lead it—as the mediator of one’s relationship with the Divine.

Unlike others, I do not believe these are intentionally calculated teachings designed to ensnare members into a trap of cult-like devotion to the church. Rather, I think they are the unintentional outgrowth of having the primacy of priesthood authority as a foundational doctrine. When exclusively restored priesthood authority is your fundamental doctrine, all your other teachings inadvertently take on tones that reflect and reinforce that doctrine. In this case, 19th century teachings on the baptism of the Holy Spirit were reinterpreted in such a way.