SECTION 3: INTRODUCTION

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=90 BGCOLOR="#CC9900" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="043005a0dwnjzk.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="EDWARD WATSONS WEBWORLD"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B> | </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>EDWARD WATS</B><B>ON'S WEBWORLD</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>SECTION 3: INTRODUCTION</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id113.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1"><U><B>1</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id114.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2"><U><B>2</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id115.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="3"><U><B>3</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id116.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="4"><U><B>4</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id117.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SECTION 3: CONCLUSION"><U><B>SECTION 3: CONCLUSION</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id138.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ABBREVIATIONS"><U><B>ABBREVIATIONS</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>[MORMONISM. The Faith of the Twenty-first Century. Volume 1. Edward K. Watson. (Liahona Publications. Copyright © 1998 Edward K. Watson.) p. 387. MORMONISM: Section 3, Introduction. All rights reserved.]</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >    </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>INTRODUCTION</B></div> <bR> <div>      The Holy Ghost is the most mysterious member of the Godhead. He is spoken of the least in the Scriptures and is hardly expounded  at all. Even during the debates of the early centuries, he is rarely focused on in comparison to Jesus or the Father. The Creeds treat him more like an afterthought instead of a detailed presentation.</div> <div>      This paucity is very puzzling given the significant role he performs for the church and for the members.</div> <div>      The meagerness of discourses on the Holy Ghost causes a great number of Christians to be confused as to what he is and what exactly is his relationship to the Father and the Son.</div> <div>      Most Christians would readily concede that the Holy Ghost is “God” and is the third member of the Godhead. Beyond this acknowledgment lies a shrouded area of uncertainty. Is he a self-aware personage or an impersonal energy? How is he equal to the Father and Son? How is he inferior to the Father and Son? What is his relationship with the Father and Son?</div> <div>      This obscurity concerning the Holy Ghost causes certain groups to dismiss the entire concept of a “Trinity” and even causes some who believe in a “Trinity” to relegate the Holy Ghost to be an impersonal force or energy, like electricity.</div> <div>      The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints views the Holy Ghost to be “God” and of being a self-aware incorporeal Spirit personage. He isn’t an impersonal force. He is equal to the Father and Son in nature (by virtue of possessing the “God” nature) but is inferior to them in position (just as a major is inferior to a general or colonel). He is the third member of the Godhead which causes a “threeness” or “Triad” of the Godhead. </div> <div>      I believe it is better to use “Triad” instead of “Trinity” for the NT writings to differentiate the NT concept from the fourth century formulation since the NT Triad doesn’t incorporate Greek philosophical concepts into its “threeness” of the Godhead. “Triad” in reference to the NT passages mentioning a “threeness” of the Godhead; “Trinity” in reference to the concept that was created in the fourth century and was promulgated by the Creeds.</div> <bR> <div> <B>OTHER SECTIONS:</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id139.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WARNING TO MORMONS"><U><U>WARNING TO MORMONS</U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id140.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WARNING TO NONMORMONS"><U><U>WARNING TO NON-MORMONS</U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id141.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS"><U><U>ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS</U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id144.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DEDICATION"><U><U>DEDICATION</U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id145.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LEHIS DREAM"><U><U>LEHI'S DREAM</U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id146.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ABBREVIATIONS"><U><U>ABBREVIATIONS</U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id142.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DEFINITIONS"><U><U>DEFINITIONS</U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="INTRO"><U><U>INTRODUCTION</U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HEAVENLY FATHER"><U><U>SECTION 1: HEAVENLY FATHER</U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="JESUS CHRIST"><U><U>SECTION 2: JESUS CHRIST</U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HOLY GHOST"><U><U>SECTION 3: HOLY GHOST</U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id134.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CONCLUSION"><U><U>CONCLUSION</U></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="mailto:ewatson@shaw.ca" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:ewatson@shaw.ca"><U>e-mail me!</U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>