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| "Nephi’s Vision of the Virgin and the Son of God" by C. C. A. Christensen, via history.lds.org |
It is unknown whether the “Spirit” referred to in this verse is the Holy Ghost or the premortal personage of Jesus Christ (see McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 752; Mortal Messiah, 1:413–14; Talmage, Articles of Faith, 159–60; Roberts, Seventy’s Course in Theology, 5:60n2).
From the Book: Mormon Doctrine by Bruce R. McConkie
To gain a sound gospel understanding, the truth seeker must determine in each scriptural passage what is meant by such titles as Spirit, Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Lord, Spirit of God, Spirit of truth. In many instances this is not difficult; in some cases, however, abbreviated scriptural accounts leave so much room for doubt that nothing short of direct revelation can identify precisely what is meant. We know, for instance, that the Spirit personage who appeared to the Brother of Jared was the Spirit Christ, for he so identified himself. (Ether 3.) But when we read the account of the appearance of "the Spirit of the Lord" to Nephi (1 Ne. 11), we are left to our own interpretive powers to determine whether the messenger is the Spirit Christ or the Holy Ghost. Presumptively it is the Spirit Christ ministering to Nephi much as he did to the Brother of Jared, for such is in keeping with the principle of advocacy, intercession, and mediation, the principle that all personal appearances of Deity to man since the fall of Adam, excepting appearances of the Father and the Son together, have been appearances of Christ.
From the Book: The Mortal Messiah (Volume 1) by Bruce R. McConkie
Other prophets had been and would be transported bodily from place to place by the power of the Spirit. Ezekiel was lifted up and carried by the Spirit. (Ezek. 8:2-3.) Nephi "was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceeding high mountain," upon which he "never had before" set his "foot." (1 Ne. 11:1.) Mary herself "was carried away in the Spirit" at the time of the conception of Jesus. (1 Ne. 11:19-21.) Nephi the son of Helaman "was taken by the Spirit and conveyed away out of the midst" of those who sought to imprison him, and thus "he did go forth in the Spirit, from multitude to multitude, declaring the word of God." (Hel. 10:16-17.) After Philip baptized the eunuch, "the Spirit of the Lord caught [him] away," and he was carried to Azotus. (Acts 8:39-40.) It is not an unheard of thing for the Lord, by the power of the Spirit, to transport mortals from place to place; and it would appear that Jesus was to have all the experiences enjoyed in mortality by any of the prophets who went before or who came after, excepting only that he was not translated and taken into heaven without tasting death as some had been and would be.
From the Book: Articles of Faith by James E. Talmage
That the Spirit of the Lord is capable of manifesting Himself in the form and figure of man, is indicated by the wonderful interview between the Spirit and Nephi, in which He revealed Himself to the prophet, questioned him concerning his desires and belief, instructed him in the things of God, speaking face to face with the man. "I spake unto him," says Nephi, "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." However, the Holy Ghost does not possess a body of flesh and bones, as do both the Father and the Son, but is a personage of spirit.
(Articles of Faith, p. 164) Elder Orson Pratt refers to the same passage in 1850, and makes the following comment: "Whether this Spirit that Nephi saw 'in the form or a man' was the person of the Holy Spirit, or the personal Spirit of Jesus, which, about six hundred years afterwards took upon himself flesh, is not definitely stated. The brother of Jared, some two thousand years before Christ, saw the personal Spirit of Christ, which was in the form of a man. Nephi might have seen the same; but we are rather inclined to believe from the context, that he saw the personage of the Holy Spirit; if so, this establishes, beyond doubt, the personality of the Holy Spirit.
From the Book: Seventy’s Course in Theology (Volume 5) by B.H. Roberts
Holy Ghost Revealed: In his "Articles of Faith," Elder James E. Talmage says:
"That the Holy Ghost is capable of manifesting himself in the true form and figure of God, after which image man is shaped, is indicated by the wonderful interview between the Spirit and Nephi, in which he revealed himself to the Prophet, questioned him concerning his desires and belief, instructed him in the things of God, speaking face to face with the man. 'I spake unto him,' says Nephi, 'as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in 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 to another.'"
"That the Holy Ghost is capable of manifesting himself in the true form and figure of God, after which image man is shaped, is indicated by the wonderful interview between the Spirit and Nephi, in which he revealed himself to the Prophet, questioned him concerning his desires and belief, instructed him in the things of God, speaking face to face with the man. 'I spake unto him,' says Nephi, 'as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in 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 to another.'"
Of this evidence for the personality and even the invidiuality of the Holy Ghost, in human form, it might be said that since the pre-existent spirit of the Christ, and doubtless the spirits of all men, existed in human form, some one of these of sufficient excellence and holiness could by appointment have ministered unto Nephi, and be called the "Spirit of the Lord." But a close consideration of the context of the quoted passage will, I think, dispel that idea and leave established the view of the author of the "Articles of Faith," and that view to which Elder Orson Pratt more especially inclined, viz.: that on the above occasion there was given to the Prophet Nephi a view of the spirit-personage of the Holy Trinity, known to us in the word of God as the Holy Ghost. The considerations which lead me to that conclusion are that in the chapter preceding the one in which it is declared that the "Spirit of the Lord" was "in the form of a man," Nephi had expressed his desire to see and hear, and know of these things by the power of the Holy Ghost, "which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him." Then in a subsequent verse he remarks: "And the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these things, and deny them not." Then follows the narrative in which occurs the statement that the "spirit of the Lord," which conversed with Nephi, was "in the form of a man." This juxta position of the terms "Holy Ghost" and the "Spirit of the Lord," "in the form of a man," is too significant to doubt of identity of personage.
From the web site: Book of Mormon Central:
While the heavenly personage is identified in Nephi’s vision as “the Spirit of the Lord,” questions have been raised as to whether this refers to the Holy Ghost (the third member of the Godhead) or to the premortal spirit of Jesus Christ (Ether 3:16–17). Although arguments could be made for either interpretation, most commentators have favored the former. It would seem that what Nephi was seeing was so crucial, so fundamentally important in guiding the overarching theological message of the Book of Mormon, that the personage of the Holy Ghost himself appeared to Nephi and guided him on the right interpretive path.
From the Book: Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vols. 1-4 eBook Bundle by Robert L. Millet, Joseph Fielding McConkie
From the web site: Book of Mormon Central:
While the heavenly personage is identified in Nephi’s vision as “the Spirit of the Lord,” questions have been raised as to whether this refers to the Holy Ghost (the third member of the Godhead) or to the premortal spirit of Jesus Christ (Ether 3:16–17). Although arguments could be made for either interpretation, most commentators have favored the former. It would seem that what Nephi was seeing was so crucial, so fundamentally important in guiding the overarching theological message of the Book of Mormon, that the personage of the Holy Ghost himself appeared to Nephi and guided him on the right interpretive path.
From the Book: Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vols. 1-4 eBook Bundle by Robert L. Millet, Joseph Fielding McConkie
The Spirit of the Lord] The expression “Spirit of the Lord” is used some forty times in the Book of Mormon, and almost without exception it has reference to the Holy Ghost or to the Light of Christ. If, indeed, here the Holy Ghost was Nephi’s guide and teacher, this occasion is of tremendous significance, for it is the only scriptural occasion wherein the Holy Ghost makes a personal appearance to man. As the Prophet explained, “The Holy Ghost is a personage, and is in the form of a personage.” (Teachings, p. 276; see also D&C 130:22–23.)
From the article: Another Testament of Jesus Christ - Robert L. Millet - Religious Studies Center
Read Robert L. Millet's entire article HERE
Having been caught away to a high mountain for instruction, Nephi was asked by a personage whom he calls “the Spirit”: “What desirest thou?” Nephi answered promptly: “I desire to behold the things which my father saw” (1 Nephi 11:1–3). Then followed a series of questions, answers, and visual explanations to the young Nephite seer. Having been shown the vision of the tree, the same which Lehi had beheld, Nephi was asked, “What desirest thou?” to which he responded, “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” (1 Nephi 11:9–11, emphasis added). One is faced right away with an interesting theological question: is Nephi’s guide, designated by him as “the Spirit of the Lord,” the premortal Christ (the individual spirit personage who became Jesus Christ in mortality) or the Holy Ghost?
If this is a personal appearance of the Holy Ghost to a man, it is indeed a singular occasion,
so far as our scriptural accounts are concerned. In addressing this issue some years ago, Sidney B. Sperry suggested the latter alternative—that the “Spirit of the Lord” was the Holy Ghost—based upon the following textual evidence. First, we read of Nephi’s desires (in the preceding chapter) to “see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost.” He further testified that the Holy Ghost gave authority for his words (see 1 Nephi 10:17–22; emphasis added). Second, Nephi used phrases like “the Spirit said,” “the Spirit cried,” and “I said unto the Spirit” (verses 2, 4, 6, 8, 9), all of which sound very much like reference to the Holy Ghost rather than Jehovah. Third, Nephi never spoke of the Lord Jesus Christ as the “Spirit of the Lord” when the Master appeared to him on other occasions (1 Nephi 2:16; 2 Nephi 11:2–3). Fourth, the phrase Spirit of the Lord occurs some forty times in the Book of Mormon, and in every case reference seems to be to either the Holy Ghost or the Light of Christ. Examples of this would be 1 Nephi 1:12, where Lehi, having read from the book delivered to him, was filled with the “Spirit of the Lord”; 1 Nephi 13:15, where the “Spirit of the Lord” was poured out upon the Gentiles in preparation for the establishment of the American nation; Mosiah 4:3, where the “Spirit of the Lord” came upon the people of King Benjamin and they experienced a remission of sins and its subsequent joy; and, of course, those references wherein the expression Spirit of the Lord is used after the mortal ministry of Jesus Christ, places where these words could only mean the Holy Ghost (for example, Mormon 2:26; 5:16; Moroni 9:4). “The Holy Ghost undoubtedly possesses personal powers and affections,” Elder James E. Talmage has written. “These attributes exist in Him in perfection. . . . That the Spirit of the Lord is capable of manifesting Himself in the form and figure of man,” Elder Talmage continued, “is indicated by the wonderful interview between the Spirit and Nephi, in which He revealed Himself to the prophet, questioned him concerning his desires and belief, instructed him in the things of God, speaking face to face with the man.”
After explaining to the Holy Ghost that he sought the meaning behind the representation of the tree of life, Nephi “looked as if to look upon” the Spirit, “and [he] saw him not; for he had gone from before [his] presence” (1 Nephi 11:12). Nephi was then caught away into vision again, this time beholding many of the cities of the Holy Land, specifically Nazareth of Galilee. The heavens were opened to Nephi and “an angel came down and stood before” him. This angel, whose identity is not given, became Nephi’s guide and instructor throughout the remainder of his panoramic vision, providing both prophetic sight and doctrinal insight into such future matters as the coming of Jesus Christ to both hemispheres; the formation of the great and abominable church; the journey of Columbus and the establishment of the American nation under divine direction; the plain and precious truths taken away and kept back from the Bible; the spread of the great and abominable church and the church of the Lamb to all nations of the earth; and the winding-up scenes preparatory to the coming of the Lord in glory.
