The Holy Ghost:

is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men.

For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world if it so be that they repent and come unto him.

For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round  1 Ne. 10:17-19

The Father, a personage of tabernacle having flesh and bones, begat us as spirits in the beginning and ordained the plan whereby we might have power to grow in intelligence and knowledge and become like him.

The Son, his Firstborn in the spirit and Only Begotten in the flesh, under his direction, became the Creator and Redeemer of the earth and all things that are on it. From time to time he has revealed to men the plan of salvation, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Ghost, a personage of spirit, is their minister, who has been given the power and assigned the functions of bearing record of the Father and the Son, of revealing the truths of salvation to men on earth, and in due course, of revealing to them, all truth.

Now, when Christ was here in his ministry, he told his Apostles that when he went away, he would send them another Comforter  John 14:16that is a Comforter other than he, himself, for he was a comfort unto them—and that this Comforter would recall to their minds all things that he had told them  John 14:26 and would guide them into all truth  John 16:13 And when he said they would be guided into all truth, I believe that he meant it literally, and that in due course—not in time, but in eternity—they would obtain a fullness of truth, even as Christ himself, having gone from grace to grace, has received a fullness of truth, and a fullness of the glory of the Father  D&C 93:11-13,16

But the thing that we are concerned with here in mortality, is to have the Holy Ghost reveal to us the things of God, the knowledge that God is our Father, that Jesus Christ is his Son, literally born of him in the flesh, and that the kingdom of God has been set up on earth again for the last time, that we with the ancients, might be heirs of the fullness of the Father's kingdom.

We believe that it is life eternal to know God and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent  John 17:3 and that these glorious beings are manifest by the power of the Holy Ghost.

We believe that man is saved no faster than he gains knowledge, meaning knowledge of God and of his laws, as these things are revealed by the Holy Ghost.

We believe that no man can be saved in ignorance  D&C 131:6 meaning in ignorance of God and his laws, of Jesus Christ, and the truths of the gospel, as these things are made manifest by the power of the Holy Ghost.

You will recall it was Paul who said:

. . . Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God  1 Cor. 2:9-11

Now the truths about God and salvation are not gained by the wisdom of men. They are not to be found by the research of the world. They are not found in the creeds of men, for the Lord has said that those creeds are an abomination in his sight  JS—H 1:19 God stands revealed, or he remains forever unknown. Knowledge about God and about the divinity of Jesus Christ and the great atoning sacrifice which he worked out is had in the world today by us, because God has spoken in this day, and has given these truths again, by the same direct revelation that he gave them in times of old.

The Holy Ghost has been given to righteous men from the beginning so they could certify of the truths about God and salvation. He has been the companion of those who have presided over the Church and the kingdom in every age, and by his power they have received revelation and given guidance to the people of the Church and to all people in the world. And when these brethren speak, these brethren, the First Presidency and the Twelve who are prophets, and seers, and revelators, it is by the power of the Holy Ghost and what they say is the mind and the will of the Lord  D&C 68:4

Last night when President McKay said, speaking of present-day conditions and what is needed in the world now that the Lord desired that this gospel roll forth and be taken to every nation kindred, tongue, and people  Rev. 14:6 he was telling what the Lord wants done in this day. And so it is for what other counsel we have received. It should be, and is, as the mouth and the voice of the Lord to the Latter-day Saints.

The Holy Ghost is a revelator. He will reveal to any person who is honest and God-fearing and diligent in seeking truth, the fact that this is the Lord's work, that Joseph Smith is his prophet; that he is the greatest witness of Christ that there has been in the world since the day that Christ himself proclaimed that he was the Son of God. And there is not any reason or any excuse why anyone who is upright and honest should not have this knowledge. Every Latter-day Saint should have it.

You will recall that in ancient Israel after Eldad and Medad had been called of God to a high calling, that his Spirit fell upon them and they prophesied in the camp. Then Joshua came before Moses and said, ". . . My lord Moses forbid them." But Moses who himself had this gift of the Holy Ghost, this spirit of revelation and of prophecy—and it was by this power that he had led Israel through the Red Sea—said: ". . . Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!"  Num. 11:28-29

There is no greater gift that a person can earn and enjoy for himself, in mortality, than the gift of the Holy Ghost, which gift is the right to the constant companionship of that member of the Godhead, and which gift is actually enjoyed only on condition of individual righteousness.

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.