According to Gospel Principles chapter 7, the Holy Spirit is a man in spirit form.  According to page 8 of "Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual - Religion 430-431", the Holy Spirit is an exalted God. "Three glorified, exalted, and perfected personages comprise the Godhead or supreme presidency of the universe ... They are God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost".

It is unclear how the Holy Spirit went from imperfection to perfection to gain his exaltation to godhood.  Given the Church's teachings about marriage being a requirement for exaltation, it is unknown to whom and when the Holy Ghost married.

Gospel Principles says the Holy Spirit can be in only one place at a time (page 37). Doctrine and Covenants 130:22 says the Holy Ghost is omnipresent in that He is "a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us."

Is the Holy Ghost multi-present or not?

Here is an exercise for our Mormon audience:

From Gospel Principles, page 37 - "The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead. He is a spirit that has the form and likeness of a man (see D&C 130:22). He can be in only one place at a time."

It seems that from reading this that that the LDS Church has also concluded that the context is not influence nor person, but rather body ... but it has failed to consider the part about "were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us."

But I think this is not the correct context when we examine the entire verse.

"The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us".

Is the context the "person", the "influence", or the "body" of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?

I would say that it is safe to say that the context is not influence, because the influence of the Father and the Son is not pertinent for them because it is taught they have a body of flesh and bones versus a spirit body for the Holy Ghost.

If the context is the body, then you still have the ability of the Holy Ghost's body to dwell in multiple people at the same time ... contrary to the LDS teaching that the Holy Ghost can be in only one place at a time.

If the context is the "person", then it seems to say the Holy Ghost is a spirit person who dwells in multiple people at the same time.

Can the body of the Holy Spirit be in more than one place at a time without the person of the Holy Spirit also being in more than one place at a time? Is there any effect on a person when the body of the Holy Spirit only (without person and influence) dwells in that person?

If you don't know what the word "dwell" means in this context, you may want to also look at these verses:

"And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell” (Alma 34:36).

"For every upright, honest person is possessed more or less, of the Holy Spirit, and this holy messenger in the hearts of men bears record of the word of God” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church - Joseph F. Smith, pp. 203-204).

“The idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false” (D&C 130:2-3). The Heavenly Father dwells within Jesus (D&C 93:17; John 14:9).

What is the context of who or what is doing the dwelling? The person, the body, the influence? All three, or a combination of the 3? If you pick your context wrong, the verses will not make sense.

It won't help either if you come with a preconceived notion of a God who is limited by a physical body of flesh and bones.

Another unclear teaching in LDS theology is exactly who is the Holy Ghost?  Is he also a spirit brother of Jesus and Lucifer, or is he a God who existed before the Mormon Heavenly Father became a God?

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