The Second Comforter of Promise and
The Holy Spirit of Promise:
A Commentary on Doctrine and Covenants 88:1-4
With a Brief Statement on
The Second Comforter of Presence
By Lisle G Brown
All rights reserved. November 1995. Copies of this
document may be freely distributed, as long as this
notice is included and no alterations are made to the
text.
Doctrine and Covenants 88:1-4.
1. Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you who have
assembled yourselves together to receive his will
concerning you:
2. Behold, this is pleasing unto your Lord, and
the angels rejoice over you; the alms of your prayers
have come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and
are recorded in the book of the names of the
sanctified, even them of the celestial world.
"the book of the names of the sanctified" These
are those persons sealed up to eternal life; their
calling and election is made sure. Accordingly
their names are recorded in the Lamb's Book of
Life. Bruce R. McConkie wrote, that the Lamb's
Book of Life "is the book containing the names of
those who shall inherit eternal life; it is the
book of eternal life" (Mormon Doctrine, p. 97).
See: Ps. 69:28; Dan. 12:1-4; Luke 10"20; Philip.
4:3; Heb. 12:23; Rev.3:; 21:27; D&C 76:68; 128:6-
7; 132:19.
"the celestial world" Those who will inherit the
highest degree in the Celestial Kingdom (D&C
131:1-5).
3. Wherefore, I now send upon you another
Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide
in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which
other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my
disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John.
"I now send upon you another Comforter" They had
already received the Holy Ghost as their first
Comforter, so this was to be another Comforter. It
could not be the Savior, because a person cannot
send himself. The Savior was sending the Holy
Ghost as another Comforter, or the Second
Comforter of promise.
"friends" This is a name reserved for those who
are sealed up to eternal life. Bruce R. McConkie
wrote, "Those who choose to serve the Lord and who
keep his commandments are called his servants.
After they have been tried and tested and are
found faithful in all things, they are no longer
called servants, but friends. (John 15:14-15.) His
friends are the ones he will take into his kingdom
and with whom he will associate to all eternity"
(Mormon Doctrine, p. 705, emphasis in original).
Hence, we better understand the words of the
Savior when he said to his Apostles, "Henceforth I
call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not
what his lord doeth: but I call you friends; for
all things that I have heard of my Father I have
made known unto you" (John 15:15). In 1832 the
Lord stated, "And as I said unto mine apostles,
even so I say unto you, for you are mine apostles,
even God's high priests; ye are they whom my
Father hath given to me; ye are my friends. . . .
[and] from henceforth I shall call you friends"
(D&C 84:63, 77, emphasis added). Accordingly,
Abraham "was called the friend of God," because of
his righteousness (James 2:23), and Abraham "hath
entered into his exaltation and sitteth upon his
throne" (D&C 132:29).
"may abide in your hearts" Since the Savior
possesses a body he cannot abide in your hearts,
but the Holy Ghost can, because he is spirit.
Joseph Smith explained, that "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" (D&C 130:22).
"the Holy Spirit of promise" The Holy Ghost acting
as another or second Comforter, or as the Holy
Spirit of Promise.
"testimony of John" John 14:16-23.
4. This [other] Comforter is the promise which I
give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the
celestial kingdom.
"promise" That is, the "promise" of the Holy
Spirit of Promise is the promise or assurance of
exaltation and eternal life in the Celestial
Kingdom with God and Christ. This assurance can
bring peace in this world.
In a revelation to Joseph Smith the Lord said that
an individual could obtain "peace in this world,
and eternal life in the world to come" (D&C
59:23). The peace spoken of is a result of having
been sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise. This
promise and guarantee of eternal life is like an
anchor to the soul in troubled times. "He who
obtains it [the promise] will obtain an exaltation
in the celestial kingdom of our Father in heaven.
. . . They are they who are the church of the
Firstborn" (Marion G. Romney, Improvement Era, 52
[1949], pp. 719, 752, 754).
"This gift of eternal life in the world to come
may not, of course, be fully realized during earth
life" said Elder Marion G. Romney. "An assurance
that it will be obtained in the world to come may,
however, be had in this world. As a matter of
fact, the blessings of the celestial kingdom are
promised only to those who have such an assurance
. . . The Prophet Joseph taught that one so sealed
[by the Holy Spirit of Promise] would have within
himself an assurance born of the spirit, that he
would obtain eternal life in the world to come. He
urgently and repeatedly admonished the Saints of
his day to obtain such an assurance by making
their calling and election sure. It is this
assurance within a person which brings to him the
peace in this world which will sustain him in
every tribulation. . . . These fruits of the
gospel---assurance that we shall obtain eternal
life, peace in this world sustained by such an
assurance, and finally eternal life in the world
to come---are within the reach of us all. . . .
Through self-discipline and devotion we must
demonstrate to the Lord that we are willing to
serve him under all circumstances. When we have
done this, we shall receive an assurance that we
shall have eternal life in the world to come. Then
we shall have peace in this world" (Ibid, pp. 719,
752, 754).
The Savior spoke of a peace that the world could
not give. He said: "Peace I leave with you, my
peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth,
give I unto you" (John 14:27). This peace would
come to his apostles because the Second Comforter
of Promise would now be theirs.
Note: Hyrum Smith possessed this understanding of
the Second Comforter of Presence and of Promise.
He mentioned it in a patriarchal blessing given in
1842 to Vilate Kimball, wife of Heber C. Kimball:
Beloved Sister: I lay my hands upon your
head in the name of Jesus, and seal you unto
eternal life---sealed here on earth and
sealed in heaven, and your name written in
the Lamb's Book of Life never to be blotted
out.
The same is mentioned and manifested to
comfort your heart, and to be a comfort unto
you henceforth all your days. It is even a
promise according to the mind of the Spirit,
and the Spirit shall bear record of the
truth; the same is called the Second
Comforter, not his presence, but his
promise.The same is as immutable as an oath
by Himself, because there is none greater
blessing that can be given, and no greater
riches, it being the riches of eternity,
which are the greatest riches of all riches.
(Blessing given by Hyrum Smith, Patriarch to
the Church, to Vilate Kimball, March 9, 1842,
in Whitney, Life of Heber C.Kimball (1945),
p. 128.)
The Second Comforter of Presence
The Prophet Joseph taught that there are two
Comforters spoken of in the scriptures. "One is the
Holy Ghost, the same as given on the day of Pentecost,
and that all Saints receive after faith, repentance,
and baptism. This first Comforter or Holy Ghost has no
other effect than pure intelligence." Joseph then
quoted John 14: 16, 17, 18, 21 & 23 in preparation for
the comments which he then made on the Second
Comforter. He said:
Now what is this other Comforter? It is no
more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself; and this is the sum and substance of
the whole matter; that when any man obtains
this last Comforter, he will have the
personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or
to appear unto him from time to time, and
even He will manifest the Father unto him,
and they will take up their abode with him,
and the visions of the heavens will be opened
unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to
face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of
the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; and this
is the state and place the ancient Saints
arrived at when they had such glorious
visions---Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the Isle
of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens, and
all the Saints who held communion with the
general assembly and Church of the Firstborn
(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp.
149-151).
After an individual has made his calling and
election sure, it then becomes his privilege to seek
for and receive the Savior as his Second Comforter.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie made this point clear when he
said: "After the true saints receive and enjoy the gift
of the Holy Ghost; after they know how to attune
themselves to the voice of the Spirit; after they
mature spiritually so that they see visions, work
miracles, and entertain angels; after they make their
calling and election sure and prove themselves worthy
of every trust---after all this and more---it becomes
their right and privilege to see the Lord and commune
with him face to face" (The Promised Messiah, p. 575).
And after the Son has revealed himself, he will reveal
the Father. Joseph emphasized that when the Father and
the Son make their abode with a person it is a personal
visitation, and not just a dwelling within the heart.
Joseph clarified that erroneous Protestant view when he
wrote:
(John 14:23). The appearing of the Father and
the Son, in that verse, is a personal
appearance; and the idea that the Father and
the Son dwell in a man's heart is an old
sectarian notion, and is false (D&C 130:3).