The following are from the minutes dated July 28, 1873, for the Salt Lake School of the Prophets where pneumatology was discussed (e.g., the question of people receiving the Holy Ghost before the time of Jesus and whether the Holy Spirit is a “person”):
Elder Joseph F. Smith said, in his remarks which he made at Tooele yesterday, that there was no necessity of the Holy Ghost being given to the disciples while Jesus was with them, but after He left them, the Holy Ghost was to be given them ^to be^ in the stead of Jesus Christ. He was led to make those remarks without any previous reflection, and he did not now know whether they are strictly correct or not—on reading a few passages from the New Testament he thought they were correct.
Elder O[rson] Pratt, read on page 45. D[octrine] [and] C[ovenants] showing the Father to be a personage of Spirit, and the Son a personage of tabernacle, being filled with the spirit of the Father. No man on earth can act in the name of the Father and the Son, only as they were filled by the spirit of God.
Elder A[ngus] M Cannon always had an idea that the disciples when sent out to by Jesus to preach & heal the sick &c, received the Holy Ghost and acted under the influence of that spirit.
Elder Geo Q Cannon refer’d to the case of the Prophet Alma [Book of Mormon] where the Holy Ghost was freely bestowed upon his brethren from under his hands, and from other quotations, he thought the Holy Ghost must have been enjoyed by the servants of God before Jesus came as well as after he left.
Elder O Pratt quoted from the Book of Mormon and the pearl of great price, shewing that the Holy Ghost had been enjoyed by the people of God since the days of Adam.
Elder John W. Young, fully endorsed the remarks of Geo Q Cannon, and he also considered that it was necessary for even Jesus himself to have the Holy Ghost, as shown by what took place at his baptism.
Elder Joseph F. Smith also endorsed the same views, yet while Jesus was here, and He being greater than in point of Presidency & position [in the godhead], might he not perform the duties of the Holy Ghost towards his disciples. He always considered the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage in the Godhead, as much so, as either the Father or the Son. He also believed that the Holy Ghost had been enjoyed by the servants of God in all ages of the world.
Elder N[athaniel] H Felt, did not consider the Holy Ghost to be a personage of.
Pres D[aniel] H Wells, quote the words of John, there is one coming who is mightier than I. He shall baptize with Fire and the Holy Ghost. He always ^believe^ the Holy Ghost was a personage of Spirit that before Jesus come in the flesh, he had a body of Spirit of his ^own^ that the Father also had a spirit of his own.
Elder O Pratt, said, in a printed discourse of the Prophet Joseph [Smith], he said that the Holy Ghost was a personage of Spirit. During the personal ministry of Jesus, it was not clear to him that the personage of the Holy Ghost was given during the Saviours Ministry.
Prest B[righam] Young. He Saviour could not be preached ^as Christ crucified^ before he came in the flesh and was crucified ^performed his mission^. The Holy Ghost was Gods Minister, and had a tabernacle of Spirit. and ministers The Spirit that revealed to Peter ^that Jesus was the Christ^ came from God. In the new translation ^of the Bible^ the dove that rested upon the head of Jesus, is ^was^ a token or sign that he had received the Holy Ghost, and the Father was pleased with what he had done—but ^not^ until Jesus came and finished his work, did ^was^ the Holy Ghost commenced ^dispensed to all t^ to help the Saviour in building up the Kingdom of God. The Spirit proceeding from Jesus convicts men of the truth of this work, this fact makes the wicked mad, and want to fight against it.
The Spirit of Christ rested upon the disciples when they went forth to preach and heal the sick, but the Holy Ghost was not given until Jesus ascended. (Salt Lake School of the Prophets, 1867-1883 [ed. Devery S. Anderson; Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2018], 383-85)
