Hi, I have some questions. May I ask what is the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost? Is this blasphemy against the Holy Ghost if a man slay me with inoccent blood? I am so confused with this term of the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. I hope you contact me as soon as possible.

Thank you,

Raphael

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Raphael,

The prophet Joseph Smith explained the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost with a rather vivid example. To paraphrase, he said that it would be equal to denying that the sun exists while at that very moment, the full warmth of its rays are shining upon his face.

If we turn this to the religious setting, it means once we reach a point of righteousness that allows us to see the Father (such as Joseph Smith did in the First Vision), and then afterwards deny that he exists, there is no forgiveness available for that sin.

Jesus even tells us we can see him in this life in John 14. Starting with verse 15 the discussion carries through to verse 23. He mentions another comforter in verse 16, then in verse 18 he says I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Then finally in verse 23

Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

In discussing this very verse, modern revelation tells us that this will be a literal appearance as found in Doctrine & Covenants 130:3

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.

The important point to remember is that precious few people have reached such a state of righteousness throughout human history. Thus, there aren’t many people alive today that are in danger of committing this sin.

Regarding the shedding of innocent blood, Doctrine and Covenants 132:27 also explains it as you mentioned;

The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven in the world nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have recieved my new and everlasting covenant….

So in this I see two parts, first the murder of an innocent victim, along with a wholesale abandonment of Christ to the point that one assents to the death of the Savior, or in other words, wishes the Savior were truly dead.

This also goes in hand with what Joseph Smith said regarding denying God after having seen him in person.