July- Article of Faith #7

We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, interpretation of tongues and so forth. 

Whenever I hear this scripture I automatically think of speaking a foreign language and serving missions.  I never thought it applied to me, or to a lot of the church members, and that confused me.  I also thought, there are a lot of spiritual gifts in the scriptures (D&C 46:11-26) why are they just focusing on language?  

However, as I began studying I found that everything listed in this article of faith is not under the broad topic of 'tongues' or language but are each a different gift.  In 1 Corinthians chapter 12 is listing spiritual gifts and in verse 10 it says, "...To another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues." After reading this scripture I began looking at this article of faith differently; it is like it is saying, "We believe in the gift of tongues, and the gift of prophecy, and the gift of revelation, and the gift of visions, and the gift of interpretation of tongues and so forth. " All of these gifts have in common the ability to teach, know and speak the words of God.

I did first focus on language.  In the topical guide a lot of the scriptures talk about speaking to people in their language, which I relate to missionary work and speaking a foreign language.  In D&C 90:11 it says, "For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fullness of the gospel in his own tongue..."  I am grateful that the church has spread across the world and can teach people so that they understand.  This scripture continues, "...and in those who are ordained unto his power, by the administration of the Comforter, shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ. " This is talking about those people, especially missionaries, who go and share these messages, through the authority of Jesus Christ.  

Another interesting idea that was found a lot, when researching language, was the phrase "the language of their Fathers" (the language of Adam, or the language of the Egyptians).  This idea of going back to the root of language was interesting to me.  In Mosiah 1:2, King Benjamin is teaching his sons and they were taught "in the language of his fathers, that thereby they might become men of understanding; and that they might know concerning the prophecies which has been spoken by the mouths of their fathers, which were delivered them by the hand of the Lord."   I liked the idea that the 'language of their fathers' was in essence the message/language of God that is here to help us understand .  God made us in his own likeness and so he gave us ways to understand; in D&C 29: 32-33 it says, "First spiritual, second temporal... speaking unto you that you may naturally  know." I like that it says that knowing and understanding the Lord will/should be a natural thing to us, if we both use our physical ears and listen with our hearts and the spirit. 

One of the 'language of their Fathers' which is often mentioned is the language of Enoch. Enoch was a missionary and prophet who taught the gospel and through his teachings the people became righteous.  In Moses 7:13 it talks about how Enoch taught, "...He spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command... so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him." I interpreted this power of language from God as the power of the priesthood and of authority. "

Another thing we learn from the Book of Moses about Enoch is that he was 'but a lad' and ' slow of speech' (Moses 6:31-32) but the Lord said to him, "...Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled and I will give thee utterance..."  There are many instances in the scriptures that describes a young, uneducated or  'ill qualified' person being called as a prophet or witness of the Lord and being filled with the power to speak the words of God.  The Lord can make weak speakers strong.

Another  aspect of the 'language of him' is found is Alma 5:61-62 where it says, "And now I, Alma, do command you in the language of him who hath commanded me, that ye observe to do the words which I have spoken unto you.  I speak by way of command unto you..." I understood this as, the 'language of him' being commandments that we have been given.  This gift sounds like it is the ability to teach and exhort others to follow God.  Teaching the commandments also seems like teaching in 'plainness' because they are simple and direct. 

In 2 Nephi 31:3 where it says, "For my doth delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doeth the Lord God work among the children of men.  For the Lord God giveth light unto men according to their language, unto their understanding."  This talks about speaking in a plainness, or a way that people will understand. An example of this gift is found in General Conference. General Conference talks are not planned, prepared and written with one person in mind but for the world wide church.  I love that through conference I will get something from a talk and a young person, older person, person in another country, ect will all also get something from that same talk; it will touch us all through the spirit.  Through this gift, the gift of teaching with the spirit, the spirit is able to teach and speak in every language and to our individual understandings.  I think that is a great power and is truly amazing.