"Piercing Tongues" by Mallory Manning

"Piercing Tongues"
Mallory Manning

The tongue is the strongest group of muscles in the human body proportional to its size. It is necessary for everything from eating to communicating. In 2 Nephi, Jacob says to his brothers, “But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me” [1]. There are two ways this phrase, “the tongue of angels,” can be interpreted; the first is the meaning that Nephi was implying, being that when we have the Spirit of the Lord with us we can understand the words of the Lord through the Holy Ghost, and can speak with the higher language of the Lord and say the things Heavenly Father would have us say. There is also a more temporal yet still important application; if we use our tongues- or words and language- to serve the Lord and follow His commandments as well as to help others, and do not use our words in ways displeasing to the Lord, we are teaching ourselves to speak with the tongue of angels.
First, we should employ our tongues in spreading the gospel. The word “tongue” in almost any language also means “language.” This has an interesting correlation to missionary work. Many missionaries who go on missions in foreign language-speaking countries are able to learn the language there in a matter of one or two months, and many of them find that after they return from their mission they no longer remember how to speak it fluently. This is because the Spirit helps them to understand the language more easily while they are teaching gospel, so that they might be able to more effectively bring people to the gospel. A similar but more extraordinary example of this occurred in Acts 2 when the apostles were teaching a multitude of people from different nations. The apostles spoke in their own language, but each person in the crowd was able to hear them in their own language: “We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God” [2]. When we teach others the gospel we are truly speaking in the tongue of angels, because we are saying the words of the Lord. Alma the Younger desired so much to teach everyone the gospel that he cried, “O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!” [3]. Angels are the Lord’s messengers; thus, we can speak with the tongue of angels if we convey the messages of the gospel to those around us.
Our tongues should also be occupied in happy and uplifting words, and in praising and thanking our Heavenly Father. After teaching the gospel and preaching repentance, the most common things we hear angels in the scriptures speaking are praises and thanksgiving to the Lord. We must use our gift of language to pray earnestly and always, and most importantly to thank the Lord for our bountiful blessings. We should also make the world around us a better and more pleasant place through simply smiling, laughing, and saying kind things. Our words should uplift and encourage others, and be filled with love for our neighbors. 1 Corinthians 13:1 says, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal” [4]. I have personally experienced the profound effect that kind words can have on many occasions. Very recently, my roommate was listing things that stuck out about the people she knew while I was not in the room; she mentioned people’s nice hair, intelligence, interesting habits, and other such things. She then said that I had an “incredible personality.” It didn’t take much effort for her to say so, but it completely made my day and I probably will never forget it, because it was one of the most sincere compliments I’ve ever received. The words we say can have a profound and lasting effect on others, often beyond what we are able to witness ourselves.
It is also important to remember the things we should not be doing with our tongues. A short list would include saying cruel things to others, swearing, taking the Lord’s name in vain, lying, and sticking our tongues to frozen flagpoles. The LDS church website tells us, “We should always use the names of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost with reverence and respect. Misusing their names is a sin. Profane, vulgar, or crude language or gestures, as well as immoral jokes, are offensive to the Lord and to others. Foul language is both degrading and harmful to the spirit. We should not let others influence us to use foul language. Instead, we should use clean language that uplifts and edifies others, and we should choose friends who use good language. Setting an example will encourage those around us to use clean language. If friends and acquaintances use profanity, we can good-naturedly encourage them to choose other words. If they persist, we can politely walk away or change the subject. Those who have developed the habit of swearing can break it. They must begin by making a decision to change and then pray for help” [5]. Harsh or thoughtless words can hurt people in ways we will most likely never see. The Hebrew word “tongue” can also mean “language,” “whet,” “sharpen,” and “indent.” Words spoken with a sharp tongue can leave an “indent,” or mark upon that person for years to come. Proverbs 12: 18-19 tells us, “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health” [6]. The Lord also tells Jeremiah that, “They bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord” [7]. Fewer things can be more harmful to not only others but also to us than lies. They cause more problems than they solve, and they eat away at us from the inside, gnawing at our conscience and absorbing our every thought.
If we live our lives in a way that makes us worthy to have the Spirit with us, He will help us to speak with the tongue of angels, which includes not only understanding the words of the Lord and promptings of the Spirit, but also simpler things such as sharing the gospel, saying kind things, and thanking our Heavenly Father. Our tongues can be a powerful weapon for either good or evil, far more so than our actions. Our words must always be used for the good of others and to praise and give thanks to our Lord, as the hymn “Raise Your Voices to the Lord” says: “Raise your voices to the Lord,Ye who here have heard his word.As we part, his praise proclaim,Shout thanksgiving to his name” [8].


Works Cited
1. Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 31:14
2. Bible New Testament, Acts 2:11
3. Book of Mormon, Alma 29:1
4. Bible New Testament, 1 Corinthians 13:1
5. True to the Faith (2004), 128-29, {http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=bbb39daac5d98010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=bbd508f54922d010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD}.
6. Bible Old Testament, Proverbs 12:18
7. Bible Old Testament Jeremiah 9:13
8. LDS Hymns 61. "Raise Your Voices to the Lord," Evan Stephens, 1854–1930. {http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Curriculum/music.htm/hymns.htm/restoration.htm/61%20raise%20your%20voices%20to%20the%20lord.htm#JD_Hymns.61}.