The Robe of Righteousness
I once received a very important blessing from a priesthood holder in my ward. It stated, "Elizabeth, let your heart be filled with praise and thanksgiving every moment of your life." The blessing continued, explaining to me that I had been carefully nurtured by my Heavenly father before being sent to this earth. When my time came, I was put with my family and in my situation on purpose. Heavenly Father had a specific plan for me.
In my time of need, this blessing served as a reminder of who I was. At this time, I did not understand how important the words "let your heart be filled with praise and thanksgiving every moment of your life" were. I was a brand new member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints having been baptized 4 months previous to this blessing. Following my baptism, I experienced great trials of my faith; it seemed as though the adversary was doing all he could to make me feel bad for my decision to enter the waters of baptism. While winds blew and the dark clouds surrounded me, I was not taking the opportunity to let the feels of praise I had for my Father in Heaven consume me. Though I was grateful for my membership in His Church and for the changes that had come over me, every prayer was a much needed plea for aid.
Those pleas for aid were answered in abundance. The year following my baptism enabled me to learn much of the atonement of Jesus Christ. I learned of its healing, I learned of its enabling power. I learned of the deep, abiding, and genuine joy tht would come as I enjoyed the compainonship of the Holy Ghost. Bruce R. McConkie said of the blessings that come from membership in the church that "we have received the gift of the Holy Ghost and we are entitled to receive the gifts of the Spirit--those wondrous spiritual endowments which set us apart from the world and raise us above carnal things" (Bruce R. McConkie, The Ten Blessings of the Priesthood, Ensign, 1977).
As I have progressed in the gospel and have had many strong witnesses of the truthfulness of the Gospel and of the reality of the restoration, I have come to learn why and how I should let my heart be filled with praise and thanksgiving every moment of my life. Nephi says, "Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever: yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my god and the rock of my salvation" (2 Nephi 4:30). I am blessed to exprience the power of the Priesthood and the blessings that come from it.
Since receiving the counsel in this blessing, I have felt a change in my heart as I focused on the Lord and on being grateful for the blessings in my life. These include callings that have been extended to me, having the opportunity to take the sacrament each week, and having the opportunity to attend the temple and bind my family together for eternity. As Nephi expressed in his Psalm, my plea echoes his: "O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of they righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make a path strait before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way--but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy!" (2 Nephi 4:33).
The robe of righteousness is the Melchizedek Priesthood. In Hebrew, the root zedek means righteousness. As I live my life righteously, marry in the temple, and continue to stay faithful to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, surely will I be clothed in the robe of righteousness. The feelings I have regarding the blessing are expressed best by the Prophet Isaiah. "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels" (Isaiah 61:10).
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Of Clothes and Comfort, Robes and Repentance. By Rubie Huber
Clothing has been with us from the beginning. Clothing Adam and Eve was one of the first acts of God after they were cast out of the Garden of Eden, so we know that it must be an important thing. On earth, physical clothes give us protection from the harshness of nature and from the temptations that came from the fall. We use clothing to express ourselves, our personalities, and interests. Elder Robert D. Hales of the twelve apostles stated: "Our clothing is more than just covering for our bodies; it reflects who we are and what we want to be, both here in mortality and in the eternities that will follow." Specific types of clothing can help us accomplish different tasks better than if we were wearing something else, like swimming with a bathing suit instead of jeans. We even have sacred clothes set apart which are essential to our temple ordinances.
What about spiritual clothing then? In the scriptures different terms for clothing are used countless times to provide metaphor to spiritual ideas and doctrines. Of of the most famous references to clothing in scripture is the Robe of Righteousness. In 2 Ne. 9:14 it states: "Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness." Here the robe is described as the knowledge that the righteous have of their own standing before God. It is a protection to them
Clothing in the scriptures is often used to identify with comfort or protection. In Ephesians chapter six we are told to put on the "whole armor of God". These scriptures go into detail about what each item of clothing relates to spiritually. The whole armor of God is a protection and a comfort to us from the temptations and fiery darts of the adversary. It is interesting that the piece corresponding with righteousness is the Breastplate which protects the heart, the same as the Robe which covers the same area. It seems like the scriptures are saying that righteousness is therefore a comfort and a protection for our hearts and souls. Righteousness makes us happy and fills us with love. In my family obedience to the law of tithing has always been particularly stressed as a protection and comfort. Many times when we have had to scrape through my parents attribute our material blessings to be in direct relation to our obedience to that law. I have grown up knowing that as long as I pay for my tithing and listen to the Lords promptings that I will be taken care of by the Lord. My righteousness or obedience is a comfort to me.
Thirty times in the scriptures does it say that the people "washed their clothes" Often this description is accompanied by other acts such as sanctification, or purifying of selves. In Leviticus many times it is written "wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water" These scriptures are referring the the repentance process these people are going through. The Robe of Righteousness therefore could be talking about the righteousness that comes from repentance. Really, none of us can be truly righteous unless we are repenting everyday and always striving to get better by fixing points in us that are not in line with Heavenly Father's plan. When we stand before the judgement bar at the last day I do not think we will be judged only according to our good works, but according to our repentance. Christ said: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect." (Matt 5:48) This statement sometimes seems daunting to us because of the difficulty of the task, but perfection is attainable to us in this life with constant repentance. We can be perfect as we renew our baptismal covenants every week through the sacrament, and by repenting of sins every day. Therefore we are clothed about in a robe of Repentance, which keeps us safe and testifies of our worthiness at the last day.
I know that If you wrap yourself in the robe of righteousness, that is to say, if you strive to keep the commandments and are continually repenting, that you will be protected and comforted, and that you can stand straight before our Heavenly Father at the last day. I am grateful for the testimony that my Heavenly Father has given me about the importance of obedience, that it is the first law of Heaven, and that by striving to be righteous I will be continually blessed. I challenge each of us to wear righteousness every day as we wear our physical clothes everyday, and to keep it with you as a constant reminder of who you are and what you need to do to return to our Father in Heaven. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Works Cited:
Robert D. Hales "Modesty: Reverence for the Lord", Liahona, Aug 2008, 18-23
2 Nephi 9:14, The Book of Mormon
Ephesians 6:11-17, The New Testament
Leviticus 16:26, The Old Testament
Matthew 5:48, The New Testament
What about spiritual clothing then? In the scriptures different terms for clothing are used countless times to provide metaphor to spiritual ideas and doctrines. Of of the most famous references to clothing in scripture is the Robe of Righteousness. In 2 Ne. 9:14 it states: "Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness." Here the robe is described as the knowledge that the righteous have of their own standing before God. It is a protection to them
Clothing in the scriptures is often used to identify with comfort or protection. In Ephesians chapter six we are told to put on the "whole armor of God". These scriptures go into detail about what each item of clothing relates to spiritually. The whole armor of God is a protection and a comfort to us from the temptations and fiery darts of the adversary. It is interesting that the piece corresponding with righteousness is the Breastplate which protects the heart, the same as the Robe which covers the same area. It seems like the scriptures are saying that righteousness is therefore a comfort and a protection for our hearts and souls. Righteousness makes us happy and fills us with love. In my family obedience to the law of tithing has always been particularly stressed as a protection and comfort. Many times when we have had to scrape through my parents attribute our material blessings to be in direct relation to our obedience to that law. I have grown up knowing that as long as I pay for my tithing and listen to the Lords promptings that I will be taken care of by the Lord. My righteousness or obedience is a comfort to me.
Thirty times in the scriptures does it say that the people "washed their clothes" Often this description is accompanied by other acts such as sanctification, or purifying of selves. In Leviticus many times it is written "wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water" These scriptures are referring the the repentance process these people are going through. The Robe of Righteousness therefore could be talking about the righteousness that comes from repentance. Really, none of us can be truly righteous unless we are repenting everyday and always striving to get better by fixing points in us that are not in line with Heavenly Father's plan. When we stand before the judgement bar at the last day I do not think we will be judged only according to our good works, but according to our repentance. Christ said: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect." (Matt 5:48) This statement sometimes seems daunting to us because of the difficulty of the task, but perfection is attainable to us in this life with constant repentance. We can be perfect as we renew our baptismal covenants every week through the sacrament, and by repenting of sins every day. Therefore we are clothed about in a robe of Repentance, which keeps us safe and testifies of our worthiness at the last day.
I know that If you wrap yourself in the robe of righteousness, that is to say, if you strive to keep the commandments and are continually repenting, that you will be protected and comforted, and that you can stand straight before our Heavenly Father at the last day. I am grateful for the testimony that my Heavenly Father has given me about the importance of obedience, that it is the first law of Heaven, and that by striving to be righteous I will be continually blessed. I challenge each of us to wear righteousness every day as we wear our physical clothes everyday, and to keep it with you as a constant reminder of who you are and what you need to do to return to our Father in Heaven. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Works Cited:
Robert D. Hales "Modesty: Reverence for the Lord", Liahona, Aug 2008, 18-23
2 Nephi 9:14, The Book of Mormon
Ephesians 6:11-17, The New Testament
Leviticus 16:26, The Old Testament
Matthew 5:48, The New Testament
Ministry of Angels: Good or Evil? by Jacob Giles Chappell
"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ." (2 Nep. 32:1). I believe that angels are all around us. When certain impressions come to us, knowing in our heart and mind they are true, angels may be by our sides whispering these inspired thoughts to us. "And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them."(3 Nep. 17:21). What marvelous things must have been taught by the angels as Christ was there with the Nephites; the words the angels spoke were even forbidden to be written!
Alma the Younger also had an angelic experience, though it may not have been as pleasant. This angel came because of the “prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his (the Lord’s) servant, Alma. The angel spoke with “the voice of thunder” as the Earth shook. (Mosiah 27)
Excerpt from "Pilgrim Song"
Perhaps you think me wild or simple as a child; I am a child of glory.
I am born from above, my soul is filled with love; I love to tell the story.
My soul now sits and sings and practices it's wings and contemplates the hour
when the messenger shall say
"Come quit this house of clay and with bright angels tower."
My soul doth long to go where I may fully know the glory of my Savior.
And as I pass along I'll sing the Christian song; I'm going to live forever.
I love this song because it explains a little bit of how angels glorify God. Singing praises to God seems to be the overall theme when it comes to holy angelic beings.
We know that there are other types of angels that try to accomplish the opposite of God's angels. These are the devils angels, the sons of perdition, who also roam the Earth. They tempt God's children all day, everyday if and when they get the chance. The devils angels can appear to us, as Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith, but there are definite ways of telling if this is true revelation. The scriptures tell us that we will know in our mind and our hearts if the things taught are true. (D+C 8:2)
Angels, both good and evil, are on the Earth because all things must have opposition. Though I have not experienced angelic appearances, I know they are near and around us because of the Holy Ghost's impression felt through them. When we feel things in our minds and hearts to be true, that is one of God's angels helping us to understand questions we may have.
Works Cited
The Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.
The Scriptures: CD-ROM Edition 1.1. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2005.
http://www.lds.org
The Holy Bible: King James Version
Murphy, Ryan. Pilgrim Song.
Wisdom: God's Knowledge
What is wisdom? People have many ideas on what constitutes being wise. Some say that wisdom is worldly knowledge, and the more carnal knowledge you posses the wiser you are, and the more qualified you are to make decisions. Some say wisdom can only come through experience, and the more situations you have been in, the wiser you are in how to act. My argument is this: wisdom is a gift of the spirit, and it comes through making your life’s decisions based on courses of action chosen through the Spirit.
There is a scripture in 2 Nephi that illustrates this point perfectly. It is found in 9:28, and reads “…When they (men) are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profited them not. And they shall perish.” These words speak for themselves: carnal knowledge is nothing compared to the knowledge of God. Not only does the Lord know all things, but Christ suffered for us, and he knows exactly what we’re thinking and going through in any given situation. Isn’t it a bit presumptuous of us to think we’re qualified to make a decision in any given situation, because we have a PhD in this or that, and leave out the Lord? That line of thinking isn’t wisdom, it’s foolishness.
When one thinks of the wisest men to ever live, what is one of the first names to come to mind? Solomon was the first name to come to me. And why was he so wise? He asked the Lord, the Supreme Being, the all knowing, for the “Gift of Wisdom.” This story is found 1 Kings 3, and the whole chapter is dedicated to Solomon’s wisdom. In verse nine, Solomon asks the Lord, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart.” If one wishes to be wise, he must ask the Lord for an understanding heart, as Solomon did. One may ask, “Why should I ask the Lord? I’m already wise.” I hit on this earlier, but there is a scripture that should convince a person, even if nothing else will. It is Job 28:28, and it reads, “….the Lord, that is wisdom….” This scripture tells us the Lord doesn’t just have wisdom, he is wisdom. Therefore, this implies that since He is wisdom, wisdom can only come from him. Therefore, it would be wise to ask the Lord for wisdom.
I have a personal experience that illustrates the difference between knowledge and wisdom. I was hanging out with friends once, and we were trying to decide what to do. One of them said they had certain substances at their house, and suggested that if we took them it would get things going. Most everyone agreed to this decision. I had two courses of action to choose from: I could go along with the crowd, or I could stand up for my beliefs. Everyone has the knowledge that substances are bad, so why do people take them? It’s a lack of wisdom. It took more than knowledge to say no: it took the help of the Lord, in his wisdom, to make me say no. I’m glad that I had the wisdom to ask the Lord for help, and make the right decision.
Knowledge is important. The Prophet councils us to “obtain as much education as possible”. To be successful in this world, one needs a great amount of knowledge. But it takes wisdom to apply this knowledge successfully. Wisdom can only be obtained through the source, which is our Savior Jesus Christ. I hope that we all can be wise enough to humble ourselves before the Lord, and ask for his guidance. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Works cited:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wisdom
Book of Mormon and the King James Version of the Holy Bible
Young men goals
There is a scripture in 2 Nephi that illustrates this point perfectly. It is found in 9:28, and reads “…When they (men) are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profited them not. And they shall perish.” These words speak for themselves: carnal knowledge is nothing compared to the knowledge of God. Not only does the Lord know all things, but Christ suffered for us, and he knows exactly what we’re thinking and going through in any given situation. Isn’t it a bit presumptuous of us to think we’re qualified to make a decision in any given situation, because we have a PhD in this or that, and leave out the Lord? That line of thinking isn’t wisdom, it’s foolishness.
When one thinks of the wisest men to ever live, what is one of the first names to come to mind? Solomon was the first name to come to me. And why was he so wise? He asked the Lord, the Supreme Being, the all knowing, for the “Gift of Wisdom.” This story is found 1 Kings 3, and the whole chapter is dedicated to Solomon’s wisdom. In verse nine, Solomon asks the Lord, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart.” If one wishes to be wise, he must ask the Lord for an understanding heart, as Solomon did. One may ask, “Why should I ask the Lord? I’m already wise.” I hit on this earlier, but there is a scripture that should convince a person, even if nothing else will. It is Job 28:28, and it reads, “….the Lord, that is wisdom….” This scripture tells us the Lord doesn’t just have wisdom, he is wisdom. Therefore, this implies that since He is wisdom, wisdom can only come from him. Therefore, it would be wise to ask the Lord for wisdom.
I have a personal experience that illustrates the difference between knowledge and wisdom. I was hanging out with friends once, and we were trying to decide what to do. One of them said they had certain substances at their house, and suggested that if we took them it would get things going. Most everyone agreed to this decision. I had two courses of action to choose from: I could go along with the crowd, or I could stand up for my beliefs. Everyone has the knowledge that substances are bad, so why do people take them? It’s a lack of wisdom. It took more than knowledge to say no: it took the help of the Lord, in his wisdom, to make me say no. I’m glad that I had the wisdom to ask the Lord for help, and make the right decision.
Knowledge is important. The Prophet councils us to “obtain as much education as possible”. To be successful in this world, one needs a great amount of knowledge. But it takes wisdom to apply this knowledge successfully. Wisdom can only be obtained through the source, which is our Savior Jesus Christ. I hope that we all can be wise enough to humble ourselves before the Lord, and ask for his guidance. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Works cited:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wisdom
Book of Mormon and the King James Version of the Holy Bible
Young men goals
A Foundation on the Immovable Rock of Christ - Ryan Alan Chapman
The wise man built his house upon the rock.
The wise man built his house upon the rock.
The wise man built his house upon the rock.
And the rains came tumbling down.
The rains came down and the flood came up.
The rains came down and the flood came up.
The rains came down and the flood came up.
And the house on the rock stood still.
The foolish man built his house upon the sand.
The foolish man built his house upon the sand.
The foolish man built his house upon the sand.
And the rains came tumbling down.
The rains came down and the flood came up.
The rains came down and the flood came up.
The rains came down and the flood came up.
And the house on the sand washed away.
These words carry a simple but cheerful message: a message that is very important to me in my life. The song tells about building our lives upon a rock. What does that’s mean? It means that we need to build our principles and faith on a steady and unshakable foundation - Christ. Every year people are either killed, hurt, or left homeless do to dangerous strong hurricanes - winds and floods that unless you don’t have a retreat, usually mean no chances for a survivor. President once said, we too “are [spiritually] faced with powerful, destructive forces unleashed by the adversary. Waves of sin, wickedness, immorality, degradation, tyranny, deceitfulness, conspiracy, and dishonesty threaten all of us. They come with great power and speed and will destroy us if we are not watchful.” We must base our live on Christ so that we can have a retreat and protection when these types of winds come.
A couple months ago, a couple of my friends and I took a trip down to southern Utah for a weeklong time of excitement, daring challenges, and dangerous but fun adventures. One of the things we did was this backcountry course in Zion’s National Park; where we belayed, climbed, and swam through a tough and dangerous canyon. This one-way canyon was about 6 feet wide and was surrounded by two walls of solid 200 feet rock on both sides of us that got higher and higher the farther you got in; and because there were tons of flash floods through this alley, there was tons of freezing cold water through out, and parts were we couldn’t even find a bottom, which meant holding onto the slippery walls for our lives. One of the scariest things about this trip was some of the belaying we had to do. We had to drop down about 30 feet over a ledge and around a corner to get around some dangerous jumps. As one of friends belayed us, we had to simply just trust that he would get us down safely, because once we started down we couldn’t see him until he himself came down after all of us. The trust that we had to share in one another as we went through this difficult challenge is the same kind of trust we need to have in our savior Jesus Christ. We must have a real faith and trust in him. Adam C. Olson once said, “Sometimes you can’t see him, but you have to trust that he’s there. He’s there to help you. That’s what Christ does for us.”
How do we stay in tune so that Christ can be our foundation? The answer is through obedience to his gospel. We need to follow the commandments and teachings that Christ has given us. Christ is like the person who belays us and obedience to his gospel is the rope; and because we can’t always see him, we need to follow the teachings of the prophets and study the scriptures so that we may know that which he wants us to do. In Helaman 5:12 it says, “remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation…. of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” It is through faith and diligence to his gospel we can realize the steadiness that a foundation on Christ can be.
Bruce R. McConkie said, “if we build our house of salvation on the rock of personal revelation, if we build it on the revealed reality that Jesus is the Lord, if we build it on him who is the Eternal Rock—it will stand forever. If we are guided by the spirit of inspiration while here in mortality, we will be able to withstand all of the floods and storms that beat upon us. If we are founded upon a rock, we worship the Father in the name of the Son by the power of the Holy Ghost. If we are founded upon a rock, we know that salvation comes by the grace of God to those who believe the gospel and keep the commandments. If we are founded upon a rock, we forsake the world, flee from carnal things, and live upright and godly lives. If we are founded upon a rock, the gates of hell shall not prevail against us. As long as we remain in our house of faith, we shall be preserved when the rains of evil fall, when the winds of false doctrine blow, and when the floods of carnality beat upon us. Just as the wise man we will stand strong when the winds come down upon us as long as we stay built on the rock.
Every morning and night I kneel in prayer and thank the Lord for the blessing and opportunity I have to build my life on Christ. I can bear witness that as you build your life on Christ, the unmovable foundation, that your life will be better and you will feel closer to our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ, and you will feel his love for you as I have felt it myself. I share these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sources
* LDS Children’s Song Book – The Wise Man and the Foolish Man
* “The Rock of Our Redeemer,” Ensign, Dec 1996, 65
* Adam C. Olson, “Built on the Rock,” New Era, Jul 2004, 21
* Helaman 5:12 – Book of Mormon
* Bruce R. McConkie, “‘Upon This Rock’,” Ensign, May 1981, 75
A Language of its Own by Lindsey Beus
Mankind has been obsessed with angels for a long time. Many songs and pieces of art are centered on the subject. A compliment on appearance or voice quality may be “you look/sound like an angel.” But what does it mean to speak with the tongue of angels as stated in 2 Nephi. Well, “Scripture is given by inspiration…” and so I believe there are several meanings behind this tongue (1).
One meaning could be taken from another scripture where Nephi is bothered by his prompting to explain so few revelations when the words are “knowledge… in plainness, even as plain as word can be” (2). Perhaps the tongue of angels is an ability given by the Holy Ghost to speak knowledge and truth in a plain form. That does not mean that the words will truly be very plain though, as they have been “written in weakness [but] will be made strong… for it persuadeth them to do good” (3). To make an odd Star Wars reference, this might be compared to the Jedi’s ability to persuade without using the flowery, erudite words, which might be thrown around by haughty people and politicians.
Another possible meaning could be as simple as prayer. The Spirit teaches a man to pray. The tongue of angels comes with the gift of the Holy Ghost, and so perhaps, the tongue of angels is the prayer of a contrite spirit on the righteous path. There is nothing sweeter to the taste than a true prayer, and perhaps that is the only gift needed. I personally know from experience that a truly felt prayer cannot be taught. Yes, we as members of the church learn the basics of prayer and how to say them properly out of respect, but a true prayer from the heart cannot be learned. My greatest prayer was a moment when I left the proper outline behind and truly spoke what I felt I had to say. However, nothing I said felt like I was saying it. For that moment, I felt like a heavenly being, having a heartfelt conversation with my dear creator. To me, that could easily be the tongue of angels, because those words were not my own but they expressed my feelings in a way that was beyond imagination.
The only other meaning that comes to me is the words of Christ. “Feast upon the words of Christ, for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do” (4). Nephi refers that we should yield to his words and “the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God…” (5). “Angels… speak the words of Christ” and so maybe that is what it means to speak with their tongue (6). Christ’s words can be found in prayers and they are plain and simple. Maybe it means all three.
Elder Jeffery R. Holland ” [testified] of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind” (7). I hope that every person can speak with such sweet words that could be described as a new tongue and should be spoken by angels. Along with those kinds words, we need to remember truth, prayer, and the words of Christ. Maybe then, everything else will fall into place. To me, the tongue of angels is any communication of love.
Works Cited
1. 2 Timothy 3:16
2. 2 Nephi 32:7
3. 2 Nephi 33:4
4. 2 Nephi 32:3
5. 2 Nephi 33:14
6. 2 Nephi 31 3
7. http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-947-10,00.html
One meaning could be taken from another scripture where Nephi is bothered by his prompting to explain so few revelations when the words are “knowledge… in plainness, even as plain as word can be” (2). Perhaps the tongue of angels is an ability given by the Holy Ghost to speak knowledge and truth in a plain form. That does not mean that the words will truly be very plain though, as they have been “written in weakness [but] will be made strong… for it persuadeth them to do good” (3). To make an odd Star Wars reference, this might be compared to the Jedi’s ability to persuade without using the flowery, erudite words, which might be thrown around by haughty people and politicians.
Another possible meaning could be as simple as prayer. The Spirit teaches a man to pray. The tongue of angels comes with the gift of the Holy Ghost, and so perhaps, the tongue of angels is the prayer of a contrite spirit on the righteous path. There is nothing sweeter to the taste than a true prayer, and perhaps that is the only gift needed. I personally know from experience that a truly felt prayer cannot be taught. Yes, we as members of the church learn the basics of prayer and how to say them properly out of respect, but a true prayer from the heart cannot be learned. My greatest prayer was a moment when I left the proper outline behind and truly spoke what I felt I had to say. However, nothing I said felt like I was saying it. For that moment, I felt like a heavenly being, having a heartfelt conversation with my dear creator. To me, that could easily be the tongue of angels, because those words were not my own but they expressed my feelings in a way that was beyond imagination.
The only other meaning that comes to me is the words of Christ. “Feast upon the words of Christ, for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do” (4). Nephi refers that we should yield to his words and “the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God…” (5). “Angels… speak the words of Christ” and so maybe that is what it means to speak with their tongue (6). Christ’s words can be found in prayers and they are plain and simple. Maybe it means all three.
Elder Jeffery R. Holland ” [testified] of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind” (7). I hope that every person can speak with such sweet words that could be described as a new tongue and should be spoken by angels. Along with those kinds words, we need to remember truth, prayer, and the words of Christ. Maybe then, everything else will fall into place. To me, the tongue of angels is any communication of love.
Works Cited
1. 2 Timothy 3:16
2. 2 Nephi 32:7
3. 2 Nephi 33:4
4. 2 Nephi 32:3
5. 2 Nephi 33:14
6. 2 Nephi 31 3
7. http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-947-10,00.html
As I Spoke by the Tongue of Angels by: Katrina Walker
Speaking by the tongue of angels is something we can do in our everyday lives, just as long as we are striving to be closer to our Father in Heaven. He wants us to be close to Him at all times, in doing all things and in all places. In Mark 13:11 it states: “…take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.” If we go before the Lord in humble prayer we will be able to understand the things which He speaks to us. Also, we will be able to receive revelation on our behalf, or on others. We can speak the things of God when we have the Holy Spirit with us.
“And this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost. And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.” When we feel the Spirit of God we know. We know when we speak the words of God. In this scripture it says that we need to speak when we are “moved upon by the Holy Ghost.” This is true in every aspect of our lives today. This past Sunday I truly spoke the words of God when I was speaking with someone very close to me. We are both having trouble with our lives at this point, and he was extremely depressed at this point in his life because of what has happened in his past. As we sat talking I was impressed to tell him of his worth to me, to Christ and to God. As I began saying these things he began to cry. He understood that what I was saying was coming from God Himself. As I finished talking I remember feeling the spirit so strongly, I have never felt the spirit stronger in my entire life so far. This was a growing experience for me and for the person I was talking to. We now understand that if we are closer to God at all times then we can feel His spirit even stronger now because of this experience.
We can become closer to Christ and all of His works when we have the Holy Ghost. We need to feast on the words of Christ to truly be closer to Him. When we feast on the words of Christ we can fully and truly understand everything He has done for us. “Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” Not only will be become closer to Christ if we feast on His words, we will receive revelation from God for ourselves.
Even if we have the blessing and power of speaking with the tongue of angels, if we do not have charity towards our fellow men we will be “as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”[1] This principle is taught in our church fairly often, but most do not stop to think that if we don’t have charity we won’t be close to our Heavenly Father. Also, if we do have the blessing of the tongues of angels but no charity we will not make a difference in the lives around us. It will truly be as the difference of a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. People will hear, but it will not touch their hearts if we do not show compassion or charity towards everyone around us.
Christ is the perfect example of charity and in the hymn “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief” this compassion is shown to Christ by others around Him. In this hymn it shows the perfect example of charity and of being able to speak in the tongues of angels. The seventh verse was the verse that caught my eye and it states. “Then in a moment to my view the stranger started from disguise. The tokens in his hands I knew; The Savior stood before mine eyes. He spake, and my poor name he named, “Of me thou hast not been ashamed. These deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not, thou didst them unto me.” To truly speak by the tongues of angels we need to not be ashamed of Christ, and we need to show charity and compassion to all men.
I know these things to be true, I know that if we are closer to our Heavenly Father in our everyday lives that we will always be able to feel His Spirit and we will be able to receive the revelation needed in our lives. I know that this is the true church of Christ, and that this is the fullness of the gospel in our hands today. I know that Christ is always here for us; that he knows and feels everything that we know and feel. I know that Joseph Smith was, and is, a true prophet of God. I know that he restored the fullness of the gospel on this earth. I know that we can receive revelation on our behalf and on the behalf of others that are closest to us. I know that God lives and that He loves each and every one of us. He can help us through our lives if we only listen to Him. I am so grateful for this knowledge, and I am grateful for the knowledge that I can speak with God when needed. I am extremely grateful that God can and will speak back to us when needed. I say these things in the name of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Works Cited:
1. 2 Nephi 32:3
2. 1 Cor. 13:1
3. Mark 13:11
4: D&C 68:3-4
5. LDS Church Hymns, "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief"
[1] 1 Cor. 13:1
“And this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost. And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.” When we feel the Spirit of God we know. We know when we speak the words of God. In this scripture it says that we need to speak when we are “moved upon by the Holy Ghost.” This is true in every aspect of our lives today. This past Sunday I truly spoke the words of God when I was speaking with someone very close to me. We are both having trouble with our lives at this point, and he was extremely depressed at this point in his life because of what has happened in his past. As we sat talking I was impressed to tell him of his worth to me, to Christ and to God. As I began saying these things he began to cry. He understood that what I was saying was coming from God Himself. As I finished talking I remember feeling the spirit so strongly, I have never felt the spirit stronger in my entire life so far. This was a growing experience for me and for the person I was talking to. We now understand that if we are closer to God at all times then we can feel His spirit even stronger now because of this experience.
We can become closer to Christ and all of His works when we have the Holy Ghost. We need to feast on the words of Christ to truly be closer to Him. When we feast on the words of Christ we can fully and truly understand everything He has done for us. “Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” Not only will be become closer to Christ if we feast on His words, we will receive revelation from God for ourselves.
Even if we have the blessing and power of speaking with the tongue of angels, if we do not have charity towards our fellow men we will be “as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”[1] This principle is taught in our church fairly often, but most do not stop to think that if we don’t have charity we won’t be close to our Heavenly Father. Also, if we do have the blessing of the tongues of angels but no charity we will not make a difference in the lives around us. It will truly be as the difference of a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. People will hear, but it will not touch their hearts if we do not show compassion or charity towards everyone around us.
Christ is the perfect example of charity and in the hymn “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief” this compassion is shown to Christ by others around Him. In this hymn it shows the perfect example of charity and of being able to speak in the tongues of angels. The seventh verse was the verse that caught my eye and it states. “Then in a moment to my view the stranger started from disguise. The tokens in his hands I knew; The Savior stood before mine eyes. He spake, and my poor name he named, “Of me thou hast not been ashamed. These deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not, thou didst them unto me.” To truly speak by the tongues of angels we need to not be ashamed of Christ, and we need to show charity and compassion to all men.
I know these things to be true, I know that if we are closer to our Heavenly Father in our everyday lives that we will always be able to feel His Spirit and we will be able to receive the revelation needed in our lives. I know that this is the true church of Christ, and that this is the fullness of the gospel in our hands today. I know that Christ is always here for us; that he knows and feels everything that we know and feel. I know that Joseph Smith was, and is, a true prophet of God. I know that he restored the fullness of the gospel on this earth. I know that we can receive revelation on our behalf and on the behalf of others that are closest to us. I know that God lives and that He loves each and every one of us. He can help us through our lives if we only listen to Him. I am so grateful for this knowledge, and I am grateful for the knowledge that I can speak with God when needed. I am extremely grateful that God can and will speak back to us when needed. I say these things in the name of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Works Cited:
1. 2 Nephi 32:3
2. 1 Cor. 13:1
3. Mark 13:11
4: D&C 68:3-4
5. LDS Church Hymns, "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief"
[1] 1 Cor. 13:1
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