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We finish up 2 Nephi with his parting words, that include the simple doctrine of Christ.
Revelation 22:18
Deuteronomy 4:2
D&C 27:5
Ezekiel 37:16-28
D&C 133:23
Moroni 10:1-2, 24
4 Nephi 1:35
D&C 1:24
3 Nephi 19:13
Moroni 6:4
D&C 50:22
Ether 12: 23-25
The discussion on the “tongue of angels” caught my attention this week. It looks like Nephi is the only person in all scripture that calls it by that term. However, I think we have some clues to work with. First, Nephi tells us that angels speak the words of Christ. Think back to the angelic visitations that Joseph had, much of what he was told came from the existing scriptures. If we are to speak as angels do, we must be very familiar with the scriptures. The gift of the Holy Ghost can then show us the proper application of the scriptures. This process was described by Oliver Cowdery in Joseph Smith History verses 73-74. It is also another example of two people receiving the Holy Ghost without any indication of a Melchizedek priesthood holder conferring it by the laying on of hands. It was a gift they received immediately upon their baptism.
Second, Alma shares his desire to be an angel, to speak with the trump of God, to shake the earth and cry repentance unto all people. His purpose in desiring this gift was to bring people to repentance, just as an angelic shaking had changed his life. He then goes on to recognize that this use of a gift would short circuit agency and God’s ability to do his own work in his own way. When Alma was spoken to in this way, the message was repent now or perish. God seems to use this particular technique only as a last resort. I think He prefers to save people as they awaken to their awful condition and seek to work things out without the fear of immediate destruction.
The missionaries Nephi and Lehi seem to have spoken with the tongue of angels because “they did preach with great power, insomuch that they did confound many of those dissenters who had gone over from the Nephites, insomuch that they did confess their sins and were baptized unto repentance, and immediately returned to the Nephites to endeavor to repair unto them the wrong which they had done. . . . [and they] did preach unto the Lamanites with such great power and authority, for they had power and authority given unto them that they might speak, and they also had what they should speak given unto them — Therefore they did speak unto the great astonishment of the Lamanites, to the convincing them, insomuch that there were eight thousand of the Lamanites who were in the land of Zarahemla and roundabout baptized unto repentance, and were convinced of the wickedness of the traditions of their fathers.” (Heleman 5:17-19)
We are told that Nephi’s son, Nephi, had an ability to testify of repentance and remission of sins through faith on the Lord Jesus Christ to such an extent that the people were angry with him because his power was so great they could not disbelieve his words. He also had the power to do the miracles of Christ, including raising his brother from the dead.
Moroni recognized that the power to be mighty in speaking was a power given unto his people through faith, and the Holy Ghost. However, he notes that they were not given the gift to be powerful in writing as the brother of Jared was. In fact, their words were so great they could not be written, which he then considered to be a weakness in his efforts to compile a written record. (Ether 12:23-29)
This leads me back to the thought of what gifts might be needed in our day? It would appear that faith and the gift of the Holy Ghost are a good starting place. If the second is not yet within reach, what can we do personally to increase the first? If there is a need for people to preach repentance with power, are we praying for that? Are we praying that events might soften the hearts of the wicked that they will repent before the prophesied destruction comes? Are we even praying to know where the wickedness in our own hearts lies and to ask God to root it out? Such prayers seem to be the start of Lehi’s unique journey. I wonder whether of us really want that. It seems much easier to sit back and wait for the work to be done for us and to watch for the wicked to be taken from among us. Any thoughts?
I don’t accept that the reason we don’t have the gift of the Holy Ghost readily among us is because we don’t have MEN among us with the necessary authority. No. The requirements are in chapter 31 verse 13. The keywords are “FULL purpose of heart, acting NO hypocrisy and NO deception before God, but with REAL intent, repenting of your sins, …”. Our problem is, we suffer from a severe lack of faith problem… That’s it… Saying that we need to wait around for sent messengers is just excusing ourselves for our lack of faith. Read 1 Nephi 10:17-19… The way is prepared, we just aren’t willing to walk it, at least not yet…
Exactly. I agree with much of what is discussed in the podcast but this is also the definition of denying Christ saying we need others to come unto Him and receive what he freely gives us.
We will be called and chosen to do a work as described in Rev. 17:14. I would not be to concerned about how it is going to come together but that it will; and we need to prepare ourselves for that time (Rev. 16:15).
Learn the truth (Matt. 18:37) and you will hear Christ’s voice when he calls you.
Mistake on my posting: Not Matt but John 18:37