The Tongue of Angels

I was sitting in a seminary class, just listening to the teachers and students. The students were all over the map, some were listening intently, trying to learn, while others were actually belligerent, not wanting to be there at all -- obviously. The latter group used the words "boring," "waste-of-time," and "not interested." They are only there because their parents think it will be good for them. It was clear they didn't get it, and there was no way they were going to learn anything -- or allow anyone else to learn. They understood nothing. It was like the teachers were up there teaching in a foreign language.

A person once asked Spencer W. Kimball what he did in a boring Sacrament meeting. He thought for a minute and said, "I don't recall ever attending a boring Sacrament meeting." I have often reflected on that notion of church, or religious instruction, being boring. My children told me they didn't want to go to church because it was "boring;" as if it were a foreign language to them.

Last week I was with my son, Alex, in Utah. We went to the Church History Museum and saw all the memorabilia and art that have so much meaning. These are the things that represent the heart of the restoration of the Gospel: love, service, sacrifice, the light breaking forth over the earth as people who understand take it to the rest of the world. It is very moving to those who understand what it means. However, to Alex it meant nothing. He rolled his eyes when I tried to explain why an artist would depict Christ in America, or Joseph Smith in a grove of trees with God and Jesus Christ standing over him. He was bored. He understood none of it; it was like a foreign language to him.

Who wouldn't want to know truth? Why wouldn't someone want to know reality? What makes people want to live in a fantasy world? Why wouldn't everyone want to know about peace, love, mercy, happiness, grace, faith, power, might, kingdoms, creation, the purpose of life, the war in Heaven, and never-ending growth? Where is the disconnect? What are the children (and adults) not understanding? I think those who view religious instruction as "boring" are really not being taught right. They are hearing the instruction in a language that is not familiar to them.

A new language

As I was sitting there in the seminary class, I realized that the language of the Spirit is a foreign language to some of those students. In a sense, the teachers were teaching the class in a tongue not recognized by the students, and they have no way of understanding it. I should think if I were in a Russian literature class taught only in Russian I would be bored to tears. Russian literature is fascinating and rich in philosophy and human nature, which I love, but if I couldn't understand it would mean nothing to me. There would be nothing to occupy my mind in the class so I would have to do something else, fidgeting, playing on my phone, and so forth. I think the difference between the children is that those interested in the material know the language of the Spirit, while those who were "bored" didn't. This is why Spencer W. Kimball could never be bored in a Sacrament Meeting -- he understood the Tongue of Angels.

Heidi, one of the students in the class, was a little frustrated that the other students were so disruptive. She came to learn. She is looking to be spiritually fed. She understands the language. She wants instruction. In fact, she is also frustrated by the teachers, who are only slightly conversant in the language of the Spirit. It's like she is in the Russian Literature class, but she's the only one fluent in Russian. Though the teachers know facts, they are halting in getting their message across. Heidi is from Utah, where the seminary teachers know the language of the Spirit, and are able to teach it to others.

I think there is a difference between children who grow up in Utah, where the Tongue of Angels is spoken regularly. It's like a language immersion program. I had a polyglot roommate who spoke five languages because he grew up in Holland, where those languages were spoken all around him. He just picked them up as he grew up without any effort put forth to learn them. He didn't take classes in languages, until later, but by then he had a good understanding of the language. People in Utah, or those who grow up in homes where the language of prophecy is spoken, have a great advantage over those who grow up in the "mission field" where they must learn by rote through great effort.

The language of the Spirit, the tongue of angels, or the words of the prophets is a language all its own. While we use English, Russian, German, or Chinese words to convey the language, it is on a dimensional level completely separate from the words themselves. Dictionaries will only show the very basic concept of a word, and not be able to give the meaning in full. This meaning is only conveyed by the Spirit, and cannot be given to another. For example, the word "faith" has a dictionary meaning given by the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." However, this doesn't convey the meaning of the word. Joseph Smith touched on the meaning of faith in a series of lectures given in the School of the Prophets, the Lectures on Faith. But, even here, where future prophets are learning the Tongue of Angels, the full meaning is not given, for it can only be conveyed by the Spirit of God over time, by experience, and by the will of the Lord.

Teachers

There are many instances were people see, hear and understand in the Language of the Spirit, and are unable to convey that to others. There were three Nephites in the Book of Mormon who were promised to stay on the Earth until Christ comes, and were shown many things that they couldn't even tell anyone else. "And behold, the heavens were opened, and they were caught up into heaven, and saw and heard unspeakable things. And it was forbidden them that they should utter; neither was it given unto them power that they could utter the things which they saw and heard." (3 Nephi 28:13-14)

Others, however, are given power to teach the things of God in such a way that people can understand. Nephi was hated by the Gadianton robbers because "...he had greater power than they, for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily." (3 Nephi 7:18) To "minister" is to teach. Nephi was taught daily in the Tongue of Angels, by the angels themselves. The Sons of Mosiah also had this power, and Mormon tells us how they got it. "...they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God." (Alma 17:3)

It is essential that a Gospel instructor, whether it is a seminary teacher or a parent, learn the Language of the Spirit. Jesus told His disciples in modern days, "...if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach." (D&C 42:14) This is a commandment, as well as a statement of truth. Without the Spirit there is no way anyone can understand the things of God. Nephi explains, "...when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men." (2 Nephi 33:1) The Tongue of Angels, the Language of the Spirit, or the Words of the Prophets are not understood in the mind, by words only, but rather in the heart, and by experience. The teacher speaking the words doesn't teach, the Holy Ghost does, or else there is no instruction, and the students will be bored.

 

Students

The other half of the equation is the willingness of the student to learn. Some people just aren't interested in knowledge and wisdom; they prefer to live in their own fantasies. If a person isn't interested in learning something it cannot be forced. I have seen this multiple times with my fellow "scientists" and intellectuals who judge the Book of Mormon to be untrue without ever having read it. The difference between a Christian and an atheist is the atheist is closed to new ideas, whereas a Christian is open to every source of knowledge, wisdom and truth. Those who do not believe shut out the Spirit of God. Without the ability to receive the Spirit, the student will remain ignorant in spite of understanding the meaning of each word spoken because meaning is not found in the words themselves.

Some are so hardened they want to avoid any mention of truth so they do not tolerate any Gospel instruction. The Gadianton Robbers, as noted above, tried to kill Nephi to silence him because it was "not possible that they could disbelieve his words." Thus, teachers of truth are often harassed, tortured, and killed for their testimony. Those who know in their hearts aren't ignorant, they want to avoid the truth so they don't just let it be, they must shut it up.

Language immersion

Like learning any foreign language, the best way to learn the Tongue of Angels is by immersion. Elder Bednar gave a wonderful talk about the value of Gospel immersion that we call "the pickle talk." http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/ye-must-be-born-again?lang=eng In it he describes how being "Born again" requires complete immersion, like making a cucumber into a pickle. An important part of this immersion is in the language of the Spirit. Joseph Smith was commanded "let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly" (D&C 121:45) indicating one way to immerse yourself -- your thoughts. Another is given by Nephi, "feast upon the words of Christ." (2 Nephi 32:3) To "Feast" is to take in a lot. Because it gives us access to truth, knowledge and wisdom, this is the most important "Foreign language" we could every learn. I think if both the teachers and students were to learn the Tongue of Angels, then Gospel instruction would never be boring, students would be polite and reverent -- and seminary would be the most desired class of the day!