Tongue of Angels

This is written to my friend and brother Tim Merrill. 

I have been living in France now for over 16 months without being able to speak and understand French. I can hear that it is French, but cannot hear it in the sense that I can understand it. And more than that, a French person would know within seconds, that I could never pass as a fluent French speaker. I have been studying a lot since I have been here, and I know a lot of words in French, but connecting these words to form phrases and sentences is a challenge, both in hearing and speaking French. Reading is a little bit easier, but I still need to translate many things I read. Fortunately there are those close to me who speak English and I can get by.

I have made the analogy before that the word of God is like another language or a language where God uses our own language so that we can read His words. The Church has translated His words into many languages, so that many can now use their own language to understand and learn His language. And He has given us the necessary tools to know they are His words and how He uses and defines them. I have spent the last 30 years feasting upon and diligently searching His words. Before that I read the scriptures often, but didn't advance much beyond just doing my duty to read them. It was only after feasting and searching that I began to understand the Lord’s language and could hear His voice in His words.

His words, as Alma says, are found in me. Unlike my French, I am quite fluent in the Lord's language. I can hear His language when it is spoken, read His language when it is written and teach using His words. 

Nephi called the Lord's language the tongue of angels. It is called the tongue of angels, because "angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 31:14; 32:3 emphasis added). The problem is that even though many may have His words, they never learn to speak with or hear the tongue of angels. Why? Because they only know a few words, and have not feasted upon the words of Christ to the point that His words are found in their hearts. Christ expounded upon His words as found in the scriptures. He said: "These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you; for it was wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations" (3 Nephi 26:2). He then expounded upon them "from the beginning until the time that he should come in his glory..." (3 Nephi 26:3).

After expounding upon all things written, it was said that "there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people..." (3 Nephi 26:6). And what do we have? We have only the "lesser part of the things (words) which he taught the people" (3 Nephi 26:8).

"And when they have shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things, then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them" (3 Nephi 26:9 emphasis added).

But, "if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation" (3 Nephi 26:10; D&C 84:54-55 emphasis added).

This causes a problem for those who are feasting, and are receiving all that the Lord has expounded, and believing what they receive, because very few are doing the same. Therefore those who are learning the tongue of angels are left with very few people they can speak and converse with in the tongue of angels. 

Outside of the scriptures, there have been a few who have written with the tongue of angels, but very few. And what is remarkable to me is that those who are becoming fluent in the tongue of angels, always discover those who have written using the tongue of angels. And I speak of Hugh Nibley and Avraham Gileadi and a few others. But my experience has been limited to reading what they have written. I have never had a conversation with them using the tongue of angels.

But I have had conversations with Tim Merrill, and we understand each other. I am also fortunate that my wife Annie, who not only speaks English and French, is learning the tongue of angels, and is becoming very fluent. Another was my best friend Mike Howery and my former business partner and friend Curt Kindred (who was quickly learning). Both are deceased, and I miss our conversations. There are a few others like Cody Tower and David Ferguson, but we have very few opportunities to converse with each other. It is enlightening, however, to share emails occasionally. I wish there were others, like some of my children or grandchildren, and I am still hoping that someday we can have a real conversation using the tongue of angels.

I am sure there are many who can speak with the tongue of angels, but I don't know them. So that leaves me with Tim and Annie. Annie I can talk with everyday, and she is the greatest blessing in my life for many reasons, one of which is her willingness to learn and speak with the tongue of angels. She teaches me things that I don't see, and she has the advantage of learning the word of God in both French and English.

Tim writes a blog and I am nourished every time I read and re-read his posts. We have had many opportunities to teach each other and increase our fluency in the tongue of angels. And before I left for France we could have lunch together and just talk to each other. Often I write what I post just for him to read and comment on, because I know he will hear what I am writing. His command of the English language opens up new dimensions to me. Both his poetry and prose are written in a language I understand and love. He is constantly expanding my mind and intellect, like one of his most recent post The Mind of God: Ye Are Gods. I discover new treasures each time and have wanted to write a post just using quotes from his blog posts, something along the lines of Nibley's Of All Things. Maybe one day I will get to it. 

Someone might ask: isn't it enough to just have the scriptures? Do we really need someone else to write about them? 

The answer is yes and yes. The portion of His words that we have presently allows us hear His voice in His words. But the problem is once we start hearing His voice in His words, we wish we were angels and could shout His words for all to hear! But we can't. And we learn from the Parable of the Sower, that there are very few who actually receive His words in their hearts, leaving us with few to converse with. 

And yes, we need others to write about them. God has given some the gift of knowledge and the gift of teaching the word of God. Those who have these gifts want to use them, but unfortunately in the church these gifts are not usually recognized or deemed important. So those with gifts, who want to shout the words they have received, will find a much more limited way to do so. And Tim has found his way to use his God given gifts of the Spirit.

I know that in God and Christ are found all treasures of wisdom and knowledge (2 Colossians 2:3). Tim knows that, and he uses God's gift to him to share treasures that he is discovering, with me and others. See, God's words are not just words we find on paper or digitally on our devices, but they are truth and light and spirit. They are experienced, not just read! Light is discernible, and as we receive more light and truth we increase in intelligence. And we can take it with us when we die! And the more of it that we have received the better it will be for us hereafter!

But do you know what is sad and frustrating? It is to try and start a conversation with someone who is not fluent in the tongue of angels. The words are spoken, but there seems to be no recognition or response to them. Perhaps we are so conditioned in tradition that we make the words of God of none effect. And when they are spoken, there is no recognition. I have found, however, that when teaching the word of God, there are those who are starving and receive it with joy, but then as the Parable of the Sower says, the cares of the world choke the word and it never finds its way to the heart.

I take seriously Jacob's admonition that we take the responsibility upon us, "answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would be found spotless at the last day" (Jacob 1:19 emphasis added). 

And it is sad and frustrating that when I have so much to share, very few speak the same language. In fact others can be critical that I am not more "mainstream" or that I have been radicalized. While I don't know for sure, I believe that I was released as a Gospel doctrine teacher in Arizona because I taught concerning the prophecies in the Book of Mormon, even though the curriculum at that time was the Book of Mormon. Others did not personally know of these prophecies and therefore thought that I was perhaps teaching false doctrine.

Tim also takes this responsibility seriously. In fact sometimes he will post so quickly that an old man like me can't keep up with him. But Tim is not writing just for others, but for himself as well. I know the feeling. He feels that there are so few he can converse with, that his writing helps him converse with the Lord and share what he has received with others. 

He experiences joy when someone repents as a result of reading the word of God in his posts. He knows that we do not "live the Gospel." We "proclaim the Gospel" to everyone who will hear.

But there is loneliness associated with it. I know he would like to sit with everyone one of his readers and converse with them, to not only see if they are becoming fluent in the tongue of angels, but to just share the treasures he has discovered with someone who will find joy in those treasures as well. That is what we have done together, and I miss Tim and our conservations together.

I love this promise:

"Then those who feared Jehovah spoke often one with another. And Jehovah heard it, and took heed, and a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared Jehovah and who thought on his name. They will be mine, says Jehovah of Hosts, in the day I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him" (Malachi 3:16-18 emphasis added).