Gift of Tongues

The fast and testimony meeting I attended two Sundays ago deserves mentioning.  Almost everyone who stood shared his or her experience with this year's Gospel Doctrine class course of study: the Book of Mormon. 

One woman explained that she was reading the book in Portuguese, the language she is currently learning.  She'd been reading the book from its beginning, and when she started to read the book of Mosiah, she was surprised at how difficult the reading became.  She realized that the vocabulary and syntax suddenly increased in sophistication, suggesting to her that a single author was certainly not an acceptable explanation for Book of Mormon authorship.

Others spoke about the increased spiritual guidance and sensitivity they'd found.  All witnessed their assurance that the book was inspired by God.

What stood out to me, however, was how articulate every speaker was--without exception.  They spoke by the Holy Ghost.  This seemed to me to be a clear manifestation of the of Gift of Tongues.

Mark 16 teaches that speaking in tongues is one of the spiritual gifts given to followers of Jesus Christ. Doctrine and Covenants 46 teaches that gifts of the Spirit--of which variations of the gift of tongues are one category--are gifts from God for the benefit of His children.