As we walked through and looked at the artifacts, I was drawn to a certain display without knowing why or who it was about. As I began to read the label on the case, I learned I was looking at artifacts that once belonged to Eliza Ann Whitney. Upon reading a short bio of this early Saint, I read that among many other wonderful things, Eliza had the gift of speaking in tongues.
I felt the Spirit say to me, "You must study out the gift of tongues." I asked, "Why?" I didn't receive an answer just then but the Spirit confirmed to me that I needed to study and learn about what is known by the modern world as "glossolalia" or the phenomenon of speaking in an unknown language. There are two general categories of speaking in tongues: glossolalia, speaking in an unknown language, usually thought to be of heavenly, not human, origin; and xenoglossia, miraculously speaking in an ordinary human language unknown to the speaker. Today glossolalia is practiced in Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity. The term derives from "glÅssais lalein", a Greek phrase used in the New Testament meaning "to speak in or with tongues".
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| Elizabeth Ann Whitney |
After the Nauvoo temple was completed, Whitney was the second woman to receive her endowment (after Emma Smith). Whitney worked there daily during the winter of 1845-46 to help other members receive their endowments. In 1850, Brigham Young called her to be in charge of the women's department of the Endowment House. Whitney also served as second counselor to Eliza R. Snow in the Relief Society presidency from 1880 - 1882.
Elizabeth Whitney had the gift of tongues, sang in tongues, and used seer stones.
In the Ensign we read,
Latter-day Saints for half a century witnessed Elizabeth Ann Whitney’s acts of selfless devotion and were blessed by the spiritual gifts of healing by faith and speaking in tongues that she exercised. To all the Saints, she was revered as “Mother Whitney.” When she died in Utah in 1882, after twenty-two years of widowhood, her sister-wife Emmeline B. Wells mourned her:
“She possessed a reverential, prophetic and poetic temperament, and the spirit of the Gospel strengthened in her all these exalted attributes.”
Elizabeth Ann Smith Whitney, wife of Bishop Newel K. Whitney, received the gift of tongues
about 1837. She would often sing a song in the pure Adamic tongue. In the Kirtland Temple she
sang in tongues and it was interpreted by Parley P. Pratt. The last recorded time was in 1881 at
the home of Emmeline B. Wells.
The following extract is from [Elizabeth Ann Smith Whitney] “A Leaf from an Autobiography,”
Woman’s Exponent 7 (November 1, 1878):83.
"Great manifestations of power were witnessed in the Kirtland Temple . . . The first patriarchal
blessing meeting over which Joseph Smith, Sen., presided was one of the most striking and
noticeable features of that particular period of time. In this meeting I received the gift of singing
inspirationally, and the first Song of Zion ever given in the pure language was sung by me then,
and interpreted by Parley P. Pratt, and written down; of which I have preserved the original copy.
It describes the manner in which the ancient patriarchs blessed their families, and gives some
account of “Adam ondi Ahman.”"
"The Prophet Joseph promised me that I should never lose this gift if I would be wise in using it;
and his words have been verified."
For a Relief Society Meeting held on July 17, 1880 there is a mention of Sister Sarah Whitney,
“R[elief], S[ociety]. Reports,” Woman’s Exponent 9 (September 1, 1880):54.
“Sister Whitney then sang one of her sweet songs of Zion in the language which was spoken and
sung (the Prophet Joseph said) by our first parents in the Garden of Eden. Sister Snow explained
that Joseph Smith told Mother Whitney ‘If she would use the gift with wisdom it should remain
with her as long as she lived.’ Sister Zina then gave the interpretation. The theme of which was
rejoicing and praise to the Great Author and Giver of good.”
Elizabeth Ann Whitney died in Salt Lake City in 1882.
A Growing Gift Among the Saints
Eliza was not the only early member to have practiced this gift. In a 1977 Ensign article by Eugene England titled Young Brigham we read;
The members of the Branch in Pennsylvania were the first in the Church who received the gift of tongues.”
That speaking in tongues may have been a severe test for Brigham, who had earlier been repelled by the excesses of frontier evangelical groups carried away by their religious ecstasy. (See footnote 16.) But here the context of edifying common sense and the balance of convincing rationality apparently made such emotional experiences quite different. Brigham was not only able to accept speaking in tongues as one of the appropriate signs that follow those who believe but gradually to respond personally, and even to participate in such expressions, as his own suspicion of emotion and ecstasy was calmed...
...While with a group gathered at Heber Kimball’s house for family prayer, Brigham reports that “the Spirit came on them, and I spoke in tongues, and we thought only of the day of Pentecost.”...
...Heber C. Kimball reported Brigham’s speaking in tongues when they first met Joseph Smith in the fall of 1832 (Deseret News, 31 March 1858), and William Clayton reported his speaking and singing in tongues during his mission to England.
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| Brigham Young |
"I spoke in tongues and conversed with Elder Kimball in an unknown tongue..."
"I asked the following questions and reasoned thus, - why do the people oppose the gifts and graces of the gospel?...if a man by faith and humility before God can get a testimony of Jesus Christ, and prophesy of things to come, or be able to speak in tongues or cast our devils, I ask what harm is there in all this? Does it do any harm? No, it does not...
"...While in that stage we had a very interesting conversation with to Campbellite preachers, who attacked us on "Mormonism". They contended that that which was in part had been done away, and that which was perfect had come, and that there was now no need of tongues, interpretations, etc. Elder Woodruff replied - "You then have no need to contend. For if that which is perfect has come, you certainly should all see eye to eye, being in possession of perfect knowledge." (Sunday July 30th pg. 60)
"The members of the Branch in Pennsylvania were the first in the Church who received the gift of tongues.”... "A few weeks after my baptism, I was at brother Kimball's house one morning, and while family prayer was being offered up, brother Alpheus Gifford commenced speaking in tongues. Soon the Spirit came on me, and I spoke in tongues, and we thought only of the day of Pentacost when the apostles were clothed upon with with clothen tongues of fire...In September 1832, brother Heber C. Kimball took his horse and wagon, brother Joseph Young and myself accompanying him, and started for Kirtland to see the prophet Joseph. We visited many friends on the way, and some branches of the church. We exhorted them and prayed with them, and I spoke in tongues. Some pronounced it genuine and from the Lord, and others pronounced it of the Devil...In the evening a few of the brethren came in, and we conversed together upon the the things of the Kingdom. He (the prophet Joseph) called upon me to pray; in my prayer I spoke in tongues. As soon as we arose from our knees, the brethren flocked around him, and asked his opinion concerning the gift of tongues that was upon me. He told them it was the pure Adamic language. Some said to him they expected that he would condemn the gift brother Brigham had, but he said, 'No, it is of God, and there will come a time when brother Brigham Young will preside over this Church." (October 8th 1824 pg. 3-4)
"...after which I called upon Sister Whitney who stood up and invoking the gift of tongues, sang a beautiful song of Zion in tongues.The interpretation was given by her husband, bishop Whitney, and me, it related to our efforts to build this house to the privilege we now have for meeting in it, our departure shortly to the country of the Lamanites, their rejoicing when they hear the gospel and of the ingathering of Israel...I spoke in a foreign tongue, likewise brother Kimball." (Tuesday December 30th page 119)
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| Parley P. Pratt |
From 1833 to 1836, speaking in tongues became a church-wide phenomenon. The "language" spoken was often identified as the language of Adam. Because speaking in tongues was generally regarded as a sign of the truthfulness of the restored gospel rather than as a tool to be used in spreading the gospel in foreign lands, it generally took the form of glossolalia rather than xenoglossia. (Speaking in Tongues in the Restoration Churches - Copeland, Lee p. 20)
During a conference on 22 January 1833, Joseph Smith, Zebedee Coltrin, and William Smith spoke in tongues "after which the Lord poured out His Spirit in a miraculous manner, until all the Elders spake in tongues, and several members, both male and female, exercised the same gift" {Kirtland High CouncilMinutebook, 22-23). The conference continued late into the evening. The next day, when the conference reconvened, these gifts were again manifested. On 17 January 1836, while the First Presidency, the Twelve, the Seventy, and the [High] Councilors of Kirtland and Zion were gathered together in conference, "the gift of tongues came on us also, like the rushing of a mighty wind". Five days later the gift of tongues again came to this group "in mighty power" (Speaking in Tongues in the Restoration Churches - Copeland, Lee p. 20)
Many exercised this gift in their homes....At the dedication of the Kirtland Temple in March 1836, speaking in tongues was abundant. Joseph Smith pled in his dedicatory prayer, "Let it be fulfilled upon them, as upon those on the day of Pentecost; that the gift of tongues be poured out upon thy people, even cloven tongues as of fire, and the interpretation thereof" (D&C 109:36). "Hundreds of Elders spoke in tongues, but, many of them being young in the Church, and never having witnessed the manifestation of this gift before, some felt a little alarmed" ("Gems" 1881, 65). Joseph prayed to the Lord to withhold the Spirit and then instructed the congregation on the nature of the gift of tongues. Later, Brigham Young gave an address in tongues which David W. Patten interpreted. Patten then gave a short exhortation in tongues himself (HC 2:428). That day many others spoke in tongues and prophesied. Adults were not the only ones to speak in tongues. According to David Pettigrew, "The gift of tongues, I think, was the cause of the excitement of the opponents of the Church in Missouri. When they Copeland: Speaking in Tongues 21 heard little children speaking tongues that they did not themselves understand," the people became alarmed at the Saints' presence (Speaking in Tongues in the Restoration Churches - Copeland, Lee pg.21 )
A Gift No More?
As I continued my searching and pondering on this foreign topic of speaking in Heavenly tongues, I wanted to know why it was no longer allowed and seldom spoken of or taught about in lesson manuals?
This article written by a evangelical Protestant who works as a postdoctoral fellow at Utah State University - is a personal account into the experiences and perspective of speaking in tongues outside of the LDS church.
He says;
"Most modern Mormons understand the “gift of tongues” as the ability to quickly learn a foreign language in the Missionary Training Center. But early Latter-day Saints had a very different concept of tongues. ...the early Mormon practice of tongues was part of what originally got me investigating Mormon history. My church claimed to have restored the gift of tongues to the world in 1906 at the Azusa Street Revival. So to learn that Mormons had beaten us to the practice by more than 70 years both intrigued me and disturbed me."
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| Azusa Street Revival |
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| Joseph Smith |
Elder Pratt had visited a number of branches of the Latter-day Saints in the Western Reserve, where he found the same spiritual fanaticism among the members that Joseph Smith had encountered when he arrived in Kirtland in February. Other elders were also disheartened by what they saw. John Whitmer related, “Some would fancy to themselves that they had the sword of Laban, and would wield it as expert as a light dragoon, some would act like an Indian in the act of scalping, some would slide or scoot on the floor, with the rapidity of a serpent, which termed sailing in the boat to the Lamanites, preaching the gospel, and many other vain and foolish maneuvers, that are unmeaning and unprofitable to mention. Thus the devil blinded the eyes of some good and honest disciples.”Parley Pratt concurred that “a false and lying spirit seemed to be creeping into the Church.” (Church History In The Fulness Of Times Student Manual, (2003), 89–101)
As you can see, it is difficult for the Church to have order if everyone is speaking in tongues. Much confusion can be stirred up, and people can be led astray. For outsiders looking in, they can become repulsed by behaviors they are not accustomed to. What was meant to be spiritually edifying can quickly become chaotic. Where there is chaos, the Spirit cannot dwell.
Uncertain how to handle these spiritual phenomena, the brethren joined with the Prophet in prayer in his translating room in Kirtland. Joseph then dictated a revelation (see D&C 50). The Lord began by acknowledging that there were many “false spirits, which have gone forth in the earth, deceiving the world” (D&C 50:2–3) and that Satan was seeking to deceive the people that he might overthrow them. Therefore the Lord gave the brethren a key by which they could detect and deal with evil spirits.
The prophet Joseph later counseled,
“...the ultimate design of tongues is to speak to foreigners... You may speak in tongues for your own comfort, but I lay this down for a rule, that if anything is taught by the gift of tongues, it is not to be received for doctrine.”
This early experience in the Church wasn't the first time church members have been rebuked for misusing this gift. Let's examine the first recorded experience in the New Testament when Christians of the early Church first spoke in tongues.
After the Savior's Resurrection, on the day of Pentecost (when the Jews celebrate the Feast of the Harvest), the twelve apostles met together to add a new apostle to replace Judas. And while they were meeting, a sound from heaven, like a rushing mighty wind, suddenly filled the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, in other languages.
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| Day of Pentecost, by Sidney King |
Living in Jerusalem at that time were men from many lands and many nations who spoke different languages. Yet when the apostles spoke to them, through the power of the Holy Ghost, everyone who heard was able to understand. It was such a sight to behold that people accused the apostles of being drunk. Peter responded in Acts 2:15-22
"For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;"
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:"
"And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:"
Those who listened were amazed, and so powerful was the Spirit among all the people that their hearts were touched and they cried out to the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Peter answered and said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, for the promise is to you and to your children.”
Then those who gladly received Peter’s word were baptized, and that same day about three thousand souls were added to the Church.
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| Paul to the Corinthians |
There was a multitude of issues, for example, gross division among the Christians with envying and strife. Paul bluntly refers to the Corinthians as carnal babes in Christ still only capable of being fed on milk and not solid food. They had become fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers and extortioners; there were many heresies among them; they were attending church intoxicated; there were abuses of the Lord’s Supper; they were ignorant of natural and spiritual gifts; and love and charity was apparently lacking among them.
Things in the Church were being done in confusion and a disorderly manner especially in regards to the gift of tongues. Paul explained that if someone unlearned came into the Church and heard one person speaking his language or someone interpreting that it would be a sign to that unbeliever, but when many people are speaking different foreign languages at the same time and with no interpreter that they would think they are mad.
Imagine the chaos within the Corinthian church. One group speaking different foreign languages, others trying to propagate a new doctrine, others claiming to have a revelation or to interpret tongues while perhaps a few true Christians prayed in quiet meditation. Spiritual chaos like this can never be edifying and his rebuke, “let all things be done unto edifying” was very necessary. The situation confronting Paul unquestionably turned unbelievers away from the church thinking they were mad and this was to be avoided at all cost. He counseled, "Let all things be done decently and in order”.
I remembered an experience I had read about in my own family history of an ancestor who had received this gift in the Manti temple. It was so long ago that I had read this I couldn't remember who it was, however upon writing this article the Spirit told me the name of the ancestor and where I could find the story. It was my great, great, great Grandmother Anna Regina Keller. Here is the excerpt from her own family history about the following account;
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| Anna R. Keller |
In the hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" we sing,
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
The new century brought a change in the acceptability of speaking in tongues. Before 1900, both glossolalia and xenoglossia were common, but these extremely personal experiences did not fit into an evolving church which emphasized order, authority, permission, and control. Speaking in tongues could be done by anyone, at any time, privately or publicly, without the approval of priesthood authority (Speaking in Tongues in the Restoration Churches - Copeland, Lee pg. 23-24)
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| Joseph F. Smith |
it by the inspiration of the devil. So far as I am concerned, if the Lord will give me the ability to teach the people in my native tongue, or in their own language to the understanding of those who hear me, that will be sufficient gift of tongues to me. (CR April 1900, 41)
In this address, Smith began the process of redefining speaking in tongues. No longer were tongues an acceptable "sign of the believer" or "sign to the unbeliever"; now speaking in tongues was legitimate only for missionary work (Speaking in Tongues in the Restoration Churches - Copeland, Lee pg. 24).
Curiously, in the same conference in which Joseph F. Smith first redefined the role of tongues, Anthon H. Lund voiced his concern about losing the gifts of the Spirit: "If there ever came a time when
these gifts were not in the Church it would be on account of unbelief. . . The Church whenever it is upon the earth must have the Holy Spirit within it; the members of the Church must have this Spirit, and the spiritual gifts must be manifested; otherwise it would be a dead church (CR April 1900, 32). Orson Pratt also believed that if the Latter-day Saints were not in possession of the gifts of the Spirit, they were not in possession of the gospel and were "no better off then the Baptists, Methodists or Presbyterians" (Speaking in Tongues in the Restoration Churches - Copeland, Lee p. )
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| David O. McKay |
To minimize glossolalia, Church leaders redefined speaking in tongues to mean the ability to quickly learn a foreign language. In this way, speaking in tongues could again be made legitimate, but only under this new definition (Speaking in Tongues in the Restoration Churches - Copeland, Lee pg. 26).
Blessings of Speaking in Heavenly Tongues
My favorite account of speaking in tongues can be found in 3 Nephi 17:15-17 when the Savior Himself prays in a language that cannot be written. I believe He was speaking the pure Adamic language.
15 And when he had said these words, he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him.
16 And after this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father;17 And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.
Joy is a blessing that accompanies the true Gift of tongues. We learn just how full the joy of the Nephites and the Savior was in that moment. Their hearts did not understand but their Spirits did. As truth was testified, their Spirits were fed.
18 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome.
So, in what ways does the gift of tongues bless those who practice or receive it?
Among Pentecostal and charismatic beliefs it is generally agreed that speaking in tongues is a spiritual gift that can be manifested as either a human language or a heavenly supernatural language in three ways:
1) The "sign of tongues" refers to xenoglossia, wherein one speaks an actual language he has never learnt.
2) The "gift of tongues" refers to a glossolalic utterance spoken by an individual and addressed to a congregation of, typically, other believers.
3) Lastly, "praying in the spirit" is typically used to refer to glossolalia as part of personal prayer.
In Corinthians 14:14 Paul says,
“For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.”
From Paul's counsel we learn that when we pray in an unknown tongue it is our spirit praying. Prayers of the Spirit are prayers that the flesh does not know how to utter. It is our spirit pleading to God the things that we may not be unaware of, or ignorant to ask for. Our spirit knows all truth, and can assist in pleading to the Father on our behalf.
Many who have prayed in the Spirit have reported miracles happening within minutes to hours after the prayer. They also report feeling immersed in head to toe of the love of God.
We learn from Paul that the gift of unknown tongues benefits most the gathered believers. It is not for unbelievers to behold. It can be used as a sign for a non-believer if it's spoken in a language they understand or there is someone there to interpret.
The gift of tongues has been used many times in Church history as a tool for prophesying. As told in the Millennial Star (pg. 65), the tragedy at Hans Mill was prophesied in a meeting of Saints through the gift of tongues and interpretation while it was happening.
In addition to prophesying, the gift of tongues in Heavenly language often accompanies healing and personal revelation.
An additional aspect to the gift of tongues is the phenomenon of singing in tongues which became quite common in England and the United States. Louisa Barnes Pratt recalled: "One afternoon I attended a prayer meeting. The sisters laid their hands upon my head and blessed me in a strange language. It was a prophetic song. Mrs. E. B. Whitney was interpreter. She said that I should have health, and go to the valleys of the mountains, and there meet my companion and be joyful" (in Carter 1947, 243).
According to Research
In 2007, ABC News did a special Nightline feature on the practice of speaking in tongues. Researchers studied what happens in the brain during the deepest moments of faith and it's discovered that what's happening neurologically looks a lot like what they say is happening to them spiritually. A pastor participant is told to first pray in English, then to speak in tongues. The pastor's frontal lobe scan showed that it was active when he was praying in English, however there was little activity on the scan when he prayed in tongues.
The following video expands further detail on this study.
Conclusion
According to Peter, we have reason to believe that this "lost gift" that was practiced in the early years of our church will again be brought back in the coming years.
"And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:"
I truly believe there are Latter-day Saints alive today who pray in the Spirit, privately in the solace of their own secret places with the Lord - and that the day may soon be at hand when the gift of speaking in Heavenly tongues is again acceptable and encouraged (as all things from the beginning will be fully restored) among the body of the Church.
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