Gifts from God

“We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.” (7th Article of Faith)

Those called to serve missions experience the gift of tongues as well as the interpretation of tongues. Missionaries spend only a few months in the MTC learning a foreign language before they are sent out to use their newly learned skills. Generally, language study takes years and yet, these missionaries learn languages in a relatively short time and are communicating in a foreign country. The Lord blesses those who seek to obtain the gift and interpretation of tongues and helps them to teach the gospel in an unfamiliar language.

Prophecy and revelation are closely connected. We believe that we have a living prophet who receives revelation and then prophesies to the world the will of the Lord. The Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, also serves as the President of The LDS Church and can receive revelation for the world. A Stake President is entitled to receive revelation and prophesy for those who live within the stake boundaries. A Bishop can receive revelation for those living in the ward boundaries. Husbands and fathers receive revelation for their families. We are all entitled to receive revelation for ourselves.

My son, who recently returned from his mission to Rome, Italy, said that one of the things he learned on his mission was how important it is for each one of us to receive personal revelation through the power of the Holy Ghost. He related experiences when he received his own witness, or revelation, that an aspect of the gospel was true. His testimony is not dependent on mine or on his father’s. He owns it. It’s his because he’s prayed, asked for a witness, and received it. He relied on personal revelation throughout his mission to know how and what to teach. We each need to communicate with God and receive our own revelations in our lives. We believe that God is our Heavenly Father. He is the father of our spirits. He loves each one of us and wants us to make the right choices. He wants us to communicate with him through prayer so that He can reveal His will to us.

The scriptures record many instances of visions. In the Book of Mormon, Lehi sees in vision the destruction of Jerusalem. It is only because he acts on his vision and takes his family into the wilderness that they are protected from the destruction. We believe that men still see visions today.

We also believe in healing. When my youngest son was first born, he failed his hearing test. We were advised to give him a more in-depth hearing test. The audiologist was sure that my son would never hear consonants and was basically deaf.
My husband gave him a blessing and blessed him that he would hear. I can say without hesitation that my son hears and that he hears consonants because he says words with consonants. Heavenly Father blessed my son and healed him. If it is Heavenly Father’s will, people can be healed from any malady.

Heavenly Father has blessed us with so many gifts, these are but a few of them.

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