The Tongue of Angels

This is one of those talks that is just so poignant and good! I remember this talk really touching me when it was given in conference. I had been graduated from high school for a year when it was given, and it was just what I needed to hear at the time. I had recently moved home after having been on campus in an apartment with girls who very rarely had anything kind or virtuous to say. It was a hard semester for me. I tried to set a good example, and my roommates knew that when they were talking to me, I did not want to hear any judgmental or cruel comments from them. But, even that did not prevent me from feeling like I was being drug down by their negative attitudes and comments, and especially by the negative spirit that was almost always present in our apartment. The only place where the spirit was peaceful and present was in my room with my wonderful room roommate who was always careful not to be negative or crass. I remember when the semester was over and I had moved home I felt so confused; suddenly I was not surrounded by this constant negativism that I had been surrounded by previously. As a sort of defense, I had allowed myself to become numb, in a way, to the way my roommates had been talking all semester. But, while allowing myself to become numb, I also closed myself off to protect myself. Moving home where the environment was kind and positive and where there were more loving things said than negative, was like allowing my spirit to take a deep breath of fresh air, and I loved it. So, when this talk was given during that conference, it was the perfect time for me to hear it. It truly helped strengthen my testimony of the power of what we say.
The power that language has on relationships is huge. If the language that had been used in my previous apartment had been better, there would have been a drastically different outcome in the way that I viewed my roommates and how I viewed that semester. The way that we talk to each other determines what kind of relationships we will have. Even the way we talk in work environments determines the kind of relationships we will have in that environment. People who know that they need their job, and would like to keep their job, are usually aware that if they do not watch what they say in the presence of their boss or some coworkers, they may not have a job for long. Those who speak respectfully to their boss and communicate positively with those they work with will find it easier to develop good work relationships.
When I hear people who are constantly negative it makes me cringe. I loved Elder Holland’s “maxim” for living that “no misfortune is so bad that whining about it won’t make it worse.” What a great opinion! I am going to hang that saying up where I can see it every day! And, it’s not just a good opinion, it’s true! I have yet to meet anyone who loves being around negative people who whine about everything. There might be those who are negative and who use un-praiseworthy language who are drawn to others like themselves, but they are not happy. They just feed off of each others negativism and continue in a downward spiral of bitterness, and sadness.
This topic of speaking with the tongue of angels is something that I am going to make a conscious effort to pay attention to for myself. There is always room for improvement! Something that I think that I need to improve on is sharing my testimony with those around me more. And, I think that sharing testimony can be done in many ways. I can simply express my gratitude for and love of The Gospel of Jesus Christ, more frequently. I can make a conscious effort to only speak well of others, no matter the situation. By doing that I can show that I know who I am, and that I know who those around me are, we are all children of God. I know that those times when I have let my tongue go, and I have allowed myself to say things that I should not be saying, are times that I have regretted. I never come away from something like that feeling like I am a better person, or that I have control over myself. But, when I control my words, while I may not feel those things instantly, I do eventually feel them. What a wonderful talk! I am going to work harder to make my language closer to “the tongue of angels!”