The gift of differences of administrations may apply to the gift of tongues in its manifestation as a “gift of foreign language communication.” Moroni says that “there are different ways that these gifts are administered” (Moro. 10: 8), and the Lord himself in D&C 42: 15 says that “to some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences of administration, as it will be pleasing unto the same Lord, according as the Lord will, suiting his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men.” The conditions among the LDS children of men are such that they ask for the gift of foreign language communication in order to preach the gospel to non-members, but do not ask for the gift of tongues, nor cloven tongues of fire, to praise God in the tongue of angels. Therefore, according to the current condition in the church, it could very well be that the Lord, in His mercy, is allowing some measure of the gift of tongues to be manifest in the church, according to the faith of the living members.
Assuming the above to be true, it is entirely correct to say that the gift of tongues is present with the church, although it is being administered differently than how it was administered in previous dispensations and also in the early church history of this dispensation. The difference in administration we see displayed today, then, is because of the current condition among the LDS children of men.
Again following this line of logic, the “gift of foreign language communication,” a different administration of the gift of tongues, would do away with the gift of interpretation of tongues, since the hearer would understand the speaker. If this “gift of foreign language communication” is made manifest so that the preacher cannot understand the language he or she is preaching in, then the gift of interpretation of tongues would be necessary to have both preacher and hearer understanding each other. There could be many variations of this gift (and the gift of interpretation of tongues) in this manner, when it is administered so that the gospel can be preached in a foreign tongue by the missionaries. It may be manifest miraculously all at once, remain with the individual or depart once the preaching has been done, or the missionary may gain the ability to learn a language easily, or quicker, etc.
When administering the gift of tongues (and the gift of interpretation of tongues) in any of these lesser ways, speaking in the tongue of men is the norm, not the tongue of angels, for speaking in the tongue of angels is the scriptural administration of the mighty gift of tongues, and that type of administration requires that someone interpret what is said.
The Tongues of Men
Paul said, “THOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” (1 Cor. 13: 1)
Paul mentioned speaking with the tongues of men. This may have a couple of meanings. It could mean that a person who is manifesting the higher gift of tongues may both speak with the tongue of angels as well as an unknown tongue of men, both of which circumstances require that someone interpret, or he may have simply been saying that even though we can speak in known tongues (the tongues of men) as well as in unknown tongues (the tongue of angels) we still require charity. In other words, having the gift of tongues and being able to speak all languages is not good enough. So the scripture is open for interpretation.
However, early church history records that often when people manifested the gift of tongues, they didn’t just speak in the tongue of angels, but spoke in dead tongues or foreign tongues, tongues which those present did not know, and which required an interpreter to explain the meaning of the pronouncement.
Ultimately, there is one sure way to learn all of the ways that the gift of tongues is administered and manifested, and that is by seeking it in prayer, obtaining it, and using it. As with all gifts, experience is the best teacher.
Previous Gift of Tongues article: The gift of tongues (part two): a Book of Mormon account
Complete List of Articles authored by LDS Anarchist
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LDS Anarchy 
1. The whore of the earth, hidden behind the great name
Will be bundled with its ties that will bring sorrow and shame
The original law in section 42 before salty precepts of men
Will shine once again from the seers of the Native Americans
They’ll wine and they’ll cry and they’ll put up a fight
But business is business and the tares are quite ripe
2. The greatest and scariest conquesting nation
Will be brought to its knees using the original constitution
The freedom crippling laws and dirty legislation
Will no longer be needed in the unfolding equation
All of those jailed, just for their beliefs
That God gave them medicine via plants and leaves
Will all be pardoned, paid severance, and released
A big party will be thrown marking the beginning of world peace
As weapons of truth, love, and light break the back of the beast
3. There’ll be an outbreak!, locked up like a vault
The secret combinations will vex all left in the valley of the salt
The disease will be man made but its origins hard to trace
A combination of water, air and food in which ingredients are placed
Filled with poisons, toxins, drugs and nuclear waste
Planes will crop dust you in the name of global dimming
And your wise men will tell you all’s well as their grinning
4. The lies that were spread by the trusted and wise
Will all be known as secret society unveils before your eyes?
Some of the tribes you’ve been told God has hid from your view
Will be seen tomorrow night on the 10’oclock news
Dodging bullets and war-fare funded by you
Your dollar killing women and children over land and religious clues
The same illuminati tactics used by Hitler #1 on the Jews
Will be publicly aimed at Islam and secretly towards you
Prediction…You’ll awaken much easier when you stop hitting the snooze
Or quit blinding yourself with pride, Prozac or booze
5. Children will know more than rulers and wise men
It will be found in Moroni 8 that baptizing them is a sin
As they shake off the veil of the first resurrection
The trusted old uncle with his laws, foresight and thugs
Will test your children without you knowing, and then prescribe them with drugs
They’ll tell you it’s mandatory, and if you don’t comply
They’ll tear your child from your bosom, in the blink of an eye
Your child’s awakening insight and knowledge confused with ADD and lies
That there is only one person fit to receive messages from up on high
A feeble attempt to keep the truth of upcoming changes from your eyes
6. The electricity and drugs and fuels that we needed
Will soon be replaced with solutions that are seeded
Regardless of any of the false information you’ve been told
The tree of life will be in strange places like pockets and plates made of gold
The full legalization of all the God given herbs under the sun
Will be accomplished using D&C 59:17-21
Or Genesis, any version of the horribly transfigured Bible
Will give you free choice of a healthier, chemical/drug free lifestyle
7. After all the horrible things men did for greed and controls sake
After millions were tortured, burned, slapped or raped
After millions were held back, called evil, unworthy and disgraced
Millions of women will step to the helm as Mary Magdalene shows her face
And women will hold the priesthood and prophecy in her wake
Women and men will stand together and peacefully run the place
As soon as they kiss and make up, then move to the next space
8. The droughts, floods and disasters that have been coming straight at us
Were just warm-ups and warnings…elemental practice
All the crap that you’ve put in the water, ground and air
Has your forgotten mother earth in tremendous despair
The unbelievable amount of man-made disease and pollution
Has his arm bared with Floods, quakes, and fires for a solution
You’ll know that he’s back and always does as he says
When the sun hides its light for the space of three days
Shortly after coastlines are covered in great waves
The Mayan Calendar show this pattern every other tier
November 19th is the date that will flood the world with tears
9. The tribes will come forward, and put the old gowns back on
South of the city soon to be nicknamed, the great Babylon
The Elders of Zion will gather their tribes and take quest
Safe traveling, from the north, south, east and the west
To stand on top of the mountain, by Gods side they will walk
The temple corridors carved through the generations of rock
10. All the prophets of old and true believers of Christ
Will awaken, remember, and seek out the light
The great battle, the one started in a place sometimes called heaven
Will be back in full swing, before times up in 2007
Prophecies provided by The Ministry of Alchemy in the year known as 7/7/7
LDS Anarchist, the “unknown tongues” of which Paul speaks of ARE the tongue of angels.
Joseph Smith described it as The Language of Adam. Look it up, you’ll see that Joseph Smith said it himself.
The Language of Adam.
Unknown Tongues.
Tongue of Angels.
Glossolalia.
It’s all describing the exact same thing.
I know.
I’ve got it.
I find it very difficult to teach my parents and my elder`s quorum about the real gift of tongues (the one described in these posts); they accept no other than the foreign language communiaction; I studied about it and found that maybe its first mention came from Joseph Smith himself; here’s the quote:
I read the 13th chapter of First Corinthians [at a meeting held on December 26, 1841], also a part of the 14th chapter, and remarked that the gift of tongues was necessary in the Church; … the gift of tongues by the power of the Holy Ghost in the Church, is for the benefit of the servants of God to preach to unbelievers, as on the day of Pentecost.”8
“Tongues were given for the purpose of preaching among those whose language is not understood; as on the day of Pentecost, etc
I’d like to know how these commentaries from the prophet fit in the real gift of tounges. Thanks.
The “real” gift of tongues includes foreign language communication but also includes communication in languages UNKNOWN to men (tongues of angels, aka “glossolalia, what Joseph Smith referred to as the “language of Adam”).
Even if Joseph Smith is not enough of an authority for you, the unknown language nature of some tongues is quite clear from the Apostle Paul’s dissertation in 1st Corinthians 14. There he clearly identifies part of the gift of tongues as involving unknown languages, which is why he says that prophecy is the greater gift, seeing that prophecy involves unknown tongues.
Why this is such a source of such controversy is a shame seeing that the Scriptures and the Prophets are so simply clear on the matter.
Hmm, where is the edit function? above, “seeing that prophecy involves unknown tongues” should have been “seeing that prophecy involves KNOWN tongues.”
John:
I appreciate your answer, but I still find it a conflict between Joseph Smith’s words and Paul’s, since the last one taught that the gift of tongues was to talk to God and not to man; with the foreign language communication people talk to men indeed; also Paul said that those who use this gift edify themselves alone, but the foreign language communication edifies other people. I hope I’m not being anoying, just want to know better.