I took the advice of Robert Smith from Upwardthought.blogspot.com and purchased the book The Words of Joseph Smith. This book includes 173 talks that Joseph gave during the last 5 years of his life in Nauvoo. I knew of the book but it is semi-rare and usually costs over 100 dollars even in used condition. I got it for less than that, and It only took two pages to learn something new.
On page 4 (which is the second page of actual text of Joseph's talks) from a sermon given in 1839 Joseph says the following about the Holy Ghost:
"...Any many that has the Holy Ghost can speak of the things of God in his own tongue,
as well as to speak in another..."
I take these to men that if a person does not have the gift of the Holy Spirit, then you can tell because they will not have the gift of tongues.
Mormons do not just magically get the Holy Ghost during their confirmations, because I have yet to meet an LDS person who can speak in tongues. I was a member for almost 50 years.
This includes me. Someday if I am truly worthy of this critical gift, it will come.
When an LDS general authority speaks in tongues during general conference and there is no need for a translator for the non-English speakers I will delete this blog.
