The Gift of the Holy Ghost

Acts chapter 2 gives an account of the day of the Pentacost. It was on this day that the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the faithful disciples of Christ and they were able to do marvelous things. One of those things was to speak with the gift and power of God. Verse 2 begins, "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all 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 filled with the Holy Ghost..." It continues to say that they spake in tongues. I've always been a little curious by this phrase. 2 Nephi 32:3 says, "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ..." In the previous verse it talks about how those who received the Holy Ghost could speak in the tongue of angels. I think that this speaking in tongues, generally means that the nature of the matter of which the person is speaking is so sacred that only those who have been blessed by the same spirit will understand. The Lord has shown a pattern throughout the scriptures of keeping things sacred and not revealing them to people unless that person was completely ready to receive it. In 2 Nephi 33:1-2, Nephi says, "for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of he Holy Ghost carrieth it into the hearts of the children of men. But behold, there are many that harden their hearts against the Holy Spirit, that it hath no place in them; wherefore, they cast many things away which are written and esteem them as things of naught." When we are receptive and have been blessed with the Gift of the Holy Ghost, the Lord can and does bless us to comprehend truths that would otherwise go unnoticed. Such was the case here on the day of the Pentacost. Many of the saints were open and receptive, but there were also many bystanders who did not believe. They cast away their opportunity to gain a testimony, and resorted to mockery and scorn. Peter, full of the spirit, and having recently repented from his denial of the Savior boldly testified to the scorners. He was a witness and his voice was heard, and it was carried into the hearts of some of those present. He was able to testify of the Atonement, not only because he was present for many of the events surrounding the act, but because he now had an abiding testimony of its power to redeem the soul. Like Peter, I have felt the power of the Atonement. Although I wasn't present to witness the events surrounding the Atonement, I can make my voice heard in testifying of the power of the Savior's supreme act of love.