The Tongue of Angels

After reading Elder Holland’s conference talk on the tongue of angels, I gained a new perspective on our everyday language.
Our tongue is a very powerful tool that can be used for good and evil and it’s a matter of agency of how we decide to use it. I like what Jesus said in Matt. 15:11, “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” We can either make some person’s day by saying something good to them or we can offend them and make them have a dab day by saying horrible words. This also can tie back into the Buckets and Dippers. If we say something positive and uplifting to that person then we’ll add water to their buckets or if we say something negative and offensive then we lessen the water in their buckets. We always need to be careful in what we say and do all we can to bring others up and not down.
I think what we say on a daily basis is important because we could say a small simple thing that could offend someone and send a dagger to their heart. One saying comes to mind, which says, “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say it at all.” We all have those times where we all get offended or we get angry at something but we seriously need to think about what we’re going to say before we do it because it could come back to bite us in the butt later. I believe our language is one of the most important things we have in our lives and if we don’t say things we should then we’ll get into a lot of trouble with friends and other people and it won’t be good. We need to say more good things than bad things.
In James 3:2-10 he says, “The tongue is [also] a little member. … [But] behold, how great a [forest (Greek)] a little fire [can burn]. “… So is the tongue [a fire] among our members, … it defileth the whole body, … it is set on fire of hell. “For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, … hath been tamed of mankind: “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” I firmly believe that we can make a difference in world by what we say and we need to always be worthy to have the presence of the Holy Ghost so they we may be able to listen to him and speak as angels speak. Let us oft speak kind words to each other at home or where’er we may be; …Oh, the kind words we give shall in memory live and sunshine forever impart. Let us oft speak kind words to each other; Kind words are sweet tones of the heart. (Hymn 232). I hope we can apply these things to our lives.