The impression I get is that most Mormons think these things are for somebody else to experience–general authorities, perhaps. We feel it would be beneath their dignity to have the gift of tongues. We think it would subvert Church order for someone with the gift of healing actually to use it, ’cause we all know that healings are supposed to be done only by priesthood holders and only by means of a particular ceremony. We think there is no need for gifts of the Spirit, because those gifts were given to church members in Joseph Smith’s time to help the church get started and aren’t needed now.

We also seem to think that we are given the Holy Ghost after our baptism, when at best we are told to make ourselves ready for it. Notice that the JS History passage quoted above referred to JS’s and OC’s experiences after they were baptised, not after they had someone lay hands on their heads and tell them to “Receive the Holy Ghost.” The formal ceremony seems to have a very unclear part in experiencing the gifts of the spirit.

My own investigations seem to indicate that the gifts are rare, but haven’t gone away entirely. What still exists has gone underground. Folks don’t talk about them in the open, including church meetings. When asked about this, they say they don’t want to cast their pearls before swine. I agree with them in this. But when did the LDS become spiritual swine?

Over the years this habit of ‘checking in with the spirit’ has evolved into being able to use the Holy Ghost in “offensive” and “defensive” ways. The Holy Ghost is “defensive” because He will warn me of danger or how to protect myself from sin. The Holy Ghost is “offensive” when He gives me promptings as to who needs help and how to help them.