Can Deaf People Receive the Holy Ghost?
The answer is YES! Do they receive it the same way as hearing people? YES! Just because they cannot hear doesn’t always mean they cannot speak. The vocal chords are not in anyway linked to the ears. If a person is a deaf AND mute this could be a different story, but deaf people, who are deaf from an early age, learn not to use their voices around “hearing people.” They are intimidated because they cannot regulate the sound or tone of their voice. They will make sounds that may be strange to a hearing person. This could make the deaf feel that “hearing people” would make fun of them because of the sounds. So, more often than not, a deaf person will not use their God-given voice in fear of ridicule, but that means they CAN’T use it, it means they WON’T use it because they haven’t been properly trained to use it. And, “hearing people” haven’t always been taught how to properly respond to deaf people when they do try to speak.
When it comes time to receive the Holy Ghost, the deaf need to be encouraged to use their God-given voice when they worship God. When they fully surrender to God, and God knows when that is, He fills them with the Holy Ghost and they speak in a Heavenly language, that God chooses. When the deaf reach that point of speaking in tongues, some are known to stop when they begin to speak because they are afraid since they are not used to their tongues moving that way.
Deaf people need to be encouraged to worship God anyway they can, as they yield to God. God will indeed to speak though them just as He will through the hearing. They don’t have to speak a great deal, but as they worship God, and learn how to yield to His Will, they will likely become more relaxed and not feel as afraid or intimidated.
As written by Bro. Bob Kingsely who has had a burden for the deaf and worked countless hours winning them to the Lord. Sis. Judith Kingsley, Bro. Bob’s wife, is deaf and is extremely vocal not only when she worships, but has developed her speaking skills, and uses them frequently to communicate with the “hearing.”
