Doctrine & Covenants Lesson #15
“Seek Ye
Earnestly the Best Gifts”
Introduction
Having just come home from Church and a revelatory
Teachers’ Council—revelatory and at the same time disturbing, since we focused
on what we as teachers can do to ensure the Spirit is able to communicate with
each of you—it is with a certain amount of trepidation that I delve into the
topic of this lesson which has a lot to do with the Spirit and the gifts of the
spirit which, of course, come from our Heavenly Father. Before I start, though,
I was struck by how clear an explanation of the Godhead came from Elder Oaks at
Conference a few weeks ago. Here is what he said about the Spirit
The third member of the Godhead is the
Holy Ghost, also referred to as the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Lord, and
the Comforter. He is the member of the Godhead who is the agent of personal
revelation. As a personage of spirit (see D&C
130:22), He can dwell in us and perform the essential role of communicator
between the Father and the Son and the children of God on earth. Many
scriptures teach that His mission is to testify of the Father and the Son (see John 15:26;
3 Nephi
28:11; D&C
42:17). The Savior promised that the Comforter will teach us all things,
bring all things to our remembrance, and guide us into all truth (see John 14:26;
16:13).
Thus, the Holy Ghost helps us discern between truth and falsehood, guides us in
our major decisions, and helps us through the challenges of mortality. He is
also the means by which we are sanctified, that is, cleansed and purified from
sin (see 2 Nephi
31:17; 3 Nephi
27:20; Moroni
6:4).[1]
Last week Sara led a discussion about how we can
recognize our gifts and talents and use them in the form of consecration. This
week, I hope we can explore what gifts we have received and see how to develop
and magnify them.
1. All faithful members of the Church can receive gifts
of the Spirit.
So there’s the good news! D&C 46:7 says
But ye are commanded in all things to
ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you
even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly
before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer
and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of
devils, or the commandments of men; for some are of men, and others of devils.
So the first thing we should be doing is asking the Lord
for the Spirit to testify to us what we should do. Right? The next two verses
tell us
Wherefore, beware lest ye are
deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts,
always remembering for what they are given;
For verily I say unto you, they are
given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and
him that seeketh so to do; that all may be benefited that seek or that ask of
me, that ask and not for a sign that they may consume it upon their lusts.
The lesson manual lists those gifts for us
- a. D&C 46:13. (Knowledge “given by the Holy Ghost …
that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.”)
- b. D&C 46:14. (Belief in others’ testimonies of the
Savior.)
- c. D&C 46:15. (Knowledge of “the differences of
administration.”) Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve
said that this gift is “used in administering and regulating the church” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith
[1985], 278).
- d. D&C 46:16. (Discernment “to know the diversities
of operations, whether they be of God.” This gift helps us discern whether
a teaching or influence comes from God or from some other source.)
- e. D&C 46:17–18. (Wisdom and knowledge.)
- f. D&C 46:19. (Faith to be healed.)
- g. D&C 46:20. (Faith to heal.)
- h. D&C 46:21. (The working of miracles.)
- i. D&C 46:22. (Prophecy.)
- j. D&C 46:23. (Discerning of spirits.)
- k. D&C 46:24. (Speaking in tongues.)
- l. D&C 46:25. (Interpretation of tongues.)
(see also 1 Corinthians 12:4–12; 1 Corinthians 13:1–13; and Moroni 10:8–18.)
I remember first listening to Truman Madsen’s audio
lectures on Joseph Smith. In one of those lectures he testified that Joseph
Smith had all of these gifts! With those gifts comes the responsibility for how
we use them, and keep them. You notice that first is the knowledge, through the
Holy Ghost, that Jesus is the Christ. Here’s what Elder Bednar said about that:
A testimony is what we know to be true
in our minds and in our hearts by the witness of the Holy Ghost (see D&C
8:2). As we profess truth rather than admonish, exhort, or simply share
interesting experiences, we invite the Holy Ghost to confirm the verity of our
words. The power of pure testimony (see Alma 4:19)
does not come from sophisticated language or effective presentation; rather, it
is the result of revelation conveyed by the third member of the Godhead, even
the Holy Ghost. Feeling the power, the edification, and the constancy of testimony
from a spouse, a parent, or a child is a rich blessing. Such testimony
fortifies faith and provides direction. Such testimony generates light in a
world that grows increasingly dark. Such testimony is the source of an eternal
perspective and of enduring peace.[2]
2. God gives gifts of the Spirit for the benefit of His
children.
Have a look at the list, and, somewhat like we did in
class last Sunday, ponder how they could be used to bless those around us. Would
you feel like praying for a specific gift that you do not now have, when you
can think of a way you could use it, perhaps for a specific person? Looking at
the list in Moroni 10:8–18, it is interesting how, in verse 20, he ties them
into faith, hope, and charity. Perhaps, then, if we have faith that the Lord does
make these gifts available to all members of the Church who are willing to
receive them, we can hope to develop them in order to practice charity, the
pure love of Christ by using them to benefit His children. Remember when Joseph
went for the plates, he was told that he “must have no other object in view in
getting the plates but to glorify God, and must not be influenced by any other
motive than that of building his kingdom; otherwise I could not get them” (JS—H
1:46). That being said, D&C 46:9 tells us that “all will benefitted,”
ourselves included, if our motives are pure.
Elder Holland, commenting on that verse said:
Boy, aren’t we all thankful
for that added provision “and … seeketh so to do”! That has been a lifesaver
because sometimes that is all we can offer! We take some solace in the fact
that if God were to reward only the perfectly faithful, He wouldn’t have much
of a distribution list. Please remember tomorrow, and all the days after that,
that the Lord blesses those who want to improve, who accept
the need for commandments and try to keep them, who cherish
Christlike virtues and strive to the best of their ability to
acquire them. If you stumble in that pursuit, so does everyone; the Savior is
there to help you keep going. If you fall, summon His strength. Call out like
Alma, “O Jesus, … have mercy on me.” He will help you get back up. He will help
you repent, repair, fix whatever you have to fix, and keep going. Soon enough
you will have the success you seek.[3]
3. We should seek and cultivate gifts of the Spirit.
How do we do that?
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that
many gifts of the Spirit, such as wisdom or the gift to heal, are not evident
until they are needed. He said that “it would require time and circumstances to
call these gifts into operation” (Teachings
of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 246).
D&C 46, as we study it further, can help us
understand what gifts of the spirit we should be seeking for and cultivating in
our lives. They are far-reaching and can enhance our abilities to teach, to
learn, to testify, to serve, to heal and be healed, to do things beyond our
natural abilities. To be there and ready when called upon to go outside our
comfort zone to strengthen, comfort, and bless.
Additional resources for this lesson
- “Religious
Enthusiasm among Early Ohio Converts”: This article gives context for
the revelation contained in Doctrine and Covenants 46.
- “A
Love for Words: The Legacy of Mabel Jones Gabbott”: This article
shares the story of Mabel Jones Gabbott, who developed a gift for
spiritual expression and blessed the Saints with her poems, songs, and
hymns.
- “Suddenly
the Thought Came to Me”: This article describes how the prophetic
dream of a young girl in northern Italy led to some of the first
conversions there.
- Daughters
in My Kingdom, chapter 8: This chapter includes a section
that discusses spiritual gifts.
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