Some Gifts Found/Listed In The Scriptures

Hi!

I was reading today in Moroni (I just flipped through my scriptures, stopping at some marked spots) and opened to chapter 10.   I read a bit and noticed that for about 1/3 (one third) of the chapter, the VERY LAST CHAPTER IN THE BOOK OF MORMON, Moroni decides to talk about gifts.  Hmmmm....

So, why did he think that that was important enough to put as basically his VERY LAST words to us?

 In case you can't read the little words it says: "There is a light in each of us. Share it. D&C 115:5")

The third to last verse, is the Youth Theme for this year: "Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness;" That is all that we mostly hear and say and talk about.  But I love the whole verse, let alone the whole chapter. You should go and read it. Follow the link in this paragraph. :-)

So, in developing our gifts and talents and using them for good, we draw closer to Christ and bring others closer to him.  "Come unto Christ" is our invitation. Gifts are like...the fuel to get us there.

In Moroni 10, there is a list of some gifts "of the Spirit" that we are given:

"And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them."

• Teach the word of wisdom
• Teach the word of knowledge
• Exceedingly great faith
• Healing
• Work mighty miracles
• Prophesy concerning all things 
• Beholding of angels and ministering spirits
• All kinds of tongues

 "And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ."

In Doctrine and Covenants 46 it says:

• Know Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world
• Believe on their (above) words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.
• Know the differences of administration, as it will be pleasing unto the same Lord, according to the Lord's will
• Know the diversities of operations, whether they be of God, that the manifestations of the Spirit may be given to every man to profit withal
• The word of wisdom
• The word of knowledge, that all may be taught to be wise and to have knowledge
• Faith to  be healed
• Faith to heal
• Working of miracles
• To prophesy
• The discerning of spirits
• To speak with tongues
• The interpretation of tongues

"And all these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God....And ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing you are blessed with. and ye must practise virtue and holiness before me continually."

I found this video today that I thought was kind of neat.  And the man has such talent!

"Sculpting the prophet"

“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” (D&C 46:8–9; see also verse 26).

This is also an amazing story....

And this one...

These inspire me!

Now, just because I have listed some gifts and just because these videos are more on an "artistic" level, doesn't mean that those are all the gifts anyone can have, and that you have to be able to sing or play an instrument to BE SOMEBODY.  I have a friend who, I think, can make anyone laugh at almost any moment. That is one of her gifts.  My mother has the gift of being an amazing listener and being able to understand me more than almost anyone else.  She is compassionate.  Those are a couple of her gifts. My dad has a gift of being able to notice when there is a problem and stand for the right. My little brother has the gift of being able to make us laugh.  Some have the gift of being curious and searching for knowledge of how things work, and what is the truth. Some are able to understand Shakespeare. Seeing the good in people and situations is s gift. Some can tell when someone needs a hug and can give it. Some have a "photographic" memory. Others can remember random facts. Patience is a gift (and one that can be learned!) Optimism is a gift. Some can concentrate/ when there is a lot of noise and distractions.  Mormon  is said to have been "quick to observe."  That is a gift. There are many that we don't have a name for, but they are gifts nonetheless.  Some people's gifts are being able to feel empathy for others. There are so many. 

We are faced with trials where we discover gifts. We are born with certain gifts. We acquire others through hard work and practice. Others through study, trial and error. We have so many ways where we can make the most of a situation and rise above the crowd-or even above our own doubts and thoughts, or temptations or just about anything that puts us down.  But we can conquer.  It doesn't mean that we won't go through struggles.  It doesn't mean we won't hurt, or that after a certain point we are just going to be fine, hunky dorey, it never happened, I'm over it; a lot of people expect that.  It means that we can take the task/problem and learn from it and become better people, grateful for the little rays of light that seep into our dark abyss.  

I saw this video a few years ago and thought it was amazing. (I didn't mean for it to be another piano video, but...). 

“God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs." (Pres. Spencer W. Kimball)

(For more about gifts: see here)

===============https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/morm/1?lang=en

2 Mormonads (and a video) I Love!

"Our True Identity" (Ugly Duckling) Pres. Uchtdorf

Girls Camp

Hi! I'm back!

I was at Girls Camp this week, which was pretty cool!  (If you want to know more about what Girls Camp is, click here.)

Here are a couple of photos that I took up at camp

Part of Girls Camp was talking about the women in the scriptures, particularly The Book of Mormon. (You can read it online here, learn more about it here, or request a completely free, no strings attached copy here). The fireside about the women was pretty amazing, talking in "first person" narrative about the women's lives.  There was Abish (click here for more about her story), Sariah, and Nephi's wife and a Sister of a Stripling Warrior.  I cried a bit during the one about the Sister of the Warrior.  

The Stripling Warriors

Stripling Warriors

What I think I gained the most from camp was that I want to be a righteous woman (and mother, grandmother, etc. eventually) in Zion, one who lives by faith and uses her knowledge, gifts and testimony to strengthen others and bring them to Christ. I want to be a virtuous woman who lives with integrity and knows who she is and can make wise choices based on her knowledge of good and evil and who knows that she has divine nature.  I don't think that the women in the scriptures (such as Rachel, Rebekah, Sarah, Ruth, Naomi and so many others) knew that they would be well known and respected and loved by so many people in so many nations.  But they lived their lives in a clean, righteous, pure way and because they did it for God and no one else, many look up to them. I know I do, and I want to follow their example.

"Farewell, My Stripling Warrior" by Del Parson, 1999

When I was on a hike at camp, I began going down a very steep hill and needed to watch my footing more than usual.  As I focused on the ground I suddenly stopped short-there was a Sego Lily.  Sego Lilies are one of my most favorite flowers, very rare, very unique, very beautiful, clean and white. They are so small, yet add so much to the world, at least to the little area they are in. Very often, I am sure they get completely missed and go unnoticed.  

Sego Lily

Sego Lilies are very precious to me.  Many times I think of people in relation to Sego Lilies because they are unique. They are Children of God. They are strong. They are beautiful inside and out and have much to give to the world no matter how small they are. Often they go unnoticed. But that doesn't mean that they are of any less worth-especially to Heavenly Father.  (Remember that little sparrows and lilies and other little things do not go unnoticed and unprotected and blessed by Him: "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" Matthew 6:28-30) 

I know that Heavenly Father watches over us and protects us, provides for us, blesses us and loves us. I know He encourages us and strengthens us to do what is right.  I know that we are all important and each have something amazing to give.