Seeking the Best Gifts of the Spirit
The Lord gives gifts of the spirit for the benefit of all that believe. He gives them “that ye may not be deceived… always remembering for what they are given.” And why are they given? “They are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do.” The Lord commands us to “seek ye earnestly the best gifts” that we might be of service to His believers.
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Latter-day Saints Believe in Gifts of the Spirit
All latter-day saints should believe in the gifts of the spirit, as they are taught as the basic belief tenets of the restoration churches that stemmed from the revelations given through Joseph Smith.
Article of Faith 7
“We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth” (Joseph Smith, Letter to John Wentworth, March 1, 1842)Moroni says that if we’re not finding or seeing these gifts among us in the latter days, that there is a problem with our unbelief. “that if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief” (Moroni )
Moroni 10:24
24 And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth—that if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief.So the questions for all latter day saints to consider are these?
- Are you seeking these gifts?
- Are you asking for these gifts?
- Do you believe that God will bless you with these gifts of the spirit?
- Are you seeing these spiritual gifts among yourself, family, friends, neighbors, religious communities, or even church leaders?
Spiritual Gifts Follow Those Who Believe
If belief in Christ and faith in Him is abundant, you will see miracles. Believers with strong faith in Christ will experience sufficient gifts of the spirit and miracles to leave no doubt as to their existence and reality.
Jesus taught the Jerusalem saints that signs will follow those that believe:
Mark 16:17-18
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
We Are to Seek The Best Gifts
D&C 46 explains that the “best gifts” should be sought after, and that they would help us avoid deception if we always remember why the Lord gives them.
D&C 46:8-9
8 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;9 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.
These spiritual gifts are given for the benefit of those who love the Lord and keep His commandments (or seek to do so).
Paul states that there are a variety of spiritual gifts given to different people, and that we should “covet earnestly the best gifts” from God.
1 Corinthians 12:8-12,30-31
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ
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30 Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts; and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.
Paul’s list of gifts of the spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:
- the word of wisdom
- the word of knowledge
- faith
- healing
- the working of miracles
- prophecy
- discerning of spirits
- diverse kinds of tongues
- interpretation of tongues
Whatsoever Thing is Good is Just & True
Moroni 10:3-5 states “when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things”
9 times Moroni “exhorts” us in this chapter. These are his last words to us because he knows if we ask with real intent the Holy Ghost will manifest it unto us. This is the most important gift is the gift of the Holy Ghost testifying to us. Seeking and acting on revelation.
Moroni 10:6 states, “whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore nothing that is good denieth the Christ. But acknowledgeth that he is.” Compare that to what is said in Ether 4:
Ether 4:11-19
11 But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good.12 And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.
13 Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.
14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief.
15 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel.
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18 Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name.
19 And blessed is he that is found faithful unto my name at the last day, for he shall be lifted up to dwell in the kingdom prepared for him from the foundation of the world. And behold it is I that hath spoken it. Amen.
Deny Not the Gifts of God
Moroni 10:7-8
7 And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God, for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.8 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.
In 1 Nephi 10:17-19, Nephi is desirous to see, hear and know for himself the things his father Lehi learned. He taught that “he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost”
Alma 9:21
21 Having been visited by the Spirit of God; having conversed with angels, and having been spoken unto by the voice of the Lord; and having the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and also many gifts, the gift of speaking with tongues, and the gift of preaching, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the gift of translation.Who Does God Give Spiritual Gifts to?
D&C 46:7-12
7 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.8 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;
9 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.
10 And again, verily I say unto you, I would that ye should always remember, and always retain in your minds what those gifts are, that are given unto the church.
11 For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.
12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.
A List of the Gifts of the Spirit
- “know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.”
- “believe on their 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 as the Lord will, suiting his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men.“
- “know the diversities of operations, whether they be of God“
- “word of wisdom“
- “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“
- “prophesy“
- “discerning of spirits“
- “speak with tongues“
- “interpretation of tongues“
D&C 46:13-26
13 To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.14 To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.
15 And again, to some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences of administration, as it will be pleasing unto the same Lord, according as the Lord will, suiting his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men.
16 And again, it is given by the Holy Ghost to some to 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.
17 And again, verily I say unto you, to some is given, by the Spirit of God, the word of wisdom.
18 To another is given the word of knowledge, that all may be taught to be wise and to have knowledge.
19 And again, to some it is given to have faith to be healed;
20 And to others it is given to have faith to heal.
21 And again, to some is given the working of miracles;
22 And to others it is given to prophesy;
23 And to others the discerning of spirits.
24 And again, it is given to some to speak with tongues;
25 And to another is given the interpretation of tongues.
26 And all these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God.
That He May Teach the Word of Wisdom
The scriptures state that one of the spiritual gifts is for someone to “that he may teach the word of wisdom.” (Moroni 10:9, D&C 88:118). In Mosiah 2, King Benjamin states:
Mosiah 2:17
17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.King Benjamin goes on to teach his people, that they might govern themselves by words of wisdom and teach it to others. Here’s a list of some of the wisdom that Benjamin taught:
- “if I whom ye call your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King?” (Mosiah 2:19)
- “if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning… I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.” (Mosiah 2:21)
- “all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land.” (Mosiah 2:22)
- “in the first place he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.” (Mosiah 2:23)
- “And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore, he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are and will be forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?” (Mosiah 2:24)
- “consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God... if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell” (Mosiah 2:41)
After these people had received the words of wisdom from Benjamin, they entered into a covenant and enjoyed the fruits of the gospel.
Mosiah 5:3
3 …the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them.Teach the Word of Knowledge by the Same Spirit
Many prophets have this gift to share with others the words of the gospel in a way that the spirit carries it into the hearts of men. Nephi was one example, who taught his brothers the doctrine of Christ and the prophecies from Isaiah:
1 Nephi 15:20
20 And I did rehearse unto them the words of Isaiah who spake concerning the restoration of the Jew or of the house of Israel; and after they were restored, they should no more be confounded, neither should they be scattered again. And it came to pass that I did speak many words unto my brethren that they were pacified and did humble themselves before the Lord..Alma and the sons of Mosiah had this gift to teach to the word of knowledge by the spirit:
Alma 17:2-4
2 …they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.3 But his is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.
4 And they had been teaching the word of God for the space of fourteen years among the Lamanites, having had much success in bring many to the knowledge of the truth; yea, by the power of their words many were brought before the altar of God, to call on his name and confess their sins before him.
This is the commission that the Lord gives all of His servants, to teach the word of knowledge by the spirit:
D&C 88
77 And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the Doctrine of the Kingdom.78 Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;
Exceedingly Great Faith
Sidney Rigdon taught about the power of faith:
Lecture on Faith 1:18-20
18 …The Savior says, in explaining the reason why the disciples could not cast out the devil, that it was because of their unbelief: “For verily, I say unto you,” said he, “if ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place! and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”19 Moroni, while abridging and compiling the record of his fathers, has given us the following account of faith as the principle of power: He says, in Ether 12:13, that it was the faith of Alma and Amulek which caused the walls of the prison to be wrent… it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi which caused a change (of heart) to be wrought upon the hearts of the Lamanites, when they were immersed with the Holy Spirit, and with fire… and that it was by faith that the mountain Zerin was removed, when the brother of Jared spake in the name of the Lord… 20 …the prophets, through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens; and that women received their dead raised to life again, etc.
