“… there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.
Doctrine and Covenants 46:11
In Sunday School class recently we were divided into groups to discuss different parts of the lesson. My group was assigned to read 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and 1 Corinthians 14:12, and to discuss the topic “Gifts of the Spirit.” I started the discussion by asking the other members of the group, “Do you know what your God-given spiritual gift is?”
I was sincerely curious about whether other members of the Church typically knew what their gift was, because, as I told the group, “I have known mine for over 40 years.” They seemed taken aback by my question, so I presumed they perhaps hadn’t thought about this topic quite this way before.
So I persisted. I said, “Perhaps you don’t want to share your gift with this group. That is fine. It might be personal and sacred to you. But my gift is the gift of knowledge. I don’t claim to be the smartest person in this room, but look, I taught school for over 39 years. I am academically inclined. I was an English teacher and then a school librarian. You have no idea how many books are in my house. I may or may not be all that smart, but knowledge is my playing field.”
No one else in the group claimed to have a specific spiritual gift, but everyone did start to read the scripture verses more closely and begin to thoughtfully consider their own blessings and talents.
What gifts has God given to you? Since we each have at least one spiritual gift, shouldn’t we take the time to identify it, express thanks for it, and use it to bless the lives of those around us?
Further, what additional spiritual gifts do you desire? Have you asked for them? They are highly valuable. And, perhaps unbelievably, they are free. (Though, of course, we can and should develop and improve them). The Apostle Paul even instructed the Saints in Corinth to “covet” spiritual gifts. ( 1 Corinthians 12:31).
It may be that some of us do not seek to identify our spiritual gifts because we realize that once we acknowledge that we have gifts from God we will then be obligated to use them to bless others. We may be trying to avoid responsibility. This, of course, is not the “Saintly” path.
I encourage you to look up some of the spiritual gifts and see if you can identify the one (or more) God gave to you. There is a list in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, and another in Romans 12:6-8. A longer list is given in Doctrine and Covenants 46:11-27. However, none of these lists is exhaustive. You may well have a gift from God that isn’t on these lists.
In an October 1987 General Conference talk, Elder Marvin J. Ashton shared some examples of what he called “less-conspicuous gifts” of the Spirit. His talk made it clear that gifts of the Spirit are not limited to those listed in the scriptures. Here is his list:
“The gift of asking; the gift of listening; the gift of hearing and using a still, small voice; the gift of being able to weep; the gift of avoiding contention; the gift of being agreeable; the gift of avoiding vain repetition; the gift of seeking that which is righteous; the gift of not passing judgment; the gift of looking to God for guidance; the gift of being a disciple; the gift of caring for others; the gift of being able to ponder; the gift of offering prayer; the gift of bearing a mighty testimony; and the gift of receiving the Holy Ghost.”
Marvin J. Ashton
Find and develop your God-given gifts. Your family, your Church community, and the world need your contribution.
Sources: Marvin J. Ashton, “There Are Many Gifts,” Ensign, Nov. 1987.
August 26–September 1. 1 Corinthians 8–13: “Ye Are the Body of Christ” Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School: New Testament 2019.
Good topic. Something worth pondering and discussing.
Just saw this post. It is interesting that although we may have participated in similar lessons in the past, we are unlikely to have specifically identified our gifts. It would be worth a paragraph or two in our personal history.