This is a review of the slides we used while discussing This is a review of the slides we used while discussing . . . The Gifts of the Spirit D&C 46, 50

“5 Principles” and A “Key”

“5 Principles” and A “Key” “seek earnestly best gifts” (v. 8) “for what they are given” (v. 8) [see Moroni 10]

“Now the Lord has placed in His Church certain gifts, and these gifts are intended to help bear us up in such times as I speak of; to strengthen us in our weak places, in our defects of character, to help us to conquer our imperfections. If a man has a bad temper, he should pray to God to give him power to subdue that temper, and fill him with the spirit of charity; for charity suffereth long, is kind, and not easily provoked. . . This comes from God and He gives it to His servants and people when they ask in the proper way for it. We can conquer our tempers in this way, by seeking to the Lord for this gift. . . These gifts are placed in the Church for the perfecting of the Saints. There is no one that has a defect in his or her character but what there is a gift in the Church, promised by the Lord to correct that defect. . . There are no gifts in the Church which God has promised us but what He will give if we live for them.” (Collected Discourses, Vol.2, George Q. Cannon, July 5th, 1891)

“No man ought to say, ‘Oh, I cannot help this; it is my nature “No man ought to say, ‘Oh, I cannot help this; it is my nature.’ He is not justified in it, for the reason that God has promised to give strength to correct these things, and to give gifts the will eradicate them.” (George Q. Cannon, Millennial Star, 23 April 1894, p. 260-61)

“The gift of the holy spirit adapts itself to all these organs or attributes. it quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It develops and invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, invigorates, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being” (Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology, p. 101).

“5 Principles” and A “Key” “seek earnestly best gifts” (v. 8) “for what they are given” (v. 8) every man has a gift - that all may profit (v. 11-12 + D&C 50:22)

“5 Principles” and A “Key” “seek earnestly best gifts” (v. 8) “for what they are given” (v. 8) every man has a gift - that all may profit (v. 11-12) “give thanks unto God” (v. 32)

“5 Principles” and A “Key” “seek earnestly best gifts” (v. 8) “for what they are given” (v. 8) every man has a gift - that all may profit (v. 11-12) “give thanks unto God” (v. 32) “practise virtue and holiness” (v. 33)

“5 Principles” and A “Key” (v. 27-29) “bishop. . .to discern all those gifts”

“We should understand what can be called the principle of ‘stewardship in revelation.’ Our Heavenly Father’s house is a house of order, where his servants are commanded to ‘act in the office in which [they are] appointed’ (D&C 107:99). This principle applies to revelation. Only the president of the Church receives revelation to guide the entire church. Only the stake president receives revelation for the special guidance of the stake. The person who receives revelation for the ward is the bishop. For a family, it is the priesthood leadership of the family. Leaders receive revelation for their own stewardships. Individuals can receive revelation to guide their own lives.

But when one person purports her own stewardship-such as a Church member who claims to have revelation to guide the entire Church or a person who claims to have a revelation to guide another person over whom he or she has no presiding authority according to the order of the Church-you can be sure that such revelations are not from the Lord. ‘Their are counterfeit signals’ [Boyd K. Packer, Prayers and Answers, Ensign, November 1979, p. 20]. Satan is a great deceiver, and he is the source of some of these spurious revelations. Others are simply imagined (Dallin H. Oaks, Revelation, BYU Speeches, 1982, pp. 20-26).

“If a revelation is outside the limits of stewardship, you know it is not from the Lord, and you are not bound by it. I have heard of cases where a young man told a young woman she should marry him because he had received a revelation that she was to be his eternal companion. If this is a true revelation, it will be confirmed directly to the woman if she seeks to know. In the meantime, she is under no obligation to heed it. She should seek her own guidance and make up her own mind. The man can receive revelation to guide his own actions, but he cannot properly receive revelation to direct hers. She is outside his stewardship” (Dallin H. Oaks, Revelation, BYU Speeches, 1982, pp. 20-26).

The End . . .