Seek Ye Earnestly the Best Gifts

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Seek Ye Earnestly the Best Gifts
Objective To help class members identify gifts of
the spirit, seek to obtain them, and use them to
serve others.
OBJECTI
Lesson 15 by Dennis N. Roberts
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Fresh Crab and French Bread
By Garnee Faulkner
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Spiritual Gifts / Define

• Mormon Doctrine
• Spiritual blessings or abilities that are given
  by Christ through the Holy Ghost
• Though predicated upon obedience, they are gifts
  because they are freely given and freely
  available

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Spiritual Gifts / Identify 1

• Knowledge (DC 4613)
• Belief in testimonies of Savior (DC 4614)
• Knowledge of differences of administration (DC
  4615
• Discernment to know diversities of operation (DC
  4616)
• Wisdom of knowledge (DC 4617-18)
• Faith to be healed (DC 4619)
• Faith to heal (4620)

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Spiritual Gifts / Identify 2

• Working of miracles (DC 4621)
• Prophecy, viewing visions (DC 4622)
• Discernment of spirits (DC 4623)
• Speaking in tongues (DC 4624)
• Interpretation of tongues (DC 4625)
• Knowing Jesus Christ is Son of God
• Knowing Book of Mormon is true

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Spiritual Gifts / Identify 3

• Gift of testimony
• Gift of receiving revelations
• Gift of judgment
• Gift of wisdom
• Gifts of teaching, exhortation, preaching
• Beholding angels, discerning spirits
• Gift of translation
• Gift of seership

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Spiritual Gifts / Identify 4
How many spiritual gifts are there?

• Elder Bruce R. McConkie
• Spiritual gifts are endless in number and
  infinite in variety. Those listed in the revealed
  word are simply illustrations.

Elder Marvin J. Ashton many less conspicuous
gifts
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Spiritual Gifts / Identify 5

• Gift of asking
• Gift of listening
• Gift of hearing and using still, small voice
• Gift of avoiding contention
• Gift of being agreeable
• Gift of seeking what is righteous
• Gift of not passing judgment

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Spiritual Gifts / Identify 6

• Gift of looking to God for guidance
• Gift of being a disciple
• Gift of caring for others
• Gift of being able to ponder
• Gift of offering prayer
• Gift of bearing a mighty testimony
• Gift of receiving the Holy Ghost

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Spiritual Gifts / Purpose

• Bless us to do good
• Strengthen us
• Edify us towards peace
• Guide us toward eternal life
• Enlighten us
• Encourage us
• Unify us
• Help us serve others
• Help us avoid being deceived

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President Boyd K. Packer

• All inspiration does not come from God. The
  evil one has the power to tap into those channels
  of revelation and send conflicting signals which
  can mislead and confuse us. There are promptings
  from evil sources which are so carefully
  counterfeited as to deceive even the very elect.

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Prophet Joseph Smith

• "In order to have the power to distinguish
  between truth and error and to interpret properly
  a dream or vision, one must have a pure heart and
  a contrite spirit and be living a righteous
  life.
• Satan's mission is to deceive,
• and he can, and does, give
• revelation to those who permit
• themselves to fall into his power.
• Lying spirits are going forth in
• the earth. There will be great
• manifestations of spirits, both
• false and true.

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DC 46 7-9

• 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 that ye may
  not be seduced by

8 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.
1) evil spirits, 2) or doctrines of devils, 3)
or the commandments of men
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Question 1

• for there are many gifts

DC 4611
How do we obtain spiritual gifts?
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Opening the windows of heaven
(with a constant connection)
Heavenly Father
Covenants Promises
Children Of Men
Endowment Gifts
...whenever the Holy Ghost takes up its residence
in a person, it not only cleanses, sanctifies,
and purifies him, but also imparts to him some
gift, intended for the benefit of himself and
others.  No one who has been born of the Spirit
and who remains sufficiently faithful, is left
destitute of a spiritual gift. (Orson
Pratt) 
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Question 2

• and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit
  of God.

DC 4611
Do you know what your spiritual gifts are?
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Finding our Spiritual Gifts
Heavenly Father
Covenants Promises
Children Of Men
Revelations
Experiences
Patriarchal Blessings
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Question 3

• seek ye earnestly the best gifts

DC 468
Why should we seek spiritual gifts?
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President George Q. Cannon

• How many of you, my brethren and sisters, are
  seeking for these gifts that God has promised to
  bestow? How many of you, when you bow before your
  Heavenly Father in your family circle or in your
  secret places, contend for these gifts to be
  bestowed upon you?

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President George Q. Cannon

• Or do you go along day by day like a door turning
  on its hinges, without having any feeling upon
  the subject, without exercising any faith
  whatever content to be baptized and be members
  of the Church, and to rest there, thinking that
  your salvation is secure because you have done
  this?

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President George Q. Cannon

• If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to
  pray for the gift that will make us perfect. Have
  I imperfections? I am full of them.

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President Cannon continues

• What is my duty? To pray to God to give me the
  gifts that will correct these imperfections. If I
  am an angry man, it is my duty to pray for
  charity, which suffereth long and is kind. Am I
  an envious man? It is my duty to seek for
  charity, which envieth not. So with all the gifts
  of the Gospel. They are intended for this
  purpose.

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President Cannon concludes

• 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 that will
  eradicate them.
• (Millennial Star, 23 Apr 1894, p260)

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How does this apply to me? Have I identified my
gifts? Have I sought the best gifts? Have I
employed them to bless myself and others?
OBJECTI
Next Week Lesson 16 Thou Shalt Offer Up
Thy Sacraments Upon My Holy Day (Member Study
Guide page 10)