Seek Ye Earnestly the Best Gifts

Seek Ye Earnestly the Best Gifts”

Historical Background

In September 1830, the Lord gave Joseph Smith a revelation where He commanded Oliver Cowdery to "go unto the Lamanites and preach my gospel unto them" (D&C 28:8

Oliver obeyed, and soon left for the frontier settlement of Independence, Missouri. Oliver was accompanied by Peter Whitmer, Parley P. Pratt, and Ziba Peterson.

En route to western Missouri, they stopped and preached for several weeks in Ohio, particularly in the Kirtland area where they found a great deal of interest.

Within three weeks they had baptized 127 persons, including Sidney Rigdon, a Cambellite preacher and friend of Parley Pratt.

The zealous missionaries departed and continued on their journey to the Lamanite. This, however left this new community of saints virtually leaderless. Without leadership and direction, this enthusiastic group of converts engaged in practices, some new and some traditional, that were not in harmony with the restored gospel.

Upon hearing the reports, the Prophet sent John Whitmer to preside over the Ohio branches, but it was too much for him and he pleaded with the Prophet for help.

The Prophet arrived in Kirtland early in 1831 and was able to witness first hand the confusion amongst these new Latter-day Saints.

o Joseph found these new Saints in Kirtland striving to do their best, but also found that they were continuing practices not in keeping with the gospel. Joseph referred to them as "strange notions and false spirits." A group in Kirtland called the Morley Family, lived an imperfect law of sharing all things, which caused some difficult feelings. They had a revelator known as "Black Pete." They claimed to see angels and to receive letters from heaven.

o John Whitmer reported: "Some had visions and knew not what they saw, some would fancy to themselves that they had the sword of Laban, and would wield it as expert as a light dragon, some would act like an Indian in the act of scalping, some would slide or scoop on the floor, with the rapidity of a serpent, which they termed sailing in the boat to the Lamanites, preaching the gospel. And many other vain and foolish manoevers that are unseeming and unprofitable to mention. . . . These things grieved the servants of the Lord, and some conversed together on this subject, and others came in and we were at Joseph Smith, Jr. the Seer, and made it a matter of consultation, for many would not turn from their folly, unless God would give a revelation." (Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p134)

o Parley P. Pratt, who returned to Kirtland in the early summer of 1831, wrote that "some very strange spiritual operations were manifested, which were disgusting, rather than edifying. Some persons would seem to swoon away, and make unseemly gestures, and be drawn or disfigured in their countenances. Others would fall into ecstasies, and be drawn into contortions, cramps, fits, etc. Others would seem to have visions and revelations, which were not edifying, and which were not congenial to the doctrine and spirit of the gospel. In short, a false and lying spirit seemed to be creeping into the Church." (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, p61)

It was in response to these practices, on March 8, 1831, that the Prophet received the revelation contained in Section 46.

D&C46:7-8
7 But ye are commanded in all things to aask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all bholiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, cconsidering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and dthanksgiving, that ye may not be eseduced by evil fspirits, or doctrines of devils, or the gcommandments 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 aseek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;


1. All faithful members of the Church can receive gifts of the Spirit.


Gifts of the Spirit are spiritual blessings or abilities that are given through the Holy Ghost. These gifts were taken from the earth during the Great Apostasy, but God restored them in the early days of this dispensation.

Spiritual gifts come from God, are administered by the Holy Ghost, and they are transmitted to men by the Spirit of Christ, which is the light of Christ, which is the agency of God’s power. Their receipt is predicated upon faith, obedience, and personal righteousness; hence they are reserved for the saints of God, for those who believe in his name and live his laws. They are the signs and miracles that follow those who believe, and their receipt, in one degree or another, is essential to salvation. ( A New Witness to the Articles of Faith, Bruce R. McConkie, p. 367)

What are some of the gifts of the Spirit?

( gifts of the Spirit are also identified in 1 Corinthians 12:4–12; 1 Corinthians 13:1–13; and Moroni 10:8–18.)


D&C 46:13. (Knowledge “given by the Holy Ghost … that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.”)

“This describes a different, more powerful gift than being certain through our faith. This is the gift of direct, empirical knowledge of Christ, the kind of knowledge that Joseph took with him when he left the Sacred Grove.” ( A Commentary on the Doctine and Covenants, Robinson & Garrett, p.77)


b. D&C 46:14. (Belief in others’ testimonies of the Savior.)
This the category most members of the church fall into and is no trivial gift. “ We are promised eternal life if we continue faithful to the witness that confirms to us the testimony of others who have personally seen and experienced.”. (Commentary on the Doctrine & Covenants, Robinson & Garrett p. 78)

c. D&C 46:15. (Knowledge of “the differences of administration.”)
Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve said that this gift is “used in administering and regulating the church” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 278).
This phrase is used in 1 Corinthians 12:5, where the Greek means “differences in ways of serving”.
To know these differences is to recognize how God has endowed different individuals with different gifts and with different ‘styles’ of ways of doing things.

d. D&C 46:16. (Discernment “to know the diversities of operations, whether they be of God.”
This gift helps us discern whether a teaching or influence comes from God or from some other source.)
This gift also is demonstrated in the ability to see what is really going on around us, to recognize the operation or activity of an influence, movement, or trend, to know what is at work and whether it is of God. (Commentary on the Doctrine & Covenants, Robinson & Garrett p. 78)


e. D&C 46:17–18. (Wisdom and knowledge.)
wisdom is knowledge or data plus judgment, understanding or common sense.

f. D&C 46:19. (Faith to be healed.)
In a conflict between the saints and the mobs in Independence , brother Philo Dibble, of Ohio was shot through his waistband. Elder Parley Pratt related, “ the ball remained in him, He bled much inwardly, and, in a day or two his bowels were so filled with blood and so inflamed that he was about to die, or rather, he had been slowly dying from the time he was wounded. The smell of himself had become intolerable to him and those about him. At length, Elder Newel Knight administered to him, , by the laying on of hands, in the name of Jesus; his hands had scarcely touched his head when he felt an operation penetrating his whole system as if it had been a purifying fire. He immediately discharged several quarts of blood and corruption, among which was the ball with which he had been wounded. He was instantly healed, and went to work chopping wood. “ ( Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, p. 100)

g. D&C 46:20. (Faith to heal.)

h. D&C 46:21. (The working of miracles.)
“properly gifted persons control the elements, move mountains, turn rivers out of their course, walk on water, quench the violence of fire, are carried by the power of the Spirit from one congregation to another, are translated and taken into heaven, or- and this above all- gain for themselves an eternal inheritance in the presence of Him who is Eternal. Miracles are now, have always been, and always will be part and portion of the true gospel of that God who is a God of miracles.” ( A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.373)

i. D&C 46:22. (Prophecy.)

j. D&C 46:23. (Discerning of spirits.)
Joseph Smith once said, “ Nothing is a greater injury to the children of men than to be under the influence of a false spirit when they think they have the spirit of God.” (Teachings, 205)
k. D&C 46:24. (Speaking in tongues.)
in the biblical world, the words for tongue and language were the same. The gift of tongues, therefore, is the gift of languages. It is designed to reveal and communicate through the spirit.
the gift of tongues has been, from the beginning, the most counterfeited by false spirits.
l. D&C 46:25. (Interpretation of tongues.)

This by no means is an inclusive list of all the gifts of the Spirit. Spiritual gifts are endless in number and infinite in variety ( A New Witness to the Articles of Faith, p. 371)

Marvin J. Ashton
Let us review some of these less-conspicuous gifts: 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. (“‘There Are Many Gifts’,” Ensign, Nov 1987, 20).

D&C46:11
11 For all have not every agift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.

EVERY faithful member of the church who has received the gift of the Holy Ghost is given at least one spiritual gift. The presence of these spiritual gifts, in fact, are one of the signs of the true church.

Mormon 9:24
24 And athese signs shall follow them that believe—in my name shall they cast out bdevils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay chands on the sick and they shall recover;

God gives gifts of the Spirit for the benefit of His children

Why does the Lord grant us these gifts?



1. That all the saints may be profited
D&C 46:11-12
11 For all have not every agift 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.

Elder Orson Pratt
“Spiritual gifts are distributed among the members of the Church, according to their faithfulness, circumstances, natural abilities, duties, and callings; that the whole may be properly instructed, confirmed, perfected, and saved” (Masterful Discourses and Writings of Orson Pratt, comp. N. B. Lundwall [1953], 571).

“We are meant to join together in one body to complement each other’s strengths and compensate for each other’s weakness. Collectively, we possess all the gifts.. And so it follows that we need each other, each of the members needs the whole body. By design, no single individual is inteded to be spiritually self-sufficient.” ( Commentary on the Doctrine & Covenants, Robinson & Garrett p. 76)


2. To strengthen and bless us individually

Dallin H. Oaks
gifts of the Spirit “can lead us to God. They can shield us from the power of the adversary. They can compensate for our inadequacies and repair our imperfections” (“Spiritual Gifts,” Ensign, Sept. 1986, 72).

3. To help us avoid being deceived

The Lord designed in the beginning to place before man the knowledge of good and evil, and gave him a commandment to cleave to good and abstain from evil.

Bruce R. McConkie
“Satan and his fallen angels abide on earth. They seek to destroy men and doom them to an everlasting perdition. If they alone had influence and there were no help from above, men would slide everlastingly downward, until, bound by the chains of hell, they would be in bondage to that evil spirit who fell from the presence of the Eternal God. As we have seen, God gives gifts to men to lift them up, to light their way back to heaven, to let them gain glimpses, while yet on their mortal pilgrimages, of that eternal home whence they came. These good gifts are shown forth in the midst of a world filled with evil gifts. And as we have seen, these good gifts are given so that men need “not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men.” The Lord’s people are to “be aware lest [they] are deceived; and that [they] may not be deceived, “ they are to seek..earnestly the best gifts” ( D&C 46:7-8) (A New Witness to the Articles of Faith, p. 376)


We should seek and cultivate gifts of the Spirit.

The Lord expects us to desire and seek for spiritual experiences and gifts.



Paul says: “Covet earnestly the best gifts” ( 1 Cor 12:31), “desire spiritual gifts”, and be
“zealous of spiritual gifts”, seeking “that ye may excel to the edifying of the church” ( 1 Cor 14:1, 12). Moroni says: “Lay hold upon every good gift.” ( Moroni 10:31) and to Joseph Smith, the Lord said, “ Ye are commanded In all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally.”

The Lord posed the following question in the latter days: “ What doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift?” The answer: “Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.” ( D&C 88:33)


What can we do to cultivate and develop the spiritual gifts we have been given?
Elder Orson Pratt (1811–81) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles discussed John Wesley’s insightful words from the mid-1700s (Sermon 94) as he wrote about the Dark Ages:

“ ‘The real cause why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer to be found in the christian church, was, because the christians were turned heathens again. ..If then, the ‘whole of christendom,’ without one exception, have been ‘buried in the most abominable idolatry for upwards of eight hundred years,’ .. And if they, because they are destitute of the gifts, are not even now christians, but heathens .. , we ask where the authority was during this eight hundred years, and where is it now? Surely God would not recognise ‘the most abominable idolaters,’ as holding authority” (Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, no. 2 [1850], 21).

We can ponder, pray, fast, priesthood blessings, patriarchal blessings, obey the commandments, being set apart for our callings and serve others. Essentially, we can live the gospel to the best of our ability.


What can we do to seek gifts of the Spirit?

D&C46
30 He that aasketh in the bSpirit asketh according to the cwill of God; wherefore it is done even as he asketh.
31 And again, I say unto you, all things must be done in the name of Christ, whatsoever you do in the Spirit;
32 And ye must give athanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with.
33 And ye must practise avirtue and holiness before me continually. Even so. Amen.

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. 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. 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, 260).



Conclusion
Robert D. Hales
Remember that the reason we want to have the stability and strength of the gifts of the Spirit is that we want to weather the storms when they come. We will be tried in this mortal probation. We don’t want to decide to learn how to swim when the boat is already sinking. When a severe disability or problem comes to a family or an individual, a high percentage of families and individuals break up, disintegrate, because they are overwhelmed and unprepared. That is why we are faithful, and that is why we remain strong and have those spiritual gifts.

Through His knowledge and obedience, when Jesus was in pain and upon the cross, He thought about taking care of His mother and spoke to John the Beloved about it (see John 19:25–27). In all of the pain we must go through, we have to remember the pain that is in others.

The gifts of the Spirit can guide and enrich our lives. They can strengthen us spiritually and temporally. They can help us bless the lives of others. Most important, they can bring us comfort in times of trial. They can help us magnify our callings. They can help guide us in our relationships. They can help us avoid being deceived.

I bear testimony that God has given us the gifts of the Spirit to allow us to be drawn more closely into His circle of love. He desires that we should receive these gifts of the Spirit and magnify them and have them grow within us. We have to teach one another how to seek after them. As we do, our faith in Him will increase and our true destiny will be fulfilled, ultimately to return to His presence as His valiant sons and daughters. May we seek after and obtain these gifts, I humbly pray. (Robert D. Hales, “Gifts of the Spirit,” Ensign, Feb 2002, 12).