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.
At the beginning of the last chapter of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Moroni gives us a few final “words of exhortation:”
1. He begins by exhorting (strongly encouraging) us to remember how merciful the Lord has been to His children throughout history (verse 3). This is obviously a good topic for contemplation, especially after reading a 1,000-year history of the Nephites and the 1,500- to 2,500-year history of the Jaredites. As we consider how the Lord blessed those people over a very long time horizon, we gain confidence that He will also be merciful to us today.
2. He then exhorts us to ask God if these things are true, with a promise that we will receive an answer if we ask in sincerity and faith (verses 4-7).
3. His third exhortation strikes me as an important caution after the first two: just because God blesses those around you differently than he blesses you, it does not follow that he loves you more or less than He loves them. We are all given different gifts for our own benefit and for the benefit of those around us. These gifts “are many; and they come from the same God.” Each of us is unique and has specific things to contribute and to accomplish. God blesses us individually, according to our needs and abilities. If we seek to recognize His gifts in ourselves and in others, we will find them. But if we compare ourselves with others and seek uniformity of blessings, we will be disappointed.
Book of Mormon Study Notes 