When the apostle Paul lists some of the gifts which God bestows upon believers, he seem to have two contrasting messages:
- We are all different, and we need to appreciate one another’s unique gifts. (See 1 Corinthians 12:11, 29-30.)
- We should desire additional spiritual gifts. (See 1 Corinthians 12:31, 1 Corinthians 14:1.)
Paul admonishes us to “covet earnestly the best gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:31), which sounds on the surface like a violation of the tenth commandment. Some other translations put it in terms that sound more positive: “Eagerly desire the greater gifts” (New International Version), or “Set your hearts, then, on the more important gifts” (Good News Translation). And when the Lord provided a similar list of spiritual gifts to Joseph Smith in 1831, He introduced the list with this admonition: “Seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given” (Doctrine and Covenants 46:8).
President Russell M. Nelson taught that we all have positive attributes, that we can develop additional attributes with God’s help. He equated these with spiritual gifts:
Attributes of “faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, [and] diligence” (Doctrine and Covenants 4:6) are among the spiritual gifts we can develop and be given. Gratitude is another spiritual attribute that can be developed.
You developed some of these attributes premortally. Others you can develop here on earth as you persistently seek them.
“Decisions for Eternity,” General Conference, October 2013
It sounds like these gifts are both received and developed. How, then, do we go about seeking to receive them?
In the final chapter of the Book of Mormon, Moroni issues a number of exhortations to his future readers. One of them is this: “Deny not the gifts of God” (Moroni 10:8). The obvious meaning is simple: Don’t say that spiritual gifts aren’t real. But there may be a more personal meaning: Don’t drive these gifts away. Open your heart to receive them. Let God work with you to develop these attributes. In Moroni’s words, “Come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift” (Moroni 10:30).
In saying this, Moroni was referencing a key teaching from his father’s sermon on faith, hope, and charity: “If ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ” (Moroni 7:19). Mormon wanted us to recognize good things and welcome them into our lives.
Here’s the message I get from all of these passages: God wants to give us gifts. His best gifts represent divine attributes. We ought to desire those and strive to develop them. He will help us if we are willing to receive the gifts He offers to us.
Today, I will seek spiritual gifts. I will ask God to help me develop divine attributes to a greater degree. I will welcome those gifts as I receive them into my heart and into my life.