In the Parable of the Talents, three servants are entrusted with different quantities of money. Two invest the money wisely, so that it has grown when the owner returns. But the third hides the money, earning a rebuke from the owner when he sees that it has not grown in his absence. (See Matthew 25:14-30.)
The money delivered to each servant is measured in a unit of weight called (in Greek) talanton (τάλαντον). The King James Version simply transliterated the term as “talent”—a word that later came to mean “ability” or “skill” —reminding us of the capabilities that God has given to each of us. “To every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God…that all may be profited thereby” (Doctrine and Covenants 46:11-12).
As a group of church leaders sat on the banks of the Missouri River instead of traveling through more populous places, the Lord rebuked them, referencing this parable:
With some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them.
And it shall come to pass, if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have.
Doctrine and Covenants 60:2-3
There is clearly a social and service orientation to this interpretation of the parable. The third servant failed not only by failing to develop his talent but also by keeping it hidden where it couldn’t benefit anyone else.
About eight months later, the Lord reiterated this principle, admonishing church members to develop their talents with a communal mindset:
That every man may improve upon his talent, that every man may gain other talents, yea, even an hundred fold, to be cast into the Lord’s storehouse, to become the common property of the whole church.
Doctrine and Covenants 82:18
It’s a fascinating concept: I need to develop my talents not because God gave them to me but because He gave them to us. These talents are intended to benefit us collectively, not to benefit me alone.
Moroni learned a related principle. As he poured out his soul in prayer to express his sense of inadequacy, he acknowledged that talent development and charity go hand-in-hand:
If the Gentiles have not charity, because of our weakness, that thou wilt prove them, and take away their talent, yea, even that which they have received, and give unto them who shall have more abundantly.
Ether 12:35
When I was a teenager, I had the responsibility to play the piano in church services, accompanying congregational singing. It was intimidating and sometimes embarrassing. I learned a lot about faith as I prayed that my fingers would miraculously find the right keys, and more often than not, they did.
My musical talent was meant to be shared. I didn’t understand it at the time, but it didn’t belong to me; it belonged to the congregation. God blessed me to be able to contribute in this way, but He didn’t just bless me. He blessed us all. And my ability increased as I shared that talent with others.
It’s a virtuous cycle: Developing skills enables us to serve more, and those skills grow further as we use them in service.
Today I will accept opportunities to use my talents to serve others. I will think of my talents as a shared resource, given by God for my own benefit and for the benefit of others. I will remember that as I use my talents to serve others, they grow, which in turn enables me to serve more.
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