Moses received amazing prophetic gifts, but he didn’t have every gift.
Long before Moses’s birth, God revealed this fact to Joseph in Egypt: “I will raise up a Moses; and I will give power unto him in a rod; and I will give judgment unto him in writing. Yet I will not loose his tongue, that he shall speak much, for I will not make him mighty in speaking. But I will write unto him my law, by the finger of mine own hand; and I will make a spokesman for him” (2 Nephi 3:17). Therefore, Moses’s success depended on not only using the gifts he had been given but also helping others use their gifts.
Early in his ministry, Moses tried to do too much. His father-in-law, Jethro, saw him counseling with individuals from morning until night and warned, “Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone” (Exodus 18:18). He urged Moses to call other people to help him, and not to try to resolve every issue on his own.
God later gave Moses the same guidance when he was feeling overwhelmed. As the people wept and complained about their afflictions, Moses was overwhelmed. “Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant?” he prayed, “and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?” In response, God instructed him to call seventy elders to serve with him, “and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone” (Numbers 11:11, 17).
When the tabernacle needed to be built, Moses didn’t have the skills to do that work himself. God called Bezaleel and other artisans to do that work. Moses explained to the people, “Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver” (Exodus 35:30-35).
The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that some people receive the gift “to know the diversities of operations, whether they be of God.” He added, “Unto the bishop of the church, and unto such as God shall appoint and ordain to watch over the church and to be elders unto the church, are to have it given unto them to discern all those gifts” (Doctrine and Covenants 46:16, 27). Perhaps that’s why Moses was able to recognize that Eldad and Medad were prophesying by the Spirit of the Lord in the camp. When Joshua urged him to forbid them, he responded:
Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!
Numbers 11:29
Like Moses, modern church leaders recognize their limitations and welcome the contributions of others with different gifts. Elder M. Russell Ballard opened a devotional address with this disclaimer:
As we begin to consider some of your questions, it is important to remember that I am a General Authority, but that does not make me an authority in general!
My calling and life experiences allow me to respond to certain types of questions. There are other types of questions that require an expert in a specific subject matter. This is exactly what I do when I need an answer to such questions: I seek help from others, including those with degrees and expertise in such fields.
I worry sometimes that members expect too much from Church leaders and teachers—expecting them to be experts in subjects well beyond their duties and responsibilities. The Lord called the apostles and prophets to invite others to come unto Christ—not to obtain advanced degrees in ancient history, biblical studies, and other fields that may be useful in answering all the questions we may have about scriptures, history, and the Church. Our primary duty is to build up the Church, teach the doctrine of Christ, and help those in need of help.
“Questions and Answers,” Brigham Young University Devotional Address, 14 November 2017
Today, I will respect church leaders without expecting them to have every gift. I will be grateful that God enables leaders to discern the gifts He has given to others, so that all can contribute meaningfully to the work.
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