This is something that has been greatly on my mind as of late. I know this of a surety, Heavenly Father did not put us on this earth to coast. What do I mean by coast? Well, let’s talk about that for a minute. Many Latter-day Saints study their scriptures, go to church, have Family Home Evening, attend to their church callings and stop there. They are content in the knowledge that they are doing the things they must without ever realizing there is so much more our Father in Heaven has for each of us.
Let me quote President Thomas S. Monson: “In the search for our best selves, several questions will guide our thinking: Am I what I want to be? Am I closer to the Savior today than I was yesterday? Will I be closer yet tomorrow? Do I have the courage to change for the better?” Do you have that courage? Because with growth comes trial, with trial can come tragedy, and with these things come eternal and spiritual growth.
I submit to you that there is much, much more our Father in Heaven waits to give us. Let me discuss a little bit about Gifts of the Spirit. These gifts are discussed at length in Section 46 of the Doctrine & Covenants, as well as Moroni, Chapter 10 in the Book of Mormon. Bruce R. McConkie elaborated further on this topic by saying, “These gifts are infinite in number and endless in their manifestations because God himself is infinite and endless.”
According to Tad Callister, author of The Infinite Atonement, “Gifts of the Spirit are in fact endowments of godly traits; and thus, as we acquire these gifts, we become partakers of the divine nature. Each of these gifts is a manifestation of some celestial quality. Through the medium of the Holy Ghost, each such gift may be bestowed upon an imperfect being and thus aid him in his pursuit of [perfection].” (p. 268)
The particularly attentive Latter-day Saint has noticed the brethren have discussed Gifts of the Spirit numerous times over the years, even more so in the last couple of years. The reason is simply this – we must, as the brethren have always taught us, become self-sufficient in receiving personal revelation and in communicating with the heavens. We are meant to reach the highest level of our potential. We triumphed in pre-mortality, earning the right to come to this earth, gain a mortal body, be tested and achieve eternal glory. Why blow it now?