|
Each of us has traits we have inherited from our parents and
other progenitors. It may be eye or hair color, a lovely singing
voice, the ability to paint, a temper, a love of nature or one
of a million other things. We also have heavenly parents from
whom we have inherited many traits. When we develop these traits
they become divine talents. These talents can be used to better
our families, wards, world and selves. President Gordon B. Hinckley
has these inspiring words for us from a talk entitled, "The
Light Within:"
"There is something of divinity within each of you.
You have such tremendous potential with that quality as a
part of your inherited nature. Every one of you was endowed
by your Father in Heaven with a tremendous capacity to do
good in the world. Train your minds and your hands that you
may be equipped to serve well in the society of which you
are a part. Cultivate the art of being kind, of being thoughtful,
of being helpful. Refine within you the quality of mercy which
comes as a part of the divine attributes you have inherited."
(Ensign May 1995, p.99).
It is our
responsibility to develop our talents. We need to look deep
within ourselves to the divine talents each of us possesses
and can develop. Some of these include but are not limited to:
patience, compassion, joy, a cheerful nature, endurance, the
ability to listen, insight, service, and gratitude. There are
as many different types and combinations of these talents as
there are sisters in the world.
Let's consider the above-mentioned talents.
Patience is a virtue to which many people aspire.
When we are impatient with our children, job, spouse, or others,
we feel disappointed with ourselves. In the novel "Little
Women," Jo, the daughter with the least patience is amazed
to discover that her mother, whom she privately considers quite
perfect, struggles with impatience every day of her life. When
Jo asks for advice on dealing with this "bosom foe,"
her mother tells her to take her struggles to the Lord and to
seek His help. She also tells her that she must do her part
as well and "go away" from the situation until she
has learned to regain her composure. This is wonderful advice
that can be used over and over until patience blossoms into
a talent that will bless us greatly.
Most of us are born with compassion, but not
all of us learn to develop this talent and channel it into meaningful
actions. There are several components to compassion. Charity,
or the pure love of Christ, is one of these components. Sympathy
is defined as the act or power of sharing the feelings of another,
or commiseration. Empathy is defined as identification with
and understanding of another. Charity, sympathy, and empathy
combine to form compassion. This is one of the most divine talents
of all because it requires us to aspire not only to Christ-like
behavior, but to Christ-like emotions as well. Sisters all over
the world render compassionate service to others without realizing
that it is indeed a talent, a gift from a loving Heavenly Father.
Joy is a talent. We have all known people who
are in unpleasant situations, yet they remain joyful. We have
also known people in good situations that are miserable. Most
of us would probably rather spend our time with those who are
more joyful. Along with being a talent, joy is also a choice.
Sister Barbara W. Winder has these thoughts about finding joy:
"Each
woman is responsible for her own happiness. Let us strive
to cultivate this spirit of gladness in our homes and let
it shine in our faces wherever we go" (Ensign May 1986,
p 67).
A cheerful
nature goes along with joy. It is sometimes hard to achieve
but is one of those things to which we can apply the old adage
"fake it until you make it." Elder Marvin J. Ashton
says:
"With
God's help, good cheer permits us to rise above the depressing
present or difficult circumstances. … It is sunshine
when clouds block the light" (Ensign, May 1986, p. 66).
Endurance
is an extremely valuable talent. It is essential to our spiritual
progression. A ninety-seven year old woman currently resides
in a nursing home. She has been a widow for thirty-four years.
She lived alone many years and was as independent as she could
be. When she had to be placed in a nursing home because she
needed more care than her daughters could give, she didn't complain.
She meekly endures and will continue to do so. She is an inspiration
to all that know her. Enduring to the end may not always be
easy, but the best things usually are not.
The ability to listen is in great demand. How
often do we just listen, really listen, without interrupting,
without changing the subject and without giving advice (unless
asked for)? Not often enough. This is a talent that can bless
the life of every person with whom we come in contact. Heavenly
Father is our best example of this. When we pray, He listens.
Insight is directly related to listening. If
we listen after praying, have quiet meditation after reading
the scriptures, and ponder the problems our loved ones share
with us, we can be blessed with insight and knowledge of the
truth.
Service
is a talent best developed with a "hands-on"
approach. We won't know how to serve until we try. There are
so many opportunities for service in the world today. There
is a need for service to church, community, charities, and the
individuals around us. The time to roll up those sleeves and
start serving is now. The more we do it, the easier it gets.
This is true for service as well as any talent with which we've
been blessed.
Gratitude is a trait that isn't usually considered
a talent, but a requirement. Yes, we do need to be grateful.
The talent lies in being truly grateful, not wishing for something
more or different than we have been given. An ungrateful heart
is usually an unhappy heart. Being miserly with our gratitude,
praise and thanks can only lead to a painful canker of the soul.
We need to practice gratitude at all times and for all things.
We need to be grateful for our blessings and our challenges.
After all, without problems and challenges, how could we grow
and learn the things required of us?
We are children of loving Heavenly Parents. Divine talents are
a part of our birthright. We need to use them, develop them,
and share them. Hiding them will only slow our progression,
while sharing them with our families and others will bring blessings
of growth and enrichment to them as well as ourselves. |
Spiritual
Gifts
"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."
-- Moroni 10:8
God has blessed all of us with spiritual gifts - no one is
left out! According to the book of Moroni these gifts can
be:
Sometimes
we learn we posses some of these gifts through a priesthood
blessing, patriarchal blessings, or personal spiritual experiences.
Everyone of us posses at least one of the afore mentioned gifts.
Pray to your Father in Heaven that you might know what your
talent is - and how to use it to better serve Him.
I
personally recommend you take the time this week to re-read
Moroni chapter ten. It is filed with so much information about
our divine talents and how we can use them to serve the Lord. |
