Blessings of Spiritual Gifts

Volume One—Chapter Eight THE BLESSINGS OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS

#“Specificity” of Spiritual Gifts

It is important to recognize the idea of “specificity” in earning gifts of the Spirit. If we desire to acquire this particular gift of the Spirit, then we must obey that particular commandment or law. This is an important implication of D&C 130:20-21: “When we obtain any blessing [specific gift of the Spirit] from God, it is by obedience to that [specific] law upon which it is predicated.” Generally, our spiritual growth occurs according to this “specific” formula. The gifts we receive may be said to be “obedience specific.”

Some important gifts, however, are not obedience specific. They are not contingent upon the particular law being obeyed. It is important we consider these vital gifts.

#Perquisites

Allow me to digress for a moment. When an individual seeks to work for a company, he often does so because the anticipated remuneration or salary is satisfactory. His main concern is the amount of his biweekly paycheck. Often, however, a company offers extra advantages, over and above the salary. These might be health insurance, an automobile, a particularly well-designed and furnished office, a membership to a health spa, free daily lunches, etc. These extra or incidental benefits are often referred to as “perquisites” or, in briefer, modern terminology, “perks.”

#Perquisite Gifts of the Spirit

The spiritual gifts we have thus far considered have been “obedience specific.” A diligently obedient individual may well be focused the divine quality he sees lacking in himself. For example, if he finds himself lacking in patience, he may well strive deliberately to act more patiently, in hopes the Lord will bless him with the divine gift or attribute of patience. In other words, he hopes for the “obedience-specific” gift in return for his striving.

Importantly, however, when an individual qualifies for and receives a specific gift of the Spirit, there are certain extra blessings or gifts that will also be proffered. I call these “spiritual perquisites,” “spiritual perks,” or “perquisite gifts of the Spirit.” These are most important and fundamental in helping to form the “new creature” that results from spiritual growth. They also tend to enhance future spiritual growth by rendering it more likely the individual will continue to grow and even at a more rapid rate.

Let us say, for example, you are striving to grow your gift of charity and repent of your previous neglect in that area. You are sincerely striving to serve others and even sacrificing in that effort. The Holy Ghost has observed your efforts. He finds you worthy to receive an increment of the Savior’s divine love or charity. This is granted to you by personal revelation. Consequently, you become a bit more charitable. In addition to receiving an increment of divine charity, you will inevitably also receive certain other “perquisite gifts” of the Spirit received whenever spiritual growth occurs. I will summarize ten perquisite gifts that “automatically” accompany spiritual growth. Doubtless, there are others:

1. The gift of a lessening of the pulls of the natural man. It is always difficult to earn gifts of the Spirit. Obedience to a commandment requires discipline and hard work. Our “natural self” would prefer something easier, something more pleasurable, something more immediately beneficial. Our natural self inevitably tends to drag its feet. It tries to prevent us from growing spiritually. One “perk” of successful obedience is a lessening of the pulls of our natural self. When we succeed in denying our natural self and obeying a commandment, it is then easier to obey a commandment the next time.

Such a phenomenon was noted by some of those Nephites present at the time of King Benjamin’s speech. They had been immediately converted to the truth of Benjamin’s words. They had received the specific gift of a testimony of the truth of his preachings. They had also begun to receive this particular spiritual perk:

And now, it came to pass that when King Benjamin had thus spoken to his people, he sent among them, desiring to know of his people if they believed the words which he had spoken unto them. And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually (Mosiah 5:1-2, emphasis mine).

When a person receives gifts of the Spirit, his appetites of the flesh pale. Temptations of the world seem, of a sudden, tawdry and inferior. He then hungers for spiritual things. This idea is given scriptural expression in the passage:

For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things (D&C 88:40).

In a later chapter, we will consider the concepts of justification and sanctification.1 We will learn there that sanctification is the combination of two separate phenomena that occur when an individual obeys a commandment. First, he receives a gift of the Spirit. Second, the receipt of the spiritual gift is associated with a purging, “as if by fire,” of evil from his soul. The perquisite gift of a lessening of the pulls of one’s natural self is that purging, and is thus an integral part of sanctification.

2. The gift of a spiritual witness of the reality of God. When you receive a gift of the Spirit, you sense you have just had an experience with God himself. You know he exists. You know that spiritual gifts come from him. This increases your confidence in God and your desire to interact more with him.

The apostle John referred to this perquisite gift: “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:16-17). John says, in effect, “If you obey this commandment, you will know that the Father exists and that the commandment came from him. It did not come from anyone else.” By virtue of this witness, you recognize that this experience of receiving gifts of the Spirit is different from the happenings of the world. You begin to become converted to the idea that there are higher and more deeply satisfying experiences available to mortals than those of the world. You experience an increase in confidence that further obedience will result in more spiritual growth.

3. The gift of joy. In growing spiritually, you have just had the uncomfortable experience of resisting and overcoming a part of your natural self. It is quite unlike our merciful Lord to leave you with the taste of discomfort or pain in your mouth. He would not have you associate spiritual growth with painful, unpleasant memories. So, instead, he blesses you with that profound emotion referred to in the scriptures as joy. Real spiritual joy is a unique and incomparable experience quite unlike any form of worldly pleasantry or happiness. Joy is richer, more abiding, more edifying, and more soulsatisfying than its worldly counterparts—happiness and pleasure. There is nothing more effective in converting you to the whole experience of spiritual growth, and causing you to yearn for more, than joy.

One cannot fully understand the sublime gift of joy until it is bestowed by the Spirit. The Book of Mormon missionary Ammon described his feelings of joy following the conversion of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies:

Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice? Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel (Alma 26:13, 16, italics added).

Alma also enjoyed the gift of joy: “I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost” (Alma 36:24).

The Father’s attribute of personal joy excels and encompasses that of all others (Alma 17:17-18). Heber C. Kimball remarked:

I am perfectly satisfied that my Father and my God is a cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured Being. Why? Because I am cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured when I have his Spirit. That is one reason why I know; and another is—the Lord said, through Joseph Smith, “I delight in a glad heart and a cheerful countenance” [D&C 59:15]. That arises from the perfection of his attributes; he is a jovial, lively person and a beautiful man (JD, 4:222).

4. The gift of spiritual discernment. When we are experienced in our connections to and interactions with the Holy Ghost, we come to be able to discern truth from untruth. The experience of striving for and being granted a gift of the Spirit is just such an interaction. We develop the ability to discern what is real and true from what is specious and false. We become able to intuitively identify spiritual, and even secular, truths. This life is a maze of truth and untruth. This maze must be successfully negotiated if one is to succeed in this life and eventually become saved in the highest kingdom of glory. A man may well depend upon his logic and reason alone to guide him through life to the point where he becomes one of the “honorable men of the earth” (D&C 76:75). However, it is impossible for him to guide himself to his full exaltation without the help of the Spirit—without this power of discernment.

5. The gift of hope, the gift of the Lord’s rest. This is the gift of a growing

assurance that your efforts to live the gospel are acceptable in the sight of God.

6. The gift of character. Character is the ability to do the truly difficult thing when it is the right thing, the correct thing, the righteous thing. Character is strength; character is courage. The individual who knows what it means to grow spiritually has learned the value of determination and work. He has deliberately resisted the temptations of his natural self, and he has obeyed a commandment. This exercise is a bit like lifting weights. With each deliberate act of obedience there occurs an accrual of an increment of strength to obey. Eventually, the Spirit adds strength in the form of the gift of character—the gift of spiritual strength and courage.

This gift of character can operate in matters both spiritual and secular. The individual with this gift has learned that spiritual growth is difficult—there is no “free lunch.” No one can do it for him. He must do it himself. He is independent and tough. This strong “work ethic” will hold forth even when encountering secular challenges.

The prophet Nephi taught: “And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them” (1 Nephi 17:3). The overall effect of the gift of character is to strengthen and enable the possessor in all aspects of his life. The possessor of this gift is better able to act rather than simply be acted upon as he goes through life.

7. The gift of accelerated spiritual growth. Because of perquisites 1 through 6 above, a man who is constantly striving for and earning gifts of the Spirit, grows in his susceptibility and responsiveness to the ministrations of the Spirit.

When an individual is actively striving to obey the commandments, his spiritual growth is measurable over time. As time passes, an individual experiences a definable amount of growth. We may thus speak of his rate of spiritual growth or how much growth he achieves in a given period of time. It is instructive to consider the pattern of the rate of spiritual growth.

In illustrating the rate of growth, or in illustrating any other quantifiable changing parameter, scientists may use a simple graph. In this case the graph would be used to plot growth against time. Two patterns are common: the first is linear, the second is exponential. The linear pattern means that for any given increment of time, a set amount of change (growth) occurs. The relationship is called “one-to-one.” Therefore, in double the time you get double the growth, in triple the time, triple the growth, etc. An exponential pattern is different. With exponential growth, the rate increases with time. With the first increment of time you get a certain amount of growth. During the second identical period of time, you may get double or triple the growth. During the third increment of time, you get four times or more the rate of growth.

Let us apply the concept of growth rate to spiritual growth. If the rate of growth of an individual were linear, his growth rate would be constant. That is, with each set period of time, the amount of growth would be the same. This means that a young person who is just beginning to grow spiritually would grow at the same rate as an older person. On the other hand, if spiritual growth is exponential, then the rate of growth accelerates as growth proceeds, and an individual with greater spiritual accomplishment would tend to grow more rapidly than one who is just starting out.

It seems clear that spiritual growth, at least for that individual who is diligently and constantly trying to obey, tends to be exponential. That is, as an individual strives to obey and consequently experiences spiritual growth, the actual rate of growth is ever accelerating.

8. The gift of conversion. A fascinating phenomenon occurs when an individual receives a gift of the Spirit. We may refer to this phenomenon as “conversion” of the individual. The word conversion originates from the Latin word conversio, which means to change from one state to another. We are accustomed to limiting the meaning of conversion to the spiritual changes in an individual that results in his joining the Church. This is a valid application, but conversion may also apply to the spiritual changes in an individual who is already a member. When any individual grows spiritually, he changes from one state to another. He changes from a man less of the world to a man a little more like God. It is by the perquisite gift of conversion that an individual is changed in his heart and mind and becomes a little more like God. Perhaps we should not regard conversion as a separate and distinct perquisite gift. It may be more the sum total of all the previously mentioned perquisite gifts.

The final two “perquisite gifts” are not entirely extra blessings associated with spiritual growth. Each has its own “law, irrevocably decreed in heaven” upon which it is specifically “predicated.” Each is individually “obedience specific.” Yet, they are included here because they most always occur in the individual who is progressing on all fronts—diligently striving to obey all the Lord’s commands.

9. The gift of constant prayer, the gift of constant open communication with the Lord. As we grow spiritually, and as we begin the process of deliberately and diligently following the Lord’s commandment to pray frequently and from our hearts, he will slowly reveal to us the gift of constant prayer. This establishes a constant connection with him. Then we will joy in all forms of prayer, both uttered and unuttered. The Lord’s command for us to pray is his way of drawing us closer to him. As we diligently pray, he will gradually forge a stronger and more constant relationship with us. We need to seek every opportunity to express ourselves to him verbally. This deliberate prayer will then be gradually replaced with a longing to communicate with him and a feeling of constant closeness to him. This longing is the gift of constant prayer.

10. The gift of a testimony of Jesus Christ—faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the “first principle of the gospel.” When we are blessed with a testimony of Jesus, we are blessed with far more than simply knowing that Christ lives and that he is our Savior. When we receive this gift, the Lord actually reveals himself to us. Our relationship with him becomes intimate and personal. We feel his presence. We are warmed by his love. Later in this chapter we will discuss further this vital first principle of the gospel (see “Testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ”).3

The combination of all these “perks” renders our spiritual growth fun, compelling, joyful, and a highly desirable and spiritual experience. As we grow we become increasingly apt to continue grow. Ironically, there is nothing of pride or selfcenteredness in the joyful experience resulting from these perks. The individual who grows spiritually is inclined to want to share his greater spiritual capacities and satisfactions with others. He desires others to experience the joy he is experiencing. He has no inclination to boast about his newly acquired abilities.

#How Much Must We Pay?

We have learned that spiritual gifts are not free. We have discussed just what it is we have to pay. Our payment must be made in the form of obedience. But the question remains: how much must we pay? How much obedience is necessary? Is it easy or difficult to become exalted? We might expect the price for exaltation to be high. Let us explore this question for a moment.

First, is it easy or difficult to obey the commandments? We have already discussed why it is difficult—it is because of the relentless, unwavering contrary pulls of our natural self. Our obedience to the gospel laws must be deliberate and conscientious. We must be obedient when it is difficult. We must be obedient when we don’t feel like it. We must be obedient when the natural-man tendencies cry out for us to relax, give in, and therefore disobey. As we strive diligently to obey, might we expect some stumbling along the way? Some discouragement? Some suffering? Of course.

When we obey a commandment, do we give up something good or something evil? Hearkening, in excess, to our natural self leads us to do evil. Denial of the natural self leads us to do good. Hence, obedience is overcoming the evil within us.

What about sacrifice? Is sacrifice required in our quest for exaltation? What do we mean by the word sacrifice? Sacrifice is giving up something good for something better. We may well be expected to give up something good and wholesome—even something we cherish.

We often overlook another aspect of the price we must pay. Many of us have devolved into a pattern of living the gospel and obeying the commandments in a passive, nonchalant way. That is, we certainly make an honest effort to obey a commandment when the necessity plants itself firmly in our path. If the bishop issues a call, we will respond. If our neighbor cries out for help, we will rally. Then, and only then, do we feel the obligation to exert our best efforts. The scriptures urge us, however, to take a more proactive approach. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians counseled, “Let a man examine himself” (1 Corinthians 11:28).

Prior to partaking of the sacrament each week, we each ought to assess ourselves. We should identify the areas where we could be more obedient to the Lord’s commands. Then we should sincerely covenant with the Lord to obey him. We must be always actively, indeed proactively, involved in seeking out areas and ways in which we may repent and become a more able and worthy servant of the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord longs to assist in this process if we will but take the lead. He will inspire us to know the areas in which we should be seeking to improve and grow. The prophet Nephi urged: “For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:5).

#Are Gifts of the Spirit Permanent?

Let’s not make the mistake of supposing that once a gift is acquired, it is a permanent possession that cannot be lost. The Lord has made it clear that spiritual regression may also occur. He said through the prophet Joseph: “He that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts” (D&C 1:31-33). The Lord also taught: “Unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return” (D&C 82:7).

There seem to be two common reasons why an individual may lose spiritual gifts previously received:

1. A misuse of one’s spiritual gifts. Once gifts are received, there is an inclination to consecrate them to the service of God. Indeed, there is an obligation to do so. We are obliged to use our gifts in serving in the Lord’s earthly kingdom. He expects us to forget ourselves and turn our intentions to the spiritual and temporal welfare of others. Our gifts are to serve as helps, witnesses, and testimonies to those who are sojourning with us here in mortality.

It is possible, however, to misuse the gifts we receive. We may utilize them for inappropriate ends. We may use them for our own selfish purposes. Improper use of a gift may cause an individual to lose it. “Seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given; For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments” (D&C 46:8–9).

2. A failure to endure. We commonly misinterpret the spiritual concept of endurance. The word itself connotes the image of the elderly member of the Church desperately clinging to his righteousness by his fingernails, hoping against hope that death will get him before sin does. The principle of endurance is far richer than this. To endure is to consistently strive to obey. It is to be constantly growing spiritually. The person who endures is able to grow in all circumstances, especially when growth is difficult. Growth may be made difficult by opposition or tribulation. Growth may also be rendered difficult by too much ease or comfort. Endurance is a measure of an individual’s spiritual character, his strength. Endurance is not a passive trait. Rather, it implies a proactive striving.

We have concluded previously: there are no plateaus in spiritual growth. Failure to strive for spiritual growth does not result in a steady state, a plateau, a maintaining of one’s spiritual gifts. Rather, he who stops reaching, seeking, and struggling to grow will surely regress. He will lose those spiritual gifts previously earned and received.

#Does Spiritual Growth Occur Only in Mortality?

Are gifts of the Spirit only a phenomenon of mortality, or does the process continue as we pass from this life into the eternities? And what of our progress in the premortal realm? Did we also acquire gifts of the Spirit there?

Certainly our earning of spiritual gifts began eons before we came to earth. It will continue beyond our physical death into the spirit world. We will persist in growing even in the celestial realm. It seems certain we will never stop adding to our spiritual character. We will continue to accumulate spiritual gifts until we eventually come to possess all those now possessed by the Father and the Son. Then, we shall yet continue to progress for eternity. There certainly will never come a time with the Father and the Son will cease to growth spiritually. We shall always look to them as our Gods.

#What Can We “Take with Us,” when We Die?

There would seem to be only three things we will take with us when we pass beyond mortality—our spiritual gifts, our personal relationships, and our memories. The Lord has taught: “Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come” (D&C 130:18-19). Make note of the Lord’s use of the word intelligence in this verse. It is used here to refer to a man’s spiritual growth—the sum of his spiritual gifts. Just as intelligence in a secular setting refers to man’s mental capacities and achievements, intelligence in a spiritual sense refers to man’s spiritual achievements.

#The Role of Baptism in our Spiritual Growth

Did you know that in the Lord’s Church, there is a specific ordinance by which we may grow spiritually? The purpose of the ordinance is to enhance our spiritual growth. Every ordinance in which we participate in the Church has the effect of encouraging us to grow. But there is one ordinance directly involved in the very process of our spiritual growth. It is the ordinance of baptism. This will be discussed thoroughly in a later chapter.4

#Identifying Gifts of the Spirit

When we are asked to specifically name a few spiritual gifts, we tend to think first of the few most-common talents or free gifts. We might mention music, art, speaking in tongues, or the gift of healing. Are these the most important gifts of the Spirit? Are there others?

The number and variety of gifts of the Spirit are nearly infinite. They are as numerous as the attributes of God. Though one hesitates to begin to list them, a few of them include such qualities as sensitivity, discernment, patience, love, humility, musical ability, artistic ability, self mastery, strength of character, leadership skills, intellectual powers of reasoning and logic, abiding joy, testimony of the Book of Mormon or of other spiritual concepts, and a susceptibility to the Spirit’s promptings. And let us not forget some of the most advanced gifts—hope, charity, a personal relationship with the Savior, and even eternal life. But by no means is this a comprehensive list. These are only a tiny sample of the myriad gifts available to man. The Father and the Son possess all gifts in their fulness.

The Spirit has at his disposal literally thousands of gifts or attributes of Christ. He may bestow them in a sequence individually tailored to the person receiving them. When received, they become incremental additions to the individual’s own spiritual person. Referring to the wide range of spiritual gifts, Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote: “These gifts are infinite in number and endless in their manifestations because God himself is infinite and endless” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, 270).

#Are there “Physical” Gifts of the Spirit?

As I write this section, the summer Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing, China have just concluded. With every other fan of the Olympics, I stood in awe of the remarkable physical abilities demonstrated there. Does the Lord have an interest in physical skills, including athletic abilities? And what about other physical skills such as mastering a musical instrument or creating graphic works of art?

Certainly a highly skilled performer in any physical activity must pay a high price in the form of rigorous discipline, overcoming obstacles, dedication, consistency, sacrifice, and suffering. But it is also clear that some individuals are peculiarly gifted in athletic abilities. Might athletic prowess be received as a spiritual gift by those who have earned it? Does the outstanding physical mastery they achieve have anything to do with spiritual growth? Are these skills eventually received by revelation? Does the Holy Ghost stand ready to assist in the acquisition of these abilities after the individual demonstrates sufficient deliberate work and dedication? We have previously mentioned the Lord’s teaching: “All things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal; neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam, your father, whom I created” (D&C 29:34-35).

We will all live forever with physical bodies. We should not be surprised to learn that physical skills are another form of gifts of the Spirit with which the Holy Ghost stands ready to assist. We should also not be surprised to learn that these skills will be useful to us in the eternal hereafter.

Mortality is the training seminar, the “school,” for all eternity. Everything we do here has application in the hereafter, and that includes the things we do with our physical bodies. Is it possible that it is a sin to be a perpetual “couch potato”? Might a regular program of exercise have spiritual as well as physical implications? Might we be found accountable if we are careless in our dietary habits? We find in D&C 89, the Word of Wisdom, an implied meaning or spirit which supersedes its twenty-one verses. Surely, our bodies are given to us for a reason. We must learn to care for them in all necessary ways.

One of the central purposes of mortality is for our spirits to learn to interact with and take full advantage of our mortal body. The lessons to be learned are not all negative ones. It is short-sighted to assume that the extent of our learning, while living in a mortal body, is how to control our biological (including sexual) drives. Our body has characteristics that can enrich and enliven our experiences here on earth in positive ways.

Some of us have experienced the exhilaration of a mountain hike, the excitement of skiing downhill in fresh snow, the wonder of a night sky seeable only in a dark wilderness, or the inspiration of a breath-taking view from a mountain top. We are enabled in all of these by our physical body and its sensory capabilities. If our body is not well cared for, we limit its ability to enhance our lives. It is likely to bring us more pain and suffering than joy. It is utterly unreasonable to think that our life experience will not be enhanced, in yet unimaginable ways, by the wonder of a celestial eternal body. Perhaps we haven’t “seen anything yet”! Are we worthy of a celestial resurrection if we fail to learn to care for our body here on earth? Perhaps not.

#The Role of Sin

Sin is defined as breaking a commandment or disobeying a law of God (1 John 3:4—sin of commission). In the eyes of the Spirit of God, it is also failure to make an adequate effort to obey (sin of omission).

And what is the major consequence of sin relative to one’s spiritual growth? It is the cessation of spiritual growth. Sin results in failure to progress spiritually and failure to qualify for the reception of spiritual gifts from the Spirit of God. It also may mean the loss of those spiritual gifts already earned.

#Is Seeking Gifts of the Spirit a Form of Self-Aggrandizement?

Is it proper to seek after gifts of the Spirit? Is it self-serving? After all, should we not be more concerned about others more than ourselves? Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:

Is it proper to seek for spiritual gifts? . . . If spiritual gifts are interwoven with and form part of the very gospel of salvation itself, can we enjoy the fulness of that gospel without possessing the gifts that are part of it? . . . And if we are to seek the gospel, if we are to hunger and thirst after righteousness, if our whole souls must cry out for the goodness of God and his everlasting association, how can we exempt ourselves from seeking the gifts of the Spirit that come from and prepare us for his presence? (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, 369.)

There is something of an irony here. Those behaviors that result in earning gifts of the Spirit are based upon principles of turning our attentions outward, forgetting ourselves, and serving others.

Consider also a couple of corollary questions: Are we obligated to seek after gifts of the Spirit? Might we be judged guilty if we do not? The prophet Moroni taught: “I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing” (Moroni 10:30). Do you think the gifts you earn or fail to earn here on earth will be a factor in the judgment? We are commanded to obey. When we obey, we grow toward godhood. Certainly we will be judged, at least in part, on our spiritual growth.

#Three Essential Factors in the Final Judgment

But is the amount of spiritual growth we experience the only factor in the judgment? The thoughtful student of the scriptures would be troubled to learn that the amount of spiritual growth we experience on earth through our efforts to obey the commandments is the only factor, or even the main factor, in the final judgment. After all, people on earth live out their lives in widely divergent circumstances and in very different conditions. Life’s circumstances may make it more difficult to live or even be exposed to the gospel and commandments of Jesus Christ.

How, then, is one to be judged at the great and final judgment? By what criteria will he be judged worthy or not worthy of exaltation? Is the only vital measure of a man the amount of spiritual progress he has made? Is it the success he has had in becoming more like God?

The Lord is consummately fair in all things. He is “no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34). And does the law of justice not specify that no one individual will be afforded any unfair advantage or be impeded by any unwarranted obstruction or penalty in his quest for exaltation? But as we survey the state of man here on the earth, how is that possible? We become aware of an almost infinite array of circumstances that might impact individual spiritual progress. How is it possible that all men are judged with perfect fairness? The judgment will be made by the perfect judge, by him who knows intimately the conditions and situations of each individual upon the earth.

It is important to understand three vital factors the Savior will surely consider in the judgment of each person who stands before him. These are (1) the individual’s premortal progress, (2) his earthly circumstances, and (3) his earthly progress given these circumstances:

Who were you before you entered mortality? Each of us arrives here on earth having acquired various degrees of spiritual light and progress in the premortal world. In that former sphere, some of us were valiant and obedient. Others were less so. The spiritual growth of some exceeded that of others. Who among these is likely to be judged more rigorously? Who will be held to a higher standard? Here is the somewhat ironic principle of D&C 82:3: “For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation.” From the more accomplished souls, the Lord will surely expect more. He is likely to be more lenient with those of lesser premortal spiritual accomplishment.

What circumstances did you encounter here? As already mentioned, we will live out our mortal experience in widely divergent circumstances. Some are born into wealth and others into desperate poverty and deprivation. Some experience loving parents and associates. Others are treated more harshly; they may be neglected or even abused. Some are reared in a home where the principles of the gospel are observed and taught. Others are never exposed to the gospel or its teachings. Some may never even hear the name of Jesus Christ. Some are reared amid cultural circumstances that may make it difficult to understand and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some are born into apostate Christian churches. Others come to Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or pagan homes. Also, the span of our lives will vary from very short to long. Some will die in infancy or childhood. Others will live to old age. The latter would seem to have an advantage in repenting and turning to the Lord and his gospel.

Another important factor is the extreme variability of the “hardware” or hardwiring of the physical brain among all mortals. This concept was referred to in the previous

chapter. Any one individual’s “hardware” may lead to an endless variety of tendencies, facilities, or hardships. Is it significant, for example, that a given individual is unusually mentally bright or dull? Will the dull person be easily able to acquire an education? Or will it be difficult? Will he be able to function successfully in earning a living for himself and his family, or might some organic impairment make it difficult? Will he be inclined toward emotional or mental difficulties? Might he have an organic inclination for additions such as alcoholism? Might he be inclined, by his brain’s hardwiring, toward same-sex attraction?

Consider also the nearly infinite variety of vicissitudes and pitfalls each of us will encounter. Certainly a loving Lord will take into account the circumstances of our lives. He certainly knows, by intimate personal experience, all of the adversities a man may encounter here in mortality.

In Jesus’s parable of the talents (see Matthew 25:14-30), the Lord rewards all his servants equally, even though not all were equally productive. Only the entirely unproductive were dismissed as worthless. It becomes clear in the parable that the reward was not based on how much one did, but rather what one did with what he was given. So it is with us. D. Kelly Ogden and Andew C. Skinner wrote of the parable of the talents:

The parable is not about three levels of goodness but about doing the best we can with what we’ve been given. (As our leaders have often counseled us, it is not where we serve but how we serve that matters.) The servant who doubled his two talents earned the same reward as he who doubled the five talents. They were both faithful, and the faithful, in the end, will be given all the Father has (Verses by Verse, The Four Gospels, 536; emphasis in the original).

God expects us to be faithful to him in the stewardship he has given us. That stewardship includes the life situations we find ourselves in here on earth.

As an example, consider the individual who is reared in a devout Jewish or Muslim home. How can he possibly be expected to find the gospel of Jesus Christ? How can he make any requisite spiritual progress through obeying the commandments of the Savior? One may feel this individual is hopelessly disadvantaged in earning his exaltation. But are these circumstances really a disadvantage in the final judgment?

The Lord will be more lenient with those whose life experiences make it more difficult for them to learn of Jesus Christ and his gospel. He knows, understands, and will judge with perfect fairness.

It is actually those of us reared with ready access to the gospel who are “in trouble” in the judgment. He will surely expect more of us! We will be held to a higher standard. This principle should serve as a sobering warning to those of us reared in or around the Church.

The thoughtful student of the scriptures may wonder whether or not the Lord is able to adequately judge an individual whose exposure to Jesus Christ and his gospel here on earth was lacking or even entirely absent. We have supposed that such persons will be “put on hold” at death and placed in spirit prison until the gospel is preached to them. Finally, when they have sufficient exposure to Jesus Christ and his gospel, they will be fairly judged. But is this really the mechanism of their judgment?

The scriptures suggest the Savior is able to judge any man who has ever lived on the earth. The fairness of his judgment does not depend upon the extent of the individual’s exposure to the gospel. The prophet Joseph Smith was favored by the Lord with a vision of the celestial kingdom. Joseph wrote:

I saw Father Adam and Abraham; and my father and my mother; my brother Alvin, that has long since slept; And marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the remission of sins. Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom; For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts (D&C 137:5-9).

Here is an important principle. Clearly, the Savior has the ability to judge a man based not only on his overt behaviors and actions, but also on his thoughts, intentions, and the “desires of [his] heart.” We previously discussed the meaning of a man’s “desires.” They refer to what the man really is in his heart. The Lord earned his perfect ability to judge by virtue of his atoning sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross (Hebrews 2:18; Alma 7:11-12; see also John 5:22).

This mortal existence provides the opportunity for most all people to adequately demonstrate who they really are in their heart relative to gospel law. However, some lives are cut short. Some miss the opportunity of being exposed to gospel principles. For these the Lord is able to judge them based on the intents of their hearts. He knows what they would have thought and how they would have behaved had they the opportunity to learn principles of the gospel. Those who would have earned a celestial reward will be granted their exaltation. Conversely, those who would have received a lesser reward will be accordingly blessed.

How much spiritual progress did you make here? How much progress did you make here on earth in your quest to become more like God? What gifts of the Spirit did you acquire through your obedience to gospel law? Each of us will be granted a certain absolute amount of spiritual progress between our mortal birth and death. Each of us will grow a certain measurable, quantifiable amount toward godhood. Some will grow inches. Others will grow miles. We will not be judged according to our absolute progress. The Lord, with his divine wisdom and insight, will place our absolute progress in the context of the two previous factors. Our absolute growth will be assessed in the context of our premortal growth and the circumstances of our life on earth. For some spiritually disadvantaged and beleaguered souls, a small amount of absolute spiritual growth may be sufficient for exaltation. Others, with more spiritual advantage in life, may be judged unworthy of exaltation though their measurable growth exceeds that of those less advantaged.

I have had many personal musings in this regard. Who, for example, would be surprised to eventually find Plato in the celestial heaven? Plato was a Greek philosopher who lived in the 5th century BC. His ideas about God form the very basis of the apostate doctrine of the Godhead in the Catholic and Protestant churches today. Yet, he lived at a time, in a place, and among a people where there was no access to scripture or prophets. Notwithstanding, he assiduously pondered and acknowledged the reality of God. Left to his own resources, he spent considerable time trying to work out the nature and characteristics of God. Though he concluded amiss on several points, at least he was dedicated to the challenge of defining the nature of his God.

And who would be surprised to find Mother Teresa, Ghandhi, Muhammad, or any number of Catholic popes, Catholic bishops, and Jewish Rabbis judged worthy of exaltation? The danger for some of us in the Lord’s kingdom is that we become smug and passive. We are willing to rest on our laurels. It is true we are blessed to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness at our fingertips. It is also true we thus have opportunities for spiritual growth and spiritual satisfaction unprecedented in the world. We must never become complacent in our service to the Savior. Nor should we ever judge or pity those of other faiths or circumstances. In some ways, they may well have a leg up on us in their quest for eternal glory. All things will be done in perfect fairness.

Ultimately each of us will be judged according to who we have become. In this sense we are said to judge ourselves. In the judgment, the Lord has the welfare of each of us in mind. He knows just where we will be happy, content, productive, and fulfilled for all eternity. He will judge us according to our “heart”—according to who we really are.

#Do Evil Gifts Exist?

Is there such a thing as evil gifts? There are certainly evil skills and abilities. Satan is the prototype of the individual whose considerable abilities are used for evil purposes. His “gifts” are not, in fact, spiritual gifts at all. None of them is an attribute of God. None of them is acquired through the participation of the Spirit of God. They are counterfeit gifts. All counterfeit gifts have potential for evil. They obviously are not gifts of the Spirit, nor do they come by personal revelation. But a man, exclusively through his own efforts, may become clever in the art of evil. It is chilling to learn that a man may become skilled or “gifted” in evil.

In the following quote, Elder Bruce R. McConkie refers to these evil talents as “gifts.” However, they are not blessings revealed to anyone by the influence of the Holy Ghost. They are clearly counterfeits: “If there are good gifts that come from God, there are also evil gifts that spring forth from Satan.” Elder McConkie then contrasted several gifts. If there is “a gift of preaching by the power of the Holy Ghost,” he said, “There is a gift of sophistry and delusion that pleases carnal men and lets them feel that they can believe what they will.” Again, if there is “a gift of charity, of enjoying and possessing the pure love of Christ,” then Satan offers “a gift of selfishness, of putting one’s own interests first in all things.” Further, “gifts of purity, of chastity, of clean thoughts, of upright living, all of which cleanse and perfect the soul of men and prepare them to be at ease in the fellowship of angels and holy beings” are opposed by “gifts of lust, of lewdness, of profane and evil speaking, of filling one’s mind with carnal and evil thoughts, all of which lead to vulgar and immoral acts that prepare men for the continuing association of evil spirits in the realms ahead” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, 376-77). Satan intends that his evil abilities lead men away from Christ and from the good gifts Christ offers, especially the gift of eternal life.

#Must We Study Diligently to Learn Spiritual Truths?

All acknowledge we must utilize specific techniques to effectively acquire secular knowledge. Every student realizes the necessity of good study habits if secular learning is to be effective and enduring. These include keen motivation to learn, diligent and prolonged study, the application of logic, and conscientious review. The procedure must be the same for the study of spiritual truths. The same diligent study habits are required. Is it possible, for example, to receive the gift of a witness of the truth of the Book of Mormon by personal revelation without understanding what the Book of Mormon says and without having read it? When we make the effort to understand and when we do come to an understanding, the Spirit is then able to ratify and confirm that understanding to our heart and mind. The Spirit will not witness to a heart not yearning, and he cannot witness to a confused or empty head passively engaged.

#Testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ

What exactly is a testimony of Jesus Christ? Every significant blessing we receive from the Lord, every worthwhile trait we acquire, comes to us as a gift of the Spirit. One of the most important gifts we can come to possess is a testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Church, our common usage of the phrase “testimony of Jesus Christ” belies its rich meaning. Most members of the Church do rightly acknowledge that such a testimony must come through personal revelation. Such a testimony cannot be obtained through purely earthly means. Like all gifts of the Spirit, it is granted only to those who have paid the price.

And what is this price? It may be summarized simply, though the paying of it requires diligence and endurance over time. One must first have a sincere desire to know him. One must learn of him, his teachings and his atoning sacrifice and death, through a conscientious study of the scriptures and through other writings of modern prophets. Then, the most important step is for one to strive diligently to obey his commandments and precepts. He is our exemplar, and we must emulate his every action, thought, attitude, and priority.

A fundamental and even primary role of the Holy Ghost is to reveal a testimony of the Savior to those who, in his judgment, have earned that blessed privilege through their obedience. Through diligent striving and through continued prayer and pleading, the Spirit will surely eventually judge you worthy of such a gift. He will then grant that gift—a testimony of Jesus Christ.

But what precisely is it? Is it merely mental understanding or mental conviction that he was resurrected and now lives? Members of the Church often make the mistake of assuming that the major difference between two individuals, one with such a testimony and one without, is that the former is willing to acknowledge that he knows that Jesus Christ lives, whereas the latter is not.

A personal relationship. The testimony of Jesus Christ is the gift of a close and intimate personal relationship with him. Through diligent striving, continued prayer, and pleading, the Spirit will surely eventually grant you such a personal relationship. You will still regard him as a magnificent and glorious God, but you will not regard him as being inaccessible to you. You will come to know him personally as you never have before. Your feelings for him will be rich and deeply felt. You will love him and feel loyal to him and protective of him. You will feel revulsion in the presence of any effort to denigrate him. You will be unable to contemplate him and his mortal experiences without poignant tears of gratitude.

As you contemplate his atoning experience, you will feel an overwhelming gratitude to him—which inclines you toward complete and ready submission to him. This integral piece of the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spiritual gift of “a broken heart and contrite spirit.” It is the essence of one’s divine motivation to obey and serve him.

A testimony of Jesus Christ is synonymous with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed this gift of the Spirit is the first principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We will learn in the following chapters that our testimony of Jesus Christ, as with any gift of the Spirit, begins with our deliberate and purposeful obedience. Then, as we obey, the gift begins to be revealed and our heart is changed. We become new creatures, fully committed to Jesus Christ and his gospel. We will be “spiritually born of God,” with his name written on our countenances (Alma 5:14-15). We then possess revealed faith in Jesus Christ.6

To have a testimony of or faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the same as coming “to know” God. In the Gospel of John, the beloved apostle records an important intercessory prayer the mortal Christ uttered on behalf of us mortals (John 17:1-26). In this prayer, the Lord said a most peculiar thing. He said, in verse 3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (italics mine). To receive “life eternal,” of course, means to be exalted. So, John seems to say in this verse that in order to become exalted, all we have to do is come to know God—God the Father and God the Son. Do we “know” God when we are willing to acknowledge that he exists and is active today in the affairs of men? We already understand that to know God is much more than this.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie suggested that to know God is to be like him: “To know God is to think what he thinks, to feel what he feels, to have the power he possesses, to comprehend the truths he understands, and to do what he does. Those who know God become like him, and have his kind of life, which is eternal life” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:761). I would suggest that becoming more like God through diligent obedience to his laws is a vital step to coming to know him. Just as with a testimony of Jesus Christ, as we come to be more like God, we come to know him in a close and personal way because he reveals himself to us. Certainly, this “knowledge” of God is a most vital gift of the Spirit. When we truly come to know God, we shall be sealed up to eternal life. And which specific laws among all of his laws must we obey to receive this gift of the Spirit? We must obey all of them over an extended period of time.

These two concepts, justification and sanctification, will be discussed in chapter 17, Justification and Sanctification.

2 See further discussion of this important perquisite gift in “Two Little-Appreciated Gifts of the Spirit” in chapter 10, Deliberate Faith and Revealed Faith and in “The Fruits of Faith” in chapter 11, Other Notes on Faith. Still further discussion of this topic is found in “The Rest of the Lord—the Gift of Hope” in chapter 17, Justification and Sanctification.

In addition to the section, “Testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ” below in this chapter, see also “The First Principle of the Gospel—Is it deliberate faith or revealed faith?” in chapter 11, Other Notes on Faith.

4 For a discussion of the role of baptism in our spiritual growth, see chapter 18, Baptism, the Ordinance that Brings Spiritual Growth.

5 See the subtitle, “Talents” in the section titled, “Other Uses of the Term ‘Gifts’” in chapter 7, Spiritual Growth—Gifts of the Spirit.

For a discussion of the separate aspects of faith see chapters 9, Revealed Faith, 10, Deliberate Faith and Revealed Faith, and 11, Other Notes on Faith.