Playing With The Players: November 2007

I have to give a talk in sacrament on Sunday :( The last time I talked was after Pioneer trek! Well I finally finished it and here it is for all of you who couldn't make it to see this once in a life time appearance :) I told Matt if I get over with now then I wont have to talk later. My topic was fruits and gifts of the spirit.

Introduction of our family:
. I want to start by introducing myself. My name is Laura Player. I was born and raised in southern California being the youngest of nine children. When I was 20 I was impressed to move to Arizona. I had my mission papers all ready to turn in and my bishop told me to hold on to them. He said that he had a feeling I wasn’t going to need to them. After living in Arizona for only one month I met my husband Matt and married him later that year. We got sealed in the Mesa Arizona temple. Then in August of this year we moved to Alabama.
· Matt was born in Salt Lake City and grew up in Hyrum Utah. He served his mission in Everett Washington. He is the middle child of three and the only boy.
· We have one daughter named Eliza who is a little over six months old.

I have been given the opportunity to speak to you today about the fruits and gifts of the spirit. When I started preparing my talk the first question that popped into my mind was what are the fruits and gifts of the spirit? Bruce R. McConkie said “Spiritual gifts are endless in number and infinite in variety after doing some research I found the following:
Some of the more permanent gifts are: gifts of wisdom, healing, testimony, prophecy, and discerning of spirits.
There is a more vital category of gifts which include faith, hope, and charity. All of these gifts must be acquired in order to inherit Eternal Life.

Moroni 10: 20-23

Some of the ways we can seek and receive these gifts are through our patriarchal blessings, being set apart, and through ordination. Everyone may not have all of these gifts but they at least have one. In the Doctrine and Covenants section 46 the Lord lists six qualifications in order to receive spiritual gifts.

1. Verse 9: They are not to be sought out as signs

48 Now Korihor said unto him: I do not deny the existence of a God, but I do not believe that there is a God; and I say also, that ye do not know that there is a God; and except ye show me a sign, I will not believe.
49 Now Alma said unto him: This will I give unto thee for a sign, that thou shalt be struck dumb, according to my words; and I say, that in the name of God, ye shall be struck dumb, that ye shall no more have utterance.
50 Now when Alma had said these words, Korihor was struck dumb, that he could not have utterance, according to the words of Alma.
51 And now when the chief judge saw this, he put forth his hand and wrote unto Korihor, saying: Art thou convinced of the power of God? In whom did ye desire that Alma should show forth his sign? Would ye that he should afflict others, to show unto thee a sign? Behold, he has showed unto you a sign; and now will ye dispute more?
52 And Korihor put forth his hand and wrote, saying: I know that I am dumb, for I cannot speak; and I know that nothing save it were the apower of God could bring this upon me; yea, and I always bknew that there was a God.
53 But behold, the devil hath adeceived me; for he bappeared unto me in the cform of an angel, and said unto me: Go and reclaim this people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God. And he said unto me: There is dno God; yea, and he taught me that which I should say. And I have taught his words; and I taught them because they were pleasing unto the ecarnal mind; and I taught them, even until I had much success, insomuch that I verily believed that they were true; and for this cause I withstood the truth, even until I have brought this great fcurse upon me.
54 Now when he had said this, he besought that Alma should pray unto God, that the acurse might be taken from him.
55 But Alma said unto him: If this curse should be taken from thee thou wouldst again lead away the hearts of this people; therefore, it shall be unto thee even as the Lord will.

2. Verse 12: They are to be used in the service of others.
3. Verse 30: We should ask “In the spirit”
4. Verse 31: They are to be used “in the name of Christ”
5. Verse 32: We should thank Heavenly Father for the gifts he has blessed us with.
6. Verse 33: We must practice virtue and holiness before the Lord Continually.

I think we must remember that Spiritual gifts are indeed gifts

Moroni 10: 8, 17-18

Elder Henry B. Eyring said “Despite our uniqueness, we all have some things in common. We are all in the probationary test of mortality and wherever we live, that test will become increasingly difficult. We are in the last dispensation of time.”
We must be cautious when using our gifts and never misuse them. Joseph Smith taught when spiritual gifts “are applied to that which God does not intend, they prove and injury, a snare, and a curse instead of a blessing,” He also taught that most gifts are “not visible to the natural vision, or understanding of man,” and that it “requires time and circumstances to call these gifts into operation.”
The Power of Discernment is essential if we are to distinguish between genuine spiritual gifts and gifts given by the adversary to deceive men and women doing the work of God. The savior taught us how to know which gifts are of God and which are of the Adversary.

In First Nephi 14: 16 it reads “Ye shall know them by their fruits” and in Galatians 5:22-23 “The fruit of the spirit in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. President Gordon B. Hinckley taught “You recognize the promptings of the spirit by the fruits of the spirit. That which enlighteneth, that which buildith up, that which is positive and affirmative and uplifting and leads us to better thoughts and better words ad better deeds is of the Spirit of God. That which tears us down, which leads us into forbidden paths is of the adversary.”

I want to close by using a quote from George Q. Cannon “If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift that will make us perfect… No man ought to say, “Oh I cannot help this; it is my nature” He is not justified in it, for the reason that God has promised to give strength to correct these things, and to give gifts that will eradicate them. If a man lacks wisdom, it is his duty to ask God for Wisdom. The same with everything else, that is the design of God concerning His Church. He wants His Saints to be perfected in the truth. For this purpose He gives these gifts, and bestows them upon those who seek after them, in order that they may be a perfect people upon the face of the earth.” I’d like to say these things in the Name of Jesus Christ Amen.