Apply the Formula

Apply the Formula

In an ancient book it talks about gifts that we have all been imbued by God. All of us have at least one, maybe more. What do you have? The ancient book, accepted by many, has other facets and applications to it. The Holy Bible, interpreted by many over millennia. I suggest a formula to be derived and applied from it. Some formulas work, others have their faults...

This is an article or essay-type explanation of some recent thoughts on a dialog with a dear friend about what we know and believe, what can be known, what are my gifts, and how does God operate, if there actually is a plan in place...

Isaiah 11 speaks of seven Godly gifts, according to a Christian website:

1) Word of Wisdom 

2) Word of Knowledge 

3) Faith 

4) Gifts of Healing 

5) Working of Miracles 

6) Prophecy 

7) Discerning of Spirits 

8) Divers (or different) kinds of Tongues 

9) Interpretation of (different) Tongues

Paul, some seven centuries later, speaks of the following, in 1 Corinthians 12:

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
For to one is given by 

the Spirit the word of wisdom (1); 

to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit (2); 

To another faith by the same Spirit (3); 

to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit (4); 

To another the working of miracles (5); 

to another prophecy (6); 

to another discerning of spirits (7); 

to another divers kinds of tongues (8); 

to another the interpretation of tongues (9).

But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4-12).  

These divine gifts innate to each of us are close in "spirit", if you will.

Today in church I mentioned them to my congregation. Later someone that I have known for a while asked me which was my best one. I am not sure, said, maybe teaching?

But that one is not in the above lists...

Another proclaimed testament of Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, states by a prophet of antiquity that (Moroni 10):

 8 And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the ^agifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are ^bdifferent 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 ^cSpirit of God unto men, to profit them.

  9 ^aFor behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may ^bteach the word of wisdom;(1)

  10 And to another, that he may ^ateach the word of ^bknowledge by the same Spirit (2);

  11 And to another, exceedingly great ^afaith (3); 
  and to another, the gifts of ^bhealing by the same Spirit (4);

  12 And again, to another, that he may work mighty ^amiracles (5);

  13 And again, to another, that he may prophesy concerning all things (6);

  14 And again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits (7);

  15 And again, to another, all kinds of tongues (8);

  16 And again, to another, the interpretation of ^alanguages and of divers kinds of tongues (9).

  17 And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will.

  18 And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that ^aevery good ^bgift cometh of Christ.

A similar list with the addition of teaching, which came to my mind when I heard the question posed to me after my sharing of the testimony and belief in these things.

Later in the 1800s, from another claimed prophet of God, we have (from Doctrine and Covenants 46):

8 Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;

9 For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do; that all may be benefited that seek or that ask of me, that ask and not for a sign that they may consume it upon their lusts.

10 And again, verily I say unto you, I would that ye should always remember, and always retain in your minds what those gifts are, that are given unto the church.

11 For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.

12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.

13 To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (1), and that he was crucified for the sins of the world. (1, rephrased)

14 To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful (2).

15 And again, to some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences of administration, as it will be pleasing unto the same Lord, according as the Lord will, suiting his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men (3).

16 And again, it is given by the Holy Ghost to some to know the diversities of operations, whether they be of God, that the manifestations of the Spirit may be given to every man to profit withal (4).

17 And again, verily I say unto you, to some is given, by the Spirit of God, the word of wisdom (5).

18 To another is given the word of knowledge, that all may be taught to be wise and to have knowledge (6).

19 And again, to some it is given to have faith to be healed (7);

20 And to others it is given to have faith to heal (8).

21 And again, to some is given the working of miracles (9);

22 And to others it is given to prophesy (10);

23 And to others the discerning of spirits (11).

24 And again, it is given to some to speak with tongues (12);

25 And to another is given the interpretation of tongues (13).

26 And all these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God.

Nice! We are up to 13, according to a more modern revelation given to Joseph Smith, Jr.

Again, do you possess any of these gifts? We think you do!

If this is true, we know that you do.

 The Spirit of God is given to us so that we may know things in the formula in which God created us.

Is this to ethereal or ephemeral to believe, to truly buy into?

To discover for yourself and recognize, and accept that these innate Godly spiritual gifts are within you and to use them for helping yourself and others, we have been the given the Gifts of the Spirit, as enumerated by Paul in Galatians.

The Holy Ghost will call to your mind and spirit in the following ways:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, 

joy, 

peace, 

longsuffering, 

gentleness, 

goodness, 

faith, 

23Meekness, 

temperance: 

against such there is no law. 24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

So there is little room for pride, boastfulness, and braggadocio. We must be bold yet not overbearing, humble yet strong.

We have to be humble to recognize, accept, and implement these spiritual gifts of the Spirit of God in order to develop our personal spiritual gifts, or talents.

 Can we do this?

Can we experiment with it?

I say that we can.

We were born to attain these gifts and share them with others.

More later....

Comparing these formulas to economics, physics, perhaps chemistry...