This is the third post about the Divine extraordinary work of women. To recap, you can read these –

1. “Extraordinary occasions and pressing calls” – The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo
2. “Extraordinary occasions and pressing calls” – The Work of Women in Our Time

Today, I’d like to talk about ways to help find your gifts. those spiritual gifts that will help aid you in your “extraordinary occasions and pressings calls”.

Ask for gifts

In one of his earliest addresses to the Relief Society, the prophet Joseph Smith encouraged the sisters to “live up to their privileges”. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf spoke about it in an opposite manner (but the same idea). He told the story of a man on a cruise ship. The man scrimped and saved to go on the trip, but stayed in his cabin, never being involved in the activities or excursions and eating cans of beans and saltine crackers. Passing everything up because of his financial situation. It wasn’t until the end of the trip that he found out that everything (the food, activites, etc.) was paid for in the cost of the passage. Pres. Uchtdorf then stated, “living below our privileges when it comes to the sacred power, gifts, and blessings that are our opportunity and right,” (Your Potential, Your Privilege, April 2011).

My friend, Jodi Parker, sent me this quote from a book by BYU Religion Professor Anthony Sweat. It is about the right to ask for the Spiritual Gifts we need.

As you study Spiritual gifts, look at D&C 46, and George Q Cannon, Seeking Spiritual Gifts, Ensign April 2016.

An Activity For You To Try

In my REL 200, (The Eternal Family Course), I have a midterm assignment for the students. It’s called What is My Purpose? (A shout out to Jennifer Platt for the idea). I feel to share it here to help find some of your Spiritual purpose for being on earth at this time.

To Begin: 

Carefully study your patriarchal blessing with the intent of identifying one gift stated there that you would like to develop. 

You can access your patriarchal blessing online. Sign into the Church’s website, in the top left (by your picture) you will see a group of boxes.

Click on the boxes and it will show a dropdown a menu. Patriarchal blessings will be somewhere on that list. Your patriarchal blessing (if you have one) will be accessible there. 

If you have not received a patriarchal blessing, call 3 people (separately) who know you well. Ask them what gifts they see in you. Based on their feedback and your feelings, choose one gift that you feel you possess.

Study Your Gift:

1. What is the gift you would like to work on?

2. Study (at least) 3 sources that help you better understand it. (Some places that might help could be:

• the scriptures (sometimes, I will just “google” the topic, for example – topical guide humility church of jesus christ of latter-day saints takes me right to it, the first link.)
• the teachings of living prophets (for this I will go to the Church’s website for General Conference, and scroll down to the topics to find the one I’m looking for. And talks will come up. This time to model it, I chose the topic Prayer.)
• Another helpful place may be Seek Christlike Attributes (ch. 6 of Preach my Gospel) .

3. Write in your study notebook about what are you learning about this gift?

Consider: What might happen in your life if you strive daily to develop this gift? Write some thoughts/ideas about what you could do to work on this gift. For example you could answer these questions:

• How can you strengthen this gift?
• Discuss how focusing on this gift might help you to develop happiness in family life and grow in your foundation of Jesus Christ.
• Is there someone you know who seems to be thriving in this gift you are seeking?
• What is it you see them doing?
• Talk to them and ask some questions about their life and how they pursue growing their gifts.

Work: 

Make a goal to help you develop this gift over the next few weeks (maybe 2 weeks to a month, you decide). What can you do each day that will bring you closer to being the type of person you want to be? Keep it simple. This should take about 5-10 minutes a day. You could state your intention like this: “I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION] each day for the next two weeks.” In your planning, consider these questions. You could even write them up in your study journal:

• What obstacles do you see that may limit you in reaching your daily goal?
• What are some ways you can remove these obstacles? (One of the ways to look at this is to consider your current daily habits and routines. Is there something that is missing in these habits or that needs correcting?)
• How can you strengthen this gift? 
• Discuss how focusing on this gift might help you to improve as a follower of Jesus Christ.  
• Identify a friend or family member to help hold you accountable. Who is it? When will you check in with them? How do you hope they will help you in accomplishing your goal?
• How will you track this goal? (Be specific in your method – will you create a sheet and check off each day? Use a tally on your phone? etc.)
• What is your expectation when you finish this goal? How will you know you were successful?

Track & Report Your Goal:

Please develop a way to track your consistency. You will need an honest record of the effort you make, both successes and failures. That way you can analyse what you need to change and work on with the failures. (For example, did you keep forgetting to work on it? What could you do to help? Maybe you could set an alarm on your phone as a reminder.)

Now work on it for at least two weeks, writing up your findings on your tracker. When you are done, analyze what you have learned by answering these questions –

1. What happened during the last two weeks? Did you work on it consistently? Did you have to change anything during the time?
2. What are your observations?
3. Based on your efforts, what growth do you see in yourself?
4. How are you growing in this gift?
5. Give me at least 3 examples of behavioral changes, spiritual growth, and feedback you have received from others.
6. What are you observing in yourself as a result of your efforts? 
7. Now what? Based on this experience, what will you do next to grow spiritually and strengthen your God-given gifts? 

I know that a loving Heavenly Father (God) sent us here on earth to learn and grow. I know that, like Moses (see Moses 1: 6) we are beloved children and He has a work for us to do. Part of that work is working with Him to develop those gifts and talents so that we can magnify them in His work. I like to imagine that there is large storehouse of spiritual gifts and talents that the Lord’s wants to share with us (see D&C 82: 16-19).

Keep pushing forward in your learning and work and you, your families, and so many others will be blessed! And, as always, you are welcome to share your thoughts and experiences with me. Please comment and share what you are thinking and doing.

Other Articles in this Series

• “Extraordinary occasions and pressing calls” – The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo
• “Extraordinary occasions and pressing calls” Part 2 – The Work of Women in Our Time.