The Gifts of the Spirit!

This is from my journal relating the experiences of a weekend in September 2012 where I enjoyed an enhanced portion of the spirit and the gifts that follow it.

“I didn’t see, let alone understand at the time, how significant of an impact that day at the (John Pontius Unblog ) reunion had inside of me, but feel the need to share. … I almost didn’t go, but felt strongly that I would help with security, and as strange as it may sound, that feeling of obligation is what pushed me to attend, even though I hadn’t been asked to help with it. But as the spirit had impressed, I did have the opportunity, and was asked to stand at the entrance of the hall and looked at 100’s of people in the face as they entered. The gift of discernment is something I have always enjoyed, but that day, it was something wonderful. I don’t know if I performed any security, but the Lord did give me a lesson in the gifts of the spirit. As I stood there looking at the faces of those who entered; information of these people came into my mind like a flood, immediately knowing who they were, the strength of their testimony of the gospel of Christ and their intentions for being there. One of my duties was to make sure all who passed me into the hall had a name tag. As one brother walked toward me I noticed he didn’t have a tag, as I looked into his face the spirit said, that’s Spencer, who is written about in the book “Visions of Glory”, who I had never met, so I didn’t say anything and let him pass. And then, as it always seems to be, I doubted myself and all this information, thinking I was caught up in the moment and just getting carried away. That’s when this same brother came back toward me the other way, this time with a name tag. In need of visual confirmation to strengthen my faith, I strained to read the name tag “Spencer” it was him; I was indeed enjoying something marvelous… People were there for many reasons, most all good, a few seeking to fault find, but only one that I saw with evil intent, and she, I’m not sure was of this earth. I was so stunned as she walked past I didn’t even notice her name or if she even had a name tag. I spent the rest of the night searching the hall, but never saw her again. The expansion of my heart, faith and knowledge was so much more than the words of those speaking, it truly changed me.

… next day with these gifts and able to experience, truly teaching by the spirit and even answer questions as they entered the hearts of those in the class.”

In the following verses it shows that these gifts come from the spirit; which according to Joseph Smith in the lectures on faith, lecture five, is the mind and will of God. Not because of some calling, or from authority given by man, but from God to all His children, male and female, young and old! But they will not come to those seeking to use them for self-promoting or selfish purposes, only for Gods.

These verses are from Moroni the son of Mormon, speaking of our day and to those who receive the Book of Mormon and its teachings.

Moroni 10

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.

7 And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.

8 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.

9 For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom;

10 And to another, that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

11 And to another, exceedingly great faith; and to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

12 And again, to another, that he may work mighty miracles;

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

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

15 And again, to another, all kinds of tongues;

16 And again, to another, the interpretation of languages and of divers kinds of tongues.

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 every good gift cometh of Christ.

19 And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men.

20 Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity.

21 And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope.

22 And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity.

23 And Christ truly said unto our fathers: If ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me.

24 And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth—that if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief.

25 And wo be unto the children of men if this be the case; for there shall be none that doeth good among you, no not one. For if there be one among you that doeth good, he shall work by the power and gifts of God.

26 And wo unto them who shall do these things away and die, for they die in their sins, and they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God; and I speak it according to the words of Christ; and I lie not.

27 And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God; and the Lord God will say unto you: Did I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead, yea, even as one speaking out of the dust?

28 I declare these things unto the fulfilling of the prophecies. And behold, they shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the everlasting God; and his word shall hiss forth from generation to generation.

29 And God shall show unto you, that that which I have written is true.

30 And again 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.

31 And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.

32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

34 And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen.

As the time of the Saviors return draws near, it will become necessary for each of us to obtain, and maintain these gifts from God to guide us in these latter days. Depending on leaders or friends will not suffice if we seek to follow the Lord in the troubled times to come.

Your brother in Christ.