What Are ‘Gifts of the Spirit’?
We often hear the phrase “gifts of the Spirit,” but what does that mean and how can we recognize those gifts in our own lives?
Doctrine and Covenants 46:11–12 says,
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. To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.”
Ways to Recognize Spiritual Gifts
We each can receive gifts by the Spirit of God, but how do we recognize them? Here are three suggestions:
- Study the word of God.
- Pray for help.
- Reflect and journal.
Study the Word of God
One of the best ways we can recognize gifts from the Spirit is through studying the word of God. By reading the scriptures, we can learn exactly what gifts can come from the Spirit. In turn, that helps us recognize them in our life. Doctrine and Covenants section 46 gives a list of various gifts of the Spirit we can receive:
- Wisdom
- Knowledge
- Healing
- Working of miracles
- Speaking in tongues
- Interpretation of tongues
- Knowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
Studying the scriptures will help us understand what gifts we can receive from the Spirit. Wilford Woodruff often emphasized the importance of regular scripture study and the benefits we can receive from it. He once recorded in his journal,
In the evening we met the Saints at Elder Browett’s for a council meeting . . . Elder Smith spoke first and recommended the Saints to spend 5 minutes each day in getting an idea in their minds from the scriptures, and in one year they would have 365 new ideas in their minds which would form a fountain of intelligence and knowledge, which would benefit themselves and mankind.”[1]
Wilford Woodruff, Jan 20, 1841, London, England
Another way we can recognize gifts of the Spirit is by reading our patriarchal blessing, the word of God directly to us. Our patriarchal blessing helps us understand who we are and what our purpose is on this earth. President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) said,
Your patriarchal blessing is your passport to peace in this life. It is a Liahona of light to guide you unerringly to your heavenly home.”[2]
As we read our patriarchal blessing often, we will be blessed with knowledge of our divine worth and role in this life.
Pray for Help
Heavenly Father knows our divine potential and the gifts that each of us have. If we have a hard time recognizing spiritual gifts in our lives, we should reach out to Him in prayer. He is ready and willing to help each of us as we come to Him with earnest desire.
Doctrine and Covenants 46:7 says,
But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving.”
Before Wilford Woodruff left on a mission to England, he and his wife Phebe set aside a time each day when they could be united in prayer. Phebe was faithful to this and once asked Wilford,
Have you forgotten our hour for prayer? . . . Although far distant from each other we have the same God to call on, who hears the prayer of his children.”[3]
Phebe Woodruff, Mar 8, 1849, Boston, Massachusetts
Phebe’s testimony of prayer can be applied in many aspects of our lives. We have a loving Heavenly Father who earnestly wants us to reach out to Him. He knows our strengths and is ready to help us recognize them in ourselves.
Reflect and Journal
After studying the word of God and praying with an earnest desire to understand, it’s important to take the time to reflect on the answers we may have received. As always, we should also reflect to make sure we are in a position to worthily receive the gifts that Heavenly Father so graciously wants to give us.
One of the best ways to reflect is through journaling. Wilford Woodruff was a great example of this. He wrote in his journal almost every day from the time he was baptized until his death. He once said,
You may say that this is a great deal of trouble . . . it has been to me in one sense. It has occupied nearly every leisure moment of my time for 24 years, but . . . I have never spent any of my time more profitably for the benefit of mankind than in my journal writing.”[4]
Journal writing provides a great opportunity for us to reflect on the things we have felt and learned and then act on them. President Henry B. Eyring shared this about writing in his journal:
I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.[5]
Seeking Our Spiritual Gifts
Even though it can be hard to recognize the spiritual gifts we have, we can find comfort in the knowledge that each of us has a loving Heavenly Father who wants the best for us. As we seek to learn our gifts, we should remember that they require faith and obedience to be received.
When we study the word of God, pray for help, and reflect and journal, we will be better able to recognize the gifts which Heavenly Father has so lovingly bestowed upon us.
Maddie is a graduate of Brigham Young University and holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations. She currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri. She enjoys cooking, traveling, reading, and spending time with friends and family. Maddie has always loved learning about Church history and is greatly inspired by the words of Wilford Woodruff. She is passionate about sharing those words with everyone and is grateful to be part of such an incredible project.
The Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation’s mission is to digitally preserve and publish Wilford Woodruff’s eyewitness account of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and make his records universally accessible in order to inspire all people, especially the rising generation, to study and to increase their faith in Jesus Christ. For more information, please explore wilfordwoodruffpapers.org.
- Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, August 14, 1840, p. 157, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/journal/1840-08-14. Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization standardized. ↑
- Thomas S. Monson, “Your Patriarchal Blessing: A Liahona of Light,” October 1986 general conference, ChurchofJesusChrist.org. ↑
- Letter from Phebe Whittemore Carter Woodruff, 1 April 1840, p. 2, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/letter/1840-04-01. Punctuation standardized. ↑
- Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, March 17, 1857, p. 211, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/journal/1857-03-17. Spelling standardized. ↑
- Henry B. Eyring, “O Remember, Remember,” October 2007 general conference, ChurchofJesusChrist.org. ↑
