238.2: Differing Gifts (D&C Gospel Doctrine Lesson 15)

“Seek Ye Earnestly the Best Gifts”

Lesson 15

Hook / Gifts and talents are a bit tricky. It is important to feel we have a contribution, and excelling at something presents unique reward. But how do we avoid comparison, feeling either proud of depressed as a result? How do we respect and appreciate those with gifts that perhaps not only differ, but even clash with our own? This lesson has some answers.
Goal / The metaphor of differing gifts as part of the “body of Christ” should help class members to use their gifts to serve others while seeing how those others have gifts that complement their own. And that is how it is supposed to be.
Overview / · Spiritual gifts in Church History, including the manifestations of spiritual gifts to women
· Spiritual gifts in the Biblical tradition
· Spiritual gifts in other religions
· Spiritual gifts in human nature, with an emphasis on differing gifts
·

(read through Table of Contents) for Daughters of Light, give a few highlights

Spiritual Gifts in the Bible

Resources

· Daughters of Light, a book by Carol Lynn Pearson about spiritual gifts among women in the early Church. Unfortunately out of print so you need to find it used.

· Article about the gift of tongues in the early church http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/23286373?uid=3739928&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21101900237033
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1021&context=mormonhistory

· The moral roots of liberals and conservatives, a TED talk by Jonathan Haidt about how we are wired to be liberal or conservative, and how we desperately need both perspectives.

· William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience.

· A RadioLab episode on the relationship of success, genius, passion, and time. http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2010/jul/26/secrets-of-success/

“Why are people so opposed to the idea that what genius really is, is a love for a particular thing?” (the WILL and the passion is the gift)

“they have found their calling” (when they can’t stop thinking about a particular subject)

“Matthew effect” and 10,000 hour rule

You need natural gifts, but it is love and determination that gets you to that rare level “Matthew effect”

Make sure talents parable in Matthew is covered

Get Terryl’s comments about doubt being a spiritual gift?

Henry Eying to his son (now President Eyring)

“My father was at a blackboard we kept in the basement,” President Eyring recalls. “Suddenly he stopped. ‘Hal,’ he said, ‘we were working at this same kind of problem a week ago. You don’t seem to understand it any better now than you did then. Haven’t you been working on it?’ ”

Hal admitted he had not. “You don’t understand,” his father went on. “When you walk down the street, when you’re in the shower, when you don’t have to be thinking about anything else, isn’t this what you think about?”

“When I told him no,” President Eyring concludes, “my father paused. It was really a very tender and poignant moment, because I knew how much he loved me and how much he wanted me to be a scientist. Then he said, ‘Hal, I think you’d better get out of physics. You ought to find something that you love so much that when you don’t have to think about anything, that’s what you think about.’ ”

http://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/what-are-prophets/bio/henry-b-eyring?lang=eng