Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual gifts are blessings or abilities given by God to His children through the power of the Holy Ghost. Gifts of the Spirit are given to bless and benefit those who love the Lord and seek to keep His commandments.

Each faithful member of the Church has at least one spiritual gift, and the Lord encourages His children to “seek … earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given.” The scriptures teach of many gifts of the Spirit:

• Knowledge “that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.”

• The capacity to believe the words of those who testify of Jesus Christ.

• Knowledge of “the differences of administration.” This gift is used in administering and leading the Church.

• Knowledge of “the diversities of operations,” which helps individuals discern whether a teaching or influence comes from God or from some other source.

• The gift of “the word of wisdom.” This does not refer to the law known as the Word of Wisdom. Rather, it is the gift of wisdom—the ability to use knowledge in righteous ways.

• The gift of “the word of knowledge.”

• The ability to teach by the power of the Holy Ghost.

• The gift of faith.

• The gift “to have faith to be healed.”

• The gift “to have faith to heal.”

• “The working of miracles.”

• The gift of prophecy. The Apostle John taught that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

• “The beholding of angels and ministering spirits.”

• “Discerning of spirits.”

• The gift to speak in different languages, or tongues.

• The gift of “the interpretation of tongues.”

These spiritual gifts and others listed in the scriptures are only some examples of the many gifts of the Spirit. The Lord blesses His children in many ways according to their faithfulness and their needs and the needs of those they serve.