Articles of Faith Part Seven: Gifts of the Spirit
This piece is the Seventh in a series on the thirteen Articles of Faith. In the early days of the Church, a newspaper editor named John Wentworth wrote to the Prophet Joseph Smith asking about Mormon beliefs. Joseph responded with a list of thirteen fundamental doctrines which we call The Articles of Faith. During this series we will explore each Article of Faith as well as its significance and application in the lives of church members.
Article of Faith 7: We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
Continuing Revelation
During Joseph Smith’s time, many Christian denominations believed that God no longer spoke to his people through things such as visions and miracles. For this reason when fourteen-year-old Joseph told a local pastor of his First Vision, he was told, “it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there would never be any more of them” (Joseph Smith History: 21).
However, Latter-day Saints know that we can receive personal revelation and that the prophet receives revelation on behalf of the Church. We believe that God uses many means to communicate with his children including the spiritual gifts listed in this article of faith.
Gifts of the Spirit
Gifts such as speaking in tongues, healing, and receiving revelation are spoken of throughout the scriptures. For example First Corinthians 12: 8-11 says:
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
The powers listed above constitute Gifts of the Spirit. We can see from these verses that no matter what spiritual gift we have, they all come from the same place, so none is better than the others. This reference also establishes that Christ’s original church believed in the same Spiritual Gifts spoken of by Joseph Smith in the seventh Article of Faith.
And So Forth
In addition to those spiritual gifts specifically mentioned in Corinthians, Joseph adds “and so forth” to his description of the spiritual gifts, suggesting that there are more spiritual gifts we may have. In serving Heavenly Father and spreading his truth, we can use many different talents and abilities, according to our own strengths. No one has the exact same strengths as anyone else, which is great! We each have something unique to contribute to the work of God.
In a highly memorable
“…we spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others—usually comparing our weaknesses to their strengths. This drives us to create expectations for ourselves that are impossible to meet. As a result, we never celebrate our good efforts because they seem to be less than what someone else does.
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses.
God wants to help us to eventually turn all of our weaknesses into strengths,1 but He knows that this is a long-term goal. He wants us to become perfect,2 and if we stay on the path of discipleship, one day we will. It’s OK that you’re not quite there yet. Keep working on it, but stop punishing yourself.”
