As Parley P. Pratt, Oliver Cowdery, Ziba Peterson, and Peter Whitmer Jr. left Kirtland and moved on to continue preaching the gospel, they left more than 100 new members of the Church who had plenty of zeal but little experience or direction. They had no instructional handbooks, no leadership training meetings, no broadcasts of general conference—in fact, they didn’t even have enough copies of the Book of Mormon to go around. Many of these new believers had been drawn to the restored gospel by the promise of marvelous manifestations of the Spirit, especially those described in the New Testament (see, for example, 1 Corinthians 12:1–11). But many found it hard to identify true manifestations of the Spirit. Seeing the confusion, Joseph Smith prayed for help. The Lord’s answer is valuable today, when people often deny or ignore the things of the Spirit. He reaffirmed that spiritual manifestations are real. He also clarified what they are: gifts from a loving Heavenly Father, “given for the benefit of those who love [Him] and keep all [His] commandments, and him that seeketh so to do” (Doctrine and Covenants 46:9).
The Savior welcomes all who want to worship in His Church.
Do you feel that your friends and people in your neighborhood feel welcome at your ward’s worship services? What are you doing to make your Church meetings places that people want to return to? Ponder how you can apply the Lord’s counsel in Doctrine and Covenants 46:1–7 (see also 2 Nephi 26:24–28; 3 Nephi 18:22–23).
You might also think about a time when you attended Church services—or a meeting of another group—for the first time. What did people do to help you feel welcome?
Heavenly Father gives me spiritual gifts to bless others.
The early Saints believed in spiritual gifts but needed some help recognizing them and understanding their purpose. As you study about gifts of the Spirit in Doctrine and Covenants 46:7–33, ponder the purpose “for [which] they are given” (verse 8). What do you learn about God—the giver of these gifts?
Your study of spiritual gifts might lead you to ponder what gifts God has given you. How can you use these gifts to bless His children? If you have a patriarchal blessing, it likely identifies gifts you have been given. Reading Elder John C. Pingree Jr.’s message “I Have a Work for Thee” could also open your mind to gifts you haven’t thought of (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 32–35).
If you’d like to learn about how to develop spiritual gifts, the analogy at the beginning of Elder Juan Pablo Villar’s message “Exercising Our Spiritual Muscles” could help (Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 95). What “exercises” could help you develop your spiritual gifts?
See also Topics and Questions, “Holy Ghost,” Gospel Library.
John Whitmer’s calling to keep a history of the Church continued a long tradition of record keepers among God’s people. Why do you think keeping a history is so important to the Lord? Ponder this as you read section 47 as well as similar instructions in 2 Nephi 29:11–12; Moses 6:5; Abraham 1:28, 31. What do you feel the Lord wants you to record about your life?
On FamilySearch, you can record memories and experiences from your life—and your ancestors’ lives (see FamilySearch.org).
See Henry B. Eyring, “O Remember, Remember,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 66–69.
The Holy Ghost can direct me as I fulfill my calling.
Maybe you can relate to what John Whitmer felt when he wanted reassurance that his calling came from God. What did the Lord say in Doctrine and Covenants 47 to John Whitmer—and to you—to inspire confidence in fulfilling callings He gives?
The role of a teacher. Teaching is much more than presenting information. It includes creating an environment where class members can learn and discover truths for themselves and share what they have learned with each other (see Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 26).
After reading Doctrine and Covenants 46:5 with your children, talk about how the Savior wants people to feel when they come to His Church. Invite your children to imagine that they saw someone at church for the first time. Help them practice ways to help this person feel welcome.
Heavenly Father gives me spiritual gifts to bless others.
To help your children learn about the spiritual gifts described in Doctrine and Covenants 46:13–26, consider this idea. You could write the gifts on pieces of paper and hide them around the room. As your children find each paper, help them find where that gift is mentioned in section 46. For each gift, talk with them about how it is used to bless others (the descriptions in “Chapter 20: Gifts of the Spirit,” in Doctrine and Covenants Stories, 77–80, can help).
Tell your children about the gifts you feel Heavenly Father has given them, and let them talk about the gifts they notice in each other. According to Doctrine and Covenants 46:8–9, 26, why does Heavenly Father give us spiritual gifts? How can we use our gifts to help others?
Let your children discover what the Lord wanted John Whitmer to do in Doctrine and Covenants 47:1, 3. You might also share with each other favorite stories from the scriptures. Point out that we know about these stories because someone recorded them.
Consider how you might inspire your children to record their personal histories. You could share some entries from your personal journal or a story about an ancestor (see FamilySearch.org or the Memories app). You might provide some journal prompts, like “What happened this week that you would like your grandchildren to know about?” or “How did you see the Lord’s hand in your life this week?” Young children could draw pictures of their experiences, or you could record them telling their stories. What blessings come from keeping a “regular history”? (Doctrine and Covenants 47:1).
I can help others by sharing what I have been given.
As you read Doctrine and Covenants 48:2–3 with your children, you might need to explain that people were coming to Ohio from the East, and they didn’t have a place to live. What did the Lord ask the Saints to do to help? Help your children think of things God has given them that they can share with others. You could also sing with them a song like “‘Give,’ Said the Little Stream” (Children’s Songbook, 236).
For more ideas, see this month’s issue of the Friend magazine.
