2016
Discover Your Gifts
January 2016

“Discover Your Gifts,” New Era, January 2016, 6–7

Discover Your Gifts

By Justina Lichner

Justina Lichner lives in Germany.

boy picking apples

It seems everybody always says, “If you only knew how great you are.” Well, the truth is, sometimes you just don’t know how great you are. When we don’t feel like the smartest, the nicest, the best looking, the funniest, or the most talented, our self-assurance seems to disappear.

But think about this: we are all sons and daughters of Heavenly Father. As such, He has given us unique gifts and talents to help us fulfill our divine potential. As we discover these gifts, we are reminded of our divine worth as His children, and we are able to draw closer to Him and help others do the same.

Discover Your Gifts

Here are nine ideas to help you discover some of your not-so-obvious gifts.

  1. Ask others to let you know.

    Sometimes we don’t see in ourselves what others can see in us. Ask a friend, relative, or Church leader to write you a note about a gift or talent they see in you.

  2. Look for gifts in adversity.

    During hard times we can choose between letting our best qualities or our worst qualities come out. When times are tough, focus on discovering and using your best qualities and gifts.

  3. Pray for the help to recognize your gifts.

    Heavenly Father knows our divine potential. If we have a difficult time seeing that in ourselves, He can help. You can pray for help to recognize your gifts.

  4. Don’t be afraid to branch out.

    Do we only develop the gifts that we already know we have because we’re too afraid to do something we haven’t done before? Now’s the time to try something new and discover unknown gifts.

  5. Search the word of God.

    Heavenly Father helps us discover and develop our gifts through clues found in the scriptures—usually through invitations to act. Take this scripture for example: “Cease to contend one with another; cease to speak evil one of another” (D&C 136:23). What gifts could you develop from this invitation? The gift of speaking kind words, the gift to calm others, the gift of restraint, and more. And that’s just from one verse!

  6. Look outside yourself.

    Sometimes our best qualities come out when we’re not focusing on ourselves but focusing instead on how we can work with and help others. When we do that, we’ll see that we have many Christlike gifts.

  7. Think about people you look up to.

    Who are some of your role models? You can make a list of all of the gifts your role models have and, instead of focusing on which gifts you don’t have in common, celebrate discovering the ones you do.

  8. Reflect on your family.

    What gifts do you have that your siblings, parents, or grandparents have too? Go further! Research family history, discover stories, and identify even more gifts you share with your family.

  9. Receive and study your patriarchal blessing.

    Your blessing could talk about gifts you have and should develop, and it could also point you to the path that will lead to the discovery of other new gifts and talents.

Be Perfected in Him

We don’t have to be the best at everything to know we’re worthwhile children of God. We just need to be dedicated to discovering and developing our gifts and talents—then, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can become perfect in Him (see Moroni 10:32).

Illustration by Ben Simonsen