Moroni 10 - Come Unto Christ and Be Perfected in Him: Using Spiritual Gifts

Moroni finished the Book of Mormon with his last words in Moroni 10, building on the words of the books that he had compiled, the words of Ether that he had abridged, the teachings of his father (Mormon), and what he knew would be most important for us to know based on having been given a vision and seeing us what we would face in the. latter-days.

It is interesting then, to see what he felt was MOST important to highlight. We are reminded, too, of what President Russell M. Nelson said in the October 2020 General Conference talk, "Embrace the Future with Faith,": "No other book testifies of Jesus Christ with such power and clarity. Its prophets, as inspired by the Lord, saw our day and selected the doctrine and truths that would help us most."

Some of the themes I saw emerge in the very last chapter of the Book of Mormon were:

1. That we should remember "how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men." (Moroni 10:3)

2. That we should ask God if what we read is true so that "by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni 10:4)

3. That we should deny not our spiritual gifts nor forget that every good gift comes from God. (Moroni 10:8-18).

4. That faith, hope, and charity are bound together. (Moroni 10:19).

5. That we can "come unto Christ, and be perfected in him" and that if we "love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you." (Moroni 10:32).

I'm grateful for the grace of God in our lives and the opportunity to learn from people that were here on our earth long before us. I think about how amazing it is, and how much love went into making sure that these records were written and then protected until the day that Joseph Smith was able to bring them forth and translate them. 

 I taught in Sunday School today so am going to share some of the most relevant slides related to the scriptures about the Gifts of God in Moroni 10:8-18. You can click on each slide to enlarge the slide if it is too small to read. I have also linked to the full talk below the slides.

First, the verses that talk about the gifts of God:

Moroni 10

Dallin H. Oaks explains that the Spirit of Christ is given to all and is preparatory to spiritual gifts. 

"Spiritual Gifts," by Dallin H. Oaks

I thought it was important that Dallin H. Oaks emphasized here that nobody is excluded from receiving spiritual gifts. I didn't include a slide for this, but in the same "Spiritual Gifts" talk (which I highly recommend), he quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie, who said, "Where spiritual things are concerned, as pertaining to all of the gifts of the Spirit ... in all matters that pertain to godliness and holiness and which are brought to pass as a result of personal righteousness in all these things men and women stand in a position of absolute equality before the Lord. He is no respector of persons nor of sexes, and he blesses those men and those women who seek him and serve him and keep his commandments." (Ensign, January 1979, p.61). 

"Spiritual Gifts," by Dallin H. Oaks

Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families

"I Have a Work for Thee," by John C. Pingree, Jr.

"There Are Many Gifts," by Marvin J. Ashton

In "Spiritual Gifts," Dallin H. Oaks emphasizes that our gifts compliment each other. So read the list of spiritual gifts below, and think of them in terms of that relationship. For example, regarding the gift of testimony and the gift of faith, Oaks says, "Where it is given to some to know and to others to believe on their words, those who know must be responsible for sharing their testimonies. Only in this way can they give those who have the gift of believing on their words something to lean upon as they, too, move towards eternal life." 

"There Are Many Gifts," by Marvin J. Ashton

We can deny our spiritual gifts when we seek to use them in a way that is not focused on charity and humility. For example, the prophet Joseph Smith taught that we should not "speak in tongues expect there be an interpreter present." (Teachings, p. 247). What about trying to lift ourselves above others? This chapter of scripture is ultimately about coming unto Christ and being perfected in Him. We do this as we learn to identify our spiritual gifts and use those spiritual gifts to become more like our Savior.

"Becoming Like Him," by Scott D. Whiting

I thought it was fascinating to learn from a "modern day' leader that this advice came from 1894, but I also laughed at myself for having that reaction because of course, the Book of Mormon leaders are teaching us from a much longer time ago. However, in the quote below George Q. Cannon says that we can't excuse ourselves for our imperfections as justification, but that that the Lord has promised to "give strength to correct these things, and to give gifts that eradicate them." 

"Seeking Spiritual Gifts," George Q. Cannon

Moroni 10

Our world this year has been filled with so much sorrow, grief, and blame. It has also been filled with kindness and love. It is with wonder that I am reminded that one of the spiritual gifts we can have are the gifts to allay contention and to promote righteousness. In the fairytales, the good fairies wave their wands and undo evil. How precious is it to know that we have great gifts given to us and that we can do great things that aren't just fairytales? That we can use our gifts to promote righteousness, to diffuse a "bomb" of unkind feelings, to help work miracles among our fellow men? 

"Sisters in Zion," by Henry B. Eyring

"Embrace the Future with Faith," by Russell M. Nelson

"Spiritual Gifts," by Dallin H. Oaks

"Revelation for the Church, Revelation for our Lives," by Russell M. Nelson

I have felt the great emphasis from our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, to seek personal revelation, that it is welcome to all who seek it, and that the more we seek it in an attitude of prayer, pondering, and following in the Savior's footsteps, that the more we will be blessed and be able to have truths revealed to us personally. I'm grateful for the knowledge that I can work to unlock our spiritual gifts to Come Unto Christ. We are five days away from Christmas, and as we look to that sacred day where we celebrate the birth of our Savior on earth, I am amazed to think about the other gifts we can "unwrap" as we diligently seek to have the heavens opened to us.