Neglect Not the Gift


In the fourth chapter of 1 Timothy, Paul tells Timothy to "be a good minister of Jesus Christ" and reminds him of the gifts God gave him to "be thou an example of the believers." He also invites Timothy to "neglect not [these] gift[s]." 

Following this counsel, Paul tells Timothy to "meditate upon these things" and to give himself "wholly to them" that by doing so, he may not only benefit himself, but also those who hear him. Elder Stevenson, in his most recent conference address, emphasized this admonition when he said, "The Lord invites us to earnestly seek the best gifts, even spiritual gifts. He gives spiritual gifts to bless us and to use in blessing others." 

In the same address, Elder Stevenson said that "The constant companionship of the Holy Ghost is one of the greatest spiritual gifts Latter-day Saints enjoy." I would argue that this gift of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost is the one gift we should spend the most time meditating upon and giving ourselves fully too. Elder Stevenson emphasized this when he quoted President Nelson's caution that "in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."

It is my belief that all spiritual gifts given to us by God should not be neglected, but of most importance we should neglect not the Gift of the Holy Spirit, who will "help us face our daily needs and show us what to do and say," and bless us with feelings "of peace and comfort." "As we listen and act on spiritual promptings, the Holy Ghost magnifies our abilities and capacities to far exceed what we can do on our own. These precious spiritual gifts will help us in every aspect of our lives." (See Promptings of the Spirit by Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Oct 2023)

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