discernment

two weekends ago we had a lesson in young women's about gifts of the spirit found in the doctrine & covenants (also found in 1 cor. 12:4-10). some of these gifts were listed on the board. one of the girls asked what the gift of discerning of spirits meant.

since that lesson, i have often thought about that gift. doing incredibly limited research, i have found an article in the february 2002 ensign article by Elder Robert D. Hales entitled 'gifts of the spirit'. within the article are some precious gems that i want to note.

-we can have the gift of discerning of spirits. george q. cannon has called the gift of discerning of spirits 'a gift that is of exceeding value and one that should be enjoyed by every latter-day saint. ...no latter-day saint should be without this gift, because there is such a variety of spirits in the world which seek to deceive and lead astray'.

-some may mean well but are listening to the wrong influence. some people operate in a spirit of contention-clever with words from much practice, but not focused on correcting their own imperfections. they focus on the imperfections of others.

-sometimes we are drawn into seeking and giving answers that bring recognition or notoriety to 'our' thinking and 'our' opinion. don't look for signs or answers that build you up. humility and submissiveness to God will always be fundamental in receiving direction from Him.

-others operate in a spirit of gratitude to the Lord for the gospel and concentrate on correcting their own imperfections.

-we can develop the ability to discern what spirit is influencing others and ourselves. we should seek and pray for this gift lest we be deceived.

other that the fact that i feel like time is racing by, and with that my clock continues ticking, the gift of discerning of spirits is something i pray for and hope to strengthen. i'm hoping that my will in doing so aligns with His.