Overview

In this course, you’ve learned how to have a growth mindset, align your activities to your core values, create healthy habits, be financially fit, and to see things as they really are. Throughout this journey, you’ve had opportunities to consider how you can be a better steward. In this unit, we will begin to switch from personal improvement towards contributing in your home, the church, and your community.

Lesson Purpose: Learn to Identify your Gifts and Talents

The Lord told Joseph Smith, “For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.”

“To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby” (D&C 46:11–12 Links to an external site.).

 

Heavenly Father has given each of us talents, and He wants us to use them. In a parable recorded in Matthew, the Lord told of a man who was about to leave on a long trip. Before leaving he called his servants together and gave his goods to them. To one servant he gave five talents (in this parable, talents means money); to another, two; and to another, one. To each man he gave talents according to his past performance.

(03:03 mins, The Parable of the Talents Transcript Links to an external site.)

While the Master was away, the servant with five talents put them to use and made five more talents. The servant with two talents put them to use and made two more. But the servant with one talent hid his in the ground. He was afraid that if he invested his talent he might fail to get a return.

Later, the Master returned and asked his servants to account for their talents. To the servants who had doubled their talents he said, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21 Links to an external site.). But the master called the servant who hid his talent “wicked and slothful.” He said that he would take the talent from him and give it to the servant with 10 talents (see Matthew 25:14–30 Links to an external site.).

The Lord repeated the principles in the parable of the talents in D&C 60:2-3, 13. Links to an external site.He said: “But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them. And it shall come to pass, if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have...Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known.”

These are pretty serious warnings. If you think that you don’t have talents, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed and discouraged. It’s okay. Finding your talents isn’t as hard as you might think. In-fact your talents are often part of the way you think and act. You might not even recognize them. This unit will help you discover your interests, so that you can develop them into talents that will bless the lives of others.

Mark as done once you have completed all the instructions on this page.