1. DEVELOPANDNURTUREYOURTALENTS
INTRODUCTION:
You may not think you’re particularly gifted or talented, but, guess what?
You are! And God has a plan to use your unique abilities for a purpose far
greaterthan you could imagine. By Sam Rawson
We all have special gifts, talents, and abilities given to us by our Heavenly Father.
When we were born, we brought these gifts, talents, and abilities with us.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells a story about a property owner who gave three
employees a share of his assets before travelling on business. To one he gave five
talents, to another two, and to the third he gave one. Then off he went.
What a large amount of money;
Upon his return he asked them to accountfor what they had accomplished with the
talents they received. The first and second servants, those who’d been given five
and two talents respectively, had doubled what they’d been apportioned. Wow!
Understandably, their boss was very pleased with them, and praised them
accordingly.
The third employee, however, he was not so pleased with. For when approached to
give a report of what he’d done with his one talent, he admitted to having “hidden
it in the ground” through fear of what his boss mightthink.

2. The end result was not pleasant for this last employee. In fact, he was swiftly
reprimanded and, I’m guessing, in a similar tone to that of Sir Alan Sugarof the
popular show The Apprentice, heard the words, “You’re fired.” Well, something of
that nature. So Use Your Gifts for God’s Glory
Whatis talent?
Talent(s) is/are the natural abilities/gifts/skills a personposses, these talents could
be endowed on the person by nature or acquired through the process oflearning
over time. And talents are meant for the sole purposeof service to God through
service to humanity.
Talents are the naturalabilities we wereborn with. talentss come fromGod
“We have different gifts according to the grace given to us…”
(Romans 12:6) Wehave already been equipped withabilities for the work that
God wantsus to do. Everyonehas abilities. Note;
“since your naturalabilities are from God, they are just as importantand
‘spiritual’ as your spiritualgifts.” (Rick Warren:ThepurposeDriven Life
p242).
As Michael Green says: “…to prizethe so-called supernaturalgifts of the Spirit
above the naturalis an affrontto God…” (Michael Green: “I believe” quote by
Rick Warren: “You are a manager of the gifts God has given to you”. They may be
great or small in your eyes, but they matter to God. ‘Now it is required thatthose
who have been given a trust must prove faithful’ (1 Corinthians 4:2 NIV). When
God made you, he made an investment in you, and he expects a return on that

3. investment. Are you using what He’s given you for the benefit of others? Or are
you just using those talents to benefit yourself?”
Not only has God given us a bounty of gifts to be used for his purposes but if we
don’tuse these gifts, or if we use them selfishly, we’re actually mismanaging his
blessings. We are stewards, not owners of all that God has given to us – including
our gifts and abilities. And great stewardship means we need to invest everything
we have been given in accordanceto Christ’s will – and in doing so, we make God
more evident to those around us.
We Should Use and Improve Our Talents
How can we develop our talents?
We have a responsibility to develop the talents we have been given. Sometimes we
think we do not have many talents or that other people have been blessed with
more abilities than we possess. Sometimes we do not use our talents because we
are afraid that we might fail or be criticized by others. We should not hide our
talents. We should use them. Then others can see our good works and glorify our
Heavenly Father (see Matthew 5:16).
There are certain things we must do to develop our talents.
First, we must discover our talents. We should evaluate ourselves to find our
strengths and abilities. Our family and friends can help us do this. We should also
ask our Heavenly Father to help us learn about our talents.

4. Second, we must be willing to spend the time and effort to develop the talent we
are seeking.
Third, we must have faith that our Heavenly Father will help us, and we must have
faith in ourselves.
Fourth, we must learn the skills necessary for us to develop our talents. We might
do this by taking a class, asking a friend to teach us, or reading a book.
Fifth, we must practice using our talent. Every talent takes effort and work to
develop. The mastery of a talent must be earned.
Sixth, we must share our talent with others. It is by our using our talents that they
grow (see Matthew 25:29).
All of these steps are easier if we pray and seek the Lord’s help. He wants us to
develop our talents, and He will help us.
We Can DevelopOur Talents in Spite of Our
Weaknesses
How can we develop our talents in spite of our weaknesses?
Because we are mortal and fallen, we have weaknesses. With the Lord’s help, our
weakness and fallen nature can be overcome (see Ether 12:27, 37). Beethoven
composed his greatest music after he was deaf. Enoch overcame his slowness of
speechto becomea powerful teacher (see Moses 6:26–47). The composerand writer
of CHB ..AMAZING GRACE did that as a blind young girl.

5. Some great athletes have had to overcome handicaps before they have succeeded
in developing their talents. Shelly Mann was such an example. “At the age of five
she had polio. … Her parents tookher daily to a swimming poolwhere they hoped
the water would help hold her arms up as she tried to use them again. When she
could lift her arm out of the water with her own power, she cried for joy. Then her
goal was to swim the width of the pool, then the length, then several lengths. She
kept on trying, swimming, enduring, day after day, until she won the [Olympic]
gold medal for the butterfly stroke—one of the most difficult of all swimming
strokes” (Marvin J. Ashton, in Conference Report, Apr. 1975, 127; or Ensign, May
1975, 86).
Heber J. Grant overcame many of his weaknesses and turned them into talents.
He had as a motto these words:“That which we persist in doing becomes easier for
us to do; not that the nature of the thing is changed, but that our power to do is
increased” (in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant [2002], 35).
The Lord Will Bless Us If We Use Our Talents Wisely
President Joseph F. Smith said, “Every sonand every daughter of God has received
some talent, and each will be held to strict account for the use or misuse to which it
is put” (GospelDoctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 370). A talent is one kind of stewardship
(responsibility in the kingdom of God). The parable of the talents tells us that when
we serve well in our stewardship, we will be given greater responsibilities. If we
do not serve well, our stewardship will eventually be taken from us. (See Matthew
25:14–30).

6. We are also told in the scriptures that we will be judged according to our works
(see Matthew 16:27). By developing and using our talents for other people, we
perform good works.
The Lord is pleased when we use our talents wisely. He will bless us if we use our
talents to benefit other people and to build up His kingdom here on earth. Some of
the blessings we gain are joy and love from serving our brothers and sisters here on
earth. We also learn self-control. All these things are necessary if we are going to
be worthy to live with our Heavenly Father again.
What are some examples of people whose talents have been magnified
because they used them wisely? (Consider people you know or people in the
scriptures or Church history.)
Additional Scriptures
James 1:17 (gifts come from God)
D&C 46:8–11; 1 Timothy 4:14 (seek and develop gifts)
2 Corinthians 12:9 (weak things made strong)
Revelation 20:13 ; 1 Nephi 15:33 ; D&C 19:3 (judged by our works
1 Hebrews 13:21 (show good work)
The prophet Moses was a greatleader, but he neededAaron, his brother,
to help as a spokesman(see Exodus 4:14–16). Some ofus are leaders like
Moses orgoodspeakerslike Aaron. Some of us cansing well or play an
instrument. Others of us may be goodin coordination or able to work

7. well with our hands. Other talents we might have are understanding
others, patience, cheerfulness, orthe ability to teach others.
So how have others benefited from your talents?
DISADVANTAGES OF NOT ………..
President Joseph F. Smith said, “Every sonand every daughter of God has received
some talent, and each will be held to strict account for the use or misuse to which it
is put” (GospelDoctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 370). A talent is one kind of stewardship
(responsibility in the kingdom of God). The parable of the talents tells us that when
we serve well in our stewardship, we will be given greater responsibilities. If we
do not serve well, our stewardship will eventually be taken from us. (See Matthew
25:14–30). So, what are the lessons in the Matthew story?
If you’re the introverted, hesitant, conscious ofbeing misunderstood when putting
yourself forward type, then these three points will help you in considering why you
need to use your talents.
Equally, if you’re the kind of person more confident in putting yourself forward
when you identify a need, it’s also worth reading.
1. You have a responsibility to others
In recognizing your endowments as being gifts, or resources given to you for the
purposeof benefiting others, you’ll be freed to acknowledge the onus upon you to
use them.

8. You’ll also feel more comfortable and confident with the idea of moving
progressively towards bringing them out of the ground and into the open; no longer
shying away through fear of being misunderstood, wrongly perceived, or worse
still, getting it wrong – as did the third employee in the bible account.
Consider for a moment what some of your talents are. Furthermore, schedule just
10 minutes across the next few days to make a list of what you’re good at, what
comes naturally to you, and what you get excited about.
You may say to yourself:
 “I’m good at helping people.”
 “I’m good at organizing things.”
 “People pay attention to me when I talk.”
 “I enjoy entertaining and hosting.”
 “I listen well to others.”
 “I give good advice.”
 “I give encouragement.”
 “I have a good sense of humour.”
 “I’m creative.”
Whatever your list includes, be sure to recognize the items for what they are. Your
talents.
2. You have a responsibility to yourself
Your life is a treasure to be lived and enjoyed to the full. Sadly, failure to do so
results in a lack of genuine joy.

9. When you’re not doing the ‘thing’ you’re designed to be doing – as evidenced by
your list of what you’re good at, what comes naturally to you, and what you get
excited about – your existence becomes one marked with frustration and
discontent.
In learning to love yourself, again, as a means to being able to effectively love and
benefit others, you’re to avoid the wrongful assumption that adding value to your
life through the use of your talents, is inherently bad.
Though you need to question your motivations, the mere fact that you do so, is
evidence that you’re being rightfully provoked into ensuring that it’s not all about
you*, but that you’re striving towards a greater purpose, as seen by the first two
employees who made their bosses’bestinterest their primary focus.
*A word of warning:to ignore that you seek some benefit from whatyou do, and to
not acknowledgethatyou have a degree of tainted motivation, is both pious – as
it’s a denialof your fallibility – and incongruent.
3. You don’t want to have wastedyour life
How do you want to be remembered? At the end of your life, what is it you want to
have accomplished? What do you want your friends, loved ones, and colleagues to
be saying about you? How true would those statements be if you were to die
today?
When you shop it’s with intent. In going to the bathroom in the morning, though
maybe not as considered, you’re subconsciously aware of the desired and likely
outcome of your visit. You ensure that bothoccasions are purposeful.

10. Why should your life then, that has far greater significance than a visit to the
bathroom or a trip to your local shopping centre, be of any less consequence?
It shouldn’t! And neither does it have to be!
Eleanor Roosevelt said,
When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die.
Adding to the good of others, and experiencing the resulting joy and rewards that
come from sharing your treasure with those who benefit from your contribution,
are not simply great motives for expressing your talents, they also give you a
reason to exist.
There is nothing wrong with creating opportunity to use your talent, for as we’ve
seen, you have a responsibility to do so. There is everything wrong with burying
your talent in the ground, for in doing so, you rob yourself and those you influence,
of the benefits associated with your contribution to the world.
You owe it to yourself, and to others, to use your talents. Now!
HOW TO DEVELOP AND NURTURE YOUR TALENT:
“Thepurpose of life is to discover your gift, while the meaning of life is to give
awayyour gift”. David Viscott.
Our efforts in the greater scheme of things amount to very little – our money will
only go so far and our time will one day run out. But by blessing people with our

11. talents and gifts, we can be part of building God’sKingdom here on earth. The
kind of Kingdom that isn’t going to crumble away.
So how can we begin to discern what our gifts are and how to use them? We can
start by asking some key questions like: What brings me alive? What injustices
make me mad? What interests me? What are my passions?What am I good at?
What do people say I am effective in? What doors for service are open? What
needs to be done? Tim Keller says, “When all three factors [affinity, ability and
opportunity] come together, you can see God has equipped and called you to do
something or to move in a certain direction.”
It might seem daunting at first to try and align the answers to all the above
questions with a specific initiative or volunteer opportunity. After all, what you’re
naturally good at might not be how God wants to use you in serving people. There
is also the possibility that if you naturally gravitate towards serving in an area that
you’re good at, or passionate about, you might miss out on other areas where God
may want to use you.
A good place to start is by seeing what opportunities are available, where the need
is greatest and to start by serving there. You don’tneed to commit forever but by
being open to serving in a variety of ways you might be surprised at how God uses
you and reveals gifts you were never aware of before.
So let’s begin this year open-handed and open-hearted to how God wants to use the
blessings he has given us to bless others.

12. “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your
father’s house to the land thatI will show you. And I will make of you a great
nation, and I will bless you and make your namegreat, so that you will be a
blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse,
and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” Genesis 12:1-20.
DISCOVER AND UNVEIL THE HIDDEN
TREASURES/TALENTS FIRST:
Think back to early successesand times of great enjoyment. Don’t be afraid to
dredge up memories that go far backin the past. The standing ovation from your
classmates for that solo you sang in your high schoolchoir, for instance, might be
the last time that you used your musical talent before it languished in a career that
didn’t require that aptitude. Or how about that heroic moment when you caught a
pass in the end zone and won the game for your college football team? Too bad
your talent in sports wasn’t needed later in life.
Or in your first job, you may have wowed the boss with your ability to speak
Spanish to a group of visiting clients — only to spend the rest of your career in
areas where language talents weren’t necessary.
Helpful: Write a list of the talents that you haven’t used for many years. As you
write the list, some will come to mind that you haven’t even thought of in quite a
long time.
Ask close friends and relatives about your talents. Others often see our strengths
more clearly than we do. If you have any doubts about this, just think about your

13. own friends and the talents that they fail to take advantage of. Friends who knew
you early in life can be especially helpful.
Try things that you’ve never done before but perhaps always wanted to.
Examples:Working on a political campaign… doing volunteer work… writing for
the newsletter of your house of worship.
New activities often reveal talents and interests that have remained dormant for a
long time.
1. Recognize Your Talent
Don’t under- or over-estimate your talent. The book, Untapped Talent: Unleashing the
Power of the Hidden Workforce, shares an important exercise (on page 9) to assess your
talent and potential. Take the time to examine what has made you successfulin the
past and what your career aspirations are for the future. With this process, youwill
be able to identify the points when your talent hasn’t been tapped.
This familiarity with your talent allows you to make critical career decisions, such
as selecting the right next position or graciously turning down a seemingly good
job offer while outlining steps to encourage growth and movement in your career.
Another key factor is to identify your strengths so that you can be confident about
what specific talents will supportyour career trajectory.
2. Identify What TalentMakes You Unique
A talent that makes you stand out from the crowd because your skill and expertise
can be considered a great asset. Do you speak a second or third language? Have
you lived in several countries, or studied multiple disciplines? Companies are

14. searching for people with new and interesting perspectives and life experiences to
solve complex business challenges. Showcase your unique style, and talent. Dare
to be great!
3. Nurture And DevelopYour Talent
All of us start off with raw talent that needs to be shaped and developed. It’s our
responsibility to nurture and grow our talent, while positioning ourselves for
success. To develop your talent, it is great to look for work assignments or
volunteer opportunities that add depth to your skill base, value to your professional
life, and exposure for your career. The key to success is applying your talents in
different situations and changing your work environment to broaden your
perspective. Again, developing your talent means staying in touch with your
passion and building on your interests to add value in your profession and career.
4. Express Your Talent
Self-expression is the key to growing your talent. Talent is like learning a fine
instrument that you want to play well. You must practice, practice, and practice to
be proficient at playing your instrument and learning how to play it for many
audiences in different settings as a way to understand the full potential of the
instrument.
The more you exercise your talent, the more talents that you will discover you can
use as well as the new places, situations, and people that can use your skills. In
many instances, we limit our talent from reaching its full potential because we
assume people are not interested in what we have to say or offer. You can plan to
get involved with organizations and people who are interested in the talents that
you bring to the table.

15. 5. Organize A PersonalGroup Of Directors That Focus On Your Talent
This group of people is invested in you personally and professionally. They
provide supportand guidance that unleash the hidden areas of your talent. Select
group members who can see in you what you can’t see in yourself. Their role is to
carefully nudge, recommend, confront, and embrace your growth. They can assist
with you “Tapping Your Talent!”
1 Time. It’s scarce, and urgent tasks have a tendency to consume it. People
who aren’t disciplined in their priorities will be subject to daily crises that
interfere with activities that are part of a long-term investment in other
people.
Recommended by Forbes.
2. Focus on visible skills. As leaders rise to more senior positions, it’s natural
to feel like they need to demonstrate strategic thinking, strong business
acumen, and effective P&L management — noticeable skills that catch
people’s attention. Building talent, on the other hand, is less obvious and has
a long-term payoff.
3. Lack of development culture. One of the most interesting findings in the
research is that even lower-level leaders who made talent development a
priority start to slip when they enter the senior ranks. One-on-one coaching
can be intrinsically fulfilling and, for that reason alone, leaders are more
likely to set aside time for it. But senior executives make the biggest impact
when they distinguish between individual coaching and organizational

16. coaching. It’s the latter that lacks most. Call it the culture, or environment,
of development that’s missing.
Diligent leaders can avoid these traps. Brian Kibby, the President of McGraw-Hill
Higher Education, wakes up early to complete his personal tasks before dedicating
the work day to focusing on his people, even scheduling 15 minute blocks to have
conversations with everyone in his organization. Nevertheless, it’s very difficult
for senior executives to spend personal time with every single employee and
provide the hands-on coaching and training that is the hallmark of a great leader.
Cori Hill sees invulnerability to insecurity among leaders as a major stumbling
block for organizations. The way Hill puts it, “Power messes up our ability to
learn.” Leaders set the example of learning, which sometimes requires the
admission, “I don’tknow.”
She has these suggestions for senior leaders who want to create a culture of talent
development:
1. Act as a role model. Be transparent about your own need to learn and
develop and share how you’re able to do it. Embrace vulnerability: leaders
are never more powerful than when they are shown to be learning.
2. Reinforce the value of learning. Go beyond the baseline conversation
about goals. Ask about what they want to accomplish and what they feel
their gaps are. When someone completes an assignment, celebrate both the
outcome and the learning, especially if the assignment wasn’t completed as
smoothly as everyone would’ve liked.
3. Build sustainable processesto support development. Managers should be
expected to coachand develop their people. At a minimum, everyone knows

17. what areas they need to improve, and for those with particularly high
potential, career tracks are developed that give them a sense of where they
can go inside the organization.
4. Reinforce sharedvalues. Employees should be able to link their everyday
tasks and responsibilities to the values in the organization. People need to
understand why what they do is important.
5. Leverage problems as opportunities for real world learning and
development. What’s an acceptable failure needs to be clarified and that
way, by incorporating stretch assignments, employees can seek out
challenges where they can develop without feeling like mistakes will set
them back in their career or jeopardize their job. Learning organizations see
problems as opportunities.
Personally, I’d like to solidify a culture of development at Forbes. I’m a big
believer in giving as much context as possible, and when I meet with members of
my team each month, one of my favorite questions to ask is, “what have you
learned recently?” When an entire organization is stacked — from top to bottom—
in “step up” roles, everyone is learning and there’s the potential for high
performance.
I do wonder how leaders at every level, based on their educational background,
perform on this dimension. For example, are leaders with MBAs more or less
prone to coach and develop talent in their organizations? Inquiring minds want to
know.

18. IN DEVELOPING AND NURTURINGYOUR
TALENT STILL;
You feel victorious. Your top candidate accepted your offer and you can’t wait to
see what they can do for your company. But if you want to develop and retain the
A-team, it’s going to take a little bit of effort and care on your part.
1. PROFILE YOUR IDEAL EMPLOYEES (be passionate aboutyour skills)
A talented and skilled person has “the right stuff.” These individuals possess the
knowledge, skills, abilities and personality traits (KSAPs) needed to excel at their
tasks. To attract and retain talented persons around you, your group first needs to
identify the KSAPs for each job using a three-step process:
1. Assemble a panel that is highly familiar with the purposes ofyour group.
2. Have the panel generate a task list for the proposed assignments.
3. Have the panel members ask themselves, “What KSAPs are needed for
performing each task in an excellent manner?”
2. TEST FOR THE BEST (change your mentality)
You have to change your mentality believing that you know what competencies it
takes to measure for a particular role. A solid, you must have the right attitude to
work, always being positive that you can be the best.
3. EFFECTIVELYMANAGE PERFORMANCE(be creative)
Even star employees need to be managed well or their valuable talents will
dissipate. Clarify for yourself what defines excellence in your role, and how you
can attain it. Provide yourself with periodic feedback in the form of constructive

19. criticism — both positive and negative — and allow yourself to be coached when
you have performance problems.
4. DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS
You have seen some of your group members very talented, but they were not born
that way. They developed and nurtured those talents over time. And you need to
groom the next generation of leaders in the business for your group. Strive to be
the leader in the group and know it that Leadership talent consists of three essential
skills:
• Conceptual — seeing the big picture and envisioning the future gains
importance as leaders move up the corporate ladder.
• Interpersonal — getting along well with others is vital at every management
level.
• Technical — technical knowledge is necessary at all levels, but lessens in
importance as you move up the corporatehierarchy.
5. FACILITATE CAREER GROWTH
Most people want to take on more responsibility as they progress in their careers.
You need to ensure you are developed ahead of time to make each move
successfully. Too often, we see people being praised who eventually exhibit
incompetence and frustration. Therefore help yourselves by offering training,
continuing education or mentoring programs.
6. FOSTER“TEAMNESS”
We created this term to emphasize the importance of teamwork in an group. Every
group needs to encourage cooperation and collaboration to maximize people’s

20. talents, to augment one another and to be good team players. Not everyone is going
to get along all the time, but they need to understand that they are working for the
good of the group. If you have fostered a true sense of unity among your team,
your group’s goals should alleviate any disputes that may arise.
7. MOTIVATE YOURSELVES
Regardless of how talented some are above others, if they aren’t being motivated
to use their talents, they are going to fall flat — and so are you. To motivate
talented people, you must give them challenging work, recognize and reward them
for their outstanding achievements, give them the resources they need to do their
jobs, and treat them fairly. Recognize and praise them for the weaker ones to
emulate.
8. CREATE A WINNING CULTURE (increase your responsibilities)
It’s true that every organization has its own distinct culture. As a member of a
group, you must maintain a culture where each and every one of you wants to be
the very best they can be. Remember, you are setting the tone and style of the
group. You must model the way to create a winning culture that everyone can
succeed in.
9. BE PRESENT— AND PRESENTABLE (keepyour
commitment)
For your talent to develop and nurture effectively, you need to have — and
maintain — a strong presence in the audience. The most talented people should
want to work with you — but why? Ask yourself: “What am I doing to maintain a
high–profile presence in the community? If I were looking for a job, why would I

21. want to work for this particular group?” Do your due diligence and be aware of
how you and your group are viewed in the community so you know how you are
being perceived.
10. COMPENSATE ACCORDINGLY
Professional sports are a perfect example here: it’s easy to see the most talented
athletes are paid extraordinarily well. The same should be true of yourself.
whenever you exceeds your performance goals and have a direct and positive
effect on the group’s bottomline, you should compensate yourself accordingly.
Not all people are motivated by money alone, but if they are doing the job
exceptionally well, they should be rewarded. Mosttimes after a particularly
outstanding performance in an event, I would compensate myself with a
specialmeal OR with a very goodmusical rendition all by myself and to
myself to the extent that people around me would notice and make positive
remarks about me. And I become more happy when that happens.
Kenneth N. consulting firm. DouglasA. Strouse. ken@wexleyconsulting.com or
doug@ceoclubofbaltimore.com. MIKE MYATT.
STILL NURTURING YOUR TALENTS:
It usually doesn’ttake long to discover several hidden talents that you would like
to develop. To determine which ones are worth nurturing, try several. Then
concentrate on the one (or ones) that give you the most pleasure.

22. You’ll know that you’ve chosenthe right one when you lose track of time in
pursuing the talent. If you sang in the glee club, for instance, consider taking music
lessons or joining a choir. If you enjoy practicing so much that you can barely stop,
music is clearly a talent to nurture.
On the other hand, you might discover that singing today isn’t quite as enjoyable as
it was several decades ago. If that’s the case, move on to another dormant talent.
Effective ways to nurture hidden talents…
Take lessons. In doing volunteer work, for example, you may discover a talent for
leadership. In that case, classes at a local business schoolcould be a way to hone
your aptitude. Once nurtured, leadership ability could lead to starting your own
volunteer organization or even a profitable consulting business.
Get expert input. No matter which talent you want to nurture, you probably know
people with the same interest who can offer advice. If you don’t, ask around at the
clubs and organizations that you belong to. Or ask your friends if they have
acquaintances with knowledge in your field of interest.
If you were once talented in sports, forexample, talk with friends who have been
involved in sports, suchas amateur or professional athletes, high schoolcoaches or
employees at a local gym. They’ll almost certainly have advice on how to get back
into the game — perhaps as a player on a senior circuit or as a coach to an amateur
team.
Or say that after working on a community newsletter, you rediscover your talent
for writing. Seek out friends who are experienced in journalism, advertising or

23. editing. They’ll know of ways to nurture your talent and could also point you to
part-time writing jobs in your area.
Smartmove: Consider the experts who advise you as potential partners in a
business. If you want to nurture a talent for gardening, for example, your friends
might recommend that you speak with a local nurseryman. If the two of you hit it
off, you might suggest teaming up to start a landscaping business.
As people grow older, they rarely think that they need mentors. In fact, we can
always use the advice of those with wisdom and experience. So when one or more
people point you in the right direction, think of them as mentors. Keep in touch,
and express your thanks whenever you have a success.
Example:If your hidden talent is painting and a local artist recommends a teacher
who guides you on a path to a gallery exhibition, invite them both to the show.
Share the credit, and more help will always come your way.
Similarly, Peter commands the use of the gifts within the church for the mutual
benefit of those who comprise the church [note the phrases ‘each other’ and
‘one another’] resulting in praise to God [1Peter 4:7-11].
In addition:
In 1Corinthians 14:20-22a the role and purposeof the gift of languages is
specified - that they are evidence of God’s indictment against the unbelief of
Israel. [Here Paul quotes Isaiah 28:11,12, a prophecyspokento the unbelieving
Israelites at the time of their widespread national idolatry; he states that

24. languages are a fulfilment of this prophecy.]It is only when the languages are
interpreted that they are of any use in the church [vv13-19].
About their use:
 They are to be used with diligence, cheerfulness and faithfulness [Romans
12:6-8; 1Peter 4:10-11].
 They are to be used in an orderly and fitting way [1Corinthians 14:26-
33,40].
 Although given by God, how and when they are used is under the direction
and controlof the individual who is accountable to God for his/her use of
their gifts [1Corinthians 14:26-33,40]. This personal responsibility/control
factor is in contrastto the ecstatic spirituality of the Corinthians prior to their
conversion [1Corinthians 12:2].
 The verbal content expressed in their use will express genuine
acknowledgement of the deity of Christ [1Corinthians 12:3].
 They are to be used for the good of the church [1Corinthians 14:5b, 1Peter
4:10].
 The possessionofa specific gift should never be a cause of personal pride,
boasting, individualism or isolationism [Romans 12:3; 1Corinthians 12:14-
26].
 The possessionofa gift does not provide an excuse for disobeying God’s
commands [1Corinthians 13:1-8a; 1Peter 4:7-11]

25. BENEFITS OF DEVELOPING, NURTURINGAND
USING YOUR TALENTS:
The Lord Will Bless Us If We Use Our Talents Wisely
President Joseph F. Smith said, “Every sonand every daughter of God has received
some talent, and each will be held to strict account for the use or misuse to which it
is put” (GospelDoctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 370). A talent is one kind of stewardship
(responsibility in the kingdom of God). The parable of the talents tells us that when
we serve well in our stewardship, we will be given greater responsibilities. If we
do not serve well, our stewardship will eventually be taken from us. (See Matthew
25:14–30).
We are also told in the scriptures that we will be judged according to our works
(see Matthew 16:27). By developing and using our talents for other people, we
perform good works.
The Lord is pleased when we use our talents wisely. He will bless us if we use our
talents to benefit other people and to build up His kingdom here on earth. Some of
the blessings we gain are joy and love from serving our brothers and sisters here on
earth. We also learn self-control. All these things are necessary if we are going to
be worthy to live with our Heavenly Father again.
What are some examples of people whose talents have been magnified
because they used them wisely? (Consider people you know or people in the
scriptures or Church history.)
Additional Scriptures

26. James 1:17 (gifts come from God)
D&C 46:8–11; 1 Timothy 4:14 (seek and develop gifts)
2 Corinthians 12:9 (weak things made strong)
Revelation 20:13 ; 1 Nephi 15:33 ; D&C 19:3 (judged by our works
Hebrews 13:21 (show good work)
The prophet Moses was a greatleader, but he neededAaron, his brother,
to help as a spokesman(see Exodus 4:14–16). Some ofus are leaders like
Moses orgoodspeakerslike Aaron. Some of us cansing well or play an
instrument. Others of us may be goodin sports or able to work well
with our hands. Other talents we might have are understanding others,
patience, cheerfulness, orthe ability to teachothers.
BIG QUESTION (HOME WORK):
1 How have you benefited from the talents of others and how have others
benefited from your talent?
2 List five (5) people you know whose talents have improved over time
because they are persistent/consistent in using them.
Prepared By
John Henry (B.A PHIL, PGD EDU).
General Secretary,
Mt Zion Prayer Group,

27. Catholic Charismatic Renewal Of Nigeria,
St. John The Baptist’s Catholic Church,
Mpape Abuja.
henryjohnoe@yahoo.com, henryoejohn@gmail.com, 08036307059, 08050817907.