Day 321

• Principle: You developed traits, talents, and personalities while you lived in heaven.

• Book of Mormon Reading: Mormon 1:1 - 1:19

  • Gordon B. Hinckley spoke highly of Mormon, and that 

    • “May I remind you for a moment of the greatness and of the goodness of this man Mormon. He lived on this American continent in the fourth century after Christ. When Mormon was a boy of ten, the historian of the people, whose name was Ammaron, described him as ‘a sober child, and … quick to observe’ (Mormon 1:2). Ammaron gave him a charge that when he reached the age of twenty-four, he was to take custody of the records of the generations who had preceded him.

      “The years that followed Mormon’s childhood were years of terrible bloodshed for his nation, the result of a long and vicious and terrible war between those who were called Nephites and those who were called Lamanites.

      “Mormon later became the leader of the armies of the Nephites and witnessed the carnage of his people, making it plain to them that their repeated defeats came because they forsook the Lord and He in turn abandoned them. …

      “He wrote to our generation with words of warning and pleading, proclaiming with eloquence his testimony of the resurrected Christ. He warned of calamities to come if we should forsake the ways of the Lord as his own people had done.

      “Knowing that his own life would soon be brought to an end, as his enemies hunted the survivors, he pleaded for our generation to walk with faith, hope, and charity, declaring, ‘Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him’ (Moroni 7:47).

      “Such was the goodness, the strength, the power, the faith, the prophetic heart of the prophet-leader Mormon” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1990, 69–70; or Ensign, Nov. 1990, 52).

• Just like Mormon you have gifts and talents.  Though you may not feel like Mormon what characteristics and personality traits do you feel you have been blessed with and developed?

• Read about the pre earth life

  • Alma 13:1–3

  • Abraham 3:22–23

  • Job 38:4–7

  • Hebrews 12:9

  • Jeremiah 1:5 

  • D&C 29:31–38

  • Moses 3:4–7

  • 1 Corinthians 15:44

  • D&C 76:23–24

  • D&C 132:11–26

• How do others unique talents and abilities bless your life?  How have you used your gifts to bless the lives of others?

• Additional Study:

  • Boyd K. Packer, “The Mystery of Life”, October 1983

  • Again We Meet around the Board, Hymns No. 186

  • I Lived in Heaven, Children’s Songbook No. 4