really here and really lived

”The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache.”

1 Corinthians 12–14

It seems the Saints in Corinth placed a bit too much importance on the gift of tongues and not enough on  gifts of the Spirit. Because our purpose as Saints is to bless the congregation as a whole, we should seek spiritual gifts that will benefit the whole body of the church and I dare say the world.

Spiritual gifts are blessings or abilities given through the Holy Ghost to help us serve God's children. Wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophesy, discernment, speaking and interpretation of tongues, mourning with mourners, loving weeping, and many other such gifts are all important in one capacity or another for loving and serving God's children.

Paul compared the members of the Church to different parts of the body to show that each member is important to the other members and to the Church as a whole. Without the least member the body is not as healthy and vibrant as it could be. The gifts of each member no matter how small and seemingly insignificant is needed and useful to the whole.

We aren't to sit back and see what God has in store for us. We are to seek spiritual gifts to edify, build up, instruct, improve, and enlighten the body of the church for the glory of God. The greatest of all spiritual gifts is charity or the pure love of Christ. Discovering this concept in 1 Corinthians 13 was a major turning point in my life and I've been seeking and attempting to internalize this gift ever since.

Charity suffereth long=Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge, By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, Lord is slow to anger, smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other, if men will smite you … bear it patiently

And is kind=do good to them that hate you, Samaritan … had compassion, Neither do I condemn thee, God, that giveth to all men liberally, be not weary in well-doing

Envieth noth=envy the rottenness of the bones, walk honestly … not in strife and envying, Envyings … they which do such things shall not inherit

Vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up=by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom, In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them, Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.



Doth not behave itself unseemly=GR indecently, unbecomingly

Seeketh not her own=will exalt my throne above the stars of God, turned every one to his own way, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul

Is not easily provoked=soft answer turneth away wrath, Cease from anger, and forsake wrath, He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls

Thinketh no evil=If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Rejoiceth not in iniquity=GR injustice, unrighteousness

Rejoiceth in the truth=truth of the Lord endureth for ever

Beareth all things=willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him

believeth all things=Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

hopeth all things=Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

endureth all things=But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved, And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.  

Charity is more important than any other spiritual gift, because charity endures past this life. It is an internal godly character trait. After the purpose of the earth is fulfilled, prophecies, various tongues, ans so forth won't be necessary any longer. A character that includes charity will always and eternally be useful and good.

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." Moroni 7:48

“We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something. We have to learn to be content with what we are....I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden. I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.” M. Hinckley