QUOTE (Gospel Principles pg. 147) |
The Lord has belssed his people many times in miraculous ways. When the Utah pioneers planted their first crops, a plague of locusts nearly destroyed them. The pioneers prayed that the Lord would save their crops, and he sent sea gulls to devour the locusts. When we need help and ask in faith, if it is for our good the Lord will work miracles for us. |
I have touched on this in a few places, but not as a specific Topic. One can have been blessed with a number of Gifts, but we are told that we can gain all of them so long as we are willing to put in the effort to be worth of receiving such blessings.
First of all I believe having this as a Gift and having miracles in our lives is two separate (although closely related) things. I say this because miracles occur daily in our lives and yet we may not know it, simply because we do not recognize it, but it does not mean it is not a miracle. The ones that stand out are those that defy reason, logic or 'the odds', but they are no less or more a miracle than those that pass us by.
As a for instance miracles we take for granted are: health, employment, family, coming home safely, seeing a change in our heart, seeing changes in others, etc.
Now with the astonishing miracles I believe there has to be great effort on our part in order to expect a miracle. In other words miracles do not come to the idle seeker. I believe miracles would happen more in our lives if we expect them. Expecting them is largely based on our faith and worthiness to expect it because we know we are doing our best. All in my opinion.
Offtopic but, Great topic. Reminds me of what I should be doing. |
I'm not sure that I've had anything obviously miraculous happen, although I've been saved from a few scary situations in my life. I know people who have had miracles of being cured from disease or infirmity by the administration of priesthood power; for instance, a lady I work with had a tumor disappear from her brain about a year ago after priesthood blessings. Her doctor said she never would have believed it if she hadn't seen the before and after x-rays for herself.
In your reference to D&C 46:21, it says it is "given to some" to work miracles. That seems to limit the gift. The Savior says faith is the key in this familiar verse:
QUOTE |
Matt. 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. |