Talents and Gifts

Today at church we had a lesson about talents and gifts. The teacher had us look up scriptures about talents. We learned that everyone has been given talents and gifts, that we are given gifts that are different from one another, that we are responsible for our talents and are under condemnation if we do not exercise and increase them, and that talents are given to bless the lives of others.

I naturally thought about this lesson in respect to the talent of writing. It seems to me that there are many different types of writing talents. Some people write beautiful poetry. Some write great novels. Some people are talented in writing short stories. Some are gifted in grammar and punctuation. While many of us strive to develop skills in many different aspects of writing, we probably will be better at some than we are at others. We don't have to be good at every aspect of writing because we can help each other. That's what a community of writers is all about and we can grow and improve together.

If you are like me, there are days when you question whether you have any talent at all. Here's a quote by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf that should encourage you:

You may think you don't have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us. The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before--colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.

 You are a creative, talented writer. You have a gift from God. It is your duty and destiny to write the words only you can write. It is your mission to improve the world by using your talent and sharing it with others. Your words do make a difference.

Now, go conquer the world!