Reflecting on the holiday season — a time of gift giving — when he received the invitation to speak during this week's BYU devotional, C. Jeffrey Belliston spoke about "gospel gifts." He is assistant librarian of the Harold B. Lee Library.

His address was delivered to students gathered in the Marriot Center on Tuesday, March 16. Referring to 2 Nephi 11:4, which, in part, reads, "...all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of Him," Brother Belliston said, "Gospel gifts are gifts which point us to or typify Jesus Christ."

As he searched the scriptures, Brother Belliston said, he compiled a list of specific gifts given by God to His children that typify the Savior. The list included such things as mercy, strength, peace, the bounties of the earth, scriptures, commandments, wisdom and weakness among others.

For some of the items on the list, he noted, it is easy to see how the gift typifies the Savior. Others, however, are not as obvious. For example, how does weakness typify the Savior?

Brother Belliston explained, "If, because of humility induced by the weaknesses given to us by God, we 'becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble' we will also 'becometh a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord'" (see Mosiah 3:19).

He continued, "I feel certain that, in this sense, to glory in one's infirmities [or weakness] is to give thanks to God that He has blessed us with help to curb the pride that so easily distances the natural man or woman from the saving grace of the Atonement of Jesus Christ."

Brother Belliston used three examples from his own life to illustrate how gifts given by others can also typify Christ. As a 16-year-old, Brother Belliston worked as a projectionist for his local movie theatre. The manager, Clayton Bryan, seemed to him to be "somewhat fearsome." On one occasion, Brother Belliston made an error that resulted in the movie film becoming knotted and required much work to repair.

"For my carelessness, I expected a tongue lashing at the very least," Brother Belliston said. "Instead of condemning me, [my manager] calmly and frankly forgave me while also admonishing me to learn from the mistake and to be certain that it didn't happen again. That night Clayton Bryan gave me the gospel gift of compassion."

On another occasion, during his mission, Brother Belliston admired a member's set of "Harper and Row Basic Reading" volumes that reminded him of his childhood. When he was going to be transferred out of the area, the member, Sister Alligood, gave him the volumes. "That evening, along with the books, Sister Alligood gave me the gospel gift of unselfishness — of placing the happiness of another above one's own desires."

The third example of a gospel gift was given by a family in Brother Belliston's ward. The father and his sons faithfully mowed Brother Belliston's lawn after he suffered injuries from an automobile accident. "Throughout those summer months they gave me the gospel gift of vicarious sacrifice — doing for someone else what that person cannot do for himself or herself."

"I might, because of pride, or some other misguided notion, have chosen to refuse these gifts. That would not have negated the giving of the gifts," he said. "Giving and receiving are two separate actions reposing in two different individuals."

Citing the Oxford English Dictionary definition of "keep," — meaning "actively to hold in possession; to retain in one's power or control; to continue to have, hold, or possess" — Brother Belliston said, "In general, when we truly receive a gift, we keep it."

He added, "Just as we keep the gifts that we truly receive, we must do what the good manners that our mothers taught us insist upon. That is, we must offer thanks to the givers of gospel gifts whether they be our fellow mortals or our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ."

Gratitude, he affirmed, is a gospel gift that typifies Jesus Christ.

rsterzer@desnews.com