The main purpose of priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ is to lead the faithful in such a way that they can feel and receive the gifts of the Spirit, the greatest of which is the gift of eternal life. The gifts of the spirit are rich and manifold. Chart 12-10 combines into a single profile the array of spiritual gifts that are mentioned in four scriptural lists: in 1 Corinthians 12,Moroni 10, Doctrine and Covenants 46, and the seventh Article of Faith. No two of these lists are the same, just as no two individuals are the same. To one is given one gift; to others are given other gifts.

Through priesthood ordinances, people prepare themselves to receive the gifts of the Spirit by repentance, baptism, and then righteously keeping one’s covenants with God. Chart 12-11 lists the many instances in the New Testament that mention the ordinance of baptism. This substantial collection shows the importance of baptism in early Christianity. As administered by John the Baptist and the apostles of Jesus, baptism was performed by immersion as a conscious token of one’s faith and repentance. Baptism opens the way for a person to receive the confirmation of the gift of the Holy Ghost and the blessings of his companionship.

H. George Bickerstaff, “Gifts of the Spirit,” EM, 2:544–46.
James E. Talmage, The Articles of Faith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983), 197–213.