Ardeth G. Kapp wrote:
I have a book entitled If You Are Not From the Prairie, which lists all the things you don’t know—can’t know—if you are not from the prairie. Another book could be written about what you don’t and can’t know if you are not from the mountains or the city or if you are not from Oklahoma or Los Angeles or New York. Basically, anyone in the world could say, “If you have not walked in my shoes, you don’t know what I know.”
Although that is true, there are some important things common to all of us that we do know about one another, things that draw us together in a very significant way, regardless of age or circumstances, location or interests. When we understand our relationship as sisters, the bond of sisterhood can enrich our lives in a most remarkable way. Learning to recognize people’s gifts and talents, including our own, is a rich reservoir from which we might all draw and provide a wealth of experiences.
It is essential to our mission as sisters in the gospel that we nurture our gifts given each one of us and also help nurture the gifts of others. For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man [and woman] is given a gift by the Spirit of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 46:11). The plan of the adversary, if possible, would have us compare, compete, and complain. He seeks to weaken our own confidence and even, by our careless gossip, diminish and demean the gifts of others.
Just recently I caught myself trying to avoid negative thoughts of my own making. I had been invited to a gathering where a group of sisters were displaying the results of several months of creative work with knitting needles. There were unique designs with various colors of yarn, resulting in beautiful articles of clothing for children. I don’t knit. In that setting I might have felt dumb.
When the delicious, unusual desert was served and everyone discussed the details of the recipe, I might have felt dumb because I’m not a gourmet cook.
When people frequently say to me, “Oh, Sister Kapp, I just love your music,” I have to respond, “No you don’t love my music. I’m not Janice Kapp Perry. She’s my husband’s cousin.” Considering my lack of music ability, I might feel dumb.
At every age and stage, if we were to feel envious of the gifts others have that we don’t possess, we could feel dumb, but we must not. That feeling is the tool of the adversary. It is not according to the plan. I take great comfort in the words of Neil L. Anderson: “‘You don’t know everything, but you know enough’—enough to keep the commandments and to do what is right. (You Know Enough,”13). ~ Ardeth G. Kapp, Doing What We Came to Do, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2012), 27-29
