laronius

In Sunday School we were talking about gifts of the Spirit and the teacher had us list different gifts either found in the scriptures or from patriarchal blessings. Many of those listed were ones you expect to hear: healing, knowledge, tongues, etc. But there were other ones like kindness, cheerfulness, gratitude, etc.
This made me start to wonder what exactly is a gift of the Spirit. We could technically call any positive attribute a gift of the Spirit because the Spirit can help us develop those attributes. But is that what the scriptures are actually talking about? So I guess my question is how do we distinguish between gifts of the Spirit and other positive qualities or should we not try to differentiate between them because they are all gifts?

Perhaps the GIFTS of the Spirit are those explicitly listed in scriptures, whereas other attributes, such as kindness, might be considered FRUITS? 

I agree. Having a change of heart is so key to true conversion. It is essentially what Elder Maxwell was speaking of when saying that our will is really the only thing that is uniquely ours that we have to offer God.

I would change the order of preference. Pay tithing because:
1. we love the Lord and want to help our fellow man
2. we fear fire and want to  purchase fire insurance
3. we are guilted into it by our friends and family
4. we want to virtue signal to the ward
The first case is virtuous, the second is suboptimal but pragmatic, and the third is a bit shameful but, I would argue, better than disobedience. In the last case, I think paying tithing actually does no good for us at all. It's pure hypocrisy. We have our reward.
I would also add a Step 1.5 (that is, between 1 and 2): Pay tithing because we have covenanted to do so and we want to obey our covenants. I think this is a pretty good reason, a step on the pathway to acting as we ought because we love the Lord and our fellow man.

I think it's important to note that this section is talking about those who died before learning of the restored gospel and having a chance to choose it in mortality.  So I think "according to the desire of their hearts" is modifying "their works" - whatever your works, if your desire (or intent) was to do good, but you failed, or didn't know better, then the desire will in essence elevate the work.  And, like @mikbone points out, the desire can negate the work, too.  God cares about our intent.  See: Moroni 7:5-10 and Alma 41:3-5.
I also believe that our desires lead to the work we do, and can be changed over time as we choose the better desires, so that in this way, it's our true desires that are judged.  To quote Nibley (Approaching Zion, chapter 10 "Funeral Address"):

I think of it a bit differently.  Sometimes we do the right thing for the wrong reason, or for a lessor reason.
 
Like paying tithing because we love the lord and want to help our fellow man. 
or
Paying tithing because we want to virtue signal to the ward.
or
Paying tithing because we are guilted into it by our friends and family
or 
Paying tithing because we fear fire and want to purchase fire insurance.
D&C 58:26-29

I think we could add temple work to the process of taking upon us the name of Christ. For one thing, doing work for the dead helps us become saviors on Mount Zion. 
But also, when you consider the covenants made during the endowment what we are really talking about are the qualities that defined Christ's mortal ministry and prepared the way for the atonement. I really like the recent changes they have made showing just how much it revolves around the Savior.

I think we could add temple work to the process of taking upon us the name of Christ. For one thing, doing work for the dead helps us become saviors on Mount Zion. 
But also, when you consider the covenants made during the endowment what we are really talking about are the qualities that defined Christ's mortal ministry and prepared the way for the atonement. I really like the recent changes they have made showing just how much it revolves around the Savior.

I think we could add temple work to the process of taking upon us the name of Christ. For one thing, doing work for the dead helps us become saviors on Mount Zion. 
But also, when you consider the covenants made during the endowment what we are really talking about are the qualities that defined Christ's mortal ministry and prepared the way for the atonement. I really like the recent changes they have made showing just how much it revolves around the Savior.

Thank you for this thread and your post.  I will add a few thoughts – not to change your thoughts but only to add to them.
Often (especially in scripture) our covenant relationship to Christ is compared to marriage.  In that comparison we become the bride and Christ is the groom.  It is the tradition of marriage that the bride takes upon them the name of the groom.  In our modern culture this submission and the bride taking the name of the groom is sometimes seen as sexist and a degradation to women.  I do not intend to debate that notion but rather point to this as a step in becoming one – or as in ancient Hebrew “ehad”.
I believe the point is based in covenant and that the sacrament covenant follows the format of the ancient Biblical covenants – such as the Adamic, Noahic and Abrahamic covenants.  In such covenant we promise G-d to honor, revere (obedience), love and serve – all of which is done with fidelity and loyalty only to G-d and none other.  In return G-d promises to provide for our needs (including a promised land – symbolic of a place in or citizenship in the kingdom of heaven), provide protection from enemies (symbolic of help when attacked by the forces of darness and restoration of all that is lost and 3rdly a promise of seed (symbolic of both children and unending or everlasting life).
It is also interesting to me that in many Middle Eastern cultures that for a marriage to be official or legal that the groom would provide bread and wine to the bride to be symbolic of his love and dedication to her and their covenant of marriage.  The bride would then drink of the wine and eat the bread symbolic of her acceptance of him in love and dedication to him and their covenant of marriage.
I find this meaningful, especially having made a sacred covenant of marriage with G-d and my beloved wife in the holy temple of G-d.  Thus, connecting my new and everlasting covenant with G-d and my wife to the sacrament.  That together we renew our vows and oneness of name with our Messiah and the Father of us all.  For me the sacrament is more than just my personal commitment to G-d and includes my vows of marriage – I am grateful to take the sacrament with my wife.
 
The Traveler

This was the role Jesus filled. There is no way we would have been admitted into one of their "clubs" (Sadducees, Pharisees, etc) but rather went about doing good nonetheless and lead by example. Proving to others that we are true Christians will never happen via doctrinal debate. It will only happen as we take upon us His name and let His light shine through us.

Sometimes, just being of good character and encouraging others to be of good character is enough to rebuke a corrupt system, hence all of the screaming you'll hear when modern "progressive" types see people who live with classical mores. 

We can either act or be acted upon.
When we sleep, we're being acted upon. When we wake, we act. Turn this on its head:
If we have our own plans, goals, and actively seek to do good, we're awake. If we just go about life reacting to everything else without any plans or goals, we are asleep. In other words: If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.

Epstein didn't kill himself...
I think some of the awake to our awful situation points out that we ARE in an awful situation and to do what we do in other awful situations.
When the tornadoes hit and the floods come, what do we do?  We gather our resources together, we gather ourselves together, and we prepare to survive through the onslaught.
In a similar manner, we are in the midst of this awful situation today (though it will probably get a LOT worse).  We need to gather together often in our wards and stakes.  Edify each other in the gospel and build our testimonies against the moral assaults that are attacking us and our families. 

I would say from verse 30, he had in mind to build Zion and prepare for the Second Coming: to do away will evil, do good continually, come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved. He also counsels us in verses 23 - 26 to search the prophecies of Isaiah (a reference to the latter-day restoration of all the keys), remember the covenant made to the Book of Mormon prophets and people upon the land (a reference to building the New Jerusalem) and the Book of Mormon itself. 

A significant portion of the Book of Mormon deals with secret combinations. Even though it played a major role in the history of the Nephites the Lord instructed Moroni to also include the Book of Ether as a second witness of the threat. In that account Moroni says:
8:24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you...
Awake and do what? Obviously we need to vote and take part in civic affairs. But secret combinations are by nature secret. So while we may have suspicions or even some evidences that seem to point to their existence it would be very difficult, imo, to convince someone of them who did not already believe it. 
Years ago you could have pointed at communism and said that's it and the general public would have agreed. Now days it's not so simple. I think secret combinations work both sides of the aisle here in the US and seek to influence any major political party around the world. 
I guess I'm just uncertain what Moroni, or the Lord more specifically, had in mind when telling us to "awake" to the danger they present. Awake and do what?

A significant portion of the Book of Mormon deals with secret combinations. Even though it played a major role in the history of the Nephites the Lord instructed Moroni to also include the Book of Ether as a second witness of the threat. In that account Moroni says:
8:24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you...
Awake and do what? Obviously we need to vote and take part in civic affairs. But secret combinations are by nature secret. So while we may have suspicions or even some evidences that seem to point to their existence it would be very difficult, imo, to convince someone of them who did not already believe it. 
Years ago you could have pointed at communism and said that's it and the general public would have agreed. Now days it's not so simple. I think secret combinations work both sides of the aisle here in the US and seek to influence any major political party around the world. 
I guess I'm just uncertain what Moroni, or the Lord more specifically, had in mind when telling us to "awake" to the danger they present. Awake and do what?

Of course murder is spoken of in similar terms but we generally don't put that in the same category.

My outsider view is that creation itself cries out that God exists. However, is it not a prompting of the Holy Ghost that speaks to the soul? "The sun is beautiful, the mountains are amazing, the water so gorgeous--there must be a Maker--a Designer."
Such a prompt can be resisted many times. Only one affirming response is needed. A soul can be saved after many rejections/hesitations related to the Holy Ghost. Of course, at some point we harden our heart so much that a positive response becomes out of reach. There comes a point where the Holy Ghost says, "Enough." Afterwards, the soul cannot submit to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. That soul has blasphemed the Holy Ghost. Thankfully, it is not for any human to judge or conclude that this has happened. Indeed, even if I look to myself, the fact that I am wondering if I have blasphemed the Holy Ghost should tell me that I have not. If I had I wouldn't care.
BUT, in my rejections and hesitations, I will have delayed my salvation. Those hours/days/months/years are a period of time when I might have been a positive influence on another. So, not only did I put off my own peace with God. I may have missed facilitating the salvation of others. Grief indeed. Thankfully, our Heavenly Father is merciful, grace-full, and most forgiving. 

This was the role Jesus filled. There is no way we would have been admitted into one of their "clubs" (Sadducees, Pharisees, etc) but rather went about doing good nonetheless and lead by example. Proving to others that we are true Christians will never happen via doctrinal debate. It will only happen as we take upon us His name and let His light shine through us.

That is one theory that I heard once upon a time, that separated from God's life sustaining light those in outer darkness essentially de-evolve back into their original state as intelligences. Of course, we don't know because God has specifically withheld the "end" of these individual's state.
But if this is correct, what of those that have been resurrected? Maybe this is why God said it was better if they had never been born. Perhaps they are stuck there.

If Moroni did not translate that portion of the Jaredite record then it wouldn't be part of the gold plates Joseph had, sealed or unsealed.

This discussion raises questions for me about the need for, or purpose of resurrection. Surely given how wicked and resistant to truth those in outer darkness will be, there is reson to suppose that we would all be better off if they were left unresurrected. Why allow the continuation of evil when it could be discontinued? But we are taught that all will be resurrected, even those who will end up in outer darkness. If there is a choice between to resurrect or not to resurrect, God has made a choice that these totally evil beings will be resurrected. From the fairly limited vantage point we have at present, its hard to see how their resurrection is something that will benefit the rest of us. If there is no such choice, and these evil beings are resurrected bcause God has no choice, ie, it's something He "has to do" do (maybe in order to remain consistent with some sort of universal law to which even God is subject, such as the law of justice) then that would be an intereting little insight into how this version of the Plan of Salvation has been shaped by laws to which God is subject. rather than being shaped entirely by His own ideas and preferences.  

Perhaps a brief tangent, from the current tangent: My understanding was that sons of perdition are to be resurrected but this kind of appears to leave the other possibility open.
D&C 76:37 And the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power; 38 Yea, verily, the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath. 39 For all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, through the triumph and the glory of the Lamb, who was slain, who was in the bosom of the Father before the worlds were made.

Perhaps a little tangent but related:
D&C 19:20 Wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you with my almighty power; and that you confess your sins, lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest, yea, even in the least degree you have tasted at the time I withdrew my Spirit.
We often speak of the suffering of those in hell in terms of regret and guilt, an "only if" produced suffering. And I'm sure that is definitely part of it. But I am intrigued by the example the Lord gives here. We use the term death to describe a separation (i.e. spirit from body, man from God). The Lord here is saying, as I interpret it, your suffering will also be because of separation, of which separation from the Spirit is but a hint of what's to come. To me this is something more than regret.
We know that the light of God gives life to all things. So what happens to that spirit when that light is reduced or cut off completely (outer darkness)? This is like spiritually being placed in the Saharan Desert and being cut off from water. That is some very real suffering that strikes at our very being.