To Serve Is A Pleasure

“Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need? Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad? If not, I have failed indeed. Has anyone's burden been lighter today because I was willing to share? Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way? When they needed my help was I there?”

Good Morning brothers and sisters! I am thankful for this chance to speak to you today. This is an occassion that no one should let pass. Like teaching, we individually learn so much more than our recipients.

Having the opportunity to serve others is another honor that we should not avoid. I don't know how many of us really had the blessing of truly hearing what President Monson had to say on this topic in our last general conference. It spoke directly to my heart because for so long I would say “If you need anything, let me know,” but never openly looked for those people. And would decline the offers when they were too much of an inconvenience.

Do we really see what our neighbors need? Do we pray for the Lord to help us find things that fit with our current circumstances? My personal feeling, reflecting on my reactions to offers to help with services, on occasion are rather selfish. I have turned down having children in my home because I have not kept it up, or, I reason, that the extras in my small home would be too stressful. It is true that I do find extra children to be stressful in my home, but why should I let a little discomfort stop me from helping another?

As for most, it is easy to help those closest to us, such as friends and family. But what about the sister we don't know, who never comes to church? Or the brother who has been a few times and then never returned?

Home teaching and visiting teaching is easy, when we make those few calls and make the time. Its easiest when the person(s) are active and open to visitation. How do we react when they aren't active in the church or 'too busy'?

President Monson says “I am confident it is the intention of each member of the Church to serve and to help those in need.” ... “How many times has your heart been touched as you have witnessed the need of another? How often have you intended to be the one to help? And yet how often has day-to-day living interfered and you’ve left it for others to help, feeling that “oh, surely someone will take care of that need.”

Every Sunday we are offered the sacrament. When we take the sacrament we are renewing our covenant that we made at baptism right? Well what did we covenant? LDS.org reminds us that “Those who are baptized covenant to take the name of Jesus Christ upon themselves.
The prophet Alma explained this covenant to a group of new converts who wanted to be baptized. He observed that their desire to "come into the fold of God" included a willingness to give meaningful service—to "bear one another's burdens, that they may be light," to "mourn with those that mourn," and to "comfort those that stand in need of comfort" (Mosiah 18:8–9).”

Our wonderful apostles prepare messages for us and post them on youtube.com. Sister Smith watched “Choose this Day” by Elder Henry B. Erying, and she encouraged us to watch it as well. I watched this video, it was very inspirational and I am glad Sister Smith told us about it.

Elder Erying speaks of service in this message. He urges us to be watchful of us becoming complacent or overwhelmed by the need of service. The warning for the word 'Someday' is emotionally spoken in this video. I was close to tears and I related to what he was saying. He says that Christ even set the example when he said 'I must work the works of he that hath sent me while it is day; the night cometh while no one can work.' The temptation that we will start to believe that we will 'return someday' is dangerous for we do not know how many days we have left. We can 'choose this day' by praying for ways that we can serve and watch for those answers to our prayers. Erying promises us that if we do these things, that as hard as things may seem today, things will be better in the next day, if we choose to serve this day. And we will also feel his love and grow to love him more. This will create a cycle. We will want to feel that love continually and we will return the next day.

I am very grateful for this message. Frequently I say “someday”. I am not as busy as some, but we can create our own excuses not to do something. Most times I think its just because I am lazy. I don't want to do something that is disruptive, per say, to my normal day, my routine. The ironic thing is that most time the philanthropy is not complicated. A phone call, a note, a meal, an errand, a ride, help with dishes, giving a talk, teaching a class, help finding a job, a smile, a conversation at church, an invitation to sit with you.... The list goes forth. On and on we could list services that would take but a few moments, and are seriously that easy.
Children, as with most things in life, are a wonderful example; (which is probably why Christ admonishes us to be like little children). President Monson included a story in his talk from conference that emulates this example for us.
It reads: “Just over a year ago, I was interviewed by the Church News prior to my birthday. At the conclusion of the interview, the reporter asked what I would consider the ideal gift that members worldwide could give to me. I replied, “Find someone who is having a hard time or is ill or lonely, and do something for him or her.”
I was overwhelmed when this year for my birthday I received hundreds of cards and letters from members of the Church around the world telling me how they had fulfilled that birthday wish.
The acts of service ranged from assembling humanitarian kits to doing yard work.
Dozens and dozens of Primaries challenged the children to provide service, and then those acts of service were recorded and sent to me. I must say that the methods for recording them were creative. Many came in the form of pages put together into various shapes and sizes of books. Some contained cards or pictures drawn or colored by the children. One very creative Primary sent a large jar containing hundreds of what they called “warm fuzzies,” each one representing an act of service performed during the year by one of the children in the Primary. I can only imagine the happiness these children experienced as they told of their service and then placed a “warm fuzzy” in the jar.
I share with you just a few of the countless notes contained in the many gifts I received. One small child wrote, “My grandpa had a stroke, and I held his hand.” From an 8-year-old girl: “My sister and I served my mom and family by organizing and cleaning the toy closet. It took us a few hours and we had fun. The best part was that we surprised my mom and made her happy because she didn’t even ask us to do it.” An 11-year-old girl wrote: “There was a family in my ward that did not have a lot of money. They have three little girls. The mom and dad had to go somewhere, so I offered to watch the three girls. The dad was just about to hand me a $5 bill. I said, ‘I can’t take [it].’ My service was that I watched the girls for free.” A Primary child in Mongolia wrote that he had brought in water from the well so his mother would not have to do so. From a 4-year­-old boy, no doubt written by a Primary teacher: “My dad is gone for army training for a few weeks. My special job is to give my mom hugs and kisses.” Wrote a 9-year-old girl: “I picked strawberries for my great-grandma. I felt good inside!” And another: “I played with a lonely kid.” From an 11-year-old boy: “I went to a lady’s house and asked her questions and sang her a song. It felt good to visit her. She was happy because she never gets visitors.”
Sure there are things that we could do that take much more time and effort. And for the few that have the time and resources for those things, they are welcome to do them.

Our Relief Society Activity on October 20th was a 'spoon party'. Sister McClellan read us an analogy that I would like to relate to you guys today. It's called Make Me A Spoon.

“Did you ever compare your service to silverware? All silverware is made to serve, but the different pieces serve in different ways. Forks stab: “This is mine,” they say. Bits of meat, carrots, pickles, salad and cheese. “This, this and this are mine,” says the fork. “Everything for me, me, me.” And soon every last morsel on the plate has been pinned by the spear of the selfish fork. Knives cut: “Too big,” says the knife. Slice. Cut. Chop. Dice. Everything must change its shapes to satisfy the whim of the knife. Nothing is right as it is. Everything needs paring down, carving or separating. Spoons serve: cereal, soup, peas- all the impossible foods can be handled comfortably from the smooth bowl of the spoon. Spoons say, “Here, let me help you. We can manage together.”
Autumn then showed us a belt she had created with various spoons. The object was that each of us has different 'amounts we can serve'. Teaspoons have a little bit of time they can contribute. While ladles have a lot of room to serve. As long as you find what will fit into your life, the Lord will be pleased.

Too often it is just a handful of regulars that are called by the Relief Society and Priesthood leaders to lend a helpful hand, because those are the ones that they know will. Being in the compassionate service leader calling, I am grateful for these willing and able people. It is my prayer that as needs arise in the ward, that we all can rise to the occasion and lend our hands in uplifting one another. As I think about this I am impressed to speculate the impact that this would have on our ward. How many in-actives would return. How our rate of future inactivity would decrease. And all from a hand of service, a smile and notice to some lonely, needy member among us. We would truly be that of a Zion Ward.

I was curious what the Relief Society manual said about service; so I looked it up. “Relief Society sisters provide continuing and compassionate watch care to each other, making themselves, aware of one another's needs, circumstances, and challenges.” What really stuck out to me in this was the 'continuing' part. We are supposed to be always watching out for one another. Always looking for what can be done. The creed “Charity never faileth” implies to us that charity is not just a one time act. Charity is an enduring and an eternal practice.
The manual even goes into ways that we can become aware of needs of others. “Visiting teaching,... praying for guidance, and responding to promptings of the Spirit.” To this I would like to add home teachers. The entire ward, together as a whole, should work together to uplift and bring one another to the fold; Making one another's burdens lighter. It's amazing to me how the Lord has organized his Church. Think about it. We have the entire church which has been broken down into smaller groups. And it's even broken it down into one on one care. Our visiting teaching and home teaching responsibilities have been assigned so that we can be continually involved in service!

My mother frequently is telling me ' a time and a season'. This statement is true on so many topics. And service is definitely one of them. We should never compare ourselves to others in the ward. We are all of different life stages and life styles. I fall victim to that as well. Amy Williams and Bishop have always been people I have looked up to. People I strive to become like. Having a goal based on others examples is good. That is why Christ is our example. We are not asked to compare ourselves to him to see all our faults and feel horrible about them. We are asked to “Come unto him” that we may be like him. The LDS.org gospel topics site says “During His ministry on earth, Jesus Christ spent His time serving and helping others. True disciples of Jesus Christ do likewise. The Savior said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). The Savior is the best example of service.
Even though He came to earth as the Son of God, He humbly served all those around Him. He declared, "I am among you as he that serveth" (Luke 22:27).”

The church recently has had a focus on bringing investigators to our devoted missionaries. One way that we can do this is by serving in our communities and neighborhoods. Stepping outside our comfort zone of our church and ward, we will find greater happiness and answers to our prayers to find readied hearts for the missionaries.

“Therefore chances for work all around just now, opportunities right in our way. Do not let them pass by, saying “Sometime I'll try,” But go and do something today. 'Tis noble of man to work and to give; Love's labor has merit alone. Only he who does something helps others to live. To God each good work will be known.”
“Then wake up and do something more than dream of your mansion above. Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure, a blessing of duty of love.”

I know with a surety that this is the teaching of Christ. Christ wants us all to be happy. And it is by serving others that we can become more like him. He has a plan for us. It is perfect and divine. He has organized everything in the Church in such a way to provide a clear and simple path to return to Him. This is my testimony: I know that He lives. I know this with all my heart. This is His Church. His Plan. He sent His servants to guide us through all that life will throw. President Monson and the other general authorities are trying to do just that. Heavenly Father is showing them what we need to hear. I am grateful for their inspiration and testimonies that have taught me so much.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.