The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints is a service oriented Church. It has no paid clergy and all leadership, administrative, and instructional positions are volunteer based.
Indeed, service is an essential aspect of spiritual growth. As one ancient prophet put it, "For how knoweth a man the master he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts of his heart?" (Mos. 5:13).
After a lifetime of service this wizened ruler taught his people that wisdom was found in learning "that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mos. 2:17).
The Savior Himself taught that "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matt. 25:40).
Not only is selfless service an act of service to God that will bring us to know and understand Him, it also enriches our lives and the lives of those we serve.
"The answer lies in helping to solve the problems of those around us rather than worrying about our own, living to lift burdens even when we ourselves feel weighed down, putting our shoulder to the wheel instead of complaining that the wagons of life seem to be passing us by."
Read the entire article here, David S. Baxter, "Faith, Service, Constancy," Ensign, Nov. 2006, p. 14.
Indeed, service is an essential aspect of spiritual growth. As one ancient prophet put it, "For how knoweth a man the master he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts of his heart?" (Mos. 5:13).
After a lifetime of service this wizened ruler taught his people that wisdom was found in learning "that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mos. 2:17).
The Savior Himself taught that "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matt. 25:40).
Not only is selfless service an act of service to God that will bring us to know and understand Him, it also enriches our lives and the lives of those we serve.
As Elder David S. Baxter of the Quorum of the Seventy taught, "As we serve we grow. President George Albert Smith taught, 'It is not what we receive that enriches our lives, it is what we give' (Conference Report, Apr. 1935, p. 46).
"Selfless service is a wonderful antidote to the ills that flow from the worldwide epidemic of self-indulgence. Some grow bitter or anxious when it seems that not enough attention is being paid to them, when their lives would be so enriched if only they paid more attention to the needs of others."The answer lies in helping to solve the problems of those around us rather than worrying about our own, living to lift burdens even when we ourselves feel weighed down, putting our shoulder to the wheel instead of complaining that the wagons of life seem to be passing us by."
Read the entire article here, David S. Baxter, "Faith, Service, Constancy," Ensign, Nov. 2006, p. 14.
1 comments:
hey, this in late in coming and i want you to know how important truth is and thank you for supplying some here. i've only just begun as far as reading your comments and statements, and will most likely read more. good job, dave. and good that you are willing to take the time to help this truth be known. i just attended a stake women's conference with the theme of 'A New Heart' and it was wonderful to hear, once again, how our open hearts are what are at the bottom of serving one another. reaching out when we don't want to and being a friend when it would be easier not to bother.......
Post a Comment