Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are asked to dedicate significant time to serving others. This includes unpaid leadership responsibilities, teaching opportunities, ministering assignments, and missionary work. While members often speak highly of the blessings they receive from these activities, balancing them with jobs, personal interests, and family responsibilities can be challenging.
It’s beneficial to reflect on how we spend our time and the personal gains from our activities. Thankfully, the Lord has provided insights on the importance of service, helping us strengthen our faith in His process. Here are some of my favorite teachings from prophets and apostles:
Why Service?
Doctrine and Covenants 4:2-3 states:
“Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work.” 1
These verses are often associated with missionary work, but they were given in February 1829, before formal missionary work was established in April 1830. The Lord was speaking to the general membership of the Church, emphasizing:
- Request: Serve Him with all our heart, might, mind, and strength.
- Blessing: Stand blameless before God at the last day.
While the ultimate blessing is a guiltless life before God, additional scriptures and modern-day revelations highlight other benefits of service.
Experiencing Religion with Others
Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught:
“In the Church, we not only learn divine doctrine; we also experience its application. As the body of Christ, the members of the Church minister to one another in the reality of day-to-day life…A major reason the Lord has a church is to create a community of Saints that will sustain one another in the ‘strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life.’”2
Within the Church, we have opportunities to help those around us, sharing experiences that build our faith. The verb “minister” generally includes acts of service and caring for those in need. It is crucial to support each other on our journey back to God’s presence.
James 1:27 states, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”3 According to James, pure religion involves serving others in need. Participation in church provides opportunities to practice pure religion, helping us remain unspotted from the world.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin described it this way:
“We cannot work out our salvation alone. We cannot return to the presence of our Father in Heaven without helping our brothers and sisters. Once we understand that we are all literally brothers and sisters in the family of God, we should also feel an obligation for one another’s welfare and show our love through deeds of kindness and concern.”4
While baptizing new members into the Church of Christ, The Book of Mormon, prophet Alma taught:
“And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death.”5
Alma instructed the people it was their responsibility to practice pure religion by helping those in need. The prophet Moroni taught members of the Church were received into baptism only after they could commit to serve Him, “And none were received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end.”6
We are under the same obligation at baptism. And we renew this promise weekly during the ordinance of the sacrament. We promise to take upon us His name and do His work. Part of that work is being His hands by helping those in need.
Coming to Know Christ
While we are promised eternal rewards for serving others, there are also earthly rewards. Selfless service brings us closer to Christ, allowing Him to make more of us than we could on our own.
President Ezra Taft Benson taught:
“Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life.” 7
Elder James E. Faust added, “Daily selfless service to another will greatly clear the channel for a daily flow of ‘living water’ from the very source of the spring, even the Redeemer Himself.”8
Elder Henry B. Eyring taught, “If we choose to begin to serve the Master out of even a glimmer of faith, we will begin to know Him.”9
By dedicating more time and energy to serving our brothers and sisters, we fulfill our baptismal obligations, practice pure religion, strive for eternal life, allow Christ to improve us, and come to know Him and His will for us.
One of the great blessings of organized religion and the restoration of Christ’s Church is the opportunity to know and come closer to Christ in this life—a blessing worth seeking.
- D&C 4 ↩︎
- Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “Why the Church,” October 2015, General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/why-the-church?lang=eng#p9 ↩︎
- James 1 ↩︎
- Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, “The Time to Prepare,” April 1998, General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1998/04/the-time-to-prepare?lang=eng#p15 ↩︎
- Alma 18 ↩︎
- Moroni 6 ↩︎
- President Ezra Taft Benson, December 1974, BYU Devotional, “Jesus Christ–Gifts and Expectations,” https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/ezra-taft-benson/jesus-christ-gifts-expectations/ ↩︎
- Elder James E. Faust, “A Personal Relationship with the Savior,” October 1976, General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1976/10/a-personal-relationship-with-the-savior?lang=eng ↩︎
- Elder Henry B. Eyring, “As a Child,” April 2006, General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2006/04/as-a-child?lang=eng#p3 ↩︎
Thanks Casey. The Savior’s life is an example of selfless service, and I think one of the reasons he has established his Church is to give us a place to guide us in our service, or to give us a place to help teach us how to serve. I really appreciate your comments about this.