Time, Thomas S. Monson

"The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.”

Example, H. David Burton

"Live in such a way that people who know you but don't know Christ will want to know Christ because they know you."

Trust, Joseph B. Wirthlin

“The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best, then leave the rest to Him.”

Patience, Neal A. Maxwell

“Sometimes we pound on the vault door for something we want very much, in faith, in reasonable righteousness, and wonder why the door does not open. … Our rejected petitions tell us not only much about ourselves, but also much about our flawless Father.”

Marriage, Bruce R. McConkie

"The most important single thing that any Latter-day Saint ever does in this world is to marry the right person, in the right place, by the right authority."

Thomas S. Monson fireside

Last Sunday, January 11, I was privileged to attend a CES Fireside at the Marriott Center in which our beloved prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, spoke. It was a wonderful fireside, from which I learned a lot, and it was awesome to see the prophet speak. He spoke about preparation and staying on track in life. It was so amazing!

I truly have a testimony that President Monson is a prophet of God and that he receives revelation for the church of God even in these latter days!

A recording of the fireside can be found here. Enjoy. :) Happy Sunday!

Service- talk given by me today

So, I gave a talk in my ward's sacrament meeting today on service. I think it went really well. Here is what I based my talk on- 3 talks and lots of scripture- I can't put exactly what I said on here because, well, I didn't write it out word for word! But here is an outline! Basically I made the goal of my talk to motivate people (and myself) to serve more.

I. Introduction

D&C 121:45 Let thy ^abowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let ^bvirtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy ^cconfidence wax strong in the ^dpresence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the ^edews from heaven.

Mosiah 2:17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn ^awisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the ^bservice of your ^cfellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

2 kinds of service
1. service we willingly render to those around us because we are taught to care
2. service in church callings

II. Service to those around us.

"Over the years I have watched one dear sister give service far beyond any calling to teach or lead in the Church. She sees a need and serves; not “Call me if you need help,” but “Here I am; what can I do?” She does so many small things, like holding someone’s child in a meeting or taking a child to school who has missed the bus. She always looks for new faces at church and steps forward to make them welcome.

"Her husband knows that when they attend a ward social, he can generally count on her saying, “Why don’t you go along home. I see they are a little short on help to clear up and do the dishes.”

"He came home one evening to find her putting the furniture back in place. That morning she had the feeling that she should see how an elderly sister with a heart condition was managing a wedding breakfast for a grandchild who had come from out of state to be married in the temple.

"She found the woman sitting alone at the church, in despair, surrounded by the things she had brought in preparation. Somehow there had been a double booking of the hall. In a few hours the guests would arrive. Whatever could she do?

"This attentive sister took the older sister home with her and put her down to rest. Then she went to work moving the furniture around. When the guests arrived, a beautiful wedding breakfast was ready to be served." -President Boyd K. Packer.

We should make a goal to try to be more like this woman.

We should find ways to serve others everyday, in big or small ways.

III. Serving in church callings

"It is not in the proper spirit for us to decide where we will serve or where we will not. We serve where we are called."- President Boyd K. Packer.

Things to remember about callings:
-It is the Lord's call
-You are called through inspiration
-If you don't have a calling; be willing to serve

"God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom. The people of the Church need each other’s strength, support, and leadership in a community of believers as an enclave of disciples. In the Doctrine and Covenants we read about how important it is to “… succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” (D&C 81:5.) So often, our acts of service consist of simple encouragement or of giving mundane help with mundane tasks, but what glorious consequences can flow from mundane acts and from small but deliberate deeds!

As the contrasts between the ways of the world and the ways of God become sharpened by circumstance, the faith of the members of the Church will be tried even more severely. One of the most vital things we can do is to express our testimonies through service, which will, in turn, produce spiritual growth, greater commitment, and a greater capacity to keep the commandments."- Spencer W. Kimball.

"One of the great influences in my life was to work closely for many years with Belle S. Spafford, general president of the Relief Society, surely one of the greatest women of this dispensation.

"One day she told me that as a young woman she explained to her bishop that she was willing to serve but preferred a call to teach. The following week she was called as a counselor to the ward Relief Society president. “I did not relish the call,” she said. “The bishop had misunderstood.” She told him bluntly Relief Society was for old women. Except for the counsel of her husband, she would have refused the call.

"Several times she asked to be released. Each time the bishop said he would pray about it.

"One night she was seriously injured in an automobile accident. After some time in the hospital, she was recovering at home. A terrible laceration on her face became infected. The worried doctor told her, “We can’t touch this surgically; it’s too close to the main nerve in your face.”

"That Sunday night, as the doctor left the Spafford home, the bishop, returning from a late meeting, saw the lights on and stopped in.

"Sister Spafford later told me, “In that pathetic condition I tearfully said, ‘Bishop, now will you release me?’ ”

"Again he said, “I will pray about it.”

"When the answer came, it was, “Sister Spafford, I still can’t get the feeling that you should be released from Relief Society.”

"Belle S. Spafford served for 46 years in the Relief Society, nearly 30 as general president. She was an influence for good in the Church and was respected by women leaders worldwide."- President Spencer W. Kimball.

"If we focus on simple principles and simple acts of service, we will see that organizational lines soon lose some of their significance. Too often in the past, organizational lines in the Church have become walls that have kept us from reaching out to individuals as completely as we should. We will also find as we become less concerned with getting organizational or individual credit that we will become more concerned with serving the one whom we are charged to reach. We will also find ourselves becoming less concerned with our organizational identity and more concerned with our true and ultimate identity as a son or daughter of our Father in heaven and helping others to achieve the same sense of belonging." -President Spencer W. Kimball

IV. Blessings that can come from service and why to serve

D&C 76:5-6 For thus saith the Lord—I, the Lord, am ^amerciful and gracious unto those who ^bfear me, and delight to honor those who ^cserve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their ^aglory.

Matthew 10:39 ^aHe that findeth his life shall ^blose it: and he that ^closeth his ^dlife for my sake shall find it.

"I know that God loves us. He allows us to exercise our moral agency even when we misuse it. He permits us to make our own decisions.

"Christ cannot help us if we do not trust Him; He cannot teach us if we do not serve Him. He will not force us to do what’s right, but He will show us the way only when we decide to serve Him. Certainly, for us to serve in His kingdom, Christ requires that we experience a change of thought and attitude.

“For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?” (Mosiah 5:13)."- Elder Carlos H. Amado

"Service makes us strong in our faith and useful in His kingdom. Service gives us purpose and courage in life. It brings us closer to God and helps us refine our divine nature. It teaches us to love and understand our fellowmen, and it helps us forget about our personal desires, eliminating selfishness, pride, and ingratitude. It teaches us to think of the needs of others, which allows us to develop the virtues that the Savior possesses.

"Kindness, love, patience, understanding, and unity will increase as we serve, while intolerance, jealousy, envy, greed, and selfishness decrease or disappear. The more we give of ourselves, the more our capacity to serve, understand, and love will grow.

"Those who serve will always seek to please God and live in harmony with Him. They will be full of peace; they will have a cheerful countenance and a spirit of kindness.

"Those who serve will strive to ennoble, build, and lift their fellowmen; therefore, they will find the good in others, and they will not find reason or have time to become offended. They develop the virtue of praying for those who criticize. They don’t expect recognition or reward. They possess the love of Christ.

"Those who serve will always be willing to share what they possess and what they know at all times, in all places, and with all people.

"Those who serve even in adversity will maintain a living hope of a better future. They will continue to be firm in the midst of a crisis because their hope is in Christ.

"Those who serve will accept their assignments with humility, recognizing their limitations but convinced that two people can do all things they propose to do as long as one of the two people is God."- Elder Carlos H. Amado

Service makes us more perceptible to receive personal revelation.

"I have learned that it is by serving that we learn how to serve. When we are engaged in the service of our fellowmen, not only do our deeds assist them, but we put our own problems in a fresher perspective. When we concern ourselves more with others, there is less time to be concerned with ourselves. In the midst of the miracle of serving, there is the promise of Jesus, that by losing ourselves, we find ourselves. (See Matt. 10:39.)

"Not only do we “find” ourselves in terms of acknowledging guidance in our lives, but the more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls. We become more significant individuals as we serve others. We become more substantive as we serve others—indeed, it is easier to “find” ourselves because there is so much more of us to find!

"George MacDonald observed that “it is by loving and not by being loved that one can come nearest to the soul of another.” (George MacDonald Anthology, Geoffrey Bles, London, 1970.) Of course, we all need to be loved, but we must be giving and not always receiving if we want to have wholeness in our lives and a reinforced sense of purpose." -President Spencer W. Kimball

V. Jesus Christ was the perfect example of service and charity.

Jesus Christ went about doing good, healed, taught, and genearlly showed tender compassion to the poor, afflicted, and distressed.

"His crowning expression of charity was His infinite Atonement. He said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). This was the greatest act of long-suffering, kindness, and selflessness that we will ever know. With an understanding of the Savior’s enduring love, you can exercise faith and repent of your sins, confident that He will forgive you and strengthen you in your efforts to live the gospel.

The Savior wants you to receive His love, and He also wants you to share it with others. He declared to His disciples: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34–35). In your relationships with family members and others, look to the Savior as your example. Strive to love as He loves, with unfailing compassion, patience, and mercy.

As you continue to receive the Savior’s perfect love and as you demonstrate Christlike love for others, you will find that your love increases. You will experience the joy of being in the Lord’s service. The Holy Ghost will be your constant companion, guiding you in your service and in your relationships with others. You will be prepared to meet the Lord at the Judgment, when He will reward you according to your dedication to His work."- True to the Faith, Charity.

Moroni 7:46-48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail— But ^acharity is the pure ^blove of Christ, and it endureth ^cforever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, ^apray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true ^bfollowers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall ^cbe like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be ^dpurified even as he is pure. Amen.

Service is a way of showing love!

Make a goal to do more service!

I have a testimony of service, I have seen it work miracles both on the giving and receiving ends!

Sources:
Called to Serve by President Boyd K. Packer, November 1997 Ensign. http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=31bf57b60090c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

Service, a Divine Quality by Elder Carlos H. Amado, May 2008 Ensign. http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=5632558fcc599110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1

Small Acts of Service by President Spencer W. Kimball, December 1974 Ensign. http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=1dba61cb2b86b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1