Friday, September 15, 2017

August: Service

I'm always a little late in posting these, but I still want to make sure that I do! 

In case you missed it, I made a New Year's resolution to pick one gospel topic each month and study it in depth. So far...


A few things stood out to me this last month.

1) I am doing better at service than I thought.
  • I am a wife.
  • I am a mother. 
  • I serve as a counselor in the primary at church. 
  • I serve as a patron in the temple. 
All of these things require sacrifice. They require my time and my talents on a daily basis. I honestly used to think I was TERRIBLE at doing service, but I'm actually doing okay, and you probably are too!

**SHOVEL** Keep doing what I'm doing.

2) Service takes us down the better path to a happier life.

"A selfish person is more interested in pleasing man --especially himself-- than in pleasing God. He looks only to his own needs and desires. He walks 'in his own way and after his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world' (D&C 1:16) and from the mortal friendship and assistance we all need in these tumultuous times. In contrast, if we love and serve one another as the Savior taught, we remain connected to our covenants and to our associates."
-Dallin H. Oaks
Unselfish Service, April 2009

We all want and need connection. What better way to get that than to serve? We are fulfilling our covenants, serving God, bettering ourselves, AND helping others. 

3) Some final/favorite scriptures.

D&C 4:7- "Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you."
Service is sometimes hard. People don't always ask for help. We might feel like we are imposing. We may feel embarrassed. We may even just be lazy!
Excuses, right? Ask for help, then do the work.

Judges 6:14- And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might... have not I sent thee?
 That last part- "have not I sent thee?" When we are on the Lord's errand we will always have his help.

D&C 42:29- If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me and keep all my commandments.
If we truly love Him, we should serve him (and of course, serve others - Mosiah 2:17).