FIRST PRESIDENCY MESSAGE Serve the Lord with Love BY PRESIDENT THOMAS S.
MONSON
The Lord Jesus Christ taught, “Whosoever will save his life
shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall
save it” (Luke 9:24).
“I believe,” said President Thomas S. Monson, “the Savior is telling us that
unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our
own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and
figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to
others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives.”1
In the following excerpts from President Monson’s ministry, he
reminds Latter-day Saints that they are the Lord’s hands and that the blessings
of eternity await those who faithfully serve others.
Service
in the Temple “Great service is given when we perform vicarious ordinances for
those who have gone beyond the veil. In many cases we do not know those for
whom we perform the work. We expect no thanks, nor do we have the assurance
that they will accept that which we offer. However, we serve, and in that
process we attain that which comes of no other effort: we literally become
saviors on Mount Zion. As our Savior gave His life as a vicarious sacrifice for
us, so we, in some small measure, do the same when we perform proxy work in the
temple for those who have no means of moving forward unless something is done
for them by those of us here on the earth.”2
We
Are the Lord’s Hands “My brothers and sisters, we are surrounded by those in need of
our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness—be
they family members, friends, acquaintances, or
strangers. We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to
serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us. …“That service
to which all of us have been called is the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.”3
Serving
in the Savior’s Shadow “In the New World, the resurrected Lord declared, ‘Ye know the
things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that
shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do’ [3 Nephi 27:21]. “We bless others as we serve in
the shadow of ‘Jesus of Nazareth … who went about doing good’ [Acts 10:38]. God bless us to find joy in serving our
Father in Heaven as we serve His children on earth.”4
The
Need to Serve “We need to be given a chance to serve. For those members who
have slipped from activity or who hold back and remain noncommittal, we can
prayerfully seek for some way to reach them. Asking them to serve in some
capacity may just be the incentive they need to return to full activity. But
those leaders who could help in this regard are sometimes reluctant to do so.
We need to bear in mind that people can change. They can put behind them bad
habits. They can repent from transgressions. They can bear the priesthood
worthily. And they can serve the Lord diligently.”5
Are
We Doing All We Should? “The world is in need of our help. Are we doing all we should?
Do we remember the words of President John Taylor: ‘If you do not magnify your
callings, God will hold you responsible for those whom you might have saved had
you done your duty’? [Teachings of Presidents of the
Church: John Taylor (2001),
164]. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to
inspire, and souls to save. The blessings of eternity await you. Yours is the
privilege to be not spectators but participants on the stage of … service.”6
Teaching
from This Message “If you have Christlike love, you will be better prepared to
teach the gospel. You will be inspired to help others know the Savior and
follow Him.”7 Consider praying for
increased charity for those you visit. As you develop Christlike love for them,
you will be better able to serve in meaningful ways both the Lord and those you
teach.
Youth
Summer
of Service
By Elizabeth Blight The author lives in Virginia, USA.
One summer I spent time in a
foreign country working with children with special needs. When I first met the
children, I was incredibly nervous. I did not speak their language, but I
trusted that the Spirit would guide me in my interactions. As I got to know
each child, I realized that language is not a barrier to love. I played,
laughed, and did crafts with the children and could not help but feel complete
love for them. I glimpsed the love that Heavenly Father has for His children,
and the joy that filled my heart defied description.
Whenever I serve
others, I feel love not only for those that I serve but also for Heavenly
Father. I truly have come to know that “when ye are in the service of your
fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17). The purpose of my service, whether in big
service projects or through small acts of kindness, has been to glorify God
(see Matthew 5:16). I hope that as I serve others, people
will recognize my love for Heavenly Father and the Light of Christ that burns
within me.
Children Links
of Love
Have an adult help you cut out 28 thin strips of paper, each
about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and about 8 inches (20 cm) long. Each day this
month, perform an act of service to show your love for someone. You might help
your parents clean your home or write a kind note to a neighbor. Write down how
you served each day on one of your paper strips, and then tape or glue the ends
of the strip together to make a circle. You can connect your circles by sliding
one end of a new paper strip through the circle from the previous day before
you tape or glue the ends of the new strip together. Watch your links of love
grow! You could even continue adding to your service chain after February is
over.
“With Love in All Things”
cji
2/1/14
One loves when one is loved
Heavenly Father loves us each
thus teaching us how to love
he served each of us eternally
by allowing his son to atone
for our eternities of forever’s
thus are we also to be found
in the service of all others
loving them and our self’s
returning to Father his love
in our selfless acts of good
with love in all things we do!
Copyright © 2013 – cji
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