We Believe: Doctrines of Mormonism: Service

List of Doctrines on "Service"

740. Happiness comes from serving others.

741. Christlike service is giving without thought of recompense.

742. We reap the good that we sow.

743. We are to perform active service for others, to show charity by action (by giving of personal time and substance).

744. We are to minister to the physical needs of others.

745. We are to minister to the spiritual needs of others.

746. We are to give genuinely from the heart when we give.

747. We need the experience of serving others that we might develop Christlike characters, to qualify us to return to the presence of the Lord.

748. A person who serves another serves God.

749. We are to be eagerly engaged in doing many things of our own free will (we are not to wait for specific commands or formal church callings to do good works).

750. It is more blessed to give than to receive (there is more joy in serving than in being served).

See topic LOVE OF NEIGHBOR

740. Happiness comes from serving others.

President David O. McKay
Marion G. Romney
Richard G. Scott
M. Russell Ballard
James E. Faust
Richard G. Scott
Richard G. Scott
Jesus
Jesus
Jesus
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
President Heber J. Grant

President David O. McKay

Man's greatest happiness comes from losing himself for the good of others. CR1963Oct:8

Marion G. Romney

"[A]nd surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God." (4 Nephi 1:16)
Why were these people so happy? Because they were free of the shackles of selfishness and had learned what the Lord knows—that ultimate joy comes only through service. CR1981Oct:132
Gordon B. Hinckley
It seems to me that he [the Savior] is saying to each of us that unless we lose ourselves in the service of others our lives are largely lived to no real purpose. . . . He who lives only unto himself withers and dies, while he who forgets himself in the service of others grows and blossoms in this life and in eternity. ("Forget Yourself," Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year, 1977, p. 43) TLDP:630

Richard G. Scott

I testify that devoted full-time missionary service is a source of great happiness and rich blessings, not only for those who hear the message but also for those who, under the guidance of the Spirit, deliver it. (Now Is the Time to Serve a Mission!, CR April 2006)

M. Russell Ballard

Joseph F. Smith said: "There can be no genuine happiness separate and apart from the home, and every effort made to sanctify and preserve its influence is uplifting to those who toil and sacrifice for its establishment. Men and women often seek to substitute some other life for that of the home; they would make themselves believe that the home means restraint; that the highest liberty is the fullest opportunity to move about at will. There is no happiness without service, and there is no service greater than that which converts the home into a divine institution, and which promotes and preserves family life" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], 382). (What Matters Most Is What Lasts Longest, CR October 2005)

James E. Faust

My dear young friends, there is another great truth that you young men must learn. It is that everything has a price. There is a price to pay for success, fulfillment, accomplishment, and joy. There are no freebies. If you don’t pay the price that is needed for success, you will pay the price of failure. Preparation, work, study, and service are required to achieve and find happiness. (CR 2003Apr; The Devil’s Throat, Ensign, May 2003, p.51)

Richard G. Scott

Father in Heaven gives us the plan of happiness, which engenders the abandonment of selfish interests and provides happiness through service to others. (CR 1998Apr; Removing Barriers to Happiness, Ensign, May 1998, p.85)

Richard G. Scott

Willing service to others is a key to enduring happiness. President Kimball said: “God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another mortal that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other.” (CR 1996Apr; Finding Joy in Life, Ensign, May 1996, p.24)

Related Witnesses:

Jesus,
recorded in Luke

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (Jesus teaches his disciples) Luke 9:24

Jesus,
quoted by John

He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (Jesus foretells his death) John 12:25

Jesus,
recorded in Matthew

He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. (Jesus trains and instructs the Twelve) Matthew 10:39

Elder Spencer W. Kimball

Only when you lift a burden, God will lift your burden. Divine paradox this The man who staggers and falls because his burden is too great can lighten that burden by taking on the weight of another's burden. You get by giving, but your part of giving must be given first. (To Rotary Club, 1935) (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 251) TLDP:630

President Heber J. Grant

Make a motto in life; always try to assist someone else to carry his burden, The true key to happiness in life is to labor for the happiness of others. (To University of Utah students) (Gospel Standards, p. 161) TLDP:320

741. Christlike service is giving without thought of recompense.

Thomas S. Monson
President Spencer W. Kimball
Dallin H. Oaks
Marion G. Romney
James E. Talmage
Marion G. Romney
James E. Talmage
Joseph Smith

Thomas S. Monson

The beloved apostles noted well his example. He lived not so to be ministered unto, but to minister; not to receive, but to give; not to save his life, but to pour it out for others. CR1971Oct:171

President Spencer W. Kimball

Never did the Savior give in expectation. I know of no case in his life in which there was an exchange. He was always the giver, seldom the recipient. Never did he give shoes, hose, or a vehicle; never did he give perfume, a shirt, or a fur wrap. His gifts were of such a nature that the recipient could hardly exchange or return the value. His gifts were rare ones: eyes to the blind, ears to the deaf, and legs to the lame; cleanliness to the unclean, wholeness to the infirm, and breath to the lifeless. His gifts were opportunity to the downtrodden, freedom to the oppressed, light in the darkness, forgiveness to the repentant, hope to the despairing. His friends gave him shelter, food, and love. He gave them of himself, his love, his service, his life. The wise men brought him gold and frankincense. He gave them and all their fellow mortals resurrection, salvation, and eternal life. We should strive to give as he gave. To give of oneself is a holy gift. (Pamphlet, 1978; The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, pp. 246-47) TLDP:628

Dallin H. Oaks,

also quoting Jesus,
recorded in Matthew
This principle—that our service should be for the love of God and the love of fellowmen rather than for personal advantage or any other lesser motive—is admittedly a high standard. The Savior must have seen it so, since he joined his commandment for selfless and complete love directly with the ideal of perfection. . . . "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) . . .
Service with all of our heart and mind is a high challenge for all of us. Such service must be free of selfish ambition. It must be motivated only by the pure love of Christ. . . .
I know that God expects us to work to purify our hearts and our thoughts so that we may serve one another for the highest and best reason, the pure love of Christ. CR1984Oct:16

Marion G. Romney

The United Order exalts the poor and humbles the rich. In the process both are sanctified. The poor, released from the bondage and humiliating limitations of poverty, are enabled as free men to rise to their full potential, both temporally and spiritually. The rich, by consecration and by imparting of their surplus for the benefit of the poor, not by constraint but willingly as an act of free will, evidence that charity for their fellowmen characterized by Mormon as "the pure love of Christ." (Moroni 7:47) CR1966Apr:97

James E. Talmage

Charity, or almsgiving, even though it be associated with the sincerest of motives, devoid of all desire for praise or hope of return, is but a feeble manifestation of the love that is to make one's neighbor as dear to him as himself; the love that suffers long; that envies not others; that vaunts not itself; that knows no pride; that subdues selfishness; that rejoices in the truth. AF:392

Related Witnesses:

Marion G. Romney

In this modern world plagued with counterfeits for the Lord's plan, we must not be misled into supposing that we can discharge our obligations to the poor and the needy by shifting the responsibility to some governmental or other public agency. Only by voluntarily giving out of an abundant love for our neighbors can we develop that charity characterized by Mormon as "the pure love of Christ." (Moroni 7:47) This we must develop if we would obtain eternal life. CR1972Oct:115

James E. Talmage

The Church of the present day can point to a stupendous labor of benevolence already accomplished and still in progress. One of the most glorious monuments of its work is seen in the missionary labor which has ever been a characteristic feature of its activities. Actuated by no other motives than pure love for humanity and a desire to fulfil the commands of God respecting mankind, the Church sends out every year hundreds of missionaries to proclaim the Gospel of eternal life to the world, and that too without money or price. Multitudes of these devoted servants have suffered contumely and insult at the hands of those whom they sought to benefit; and not a few have given their lives with the seal of the martyr upon their testimony and work. AF:392-93

Joseph Smith,
quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith

[I]f there are any among you who aspire after their own aggrandizement, and seek their own opulence, while their brethren are groaning in poverty, and are under sore trails and temptations, they cannot be benefited by the intercession of the Holy Spirit, which maketh intercession for us day and night with groanings that cannot be uttered. (Epistle to the Church from Liberty Jail, Mo., March 25, 1839) TPJS:141

742. We reap the good that we sow.

Joseph Smith
Paul
Recorded in Proverbs
Paul
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith
Jesus
Recorded in Proverbs
Paul
Recorded in Proverbs

Joseph Smith

It is a time-honored adage that love begets love. Let us pour forth love—show forth our kindness unto all mankind, and the Lord will reward us with everlasting increase; cast our bread upon the waters and we shall receive it after many days, increased to a hundredfold. Friendship is like Brother Turley in his blacksmith shop welding iron to iron; it unites the human family with its happy influence. (In meeting at the Stand in Nauvoo, Ill., July 23, 1843) HC5:517

Paul

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Paul writes to the churches of Galatia in Asia Minor, about A.D. 55; he instructs them to walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit) Galatians 6:7-8

Recorded in Proverbs

The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. Proverbs 11:25

Paul

He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. (Paul writes to the Church at Corinth, Greece, about A.D. 55) 2 Corinthians 9:6

Joseph Smith

[E]very man may improve upon his talent, that every man may gain other talents, yea, even an hundred fold. . . . (Revelation, April 26, 1832) D&C 82:18

Joseph Smith

But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come. (Revelation, Aug. 7, 1831) D&C 59:23

Jesus,
recorded in Luke

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38. Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. (Jesus teaches his disciples some principles of love and service) Luke 6:37-38

Recorded in Proverbs

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. (Proverbial literature) Proverbs 18:24

Related Witnesses:

Paul

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Letter to the churches of Galatia in Asia Minor, about A.D. 55) Galatians 6:9

Recorded in Proverbs

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. (Proverb of Solomon, king of Israel) Proverbs 27:17

743. We are to perform active service for others, to show charity by action (by giving of personal time and substance).

Marvin J. Ashton
Amulek
John A. Widtsoe
James
James
President Brigham Young
President Brigham Young

Marvin J. Ashton

True love is a process. True love requires personal action. Love must be continuing to be real. Love takes time. . . . How hollow, how empty if our love is no deeper than the arousal of momentary feeling or the expression in words of what is no more lasting than the time it takes to speak them. A group of college students recently indicated to me their least favorite expression to come from us as the older set is, "If there is ever anything I can do to help you, please let me know." They, as do others, much prefer actions over conversation.
We must at regular and appropriate intervals speak and reassure others of our love and the long time it takes to prove it by our actions. Real love does take time. . . .
Undoubtedly our Heavenly Father tires of expressions of love in words only. He has made it clear through his prophets and his words that his ways are ways of commitment, and not conversation. He prefers performance over lip service. CR1975Oct:160-61

Amulek,
quoted by Mormon

[L]et your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.
28. And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith.
29. Therefore, if ye do not remember to be charitable, ye are as dross, which the refiners do cast out, (it being of no worth) and is trodden under foot of men. (Amulek teaches the people to pray and to be charitable, about 74 B.C.) Alma 34:27-29

John A. Widtsoe

Love is a positive active force. It helps the loved one. If there is need, love tries to supply it. If there is weakness, love supplants it with strength. . . . Love that does not help is a faked or transient love. (An Understanding Religion, pp. 72-73) TLDP:368

James

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15. If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16. And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? (James writes to his brethren in the Church) James 2:14-16

Related Witnesses:

James

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. (James writes to his brethren in the Church) James 1:27

President Brigham Young,
quoted by John A. Widtsoe

To explain how much confidence we should have in God, were I using a term to suit myself, I should say implicit confidence. I have faith in my God, and that faith corresponds with the works I produce. I have no confidence in faith without works. (In Bowery, Aug. 17, 1856, JD4:24) DBY:155

President Brigham Young,
quoted by John A. Widtsoe

The most effectual way to establish the religion of Heaven is to live it, rather than to die for it: I think I am safe in saying that there are many of the Latter-day Saints who are more willing to die for their religion than to live it faithfully. There is no other proof can be adduced to God, angels, and men, than that a people faithfully live their religion, than that they repent truly of their sins, obey the law of baptism for the remission of sins, and then continue to do the works of righteousness day by day. (In Bowery, Aug. 3, 1862, JD9:333) DBY:221

744. We are to minister to the physical needs of others.

George F. Richards
Joseph Smith
President John Taylor
Joseph Smith
King Benjamin
Jesus
Mormon

George F. Richards

The Lord expects us when he blesses us with the good things of this earth to remember those who are not so fortunate. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, comfort those who mourn, and minister unto those who are poor and needy, and thus become of that class to whom the Lord, when he shall come, shall say: "Come, ye blessed of the Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." CR1939Oct:108-09

Joseph Smith,
receiving the Word of the Lord

For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves.
18. Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment. (Revelation concerning the United Order, April 23, 1834) D&C 104:17-18

President John Taylor

If you see men hungry, feed them, no matter who they are; white, black, or red, Jew, Gentile or Mormon, or anybody else—feed them. If you see men naked, clothe them. If you see men sick, administer to them, and learn to be kind to all men; but partake not of their evil practices. (General conference, Oct. 1884, JD25:313) TLDP:368

Joseph Smith,
receiving the Word of the Lord

And remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple. (Revelation to the elders of the Church, June 7, 1831; various elders sent to preach the gospel) D&C 52:40

King Benjamin,
quoted by Mormon

And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.
17. Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—
18. But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.
19. For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind.
20. And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.
21. And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another. . . .
26. And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants. (King Benjamin addresses his people, about 124 B.C.) Mosiah 4:16-21,26

Jesus,
recorded in Matthew

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38. When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39. Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Jesus gives the parable of the sheep and the goats; the sheep are placed on his right hand at the Lord's second coming) Matthew 25:34-40

Related Witnesses:

Mormon

And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another.
3. And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift. (Mormon abridges the account of Nephi son of Nephi, one of the disciples of Christ, A.D. 36-60) 4 Nephi 1:2-3

745. We are to minister to the spiritual needs of others.

Jesus
President Joseph Fielding Smith
King Benjamin
Marvin J. Ashton
Neal A. Maxwell
Peter
Charles A. Callis
Recorded in Deuteronomy
Joseph Smith

Jesus,
recorded in Matthew

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. (Jesus talks to Peter, prior to departing for Gethsemane) Luke 22:32

President Joseph Fielding Smith

The man who does only those things in the Church which concern himself alone will never reach exaltation. For instance, the man who is willing to pray, to pay his tithes and offerings, and to attend to the ordinary duties which concern his own personal life, and nothing more, will never reach the goal of perfection.
Service must be given in behalf of others, We must extend the helping hand to the unfortunate, to those who have not heard the truth and are in spiritual darkness, to the needy, the oppressed. Are you failing? CR1968Apr:12

King Benjamin,
quoted by Mormon

. . .I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants. (King Benjamin addresses his people, about 124 B.C.) Mosiah 4:26

Marvin J. Ashton

Love demands action if it is to be continuing. Love is a process. Love is not a declaration. Love is not an announcement. Love is not a passing fancy. Love is not an expediency. Love is not a convenience. "If ye love me, keep my commandments" and "If ye love me feed my sheep" are God-given proclamations that should remind us we can often best show our love through the processes of feeding and keeping. . . .
. . . . Certainly the best way for us to show our love in keeping and feeding is by taking the time to prove it hour by hour and day by day. Our expressions of love and comfort are empty if our actions don't match. God loves us to continue. Our neighbors and families love us if we will but follow through with sustaining support and self-sharing. True love is as eternal as life itself. Who is to say the joys of eternity are not wrapped up in continuous feeding, keeping, and caring? CR1975Oct:160-61
Gordon B. Hinckley
We shall continue the great work that goes on in our temples, an unmatched work of love reaching out even to those who have gone beyond the veil of death. Can there be a greater labor of love than this? It comes more nearly of partaking of the Spirit of the Lord himself, who gave his life as a vicarious sacrifice for all of us, than any other work of which I know. It is done in the name of him whose salvation is universal. CR1982Oct:113

Neal A. Maxwell

We poorly serve the cause of the Lord, at times, with programmatic superficiality and by our lack of empathy for those who drift in despair.
Truly, we live and walk on "a streetful of splendid strangers," whom we are to love and serve even if they are uninterested in us CR1983Apr:11

Peter

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. (Peter and John heal a man lame from birth) Acts 3:6

Related Witnesses:

Charles A. Callis

Among the cardinal virtues of the gospel is the praiseworthy virtue of humility. . . . I interpret humility as being strength. Humility expresses itself in lowly service, in volunteering for any service which will ameliorate the conditions, particularly the spiritual conditions of mankind. CR1942Apr:42

Recorded in Deuteronomy

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. (Revelation to Moses for the children of Israel; the Lord tests Israel—eating manna) Deuteronomy 8:3

Joseph Smith,
receiving the Word of the Lord

And remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple. (Revelation "embracing the law of the Church," Feb. 9, 1831) D&C 52:40

746. We are to give genuinely from the heart when we give.

Paul
Thomas S. Monson
Dallin H. Oaks
Dallin H. Oaks
Joseph Smith
Mormon
Richard L. Evans
Amulek

Paul

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. (Paul writes to the Church at Corinth, Greece, about A.D. 55) 2 Corinthians 9:7

Thomas S. Monson,

also quoting Jeremiah
Often we live side by side but do not communicate heart to heart. There are those within the sphere of our own influence who, with outstretched hands, cry out: "Is there no balm in Gilead. . . ?" (Jeremiah 8:22) Each of us must answer. CR1971Oct:171

Dallin H. Oaks,

also quoting Jesus,
recorded in Matthew
We know . . . that even the most extreme acts of service—such as giving all of our goods to feed the poor—profit us nothing unless our service is motivated by the pure love of Christ.
If our service is to be most efficacious, it must be accomplished for the love of God and the love of his children. . . .
This principle—that our service should be for the love of God and the love of fellowmen rather than for personal advantage or any other lesser motive—is admittedly a high standard. The Savior must have seen it so, since he joined his commandment for selfless and complete love directly with the ideal of perfection. . . . "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). . . .
Service with all of our heart and mind is a high challenge for all of us. Such service must be free of selfish ambition. It must be motivated only by the pure love of Christ. . . .
I know that God expects us to work to purify our hearts and our thoughts so that we may serve one another for the highest and best reason, the pure love of Christ. CR1984Oct:16

Dallin H. Oaks

"It is obeying God willingly that is accepted," an anonymous writer has said. "The Lord hates that which is forced—it is rather a tax than an offering."
Although those who serve out of a fear of punishment or out of a sense of duty undoubtedly qualify for the blessings of heaven, there are still higher reasons for service. CR1984Oct:15

Joseph Smith

It is a duty which every saint ought to render to his brethren freely—to always love them, and ever succor them. To be justified before God we must love one another: we must overcome evil; we must visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction, and we must keep ourselves unspotted from the world: for such virtues flow from the great fountain of pure religion, strengthening our faith by adding every good quality that adorns the children of the blessed Jesus, we can pray in the season of prayer; we can love our neighbor as ourselves, and be faithful in tribulation, knowing that the reward of such is greater in the kingdom of heaven. What a consolation What a joy Let me live the life of the righteous, and let my reward be like this ("To the Saints, Scattered Abroad," Messenger and Advocate, June 1835) HC2:229

Mormon

For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing.
7. For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness.
8. For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God. (Mormon preaches in the synagogue, prior to A.D. 384) Moroni 7:6-8

Richard L. Evans

There are some things we can't buy. There are some things in which we can't simply give money as a substitute for personal service. So I think perhaps we should repent of going through too many mechanics, and assuming that we have done the job when we have simply been through the motions—when we have paid the dues, attended the meetings, set up committees, and repeated the mottoes and the phrases. The gift without the giver is a very empty and hollow thing. Service must be an experience in the giving of oneself as well as of material things. It is a sharing experience, or it misses much of the result that is hoped for it. (Richard L. Evans: The Man and the Message, p. 239) TLDP:629

Related Witnesses:

Amulek,
quoted by Mormon

[L]et your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you. (Amulek teaches the people to pray, about 74 B.C.) Alma 34:27

747. We need the experience of serving others that we might develop Christlike characters, to qualify us to return to the presence of the Lord.

Marion G. Romney
J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
Orson Pratt
Bruce R. McConkie
President Spencer W. Kimball
Elder Spencer W. Kimball

Marion G. Romney

The Lord doesn't really need us to take care of the poor. He could take care of them without our help if it were his purpose to do so. "I, the Lord," he said, "stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine.
"And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine." (D&C 104:14-15)
. . . . No, the Lord doesn't really need us to care for the poor, but we need this experience; for it is only through our learning how to take care of each other that we develop within us the Christlike love and disposition necessary to qualify us to return to his presence. CR1981Oct:130-31

J. Reuben Clark, Jr.,
quoted by Marion G. Romney

"The real long-term objective of the welfare plan is the building of character in the members of the Church, givers and receivers, rescuing all that is finest down deep inside of them and bringing to flower and fruitage the latent richness of the spirit, which after all is the mission and purpose and reason for being of this church. (In a special meeting of stake presidencies, Oct. 2, 1936) CR1981Oct:130

Orson Pratt

As love decreases, wickedness, hatred, and misery increases; and the more wicked individuals or nations become, the less capable they are of loving others and making them happy; and vice versa, the more righteous a people become the more they are qualified for loving others and rendering them happy. ("Celestial Marriage: A Revelation on the Patriarchal Order of Matrimony, or Plurality of Wives," The Seer, Oct. 1853, p. 156) TLDP:370

Bruce R. McConkie

All men will be judged by what is in their own hearts. If their souls are full of hatred and cursings, such characteristics shall be restored to them in the resurrection. Loving one's enemies and blessing one's cursers perfects the soul. (The Mortal Messiah, 2:142) TLDP:370

President Spencer W. Kimball

Service to others deepens and sweetens this life while we are preparing to live in a better world. It is by serving that we learn to serve. When we are engaged in the service of our fellowmen, not only do our deeds assist them, but we also 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 serving, there is the promise of Jesus that by losing ourselves, we find ourselves. (President Kimball Speaks Out, p. 39) TLDP:630

Elder Spencer W. Kimball

A striking personality and good character is achieved by practice, not merely by thinking it. Just as a pianist masters the intricacies of music through hours and weeks of practice, so mastery of life is achieved by the ceaseless practice of mechanics which make up the art of living. Daily unselfish service to others is one of the rudimentary mechanics of the successful life. "For whosoever will save his life," the Galilean said, "shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 16:25) What a strange paradox this And yet one needs only to analyze it to be convinced of its truth. (Commencement at Safford, Arizona, High School, 1939) (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 250) TLDP:630

748. A person who serves another serves God.

Thomas S. Monson
King Benjamin
John A. Widtsoe
Joseph Smith
Jesus
Joseph Smith

Thomas S. Monson

We know that when we serve our fellowmen, we are only in the service of our God. (See Mosiah 2:17.) We have the responsibility to serve as though the entire future of the Church depended upon you or upon me. ACR(Copenhagen) 1976:31

King Benjamin,
quoted by Mormon

Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God.
17. And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. (King Benjamin addresses his people, about 124 B.C.) Mosiah 2:16-17

John A. Widtsoe

Every man must assume some of God's own responsibility in caring for the children of men. A person cannot let his very brothers go hungry, unclothed, shelterless or bowed down in sorrow. He cannot be cruel to them, and be true to his royal descent. CR1939Oct:98-99

Joseph Smith,
receiving the Word of the Lord

And inasmuch as ye impart of your substance unto the poor, ye will do it unto me; and they shall be laid before the bishop of my church and his counselors, two of the elders, or high priests, such as he shall appoint or has appointed and set apart for that purpose. . . . 38. For inasmuch as ye do it unto the least of these, ye do it unto me. (King Benjamin addresses his people, about 124 B.C.) D&C 42:31,38

Jesus,
recorded in Matthew

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38. When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39. Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Jesus gives the parable of the sheep and the goats; the sheep are placed on his right hand at the Lord's second coming) Matthew 25:34-40

Related Witnesses:

Joseph Smith,
receiving the Word of the Lord

749. We are to be eagerly engaged in doing many things of our own free will (we are not to wait for specific commands or formal church callings to do good works).

Joseph Smith
President Brigham Young
Joseph Smith
John A. Widtsoe
Thomas S. Monson
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
Marion G. Romney
George F. Richards
Thomas S. Monson
Bruce R. McConkie
President Wilford Woodruff
President David O. McKay
Albert E. Bowen
Joseph Smith
Jacob, brother of Nephi
Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith,
receiving the Word of the Lord

For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
27. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
28. For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.
29. But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned. (Revelation for the elders of the Church, Aug. 1, 1831; the Lord instructs the Saints to counsel with each other and with the Lord) D&C 58:26-29

President Brigham Young

The children of men are made as independent in their sphere as the Lord is in His, to prove themselves, pursue which path they please, and choose the evil or the good. For those who love the Lord, and do His will, all is right, and they shall be crowned, but those who hate His ways shall be damned, for they choose to be damned. (In Tabernacle, April 9, 1852, JD1:49) TLDP:12

Joseph Smith

John A. Widtsoe

[E]very man must assume some of God's own responsibility in caring for the children of men. A person cannot let his very brothers go hungry, unclothed, shelterless or bowed down in sorrow. He cannot be cruel to them, and be true to his royal descent. CR1939Oct:98-99

Thomas S. Monson,

also quoting Jeremiah
Time passes. Circumstances change. Conditions vary. Unaltered is the divine command to succor the weak and lift up the hands which hang down and strengthen the feeble knees. Each of us has the charge to be not a doubter, but a doer; not a leaner, but a lifter. But our complacency tree has many branches, and each spring more buds come into bloom. Often we live side by side but do not communicate heart to heart. There are those within the sphere of our own influence who, with outstretched hands, cry out: "Is there no balm in Gilead. . . ?" (Jeremiah 8:22) Each of us must answer. CR1971Oct:171

Elder Joseph Fielding Smith

Of course salvation and exaltation must come through the free will without coercion and by individual merit in order that righteous rewards may be given and proper punishment be meted out to the transgressor. (Answers to Gospel Questions, 2:20) TLDP:10

Marion G. Romney

"For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) Hence, we see the complete unselfishness of our Father in Heaven. His whole work and glory is to bring eternal life and happiness to his children. Should not our whole purpose in this life, therefore, be made up of righteous service one to another? If not, how can we ever hope to be as he is? CR1981Oct:132

George F. Richards

Thomas S. Monson

The beloved apostle [John ] noted well his example. He lived not so to be ministered unto, but to minister; not to receive, but to give; not to save his life, but to pour it out for others. CR1971Oct:171

Bruce R. McConkie

Now I think it is perfectly clear that the Lord expects far more of us than we sometimes render in response. We are not as other men. We are the saints of God and have the revelations of heaven. Where much is given much is expected. We are to put first in our lives the things of his kingdom. CR1975Apr:76

Related Witnesses:

President Wilford Woodruff

By virtue of this agency you and I and all mankind are made responsible beings, responsible for the course we pursue, the lives we live, the deeds we do in the body. ("Discourse," Millennial Star, Oct. 1889, p. 642) DGSM:30

President David O. McKay

Free agency is the impelling source of the soul's progress. It is the purpose of the Lord that man become like him. In order for man to achieve this it was necessary for the Creator first to make him free. ("Free Agency . . . the Gift Divine," IE1962Feb:86) TLDP:11

Albert E. Bowen

There is no soul-growth in any act done under compulsion. It is an immutable law of life that mental or spiritual growth comes only out of self-effort. CWP:14

Joseph Smith

But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men; for some are of men, and others of devils. (Revelation relative to governing and conducting meetings, March 8, 1831) D&C 46:7

Jacob, brother of Nephi,
quoted by Nephi

Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life. (Jacob to the people of Nephi, 559-545 B.C.) 2 Nephi 10:23

Joseph Smith,
receiving the Word of the Lord

But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. (Revelation for Oliver Cowdery, April 1829) D&C 9:8

Author's Note: We must do many things of our own free will. Strength comes from pondering, from working it out in our minds, even as Oliver Cowdery was instructed: "But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right." (See D&C 9:8.)

Our Heavenly Father wants us to become like him. To do so we must get the experience of arriving at decisions. In our Church callings we seek for divine guidance, listen to the always available prompting of the Spirit as we employ our God given minds and talents to magnify our callings. The divine principle of growth is the seemingly slow method of thinking and praying, of purifying ourselves to make of ourselves the kind of persons the Holy Ghost can inspire. Serving our neighbors, performing the duties of parenthood, of Church callings, being faithful stewards while sanctifying our own spirits is the road to achievement and completeness. It is how we become God-like and perfect. Thus each of us must suffer a little, agonize a little. We must listen to the Spirit as we fast and pray, as we ponder and seek guidance. We thereby develop personal characteristics that give us growth. We learn how to accept responsibility, how to magnify our callings—to make our calling and election sure.

750. It is more blessed to give than to receive (there is more joy in serving than in being served).

Paul
Marion G. Romney
J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
Paul
Elder Harold B. Lee
Jesus
Henry D. Moyle

Paul

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Paul reveals a teaching of Jesus) Acts 20:35

Marion G. Romney

[M]ay I remind you that you cannot give yourself poor in this work; you can only give yourself rich. I have satisfied myself regarding the truthfulness of the statement made to me by Elder Melvin J. Ballard as he set me apart for my mission in 1920: "A person cannot give a crust to the Lord without receiving a loaf in return."
The Savior taught that it is more blessed to give than to receive (see Acts 20:35). Through church welfare, both the giver and the receiver are blessed in unique ways—each to the sanctification and salvation of his eternal soul. CR1980Oct:137

J. Reuben Clark, Jr.

But there was another element involved in [the Welfare program], and that was based upon the Savior's principle announced in the Sermon on the Mount, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." And the history of the Welfare movement shows that there has come into the church an ever-increasing spirituality because of the giving which has been incident to the carrying on of the Welfare work. That giving has been not alone a giving of money or provisions or clothing or fuel, but a giving of manual labor, and of all the contributions, the latter has perhaps brought the most of a feeling of common brotherhood as men of all training and occupation have worked side by side in a Welfare garden or other project. CR1943Oct:12-13

J. Reuben Clark, Jr.

There is something very remarkable about what we have to give under the gospel plan. No matter how much we give of truth, of good example, of righteous living, our stores, our blessings increase, not decrease, by that which we give away. CR1946Oct:85

Related Witnesses:

Paul

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. (Paul writes to the Church at Corinth, Greece, about A.D. 55) 2 Corinthians 9:6

Elder Harold B. Lee

When you begin to make service to meet other's needs your constant practice, you are beginning a program that will make you successful in your chosen field and your own needs will begin automatically to take care of themselves. This great idea in action has made great inventors, great statesmen, great business leaders. . . .
When you lose yourselves in the unselfish service to others, you will unconsciously forget your own wants and they will be supplied most likely because of the reciprocal service or patronage of those whom you have thus served. (Decisions for Successful Living, p. 200) TLDP:629

Jesus,
recorded in Luke

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. (Jesus teaches his disciples some principles of love and service) Luke 6:38

Henry D. Moyle

We will become mightier and more powerful in our own right in direct proportion to the service and contribution we make to strengthen the Church. CR1962Apr:90

We Believe: Doctrines and Principles

Monday, December 9, 2013

Service

740. Happiness comes from serving others.

Related Witnesses:

741. Christlike service is giving without thought of recompense.

Related Witnesses:

742. We reap the good that we sow.

743. We are to perform active service for others, to show charity by action (by giving of personal time and substance).

Related Witnesses:

744. We are to minister to the physical needs of others.

745. We are to minister to the spiritual needs of others.

Related Witnesses:

746. We are to give genuinely from the heart when we give.

Related Witnesses:

747. We need the experience of serving others that we might develop Christlike characters, to qualify us to return to the presence of the Lord.

748. A person who serves another serves God.

Related Witnesses:

749. We are to be eagerly engaged in doing many things of our own free will (we are not to wait for specific commands or formal church callings to do good works).

Related Witnesses:

750. It is more blessed to give than to receive (there is more joy in serving than in being served).

Related Witnesses: