For those of you who don’t know me, which I can safely say is almost everyone here, my name is Danielle Jones. I, like some of you here, am from Alpine Utah and I graduated from Lone Peak High School. I feel like I can’t even walk out my front door without seeing someone I know from high school.
Even though my Provo experience has been very different from the rest of yours, I am still going through the same things as you. I know what you guys are going through and I know that God loves each and every one of you.
My topic today is “My Faith in Christ Helps Me Serve Others.” To be honest when I read that topic I was surprised. I did not think that I would be able to actually give a ten minute talk on such a narrow topic. How can having faith in Christ help me give service? Faith and service seemed like two completely unrelated things.
I soon noticed faith and service go hand in hand.
Moroni 10:20-21 states:
Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity.
And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope.
This sounds pretty harsh, right? Faith creates charity, and without charity you can’t be saved?
What kind of a world would we live in if small mistakes stop our progression and ultimately hinder our salvation?
In Brother Brad Wilcox gives some wonderful insights about this.
He states: The older I get, and the more I understand this wonderful plan of redemption, the more I realize that in the final judgment it will not be the unrepentant sinner begging Jesus, “Let me stay.” No, he will probably be saying, “Get me out of here!” Knowing Christ’s character, I believe that if anyone is going to be begging on that occasion, it would probably be Jesus begging the unrepentant sinner, “Please, choose to stay. Please, use my Atonement—not just to be cleansed but to be changed so that you want to stay.”
The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can go home but that—miraculously—we can feel at home there.
We aren’t earning grace, we are learning grace.
A wise Sunday school teacher once taught me his version of the differences in character between the three kingdoms. He explained that in the telestial kingdom, everyone is selfish, and puts their needs above the needs of others. Can you imagine a world where nobody ever gives service to others?
This teacher believes that in the terrestrial kingdom everything is fair. If you give me charity, I will give you charity, but nothing more. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
In the celestial kingdom, he teaches that everyone focuses completely on the needs of others. You never have to think about yourself, and you don’t want to. Happiness comes from giving service to others, which is why the Celestial kingdom is a place of never ending happiness.
“Charity is the pure love of Christ.”
By striving to have charity, we are becoming more and more like Christ. That’s our whole purpose of being here; to become like Christ so that we will want to be in his presence in the life to come.
Brother Wilcox gives another example of a child practicing the piano. He says:
“Christ’s arrangement with us is similar to a mom providing music lessons for her child. Mom pays the piano teacher. How many know what I am talking about? Because Mom pays the debt in full, she can turn to her child and ask for something. What is it? Practice! Does the child’s practice pay the piano teacher? No. Does the child’s practice repay Mom for paying the piano teacher? No. Practicing is how the child shows appreciation for Mom’s incredible gift. It is how he takes advantage of the amazing opportunity Mom is giving him to live his life at a higher level. Mom’s joy is found not in getting repaid but in seeing her gift used—seeing her child improve. And so she continues to call for practice, practice, practice.
If the child sees Mom’s requirement of practice as being too overbearing (“Gosh, Mom, why do I need to practice? None of the other kids have to practice! I’m just going to be a professional baseball player anyway!”), perhaps it is because he doesn’t yet see with mom’s eyes. He doesn’t see how much better his life could be if he would choose to live on a higher plane.
In the same way, because Jesus has paid justice, He can now turn to us and say, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19), “Keep my commandments” (John 14:15). If we see His requirements as being way too much to ask (“Gosh! None of the other Christians have to pay tithing! None of the other Christians have to go on missions, serve in callings, and do temple work!”), maybe it is because we do not yet see through Christ’s eyes. We have not yet comprehended what He is trying to make of us.
The child must practice the piano, but this practice has a different purpose than punishment or payment. Its purpose is change.”
In this sense, every time we do something that is good, we draw closer to God. We don’t do good just for the purpose of doing good, we do good because we want to become like the Savior. Every time we wake up early to go to the temple, go out of our way to study our scriptures, or fulfill ward assignments, we are in a sense practicing what God wants us to practice. Just like the boy in the story practices the piano to be obedient to his mother, we practice keeping the commandments to be obedient to Christ. By practicing the teachings he gives us, we are striving to become like him. We are learning grace, and choosing where we wish to be in the next life. We have faith in the atonement, and therefore have charity, which is the pure love of Christ.
Moroni 7:48 says:
“Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with his love…that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.”
It’s all about becoming like God, and reaching our potential as his sons and daughters.
So how does this relate to faith and charity? If you believe in Christ and believe in his plan, then you practice his teachings. Christ is the perfect example of service, and we should follow him.
Moroni 7:46-47 says:
Wherefore, my beloved bretheren, 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 Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
In regards to faith and service, I want to briefly discuss one topic that is, or certainly should be, on all of your minds. Missionary work. Young men, you know that you are supposed to serve, and I know that you will all make a wonderful contribution to the missionary force. I know that many of you have your calls and that many of you are preparing to go. I thank all of you for fulfilling your priesthood duties and I feel so blessed to live in an area with so many priesthood members.
I want to specifically speak to all of the sisters in this room, which for better or for worse is most of you. I know that for some of you missionary work is a sensitive topic. Age 19 is coming closer and closer and you are probably asked daily whether or not you are planning on serving. I get it. I am right there with you.
President Gordon B. Hinckley said: There seems to be growing in the Church an idea that all young women as well as all young men should go on missions. We need some young women. They perform a remarkable work. They can get in homes where the elders cannot.
I wish to say that the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve are united in saying to our young sisters that they are not under obligation to go on missions. I hope I can say what I have to say in a way that will not be offensive to anyone. Young women should not feel that they have a duty comparable to that of young men. Some of them will very much wish to go. If so, they should counsel with their bishop as well as their parents. If the idea persists, the bishop will know what to do.
I say what has been said before, that missionary work is essentially a priesthood responsibility. As such, our young men must carry the major burden. This is their responsibility and their obligation.
Again to the sisters I say that you will be as highly respected, you will be considered as being as much in the line of duty, your efforts will be as acceptable to the Lord and to the Church whether you go on a mission or do not go on a mission.
I know the pressures you sisters are feeling, because I have felt them too. I want to remind you all that your Heavenly Father loves you the same amount whether you choose to serve a mission or whether you choose another path. Your worth as a daughter of God is not based on whether or not you serve, and your faithfulness in the church cannot be measured by missionary service. The thing that really matters is that you are striving to become more like Christ and that you are preparing to someday go to the temple.
For you sisters who have calls, I am so excited for you. Your missions will be hard, but you will draw closer to God during those hard times. I have gotten to know many of you and I know that your testimonies will bless lives all over the world.
Everyone here, whether you are a future missionary or not, can focus on serving others. I don’t want anyone to think that I am against sisters serving missions because I love missionaries! My Grandmother, and Mom both served missions, and I have a sister who will return in a month. Sister missionaries make a wonderful contribution to the missionary force, but not every sister is required to go. Whether or not you choose to serve a full time mission, you should be constantly applying Christ like attributes to your life.
In our quest to become like Christ, we must remember that Christ loved the individual. He loves each and every one of you more than you can comprehend. I testify to you that there is someone among you who is lonely, or down trodden, or is so broken that they don’t have any idea what to do next. I know that many of you are homesick, and that you are beginning to realize how hard it is to live apart from your family and friends. Some of you are struggling with sickness in the family, divorce of parents, or the death of a loved one. Some of you don’t know how you will be able to pay for school, let alone a mission, and some of you are still wondering whether or not a mission is the right choice.
I challenge everyone to, as Linda K Burton said, first observe then serve. In our quest to become like Christ, search for the one among you who needs you. Pray for your roommates, and the people you visit and home teach. You were put in their lives for a reason, so learn what that reason is. You may be the only one who can help them, but you need to be in tune with the spirit in order to do so.
Remember that when you are in the service of your fellow beings you are only in the service of your God.
The famous primary song “I’m trying to be like Jesus” explains this concept in a beautiful way.
I'm trying to be like Jesus;
I'm following in his ways.
I'm trying to love as he did, in all that I do and say.
At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice,
But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers,
I'm trying to love my neighbor;
I'm learning to serve my friends.
I watch for the day of gladness when Jesus will come again.
I try to remember the lessons he taught.
Then the Holy Spirit enters into my thoughts, saying:
Chorus
"Love one another as Jesus loves you.
Try to show kindness in all that you do.
Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,
For these are the things Jesus taught."
Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ was the perfect example of charity. I testify that he loves each and every one of you. As you strive to become closer to him, remember his example of service.
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