Forgive me for being a little late today. I had some obligations I had to take care of. And a little dinner to eat.
So, today is going to be about the topic of service. One that I have been thinking about for a long time.
First, let me tell you something. I live in a small town, almost entirely comprised of people of our faith. I don't know if I could have survived if I lived where my faith was sparse, or even be the person that I am right now. Temptation is probably a lot worse in big cities. Anyway, I've never been far away from good people. However, that doesn't stop the people my age from being misguided. From the young men to the young women, deacons, beehives, teachers, mia maid, priests, and Laurels, the world has always been a strong temptation to them. When they're not skipping church because 9:00 is way too early for them, they use their church time as social media time. Tuesday activities are replaced by "the big game," and Seminary is a ditch hour. My peers forget why they're here.
I've never been one to rebel or skip out on church related business. I was, however, a big whiner. When I was younger, I'd say from the ages of four to ten, I always hated going to church. I always saw it as a bore, and a waste of my time. I couldn't watch TV or play with my neighbors. The only thing I could do was be bored. I even remember pretending to be in a deep sleep for the entire day to skip out on church. It didn't work. I was sent to church anyway, but that didn't stop me from faking sleep. Anyways, as I grew older, my complaints of church and church related activities quited down, and eventually I just went to church without question. It was something that had to be done, and there was really nothing besides sickness that could keep me from going. Then I turned twelve. I was a deacon, in charge of passing the sacrament to the congregation along with seven other deacons, teachers, or even priests if my peers decided that church was too boring for their tastes. Being the youngest, all of the responsibilities were thrust upon me. From fast offerings to even having to go and perform the passing part on homebound, I started doing it all. I turned fourteen, the age of a teacher. More respsonsibilities. I was encouraged to come to church thirty to fifteen minutes early in order to prepare the sacrament for the priests my leaders and my father. All of my fellow teachers were told that they had to come early. Nobody besides me ever did. I prepared the sacrament, many times on my own. There was usually one other besides me that would show up five minutes early. There was a spike of teachers coming to help out when they saw that I was coming early to prepare the sacrament. I felt proud of that. There were times when there were so many teachers helping out, we couldn't even fit all of them into the sacrament... preparing room? I don't know wha tto call it exactly. My spirits were crushed when the eldest of the teachers told me that 8:30 was too early, and that he'll start coming early when the 11:00 meetings start. I was just happy that he was willing to come anyway. But then when that time came around, he never showed up. He used the same excuse. That person has woken up at 5:30 for sports on multiple occasions. 7:00 for school. I was more than upset to find out that that same person had used church time to watch a football game, skipping church entirely. The eldest and the most influential of the teachers was skipping church to watch sports. I was approaching my first low as I realized what my peers were doing.
I turned sixteen, where I currently am now. I was a priest, meaning was in charge of blessing the sacrament and handing it to the deacons so that they could pass it the congregation along with my fellow. I started realizing the importance of service as I got new responsibilities. Priests are in charge of organizing who was going to the care center, where the elderly live and go to a make-shift church, to bless and pass the sacrament. Nobody liked doing it. I didn't like doing it. Then, as I was performing a routine sacrament, an old woman looked be straight in the eyes. "Thank you," she said. I have the same experience when I do homebound, where we go and bless and give the sacrament to people who are unable to go to church because of age, sickness, or some other affliction. I go to three elderly people, who tell me that they appreciate what I do so much. I haven't gotten that thought out of my head. I realized just how important my duties are. All of my duties. Every small chore I do around the house, I realize the importance of all of it.
We aren't put on this earth so that we can live for ourselves. We have to do more than just lie around and be good. We have to do more than that, we have to help others. Whether it be cleaning somebody's house when they're away, shoveling snow off of somebody's walk, picking up a neighbor's trash when a dog has gotten into it and spread it all over their lawn, passing the sacrament, preparing it, blessing it, just about anything. Without you to do some service, who else is going to do it? Even if there are so many people helping out, always be willing to help, even though you may not do anything. At least you were there willing to help out.
If you're uncertain if you should help out, just think of this scenario. There is nobody else willing to help out shovel the snow away from the parking lot of a local soup kitchen which many less-priveledged people rely on for a hot meal on Christmas (no, I'm not taking that example from Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever) on a particularly day, then a lot of unfortunate people are going to be really cold on Christmas. And whose fault is that. Nobody else but you. So it might be a good idea to go help out.
Without you to help out, something is going to fall apart. Even if you think that what you have to provide is too small, or not even going to make an impact, you're wrong. Even the smallest thing can do something. That was a lesson that was taught by Applejack and Rarity in the recent season 5 episode, "Made in Manhattan." Do something for somebody else. The world doesn't have to be a miserable place. It just takes a couple people who are willing to do something for somebody else. You will be blessed for it. Heavenly Father does notice what you do. So instead of him watching you and being disappointed in the nothing that you're doing, why not direct your thoughts to somebody who isn't doing so well. Trust me, there is no greater feeling then when somebody looks you dead in your eyes, and quietly thanks you.

-Joe

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I just wanted to thank you for posting these this month. I too used to feel like Church was just a thing I had to do, but then I was called to teach Primary and the little kids gave me a whole new outlook on the weekly meetings. Sure they come with their families but also because they genuinely enjoy learning about the Savior and His Gospel. Everything was new to them, and it helped me look at the lessons others teach and look for the new, exciting truths amidst what I used to see as just a rehashing of what I already knew. It's so much easier to find something when you're looking for it, after all.

As far as service is concerned, I really like the examples you gave in your Priesthood Quorums. I remember a very similar problem in my own Ward (even as a Priest I would show up a half-hour early to prepare the Sacrament, since none of our Teachers ever showed up more than five minutes before the meeting started). The young men don't recognize the authority and responsibility they carry, both the power and the mission to serve the members of their Wards.

Anyway, thanks for these last couple of posts.

Write on,
Legion