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(3/31/98)
"We counsel you to accept callings in the Church and to serve
faithfully in the positions to which you are called. Serve one another.
Magnify your callings. As you do so, you will be the means of blessing
others and you will increase in spirituality."—Teachings of
Ezra Taft Benson, p.454
(4/1/98)
"Some regard themselves as merely 'resting' in between Church callings.
But we are never in between as to this soaring call from Jesus: 'What
manner of men (and women) ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even
as I am' (3 Nephi 27:27; see also Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi 12:48). It is
never safe to rest regarding that calling! In fact, being 'valiant' in
one's testimony of Jesus includes striving to become more like Him in
mind, heart, and attributes (D&C 76:79). Becoming this manner of
men and women is the ultimate expression of orthodoxy!"—Elder
Neal A. Maxwell, "Settle This In Your Hearts", General
Conference, October 1992
(4/2/98)
"Some callings and assignments in the Church may seem insignificant and
unimportant at the time, but with each willingly fulfilled assignment,
love of the Lord will grow. We learn to love God as we serve and know
Him."—Elder Marvin J. Ashton, We Serve That Which We Love,
General Conference, April 1981
(4/3/98)
"It is glorious to be a member. It is glorious to have any office or
calling in the Church, no matter how relatively humble the title may
sound. I am impressed constantly with the fact that, regardless of our
calling, we are all encouraged, we are all dedicated, and we are all
working in the service of the Master."—Henry D. Moyle, Conference
Report, October 1961, p.43
(4/4/98)
"Why is it that some young folks are almost overly conscientious in
their school work, even to neglecting their Church responsibilities,
when the spiritual should have priority in the study time of every
person if preference must be given? However, there is time for
fulfilling every need."—The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball,
p.559
(11/13/04)
"Then the apostle Paul told us that the Lord had placed in His church
apostles and prophets, pastors and teachers, and evangelists for the
work of the ministry (that is the great missionary program), for the
edifying of the body of Christ (that's the teaching in our auxiliaries
and home teaching and priesthood teaching and so forth), for the
perfecting of the saints (that comes through the service that they
render), 'till we all come in the unity of the faith.' (See Eph. 4:11-13.)" -
LeGrand Richards, "The
Things of God and Man," Ensign, November 1977, p. 23
(2/11/05)
"We may be sure that if there are many children or invalids or aged in
a
home, it is almost a certainty that such homes need help. O ye saints,
do not
pine if you have not presidency or teaching positions. Be anxiously
engaged in a
good cause, and do many things of your own free will. You may come
nearer your
heaven by the unobtrusive help you render those standing in need of
comfort,
succor, and attention. You won't feel important to the organization,
but the
angels will be smiling as they record the hours of church service given
to those
whom the Lord loves and to whom he personally directed his own
effort-the poor,
the downtrodden, the needy, the ill, the discouraged.
"We are all church workers; those with specific assignments and those
with
none are required by revelation to go to the house of prayer weekly to
offer up
their oblations. We then renew our pledges to remember him who is our
Savior and
to keep his commandments, the second one of which is to remember to
love our
neighbors as we love ourselves. Having entered into this covenant, it
is our
responsibility to seek diligently to show this love through our deeds."
-
S. Dilworth Young, "By
Love, Serve One Another," Ensign, Dec. 1971, p. 67
(9/1/05)
"One who seeks to please his Heavenly
Father will serve the needs of our Father's kingdom. This Church is a
part of His divine plan. It is the kingdom of God in the earth. Its
work is important. Its work is necessary to the accomplishment of the
eternal purposes of our Father. If each of us is to please our Father
in Heaven, we must be responsive to the needs of His kingdom. We must
be willing to work wherever we are called to work and to develop our
talents so that our work will be more effective in reaching out to
those who are not members of the Church or those who are inactive in
the Church. We must be diligent in carrying forward the great work of
salvation for the dead and in every other way giving of our strength
and talent and substance to move forward and strengthen the Church.
This may involve some sacrifice, yes, but with every sacrifice comes a
blessing." - Gordon B. Hinckley, "To
Please Our Heavenly Father," Ensign, May 1985, 50–51
11/28/05
"This church does not belong to its President. Its head is the
Lord Jesus Christ, whose name each of us has taken upon ourselves. We
are all in this great endeavor together. We are here to assist our
Father in His work and His glory, 'to bring to pass the immortality and
eternal life of man' (Moses 1:39). Your obligation is as serious in
your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere. No
calling in this church is small or of little consequence. All of us in
the pursuit of our duty touch the lives of others. To each of us in our
respective responsibilities the Lord has said: 'Wherefore, be faithful;
stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak,
lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees'
(D&C 81:5)." - Gordon B. Hinckley, "This
Is the Work of the Master," Ensign (CR), May 1995, p.69
1/7/06
"The only principle upon which position should be sought and held by
the servants of God is that they might thereby be more
useful—that the field of their usefulness might be enlarged. No
man should seek to hold a position to gratify a vain ambition to excel.
And whatever the position that may be assigned him, he should therewith
be content. If an Elder's happiness be affected by the prominence or
obscurity of his station, it is an evidence that he is dependent upon
something beside the Spirit of God for happiness; if he be appointed to
labor in a humble position by those who have the authority and he
strives to fill that appointment honorably, he will be happy—his
happiness will be perfect; his joy will be full; should his station be
ever so exalted, he could be no more than this...." - George Q. Cannon,
"Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon,"
selected, arranged, and edited by Jerreld L. Newquist, p.181
10/8/06
"The Lord in His infinite wisdom has designed His
Church to operate with a lay ministry. ... almost always there is
sincere effort to provide meaningful gospel service.
"Occasionally we find some who become so energetic in their Church
service that their lives become unbalanced. They start believing that
the programs they administer are more important than the people they
serve. ...
"As a result of their focusing too much time and energy on their Church
service, eternal family relationships can deteriorate. Employment
performance can suffer. This is not healthy, spiritually or otherwise.
While there may be times when our Church callings require more intense
effort and unusual focus, we need to strive to keep things in proper
balance. We should never allow our service to replace the attention
needed by other important priorities in our lives. Remember King
Benjamin's counsel: 'And see that all these things are done in wisdom
and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he
has strength' (Mosiah
4:27)." - M. Russell Ballard, "O
Be Wise," Ensign, November 2006
10/9/06
"First, focus on people and principles—not on programs. One of
the most important things we do through the gospel of Jesus Christ is
to build people. Properly serving others requires effort to understand
them as individuals ... so that the correct help and support can be
provided. ... The primary purpose of Church leadership meetings should
be to discuss how to minister to people....
"Our goal should always be to use the programs of the Church as a means
to lift, encourage, assist, teach, love, and perfect people. 'Remember
the worth of souls is great in the sight of God' (D&C 18:10).
Programs are tools. Their management and staffing must not take
priority over the needs of the people they are designed to bless and to
serve." - M. Russell Ballard, "O
Be Wise," Ensign, November 2006
10/10/06
"Second, be innovative. As we work to magnify our callings, we should
seek the inspiration of the Spirit to solve problems in ways that will
best help the people we serve. We have handbooks of instruction, and
their guidelines should be followed. But within that framework are
substantial opportunities to think, to be creative, and to make use of
individual talents. The instruction to magnify our callings is not a
command to embellish and complicate them. To innovate does not
necessarily mean to expand; very often it means to simplify.
"Being innovative also means that we do not have to be told everything we should do. The Lord said, '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' (D&C 58:26). We trust you, brothers and sisters, to use inspiration. We trust that you will do so within the framework of Church policies and principles. We trust that you will be wise in counseling together to help build faith and testimony in the lives of those whom you serve." - M. Russell Ballard, "O Be Wise," Ensign, November 2006
10/11/06
"Third, divide the work and delegate
responsibility. There is a difference between being responsible for
getting the work done and doing the work yourself. For example, gone
should be the days when the elders quorum president feels he needs to
personally finish the home teaching visits that others have missed.
Home teaching is about love of people and service to and watch care
over our Heavenly Father's children.
"Assignments should be made, responsibilities should be delegated, and
members should be allowed to fulfill their stewardship as best they
can. Counsel, advise, persuade, motivate—but don't do the work
for them. Allow others to progress and grow, even if it means sometimes
getting less-than-perfect results on the reports." - M. Russell
Ballard, "O
Be Wise," Ensign, November 2006
10/12/06
"Fifth, we need to thoughtfully allocate our
resources of time, income, and energy. I would like to let you in on a
little secret. Some of you have already learned it. If you haven't,
it's time you knew. No matter what your family needs are or your
responsibilities in the Church, there is no such thing as 'done.' There
will always be more we can do. There is always another family matter
that needs attention, another lesson to prepare, another interview to
conduct, another meeting to attend. We just need to be wise in
protecting our health and in following the counsel that President
Hinckley has given often to just do the best that we can.
"The key, it seems to me, is to know and understand your own
capabilities and limitations and then to pace yourself, allocating and
prioritizing your time, your attention, and your resources to wisely
help others, including your family, in their quest for eternal life." -
M. Russell Ballard, "O
Be Wise," Ensign, November 2006
10/13/06
"Sixth, a word to you leaders about extending
responsibilities to members and especially to recent converts.
President Hinckley said that every new member of the Church needs a
responsibility. Whatever responsibility may be extended should
not overwhelm new members but should give them ample opportunity to
become comfortable in the Church by learning its doctrine and by
rubbing shoulders with friendly members. It should anchor them to the
restored gospel through increasing their testimony and giving
meaningful service." - M. Russell Ballard, "O
Be Wise," Ensign, November 2006
12/26/07
"My testimony is that if we dedicate our
lives to magnifying our calling in the priesthood and awake and arise
to our opportunities, the work of our Heavenly Father will grow and
prosper until no power can stay it. This is my conviction and my
testimony to you. I pray that our Father in heaven will give us the
deep and abiding appreciation for our membership in the Church and then
nudge us all to serve as we have never served before..." - Carl W. Buehner, "Conference Report," October 1958, Afternoon Meeting,
p.120
11/1/08
"It is not surprising that we
feel from time to time nearly overwhelmed. Your thought that 'I'm not sure I can do this' is
evidence that you are understanding what it means to hold the
priesthood of God. The fact is that you can’t do it by yourself.
The responsibility is too difficult and too important for your mortal
powers and for mine. Recognizing that is at the foundation of great
priesthood service.
"When
those feelings of inadequacy strike us, it is the time to remember the
Savior. He assures us that we don’t do this work alone." - Henry
B. Eyring, "O Ye That Embark," General Conference, October 2008
4/9/09
"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."
- Thomas S. Monson, Area Conference Report, Copenhagen, 1976, p. 31
12/22/09
“There is no sabbatical or retirement
program from priesthood responsibilities—regardless of age or
physical capacity. While the phrase ‘been there, done that’
may work as an excuse to avoid skateboarding, decline the invitation
for a motorbike ride, or bypass the spicy curry at the buffet, it is
not an acceptable excuse for avoiding covenant responsibilities to
consecrate our time, talents, and resources in the work of the kingdom
of God.” –
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Two Principles for Any
Economy,” Ensign, November 2009
4/14/10
When I hear someone say they can't serve because they don't feel well,
I remember a stake I once visited in Mexico. The stake president spoke
about a lesson he learned from his wife. He said that a week before the
conference, he had scheduled some home teaching visits but came home
from work and didn't feel well. He told his wife that he guessed he
wouldn't go home teaching because he was sick. Her reply to him was,
'Go sick!' And he went. - F. Burton
Howard, "Commitment," Ensign (CR), May 1996, p. 27
5/22/10
"There is the natural tendency to look at those who are sustained to
presiding positions, to consider them to be higher and of more value in
the Church or to their families than an ordinary member. Somehow we
feel they are worth more to the Lord than are we. It just does not work
that way!" - Boyd K. Packer, "The Weak and the Simple of the Church," (CR) November 2007
Refer your friends to join The LDS Daily WOOL (Words Of Our Leaders)