So today in sacrament meeting, I was the youth speaker, along with a returned missionary and one of the members of our ward. I have a feeling that I should put my talk up on my blog, so here it is :)
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In a
talk given by President Monson in the 2009 October
General Conference, He recalled
this story:
“A few years ago I read an article written by Jack
McConnell, MD. He grew up in the hills of southwest Virginia in the United
States as one of seven children of a Methodist minister and a stay-at-home
mother. Their circumstances were very humble. He recounted that during his
childhood, every day as the family sat around the dinner table, his father
would ask each one in turn, “And what did you do for someone today?” The
children were determined to do a good turn every day so they could report to
their father that they had helped someone. Dr. McConnell calls this exercise
his father’s most valuable legacy, for that expectation and those words
inspired him and his siblings to help others throughout their lives. As they
grew and matured, their motivation for providing service changed to an inner
desire to help others.” Close Quote
Let me reiterate: “And what did you do to help someone
today?”
In our busy lives, running to-and-fro, we often feel that we
are too busy, or we think, “someone else will do it.” Now, let me say this now,
I am not exempt. I too often feel “too busy” to give service to someone. But it
doesn’t have to be this big service project you see us, the Young Women and the
Young Men, doing. It could be as simple as saying Hi to someone and spending a
few minutes talking to them, or setting a few cookies aside from your batch for
a neighbor down the street. Look at Dr. McConnell's family. Those children for at least a while, gave small bits of service to others because they were very young, like holding doors and picking up something that was dropped. Being a Cellist, I appreciate it very much when a kind Youth Symphony member holds the door for me because I have my Cello in one hand and my music in the other.
One of my favorite service projects in Young Women needed
little preparation. We did a pizza service project. Our leaders called a few
different members and asked if we could come over Tuesday night to do a 5
minute service project in return for some pizza toppings. We were split into 2
groups and were given a list of names. We ran around the different
neighborhoods doing service and collecting pizza toppings. At the end of the
night, we met back at the church house and made our pizzas. For me, service
(and our pizza) never tasted as good as it did that night.
My favorite hymn is "A Poor Wayfaring man of Grief," hymn number
29. I'll be reading verses 1,6, and 7.
1)A poor wayfaring Man of grief
Hath often crossed me on my way,
Who sued so humbly for relief
That I could never answer nay.
I had not power to ask his name,
Whereto he went, or whence he came;
Yet there was something in his eye
That won my love; I knew not why.
6)In pris’n I saw him next, condemned
To meet a traitor’s doom at morn.
The tide of lying tongues I stemmed,
And honored him ’mid shame and scorn.
My friendship’s utmost zeal to try,
He asked if I for him would die.
The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill,
But my free spirit cried, “I will!”
7)Then in a moment to my view
The stranger started from disguise.
The tokens in His hands I knew;
The Savior stood before mine eyes.
He spake, and my poor name He named,
“Of Me thou hast not been ashamed.
These deeds shall thy memorial be;
Fear not, thou didst them unto Me.”
This hymn is related to two scriptures, the first one being Matthew 25: 31-40. In Matthew it says:
"31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 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 asick, 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."
It goes on to say that those who did not give service to others were punished. A verse that is closely related to it is
Mosiah 2:17 (it also happens to be the second scripture reference to the hymn). It says there:
"...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."
Serving others is a blessing! To me, it feels like I'm the one receiving service. Yesterday I had the oppertunity to serve and to be served. In the morning, I helped clean out the basement with other ushers at the Idaho Falls Symphony Office. When we were done, it looked so much cleaner and we all felt really good about it. Later that day, some of the bretheren in our ward came and helped us move some of the bigger items out of our apartment and into our new apartment. It was such a blessing for my family because we did not have the equipment ourselves to move them. Thank you to those brethren.
I now ask you what have you done to help someone today? Even in our busy, hectic lives, we can all stop for a few moments to help someone in need. Hope you keep that question in our heart always, as I will now do.
I'd like to bear my testimony. I know the church is true, and that without it, I don't know where I would be. The Church is so important in my life. I know that the scriptures are true and that Jesus Christ really did atone for our sins and that though Him we can return to live with our Heavenly Father again.
Amen.
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Have a great day and don't forget your camera! :D
