He Asks Us to Be His Hands
Cheryl A. Esplin
First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency
Showing love and service doesn’t have to be big and grandiose to be meaningful and make a difference. …
… Some of you listening may feel stretched to capacity ministering to the needs of family members. Remember, in those routine and often mundane tasks, you are “in the service of your God” [Mosiah 2:17].
Others of you might be feeling an emptiness that could be filled as you look into your neighborhood or community for opportunities to help ease another’s burdens.
All of us can incorporate some service into our daily living. We live in a contentious world. We give service when we don’t criticize, when we refuse to gossip, when we don’t judge, when we smile, when we say thank you, and when we are patient and kind.
Other kinds of service take time, intentional planning, and extra energy. But they are worth our every effort. Perhaps we could start by asking ourselves these questions:
- Who in my circle of influence could I help today?
- What time and resources do I have?
- In what ways can I use my talents and skills to bless others?
- What might we do as a family? …
I have come to know that it is the love of God and neighbor that gives meaning to life. May we follow the Savior’s example and His admonition to reach out to others with love.
What Shall We Do?
Neill F. Marriott
Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency
The Lord’s Church needs Spirit-directed women who use their unique gifts to nurture, to speak up, and to defend gospel truth. Our inspiration and intuition are necessary parts of building the kingdom of God, which really means doing our part to bring salvation to God’s children.
We build the kingdom when we nurture others. However, the first child of God we must build up in the restored gospel is ourselves. … We must develop bedrock faith in the Savior’s gospel and move forward, empowered by temple covenants, toward exaltation. …
Following His plan and becoming a builder of the kingdom requires selfless sacrifice. …
We also build the kingdom when we speak up and testify of truth. We follow the Lord’s pattern. He speaks and teaches with the power and authority of God. Sisters, we can too. …
Personal revelation from the Holy Ghost will prompt us to learn, speak, and act on eternal truth—the Savior’s truth. The more we follow Christ, the more we will feel His love and direction; the more we feel His love and direction, the more we will want to speak and teach truth as He did, even when we face opposition. …
When we ask ourselves, “What shall we do?” let’s ponder this question: “What does the Savior do continually?” He nurtures. He creates. He encourages growth and goodness. Women and sisters, we can do these things!
“I Was a Stranger”
Linda K. Burton
Relief Society General President
As sisters we make up more than half of the Lord’s storehouse to help Heavenly Father’s children. His storehouse is not composed just of goods but also of time, talents, skills, and our divine nature. …
Sisters, we know that reaching out to others with love matters to the Lord. …
The Savior lovingly acknowledged the widow whose contribution was only two mites because she did what she could [see Luke 21:1–4]. He also told the parable of the good Samaritan, which He concluded saying, “Go, and do thou likewise” [Luke 10:37]. Sometimes reaching out is inconvenient. But when we work together in love and unity, we can expect heaven’s help. …
As we consider the “pressing calls” of those who need our help, let’s ask ourselves, “What if their story were my story?” May we then seek inspiration, act on impressions we receive, and reach out in unity to help those in need as we are able and inspired to do so. Perhaps then it might be said of us, as the Savior said of a loving sister who ministered to Him: “She hath wrought a good work. … She hath done what she could” [Mark 14:6, 8]. I call that extraordinary!
Trust in That Spirit Which Leadeth to Do Good
President Henry B. Eyring
First Counselor in the First Presidency
Even the youngest girl here will have felt the reality of the invitation in the song: “’Come, follow me,’ the Savior said. Then let us in his footsteps tread” [“Come, Follow Me,” Hymns, no. 116].
So, with those feelings, the first thing you must commit to do is to go and serve, knowing that you do not go alone. When you go to comfort and serve anyone for the Savior, He prepares the way before you. …
The second thing you must do is remember the Lord as you go in service for Him. …
… The third thing I hope [you] will do is to be modest about [your] good works. …
My prayer for the sisters in the kingdom, wherever they may be or in whatever circumstance, is that their faith in the Savior and gratitude for His Atonement will lead them to do all they can for those the Lord asks them to serve. As they do, I promise that they will move up the path to become holy women whom the Savior and our Heavenly Father will welcome warmly and reward openly.
… We grow closer to the Savior as we, out of pure love, serve others for Him.
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