Let's Discuss: "For Him," by Joy D. Jones

"For Him"

By Joy D. Jones, Primary General President
General Women's Session, 6 October 2018

Hymn recommendations:
73  Praise the Lord with Heart and Voice
98  I Need Thee Every Hour
102  Jesus, Lover of My Soul
129  Where Can I Turn for Peace?
220  Lord, I Would Follow Thee

Favorite quote:

When He takes the preeminent position in our lives by our deliberate choice, then He is able to bless our actions to our good and to the good of others.

and

We can make each item on our to-do list become a way to glorify Him.  We can see each task as a privilege and opportunity to serve Him, even when we are in the midst of deadlines, duties, or dirty diapers. 

Something to put on the board:

"I have only been in the service of God." Mosiah 2:16

One-sentence Synopsis:

Glorify God through all our service (especially ministering) and daily tasks, by doing everything out of our Love for Him.

Talk and Discussion questions:
(Emphasis in original except text-size changes or otherwise indicated)
I have a lot of favorite quotes from this talk, it was hard to single a couple out.  This was a talk chosen for our Relief Society lesson this coming Sunday.  I enjoyed analyzing it, although it is another talk I don't think I would have chosen!  That's why I'm not in charge.  ;)  I might have overlooked some of the gems in here.

On this historic night, I express my love and appreciation to each of you, my dear sisters. Whatever our age, location, or circumstance, we gather tonight in unity, in strength, in purpose, and in testimony that we are loved and led by our Heavenly Father; our Savior, Jesus Christ; and our living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson.

Just a reminder, this was a historic night because it was the first time the General Women's Session was on the same Saturday as the first two sessions of General Conference (instead of the week before), with no Priesthood Session, and the first time (at least in our generation) the entire First Presidency spoke at a Women's meeting.

As a young couple, my husband and I were called by our bishop to visit and minister to a family who hadn’t been to church in many years. We willingly accepted the assignment and went to their home a few days later. It was immediately clear to us that they did not want visitors from the Church.

So on our next visit, we approached them with a plate of cookies, confident that chocolate chips would melt their hearts. They didn’t. The couple spoke to us through the screen door, making it even clearer that we weren’t welcome. But as we drove home, we were fairly certain success might have been achieved had we only offered them Rice Krispies Treats instead.

Have you ever had a visiting teaching or ministering assignment like this?  Do you have one now?  How did you proceed?  How did you keep from discouragement?

I have been assigned various inactive sisters.  One I called on the phone, and we hit it off, or so I thought, and then she never answered the phone again.  I sent her a monthly card with information on the upcoming activities, maybe something I had studied recently or a short quote from the VT message, and my phone number in case she needed anything.  I have no idea if she even opened my cards, but I considered myself a lifeline to the Church should she ever need it.  To me, people are at different stages of their lives.  Some stages take some people away from full activity in the Church, and that's ok.  They will have so much perspective and experience to offer when they choose to return to activity.  Now, let's learn what Sister Jones and her husband did.

Our lack of spiritual vision made additional failed attempts frustrating. Rejection is never comfortable. Over time we began to ask ourselves, “Why are we doing this? What is our purpose?”

Elder Carl B. Cook made this observation: “Serving in the Church … can be challenging if we are asked to do something that frightens us, if we grow weary of serving, or if we are called to do something that we do not initially find appealing.”1 We were experiencing the truth of Elder Cook’s words when we decided we had to seek direction from Someone with a greater perspective than our own.

How often do we let things go kind of far before we remember to seek God's direction?!  How can we remember to do this earlier?  More often?  Always?

So, after much sincere prayer and study, we received the answer to the why of our service. We had a change in our understanding, a change of heart, actually a revelatory experience.2 As we sought direction from the scriptures, the Lord taught us how to make the process of serving others easier and more meaningful. Here is the verse we read that changed both our hearts and our approach: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.”3 Though this verse was so familiar, it seemed to speak to us in a new and important way.

Sister Jones and her husband turned to prayer and scripture study, as they sought direction from the scriptures.  Would anyone like to share a time when you sought and received direction through sincere prayer and searching the scriptures?

We realized that we were sincerely striving to serve this family and to serve our bishop, but we had to ask ourselves if we were really serving out of love for the Lord. King Benjamin made clear this distinction when he stated, “Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God.”4

Their answer had to do with serving out of love for the LORD.  How is serving out of love for the Lord different than other service otherwise?  Can you think of an example from your life?  Service without love of the Lord may involve having our heart set on just getting the job done (checking it off the list), or looking for someone's appreciation, honor, or praise to be given to us for our service.  Maybe we don't really want to serve, so our heart isn't in it, and we do it grudgingly or with disdain or imagining it as a heavy burden or inconvenience.  What I have noticed is that:  When I involve the Lord, He often shows me a better way of doing whatever I'm doing.

So whom was King Benjamin really serving? Heavenly Father and the Savior. Knowing the who and the why in serving others helps us understand that the highest manifestation of love is devotion to God.

As our focus gradually changed, so did our prayers. We began looking forward to our visits with this dear family because of our love for the Lord.5 We were doing it for Him. He made the struggle no longer a struggle. After many months of our standing on the doorstep, the family began letting us in. Eventually, we had regular prayer and tender gospel discussions together. A long-lasting friendship developed. We were worshipping and loving Him by loving His children.

What do you think Sister Jones means when she says "He made the struggle no longer a struggle?"  How can we learn from this idea?  How can we consecrate what we do to the Lord?

Can you think back on a time when you lovingly reached out with sincere effort to help someone in need and felt that your efforts went unnoticed or perhaps were unappreciated or even unwanted? In that moment, did you question the value of your service? If so, may the words of King Benjamin replace your doubt and even your hurt: “Ye are only in the service of your God.”6

Sister Jones makes it sound so easy to turn resentment or rejection around!  Is it really that easy?

Rather than building resentment, we can build, through service, a more perfect relationship with our Heavenly Father. Our love for and devotion to Him preempts the need for recognition or appreciation and allows His love to flow to and through us.

How can we love Heavenly Father and Jesus more?  How do we turn around the negative feelings that sometimes tempt us and allow His love to flow to and through us?

Sometimes we may initially serve from a sense of duty or obligation, but even that service can lead us to draw on something higher within us, leading us to serve in “a more excellent way”7—as in President Nelson’s invitation to “a newer, holier approach to caring for and ministering to others.”8

I love this part of the talk, because I have often wondered why we should even bother serving if we don't feel like it, aren't in the mood, or maybe even resent it, although we know it's our duty.  She gives the answer right there:  "even that service can lead us to draw on something higher within us."  Service leads to true service.  Often the true spirit of loving service catches up to us before we are finished serving.

When we focus on all that God has done for us, our service flows from a heart of gratitude. As we become less concerned about our service magnifying us, we realize instead that the focus of our service will be on putting God first.9

You may like to take a couple of minutes and count blessings.  God truly has done and continues to do so much for us.  However, it is surprisingly easy to forget.  We take so much for granted.  How can we have hearts of gratitude?

President M. Russell Ballard taught, “It is only when we love God and Christ with all of our hearts, souls, and minds that we are able to share this love with our neighbors through acts of kindness and service.”10

The first of the Ten Commandments reiterates this divine wisdom: “I am the Lord thy God. … Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”11 The placement of this commandment helps us understand that if we place Him as our main priority, everything else will ultimately fall into place—even our service to others. When He takes the preeminent position in our lives by our deliberate choice, then He is able to bless our actions to our good and to the good of others.

Is the Lord at the preeminent position in our lives?  If not, someone or something else is, and that thought worries me!  How do we deliberately choose Him?  Share your answers in the comments.

The Lord counseled, “Look unto me in every thought.”12 And each week we covenant to do just that—to “always remember him.”13 Can such a godly focus apply in everything we do? Can performing even a menial task become an opportunity to demonstrate our love and devotion to Him? I believe it can and will.

We can make each item on our to-do list become a way to glorify Him. We can see each task as a privilege and opportunity to serve Him, even when we are in the midst of deadlines, duties, or dirty diapers.

I love this - I came to a very similar conclusion just last year.  The Lord loves it when we involve Him - even in the mundane!  Everything we do can be with more grace, love, and Christlike character, when we use it as a way to glorify Him.   What are things you do to help remember Him in the mundane?  Do you ever set reminders on your phone to pray or worship, or thank Him?  What else can we do?

As Ammon said, “Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things.”14

When serving our God becomes our main priority in life, we lose ourselves, and in due course, we find ourselves.15

Sounds so easy, right?!

The Savior taught this principle so simply and directly: “Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”16

May I share with you some words of wisdom that were found on the wall of an orphanage in Calcutta, India: “If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give the world the best you’ve got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God … anyway.”17

I really liked this quote.  The footnote says it is sometimes attributed to Mother Teresa.  The statement about destroying made me think of cleaning my house, which is sometimes an exercise of futility!  I guess I have no excuse - I can clean the house unto the Lord, anyway. ...  :0

Sisters, it is always between us and the Lord. As President James E. Faust said: “‘What is the greatest need in the world?’ … ‘Is not the greatest need in all of the world for every person to have a personal, ongoing, daily, continuing relationship with the Savior?’ Having such a relationship can unchain the divinity within us, and nothing can make a greater difference in our lives as we come to know and understand our divine relationship with God.”18

I LOVE THIS QUOTE!  I didn't put it at the top, because it's technically President Faust, but we all need to have a close relationship with our Savior!  What do you think President Faust means by "unchain[ing] the divinity within us?"  How is your relationship with the Savior?  Has He saved you recently?  Have you recommitted to Him recently?  How can we develop a closer relationship with Him?

Similarly, Alma explained to his son, “Yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.”19

And President Russell M. Nelson has likewise taught us, “When we comprehend His voluntary Atonement, any sense of sacrifice on our part becomes completely overshadowed by a profound sense of gratitude for the privilege of serving Him.”20

I have had people thank me for service, and it often makes me uncomfortable.  Our family has also been the recipients of much service.   I really feel like I have been given so much that everything I do is paying it forward.

Sisters, I testify that when Jesus Christ, through the power of His Atonement, works on us and in us, He begins to work through us to bless others. We serve them, but we do so by loving and serving Him. We become what the scripture describes: “Every man [and woman] seeking the interest of his [or her] neighbor, and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of God.”21

Maybe our bishop knew that was the lesson my husband and I would learn from those early and well-intentioned, yet not perfect, efforts to minister to God’s beloved sons and daughters. I bear my personal and sure witness of the goodness and love He shares with us even as we strive to serve for Him. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Beautiful ending.  Let us move from good intentions to good works by serving Him!