For honor proceeds not from office, but by a person magnifying his office and calling

 But while we are contending over little things what becomes of us? We are losing sight of our callings; we forget that this kingdom was established upon the earth for the purpose of introducing righteousness and the laws of heaven upon the earth, and of blessing mankind and of saving the living and the dead. We forget what we are here for, and what the kingdom of God is established for. It is not for you or for me or anybody else alone; it is for the interests of the world and the salvation of mankind....

I have noticed some in my travels, those, who, like the disciples of Jesus of old, evince a great desire for power, and manifest a very anxious disposition to know who among them shall be greatest. This is folly, for honor proceeds not from office, but by a person magnifying his office and calling. If we have any honor proceeding from or through the priesthood, it comes from God, and we certainly should be vain to boast of a gift when we have no hand in the gift, only in receiving it. If it comes from God, he ought to have the glory and not us, and our magnifying our calling is the only way or medium through which we can obtain honor or influence.

Chapter 13: Priesthood, the Government and Power of God

John Taylor

Teachings of Presidents

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-john-taylor/chapter-13?lang=eng&verse=#p

To Lighten the Load of the Bishopric

 How do we help? To lighten the load of the bishopric, auxiliary presidencies and Melchizedek Priesthood quorum presidencies and group leaders need to exercise initiative and fully function in the great responsibilities of their callings. Bishops are responsible to call; they should not be required to beg or push. All of us should accept the callings we are given and serve in all diligence. The most common calling received for men is home teacher and for women is Relief Society visiting teacher. When properly performed, these vital callings can substantially lighten the load of the bishopric. Home teachers and visiting teachers are the eyes and ears and hands of the bishop. Brothers and sisters, help the bishop and his counselors by reliable, faithful performance of your visits and oversight as home teachers and visiting teachers.

Dallin H. Oaks

“Bishop, Help!”

April 1997

She barely had time to see her husband, Marcus, and their four children.

In the spring of 1962, Young Women’s MIA board

member Ruth Funk was drowning in work. The MIA’s annual conference was coming up, and she was copro-ducing a musical play for the event. The conference, which began in the 1890s, drew around twenty-five thousand youth leaders to Salt Lake City to receive counsel and training from general Church leaders. Ruth and the members of her committee wanted to put to-gether a good show for the conference, and they were learning as they went.

As the first performance neared, Ruth was asked to attend a meeting about the focus of the Church. She did not know why she was invited, and she was not keen on going. As it was, she barely had time to see her husband, Marcus, and their four children.

Still, on the appointed night, Ruth hurried over to the meeting. There she found a room full of people, including some general Church leaders, discussing the basic goals of the Church. Reed Bradford, a sociology professor from Brigham Young University, conducted the meeting.
Ruth did not say anything at first. Near the end of the evening, though, Reed said, “Sister Funk, you haven’t expressed yourself.”

“Well, I have very strong feelings,” she replied. Like many people in the United States and elsewhere, Church members were growing more and more worried about divorce, juvenile delinquency, and other social concerns. “I feel that every stop should be pulled to emphasize the strength of the family,” she said.

The meeting ended, and Ruth returned to her other responsibilities. Later, after the MIA conference was over and the musical had a successful run, she received a phone call from apostle Marion G. Romney. “Ruth,” he said, “we are calling you to serve on the Correlation Committee.”
Ruth’s heart sank. “What in the world is correlation?” she asked.

She soon found out at an orientation meeting with Elder Harold B. Lee. The committee was chiefly re-sponsible for aligning all Church curriculum with basic gospel principles. But with the Church spreading rapidly throughout the world, the program would also put new emphasis on priesthood, home, and family as central to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Elder Lee described the committees overseeing the programs for adults, youth, and children. To her sur-prise, Ruth was called to the adult committee despite her years of experience working with youth. Like her, the other committee members—three women, five men— were juggling careers and family responsibilities. The youngest member was thirty-four-year-old Thomas S. Monson, who had just finished serving as president of the Canadian Mission with his wife, Frances.

As months passed, and the committee began re-searching the Church’s past lesson plans, everyone was encouraged to express their opinions freely as they dis-cussed the future of Church curriculum. The committee had years of study and work ahead of it, but Ruth was eager to do whatever she could to help the Church move forward.

Saints Volume 4 p. 83-85, 

We learned that when we think it is not a good time for us to receive a calling, it may be the time we need that calling the most.

 We learned that when we think it is not a good time for us to receive a calling, it may be the time we need that calling the most. Whenever the Lord asks us to serve in any calling, whether it is a lighter or heavier calling, He sees our needs. He provides the strength we need and has blessings ready to be poured out upon us as we faithfully serve.

Do You Want to Be Happy?

October 2023

General Conference

Yoon Hwan Choi

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/10/26choi?lang=eng&verse=#p

Most of the best people who ever lived weren’t very famous either. Serve and grow, faithfully and quietly

 In 1990, President Howard W. Hunter, then President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, delivered a message about the indispensable contributions of countless Church members who serve diligently and faithfully and who receive little or no public acknowledgment or acclaim.

President Hunter explained:

“It was said [about the young and valiant Captain Moroni]:

“‘If all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men’ (Alma 48:17).

“What a compliment to a famous and powerful man. … Two verses later is a statement about Helaman and his brethren, who played a less conspicuous role than Moroni, that reads:

“‘Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni’ (Alma 48:19).”

President Hunter continued, “In other words, even though Helaman was not as noticeable or conspicuous as Moroni, he was as serviceable; that is, he was as helpful or useful as Moroni.”

President Hunter then counseled all of us to be no less serviceable. He said: “If you feel that much of what you do this year or in the years to come does not make you very famous, take heart. Most of the best people who ever lived weren’t very famous either. Serve and grow, faithfully and quietly.”

In the Path of Their Duty

October 2023

General Conference

David A. Bednar

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/10/11bednar?lang=eng&verse=#p

Howard W. Hunter, “No Less Serviceable,” 6. 

Serving is not about you; it is about the Savior.

 To those who will choose to serve, I can attest to the blessings that will come as you heed a prophet’s call. Serving is not about you; it is about the Savior. You will be called to a place, but more importantly you will be called to a people. You will have the great responsibility and blessing of helping new friends understand that the answer is Jesus.

The Answer Is Jesus

October 2022

General Conference

Ryan K. Olsen

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/10/52olsen?lang=eng&verse=#p

Don't Inhale & Don't Take Yourself too darn seriously

 Shortly after my call as a new General Authority, I had the privilege to accompany President James E. Faust for a stake reorganization. As I drove the car to our assignment in beautiful Southern Utah, President Faust was kind enough to use the time to instruct and teach me. One lesson I will never forget. Said he, “The members of the Church are gracious to the General Authorities. They will treat you kindly and say nice things about you.” Then he briefly paused and said, “Dieter, always be thankful for this, but don’t you ever inhale it.”

This important lesson about Church service applies to every priesthood holder in every quorum of the Church. It applies to all of us in this Church.

When President J. Reuben Clark Jr. counseled those called to positions of authority in the Church, he would tell them not to forget rule number six.

Inevitably, the person would ask, “What is rule number six?”

“Don’t take yourself too darn seriously,” he would say.

Of course, this led to a follow-up question: “What are the other five rules?”

With a twinkle in his eye, President Clark would say, “There aren’t any.”⁶

To be effective Church leaders, we must learn this critical lesson: leadership in the Church is not so much about directing others as it is about our willingness to be directed by God.

The Greatest among You, April 2017 General Conference, Dieter F. Uctdorf

From Presiding to the Parade

During the 150th anniversary of the pioneers’ arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, Brother Myron Richins was serving as a stake president in Henefer, Utah. The celebration included a reenactment of the pioneers’ passage through his town.

President Richins was heavily involved with the plans for the celebration, and he attended many meetings with General Authorities and others to discuss the events. He was fully engaged.

Just before the actual celebration, President Richins’s stake was reorganized, and he was released as president. On a subsequent Sunday, he was attending his ward priesthood meeting when the leaders asked for volunteers to help with the celebration. President Richins, along with others, raised his hand and was given instructions to dress in work clothes and to bring his truck and a shovel.

Finally, the morning of the big event came, and President Richins reported to volunteer duty.

Only a few weeks before, he had been an influential contributor to the planning and supervision of this major event. On that day, however, his job was to follow the horses in the parade and clean up after them.

President Richins did so gladly and joyfully.

He understood that one kind of service is not above another.

He knew and put into practice the words of the Savior: “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”9

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April 2017 General Conference The Greatest among You

Other times we are grateful when it is time for our release....It will be OK, Brother Andersen. We will call her, and we will release you.

 We all willingly serve. Sometimes we feel underwhelmed with our calling and wish we were asked to do more. Other times we are grateful when it is time for our release. We do not determine the callings we receive.²⁴ I learned this lesson early in my marriage. As a young couple, my wife, Kathy, and I lived in Florida. One Sunday a counselor in the stake presidency explained to me that they felt impressed to call Kathy as an early-morning seminary teacher.

“How will we do it?” I asked. “We have small children, seminary begins at 5:00 a.m., and I am the ward Young Men president.”

The counselor smiled and said, “It will be OK, Brother Andersen. We will call her, and we will release you.”

And that is what happened.

October 2013 General Conference, Neil L. Anderson, Power in the Priesthood

Sacrifice, Consecration, All In

 To many of us, such a standard of whole-souled commitment seems out of reach. We are already stretched so thin. How can we balance the many demands of life with our desires to offer our whole souls to the Lord?....

How to distribute your time and energy among your many important tasks will vary from person to person and from one season of life to another. But our common, overall objective is to follow the Way of our Master, Jesus Christ, and return to the presence of our beloved Father in Heaven. This objective must remain constant and consistent, whoever we are and whatever else is happening in our lives.....

And what about the many tasks and responsibilities that make our lives so busy? Spending time with loved ones, going to school or preparing for an occupation, earning a living, caring for family, serving in the community—where does it all fit in? The Savior reassures us:

“Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”....

And what about the many tasks and responsibilities that make our lives so busy? Spending time with loved ones, going to school or preparing for an occupation, earning a living, caring for family, serving in the community—where does it all fit in? The Savior reassures us:

“Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”

But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It requires both sacrifice and consecration.

It requires letting some things go and letting other things grow.

Sacrifice and consecration are two heavenly laws that we covenant to obey in the holy temple. These two laws are similar but not identical. To sacrifice means to give something up in favor of something more valuable. Anciently, God’s people sacrificed the firstlings of their flocks in honor of the coming Messiah. Throughout history, faithful Saints have sacrificed personal desires, comforts, and even their lives for the Savior.

We all have things, large and small, we need to sacrifice in order to follow Jesus Christ more completely. Our sacrifices show what we truly value. Sacrifices are sacred and honored by the Lord.

Consecration is different from sacrifice in at least one important way. When we consecrate something, we don’t leave it to be consumed upon the altar. Rather, we put it to use in the Lord’s service. We dedicate it to Him and His holy purposes. We receive the talents that the Lord has given us and strive to increase them, manifold, to become even more helpful in building the Lord’s kingdom.

Very few of us will ever be asked to sacrifice our lives for the Savior. But we are all invited to consecrate our lives to Him.

As we seek to purify our lives and look unto Christ in every thought, everything else begins to align. Life no longer feels like a long list of separate efforts held in tenuous balance.

Over time, it all becomes one work.

One joy.

One holy purpose.

It is the work of loving and serving God. It is loving and serving God’s children.

When we look at our lives and see a hundred things to do, we feel overwhelmed. When we see one thing—loving and serving God and His children, in a hundred different ways—then we can work on those things with joy.

This is how we offer our whole souls—by sacrificing anything that’s holding us back and consecrating the rest to the Lord and His purposes.

Our Heartfelt All

April 2022

General Conference

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/04/57uchtdorf?lang=eng&verse=#p

And the Battle Raged On

Spencer W. Kimball was one of the prophets of my youth. These past few years, after being called as an Apostle, I have found peace in his first message at general conference in October 1943. He was overwhelmed by his call; I know what that feels like. Elder Kimball said: “I did a great deal of thinking and praying, and fasting and praying. There were conflicting thoughts that surged through my mind—seeming voices saying: ‘You can’t do the work. You are not worthy. You have not the ability’—and always finally came the triumphant thought: ‘You must do the work assigned—you must make yourself able, worthy and qualified.’ And the battle raged on.”

Be Not Afraid, Ronald A. Rasband, October 2018 General Conference

Such as I am, I am at the Master’s pleasure. He died for me, and I hope that I shall never consider my life as too great a sacrifice to offer unto Him, if necessary, in return.

 Evan S. Morgan, age 62, accepted his mission call even with health concerns, stating, “Such as I am, I am at the Master’s pleasure. He died for me, and I hope that I shall never consider my life as too great a sacrifice to offer unto Him, if necessary, in return.” To this, President Smith replied, “God bless and heal that man, for he has a noble spirit; and his generous offering of sacrifice for the gospel’s sake is accepted. Let him be honorably released from the call with our blessing.”

Liahona March 2021, Early Missionary Calls: Voices from a Century Ago

I prayed that the people would feel the Lord’s love through my loving service. I have learned this is the key to serving and blessing others in His name.

 In my few moments this evening, I will speak to those of you who want to be even more effective in your personal priesthood service. You know of the charge that you are to magnify your call to serve. But you may wonder what to magnify your calling can mean for you.

I will start with the newest deacons because they are the most likely to feel uncertain about what magnifying their priesthood service might mean. Newly ordained elders might also want to listen. And a bishop in his first weeks of service might be interested too.

....I prayed that the people would feel the Lord’s love through my loving service. I have learned this is the key to serving and blessing others in His name.

Bless in His Name

April 2021

General Conference

Henry B. Eyring

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/34eyring?lang=eng&verse=#p

serving one another was one of the greatest opportunities to show our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ our gratitude for the Atonement

 While giving German ministers a tour of the operations of the church in Salt Lake City, F. Enzio Busche recounts, " We took some time to Pass by the Primary.  Little children were sitting there, and the teacher was teaching them in a most caring and loving style. She was well groomed...As we passed the Primary presentation, one of the ministers asked me in a somewhat haughty tone how much we paid a teacher like that.  I felt impressed to tell him that the teacher would be offended if she were offered pay.  She understood that serving one another was one of the greatest opportunities to show our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ our gratitude for the Atonement and our gratitude for the blessings of life and the plan of salvation.  She would see it as a privilege to teach children the gospel of Jesus Christ."

F. Enzio Busche, Yearing For the Living God,  p.217-218

Share with those who may turn down church callings.  What to say when someone turns down a call to serve.  

Four Fold Responsibility

As a young student full of aspiration, I remember listening to a respected and successful mentor suggest that we appropriately manage ambitions by following an order of “learn, earn, serve.” President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) taught a pattern that leads to trusting the Lord and relying on Him rather than on ourselves. He said: “Each of us has a fourfold responsibility. First, we have a responsibility to our families. Second, we have a responsibility to our employers. Third, we have a responsibility to the Lord’s work. Fourth, we have a responsibility to ourselves.”

We must have a balance. President Hinckley suggested that we fulfill this fourfold responsibility through family prayer, family home evening, family scripture study, honesty and loyalty to our employer, fulfillment of our Church responsibilities, personal scripture study, rest, recreation, and exercise.4

American philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.”5


With All Thy Getting, Get Understanding, Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Liahona January 2017

The work of devils and of darkness is never more certain to be defeated

The work of devils and of darkness is never more certain to be defeated than when men and women, not finding it easy or pleasant but still determined to do the Father’s will, look out upon their lives from which it may seem every trace of God has vanished, and asking why they have been so forsaken, still bow their heads and obey. [Paraphrased from C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1961), p. 39]

Just Head Toward Those In Need

Head toward those in need. Don’t be immobilized wondering whether you should do the backstroke or the dog paddle. If we follow the basic principles that have been taught, stay aligned with priesthood keys, and seek the Holy Spirit to guide us, we cannot fail.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

October 2018

General Conference

Jeffrey R. Holland

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/10/the-ministry-of-reconciliation?lang=eng&verse=#p

Perhaps when we make face-to-face contact with our Maker, we will not be asked, ‘How many positions did you hold?’ but rather, ‘How many people did you help?

President Thomas S. Monson likewise taught that “perhaps when we make face-to-face contact with our Maker, we will not be asked, ‘How many positions did you hold?’ but rather, ‘How many people did you help?’ In reality, you can never love the Lord until you serve Him by serving His people.”

In other words, sisters, it will not matter if we sat in the comfy seats or if we struggled to get through the meeting on a rusty folding chair in the back row. It won’t even matter if we, of necessity, stepped into a foyer to comfort a crying baby. What will matter is that we came with a desire to serve, that we noticed those to whom we minister and greeted them joyfully, and that we introduced ourselves to those sharing our row of folding chairs—reaching out with friendship even though we aren’t assigned to minister to them. And it will certainly matter that we do all that we do with the special ingredient of service coupled with love and sacrifice.

The Joy of Unselfish Service

October 2018

General Conference

Cristina B. Franco

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/10/the-joy-of-unselfish-service?lang=eng&verse=#p

We Have Promised Our Father in Heaven the We Will Serve Him

Sometimes as we serve, we get to sit in different seats. Some are quite comfy and some other ones are not, but we have promised our Father in Heaven that we will serve Him and others with love and do His will in all things.

The Joy of Unselfish Service

October 2018

General Conference

Cristina B. Franco

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/10/the-joy-of-unselfish-service?lang=eng&verse=#p

Be careful not to let your Church assignments get in the way of welcoming new friends at Church meetings and activities.

I believe we can do much better and should do better in welcoming new friends into the Church. I invite you to consider what we can do to be more embracing, accepting, and helpful to them, starting this very next Sunday. Be careful not to let your Church assignments get in the way of welcoming new friends at Church meetings and activities. After all, these souls are precious before the eyes of God and are much more important than programs and activities.

One in Christ

October 2018

General Conference

Ulisses Soares