Service in the Church: Why do we serve?
As covenant members of the church of Jesus Christ and disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ it is imperative that we serve.
Men of the Church – You who have been given the Melchizedek priesthood are under a oath, covenant, and obligation to magnify your callings and offices in the church. (D&C 84:33)
Women of the Church – You have a solemn obligation and covenant to be disciples of Jesus Christ and through baptism, and temple endowment have also a covenant obligation to magnify your callings and offices in the church.
Apostle Dallin H. Oaks, in an Ensign article gives 6 reasons why people serve in the church. I would like to go over these reasons with you as well… they are in ascending order from the lesser to the greater reasons for service. These are not an exhaustive list of reasons for service… but they are common reasons we all have when fulfilling our stewardships.
Apostle Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign Nov 1984
1. Hope for earthly reward, riches, honor and respect of men.
“Some may serve for hope of earthly reward. Such a man or woman might serve in Church positions or in private acts of mercy in an effort to achieve prominence or cultivate contacts that would increase income or aid in acquiring wealth. Others might serve in order to obtain worldly honors, prominence, or power.
The scriptures have a word for gospel service “for the sake of riches and honor”; it is “priestcraft.” (Alma 1:16.) Nephi said, “Priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.” (2 Ne. 26:29.). In these latter days, we are commanded to “seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion.” (D&C 6:6.) Unfortunately, not all who accomplish works under that heading are really intending to build up Zion or strengthen the faith of the people of God. Other motives can be at work.”
- Do we only serve in positions that seem prestigious to ourselves?
- Are we seeking for the praise of men in accepting and fulfilling callings?
- Do we reject the opportunity to serve because the calling seems beneath us?
Or in other words… I don’t want that calling… it is beneath me.
I can’t do that what would people think…
Wasn’t I just an elder’s quorum president… why am I being made a baptism program coordinator?
This whole concept is a fallacy and totally in error!! Is any calling more important than the calling that you have been given now?
1 Corinthians 12: 14-27 -- eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee
2. Desire to obtain good companionship, friendship
“Another reason for service—probably more worthy than the first, but still in the category of service in search of earthly reward—is that motivated by a personal desire to obtain good companionship. We surely have good associations in our Church service, but is that why we serve?
I once knew a person who was active in Church service until a socially prominent friend and fellow worker moved away. When the friend moved from the ward, this person ceased to serve. In this case, a Church worker was willing to serve only when the fellow workers were acceptable.”
- Do we only want to serve with select individuals?
- Do we judge others and allow personal opinions and criticisms to drive us from service?
- Do we criticize and speak ill of individuals and not sustain them in their callings?
Think of who the savior chose as apostles, were they the rich and famous? NO
Jesus called most of his servants from humble circumstances. Jesus associated with sinners.
“They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” Luke 5:31-32
3. Fear of Punishment
Some may serve out of fear of punishment. The scriptures abound with descriptions of the miserable state of those who fail to follow the commandments of God. Thus, King Benjamin taught his people that the soul of the unrepentant transgressor would be filled with “a lively sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever.” (Mosiah 2:38.) Such descriptions surely offer sufficient incentive for keeping the commandment of service. But service out of fear of punishment is a lesser motive at best.
- Do we serve in a sense of fear?
- Do we serve thinking only of ourselves and the punishment to come?
The next 2 reasons are better reasons… but still not the best and proper ones.
4. Sense of Duty or Loyalty
Other persons may serve out of a sense of duty or out of loyalty to friends or family or traditions. These are those I would call the good soldiers, who instinctively do what they are asked without question and sometimes without giving much thought to the reasons for their service. Such persons fill the ranks of voluntary organizations everywhere, and they do much good. We have all benefited by the good works of such persons. Those who serve out of a sense of duty or loyalty to various wholesome causes are the good and honorable men and women of the earth.
- When we home teach is it because of duty?
- When we perform service projects, and give talks in church etc. is it because of duty?
5. Hope of an eternal reward
One such higher reason for service is the hope of an eternal reward. This hope—the expectation of enjoying the fruits of our labors—is one of the most powerful sources of motivation. As a reason for service, it necessarily involves faith in God and in the fulfillment of his prophecies. The scriptures are rich in promises of eternal rewards. For example, in a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith in June 1829, the Lord said: “If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.” (D&C 14:7.)
- Do we serve a mission because it will benefit us… or to teach the gospel to others
- Do we fulfill callings to improve ourselves and not help others?
6. Charity pure love of individuals we serve
The last motive I will discuss is, in my opinion, the highest reason of all. In its relationship to service, it is what the scriptures call “a more excellent way.” (1 Cor. 12:31.)
“Charity is the pure love of Christ.” (Moro. 7:47.) The Book of Mormon teaches us that this virtue is “the greatest of all.” (Moro. 7:46.) The Apostle Paul affirmed and illustrated that truth in his great teaching about the reasons for service:
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. …
“And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, … and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:1–3.)
We know from these inspired words that even the most extreme acts of service—such as giving all of our goods to feed the poor—profit us nothing unless our service is motivated by the pure love of Christ.
If our service is to be most efficacious, it must be accomplished for the love of God and the love of his children. The Savior applied that principle in the Sermon on the Mount, in which he commanded us to love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them that despitefully use us and persecute us. (See Matt. 5:44.) He explained the purpose of that commandment as follows:
“For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
“And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?” (Matt. 5:46–47.)
- How can this be… if we give everything to the poor and have not charity it profiteth us nothing?
- If I hold any calling in the church, and perform miracles, etc and have not charity it profiteth me nothing?
This is true doctrine it really does profit us nothing.
Moroni 7:46-48
46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—
47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.
This is a powerful scripture and a powerful promise:
All true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ will have bestowed upon them this love and this gift!
Consider yourself today… in the callings that you have.
Why do you fulfill your stewardship and responsibilities in those callings?
1. Hope for earthly reward, riches, honor and respect of men.
2. Desire to obtain good companionship, friendship
3. Fear of Punishment
4. Sense of Duty or Loyalty
5. Hope of an eternal reward
6. Charity pure love of individuals we serve
You will notice that out of all the reasons for service that I have mentioned only the last one is selfless and un-self motivated. The first 5 reasons are all pointed to ourselves and what does the service do to help ourselves!
The lord holds us to a higher standard that that.
D&C 76:71-80 And again, we saw the terrestrial world – not valiant in testimony of Jesus Christ
I pray that we will accept and fulfill any calling and stewardship given to us.