Word of the day:

Service.

This word has been in my head for the past few days, actually. Not just today. I guess it's something that I'm going to be doing a lot of in the near future. Like, for two years. Honestly though, shouldn't it be something that I do a lot of anyway? Why should I have to fly to Colombia to start serving people?

I'm pretty sure it's not just me that's been thinking it. I've been seeing the word everywhere. For example, I went to delete my facebook account yesterday (which was a very interesting experience, by the way, you should try it out sometime. ;) ), anyway, I was deleting my facebook account, and one of the captcha words I had to type in order to delete my account was "serve." To me, that was kind of just another confirmation that what I was doing was right. I was pretty sure I was going to delete my account some time before I entered the MTC, and that that would be the right thing to do, but I wasn't for sure. Anyway, I was just having a Nike moment and I decided to "Just Do It." Aaaaand, now I kind of feel like I'm just rambling, so I'm going to stop.

Elder Oaks, would you take it away please...



"Perhaps when we face our Maker, we will not be asked, ‘How many positions did you hold?’ but rather, ‘How many people did you help?'"


I love that. This life isn't about bettering ourselves. It's about bettering others. Because as we better others, we will become exactly who our Savior wants us to be. Another time this week when I was thinking about service was at the Provo Temple. In this same talk by Elder Oaks he says, "Hundreds of thousands of faithful members participate in the unselfish service we call “temple work,” which has no motive other than love and service for our fellowmen, living and dead." Of all the blessings in my life, one of the things I am most grateful for is friends that are worthy and willing to attend the temple. I really owe my regular, habitual temple attendance to all of my wonderful friends (some more than others...you know who you are ;) ) who went weekly, or at least a couple times a month. It's something that I had always kind of wanted to start doing, but until my senior year, I had never taken the initiative to make temple attendance a habit. Now, thanks to you all, I don't think I've gone a month without going to the temple at least once since last fall. :)


There is only one thing that bugs me when I go to the temple. Every time I go to the temple, they're up to their ears in young women, but there is a consistent lack of young men. So you young men out there, GO TO THE TEMPLE!!! Get worthy, get a recommend, and GO! It's more than worth it, I promise. There are blessings that come from temple service that you really can't get anywhere else. And just as Elder Oaks said, quoting President Monson, "You can never love the Lord until you serve Him by serving His people." Now, if I remember right, loving the Lord is the first and great commandment, right? So according to President Monson, we can't keep the first and great commandment until we "serve Him by serving His people."


Well, it's past my bedtime, but I just want to say one last thing. Service is not something that we do. It's something that we are. That didn't sound right. In other words, service is not an act. It is an attitude.


I love you all. I hope that this post has helped you as much as it has helped me. I also hope that as you go about your lives, that you will look for people who could use a helping hand. Search for opportunities to serve, and I promise you that you will bring yourself, and hopefully others, closer to the Savior than you have ever been before.


Word of the day: Service


Have a nice day, eh? :)


-Joey