I currently serve as a counselor in a BYU-Idaho young single adult ward bishopric. With all the students who move in, move out, graduate, get married, or go on missions, we have the exciting opportunity to re-organize our ward about every semester. I help extend many calls to serve in the ward. My heart is filled with gratitude for those who accept and magnify their callings. Their service is a true blessing to me and other ward members.
Tim
I would like to talk today about Church callings. I will use some fictitious people to represent ways we might feel when a call to serve is extended to us. I will start with Tim, who wishes he could just show up to church on Sunday, listen to the talks and lessons, and then head home for a nap. Tim does not think a calling is important for him to have. What Tim has not discovered—or has forgotten—is what Church service will do for him.
The purpose of God's plan of happiness is just that: a plan on how to receive a fulness of joy. Discipleship, which is following Jesus Christ and being changed by His miraculous power, is how we receive that fulness of joy. Accepting and magnifying a call to serve is a key component of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Jesus declared:
Ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do.[1]
President Henry B. Eyring explained:
A call to service [is] primarily a matter of the heart. It is by giving our whole hearts to the Master and keeping His commandments that we come to know Him. In time, through the power of the Atonement, our hearts are changed, and we can become like Him.[2]
Not only will a calling let you practice discipleship, but it will also bless you in a variety of ways. The devotional discussion board for this week is filled with examples of how callings have blessed the person receiving the call with strengthened faith, increased capacity, greater character, and a deeper awareness that God knows and loves them personally.
Ryan Newman said:
I think that just in showing God we are willing to put time and effort into His work, He then blesses us in our personal lives. School work can become easier, or be faster, or make more sense when we show Him we care about what He has asked us to do as well.
Lincoln Eguko shared:
Serving in various callings helped me recognize that I wasn’t the only one waiting on the Lord for my prayers to be answered. . . . I am grateful for the awareness it gives me of those around me.
Beatrice Nadene Caplin said:
Each calling has seemed like a surprise on Christmas morning and has included emotions of complete wonder that our Heavenly Father knew what I needed.
Angela Carmen Browne-DeCosta said:
When I serve, I forget myself, my trials, my problems. . . . Sometimes when I am serving others, I do not even remember that I am serving because of the joy I feel.
Another thing Tim might not realize is deep within his heart is a desire to make a difference and accepting and magnifying a calling can help him make a difference.
Gathering is an important principle in the Lord's Church. The Lord declared, "Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that . . . the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm."[3] Another scripture describes the purpose of this gathering: "They were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way."[4]
I have sometimes wondered why we use the word "ward" to denote the area within a stake led by a bishop. I have learned that ward means to keep safe, or to guard. Ward initially referred to an area enclosed by the walls of a castle and to those who kept watch to ensure the castle and its inhabitants remained safe. Ward also refers to an area within a hospital where patients are taken in and nurtured to better health. I cannot help but think that Church wards are meant to encapsulate these ideas: to guard and nurture one another—or in other words, to be a defense and a refuge from the storm. This only happens when all in the ward gather together and participate in the work of salvation and exaltation. It is not just the elder's quorum or Relief Society presidents’ role or a job for the "churchy type." Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth."[5] Each person has a role to play. Paul explained: "Now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. . . . And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary."[6]
In one ward I lived in, I had a neighbor who would often sit in the church foyer during the second hour. One Sunday, I was surprised to see him in class. During the class discussion, my neighbor offered his perspective. The things he shared strengthened my faith, helped me feel the Holy Ghost, and provided an answer I needed at that time. I do not know the reasons why my neighbor did not regularly come to class, but I wondered how my life would be different if he had not attended and participated that day.
President Henry B. Eyring said, "Your call has eternal consequences for others and for you. In the world to come, thousands may call your name blessed, even more than the people you serve here. They will be the ancestors and the descendants of those who chose eternal life because of something you said or did, or even what you were."[7] And as our president, Henry J. Eyring, taught us last week in devotional, “With time and steady effort, our consecration can change the world for the better.”[8]
To all the Tims out there: we need you. We are less without you. Accepting and magnifying a call to serve will change our lives as well as yours.
Maria
Perhaps when a call to serve has been extended to you, you felt more like Maria, who thinks she has more to offer than what she could do with the calling being extended to her.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell said:
While it is true that at times we may feel overwhelmed, it is also true that occasionally we may feel underwhelmed. The truth is, however, that nobody is ever really underwhelmed in terms of opportunities for service. As Joe J. Christensen said: “I believe there is no place in God’s service that is not bigger than we are, not greater than the talents we bring to bear on the assignment, whether as a [ministering brother or sister], a secretary, a clerk, . . . a teacher of any kind, a counselor, a bishop, or whatever, if we magnify our calling."[9]
There is the story that President John F. Kennedy was visiting the NASA Space Center when he noticed a janitor sweeping the hallway. He stopped the janitor and asked him, “What are you doing?” The janitor said, “Well, Mr. President, I’m helping to put a man on the moon.” The janitor was not just earning money or keeping a building clean. The janitor saw beyond his day-to-day tasks towards a greater purpose: he saw himself as someone helping send a man to the moon.
No matter your calling, seek to understand how your service contributes to the Lord’s work of salvation and exaltation. That may require looking beyond the tasks to be completed to the people you interact with as you serve and the potential influence you have on those people.
Recently in the young single adult ward I currently serve in, we had a ward council discussion on how we could help more of our ward members attend church with us. It was exciting to see leaders of the various ward organizations look past their operational responsibilities to a more Christlike ministering perspective. They saw how they or others in their organization were placed in ideal positions to invite and encourage our fellow ward members to be blessed by the defense and refuge of our ward. The Spirit was palpable and energizing as we pondered solutions and made plans. We all found a greater purpose undergirding our various callings.
God does not want us to bury our desires to be “called to the work,” but our focus should be on giving him our “heart, might, mind and strength” in whatever church assignment we are given.[10] Sometimes we may think we must fill certain Church assignments to be considered worthy in the Lord's eyes. Elder Maxwell warned us not to confuse status with righteousness. "It is not the expanse of the ecclesiastical epaulets we wear on our shoulders, but our willingness to put our shoulder to the wheel that counts!"[11] As the Church’s General Handbook states, "Serving faithfully in a calling is more important than what the calling is. The Lord honors the dedication of all who serve in His Church."[12]
Finally, you may feel underwhelmed because you haven’t been given a formal calling. You may wonder if the Lord even needs you in His kingdom or if you have anything valuable to offer. I want to promise you that God has not forgotten you. You have a role to play in His kingdom. If you ask Him for opportunities to serve, He will answer. Do not discount the tremendous impact you can have as a ministering brother or sister. Consider what you can accomplish through temple and family history work. Family members and friends on the other side of the veil are waiting for you to discover them and complete ordinances in their behalf. Also, do not overlook your responsibility to participate in Church classes. The perspective, testimony, and encouragement you can share in those settings can change lives.
Sophie
For some of you, when a call has been extended, you feel more like Sophie, who is overwhelmed and wonders how she will have the time or abilities to do the work.
There can be real limits to our ability to serve well in a specific calling. The Church’s General Handbook states:
Members are blessed for sacrifices they make to serve in the Church. However, a calling should not place undue burdens on individuals and families. Nor should callings make it difficult for members to fulfill their employment responsibilities.[13]
I can remember times throughout my life as a college student, a new parent, or a busy professional when I wondered how I would have the time to fulfill my calling. It seems like we never have the “ideal” amount of time. If we are unsure about our ability to serve, it helps to counsel with the Lord. He knows us and our situations better than we know ourselves. A way to serve may exist when, from our current vantage point, it seems unlikely. After counseling with the Lord, if a specific calling is not currently appropriate for you, see if there is another way you can serve. Remember: it is important that we all "arise and shine" and contribute to the defense and refuge of our wards.
You may also think you have no talents or skills that relate to the calling. That is okay. The Lord intends to use callings to lift you and make you more than you currently are.
Several years ago, my wife and I were asked to meet with the bishop. I had been recently called to serve in the elder’s quorum presidency as a counselor. I was confident my wife was about to get a new calling. The bishop talked with my wife for a moment about how things were going in our lives, but then he suddenly shifted his attention to me. "Brother Henrie, I hate doing this," my bishop said looking up at the ceiling, tears welling in his eyes. "I've gotten permission to take you out of the elder's quorum presidency." I thought that sounded pretty cool. My friend in the ward was just called into the Young Men’s organization and there were still some open callings there that needed to be filled. Maybe my friend and I might have the chance to serve together!
My bishop continued: "I've been trying to fill this calling for a while, and we've tried different names and it just wasn't working. But last night I prayed about you and felt that we needed to call you to be our ward mission leader."
My jaw dropped. I was not expecting this. All I could think about was my full-time mission where every Saturday we would stand in busy marketplaces to invite people passing by to stop and learn more about the Church. I could picture the many times I watched people pass, too afraid to get their attention. I am an introvert and being in social situations with unfamiliar people is not something I am good at. The thought of trying to invite my neighbors to come unto Christ seemed daunting. Did the Lord really want me to do this job?
But I could feel the Spirit testify to me that this call was from God. I accepted the call and got to work. I failed a lot. At times it was discouraging, just like I imagined it would be. But while serving, I was placed in the right position to be able to help my next-door neighbor, who I will call John.
John was a rough-looking guy you wouldn't expect to see at church on Sunday. John and I lived across the hall from each other in our condominium complex and had parking stalls next to each other. John was very intimidating to me, but I always made it a point to say hello and be friendly. One day, I felt impressed to invite John to church. I had no idea how I was going to do that, but I prayed that if God would give me the opportunity, I would extend the invite. That exact same day, I was out on my front porch making dinner on the barbecue when John, who was out on the lawn below talking to a friend, saw me and called up, “What time does church start these days?” God couldn’t have made it any easier. I gave John the time for church and invited him to come sit with me and my wife.
While John never made it to church with us, that moment did lead to several spiritual gospel discussions and priesthood blessings with him in his home. John came to understand more deeply God’s love for him, and that God had angels round about him to bear him up.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said:
You may feel that there are others who are more capable or more experienced who could fulfill your callings and assignments better than you can, but the Lord gave you your responsibilities for a reason. There may be people and hearts only you can reach and touch. Perhaps no one else could do it in quite the same way.[14]
I’ve learned that you feel God’s love more powerfully, experience His power more fully, and have a greater sense of joy when you try to fulfill a challenging calling. Sophie, when a challenging call is extended to you, I invite you to take a leap of faith and accept that call. I promise that decision will change your life and the lives of others for good.
Close
In Luke 10, it says,
The Lord appointed other[s] . . . and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said [the Lord] unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.[15]
I invite you to be an answer to that prayer. Come be a laborer in the Lord's vineyard as He labors this "last time" before His Second Coming.[16] There is work to do. Many of you already have a calling. Many of you will receive a calling in the coming weeks. I invite you to accept that call to serve and then to magnify your calling to the best of your abilities. If you approach your calling with the right mindset and give of your heart, I promise you that your efforts will bring you closer to Jesus Christ, help you experience more of His power in your life, and help you be more like Him. I know God will use you to do a great work.
Notes
[1] 3 Nephi 27:21.
[2] Henry B. Eyring, “Rise to Your Call,” Ensign, Nov. 2002.
[3] Doctrine and Covenants 115:5–6.
[4] Moroni 6:4.
[5] Doctrine and Covenants 115:5, italics added for emphasis.
[6] 1 Corinthians 12:18, 21–22.
[7] Henry B. Eyring, “Rise to Your Call,” Ensign, Nov. 2002.
[8] Henry J. Eyring, “A Consecrated Life,” BYU-Idaho Devotional, Sept. 13, 2022.
[9] Neal A. Maxwell, "It's Service, Not Status, That Counts," Ensign, Jul. 1975.
[10] Doctrine and Covenants 4:2–3.
[11] Neal A. Maxwell, "It's Service, Not Status, That Counts," Ensign, Jul. 1975.
[12] “Callings in the Church,” General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2021.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Lift Where You Stand," Ensign, Nov. 2008.
[15] Luke 10:1–2.
[16] Jacob 5:71.