Talks
V. Dallas Merrell – A Vision of Service
by pam on Mar.05, 2011, under Talks
I was alone and away from home in San Francisco many years ago when I decided to read the Book of Mormon over the weekend. Once immersed in that epic, I lost all desire to eat and sleep, reading until I finished. Then I fell upon the hotel bed and into a deep sleep. Shortly, I awakened and was again alert to the panorama I had experienced by reading the book in a short time. It was as if I were there, looking in one view over the entire period from the beginning of Lehi’s courageous journey to Moroni’s lonely vigil and departing promise. I wrote down my thoughts to capture my impressions about God’s love, his plan for us, charity and service, and discipleship, savoring the wholeness of my understanding. Then I rested. I have never been the same since that day. I have continued to learn from that experience, having new understanding open to my mind.
As I approached this opportunity to share some thoughts about service, my mind went back to that remarkable experience in San Francisco. One of the things the Book of Mormon has taught me is that the principle of service is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ and is best grasped by understanding how God is trying to prepare us for eternal life.
Thomas S. Monson – What Have I Done for Someone Today?
by pam on Jan.05, 2010, under Talks
My beloved brothers and sisters, I greet you this morning with love in my heart for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for each of you. I am grateful for the privilege to stand before you, and I pray that I might effectively communicate to you that which I have felt prompted to say.
A few years ago I read an article written by Jack McConnell, MD. He grew up in the hills of southwest Virginia in the United States as one of seven children of a Methodist minister and a stay-at-home mother. Their circumstances were very humble. He recounted that during his childhood, every day as the family sat around the dinner table, his father would ask each one in turn, “And what did you do for someone today?” The children were determined to do a good turn every day so they could report to their father that they had helped someone. Dr. McConnell calls this exercise his father’s most valuable legacy, for that expectation and those words inspired him and his siblings to help others throughout their lives. As they grew and matured, their motivation for providing service changed to an inner desire to help others.