Jesus taught that we should provide what others lack where possible: food for the hungry, clothing for the naked, etc. When we can't remove their challenges, such as when they are sick or in prison, we can visit them.
The Sheep and the Wayfaring Man
The hymn "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" elaborates on the types of service described in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. As we serve others and meet their needs, we are blessed immediately, and we become more prepared to return to God's presence.
“He Must Needs Go Through Samaria”
Jesus had to travel through Samaria so He could talk with the woman at the well, not because there were no alternate routes. God places us in circumstances which allow us to bless individual people, and we need to act on those opportunities when they come
One Father, One God
The prophet Malachi asks a rhetorical question: "Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?" Most people would agree that we are all children of God. But Malachi's follow-up question is much more challenging: "Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?" (Malachi 2:10). In the next chapter, Malachi declares that when... Continue Reading →
Selfless Shepherds
How can you call yourself a shepherd if you only think about yourself? That's the question Ezekiel asked the leaders of his people. "Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves," he said. "Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?" (Ezekiel 34:2). When we are young, we are naturally self-centered. It's to... Continue Reading →
“Thou Art My Servant”
To be a servant of God is a great honor. King Benjamin reported to his people that God had preserved him so that he could serve them. Then, he added, "Because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been... Continue Reading →
“I Pray That He’ll Use Us”
In a video about the Church's efforts to provide training for neonatal medical professionals in developing countries, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, "Prayers are answered in great measure...by God using other people. Well, I pray that He'll use us. I pray that we'll be the answer to people's prayers." (See "Video: Saving Babies from Becoming... Continue Reading →
Feeble Knees
The right message at the wrong time can be incredibly unhelpful. When Job's friends learned about his tragic losses, they traveled to his home "to mourn with him and to comfort him" (Job 2:11). At first, they simply sat with him, without saying a word. (See Job 2:13.) When one of them finally spoke, he... Continue Reading →
“Would God My Lord Were With the Prophet!”
She was a young Israelite woman, who had been captured by the Syrian army and was now a slave in the house of Naaman. She felt empathy toward her master, who was captain of the Syrian army but who was afflicted with leprosy. She said to Naaman's wife, "Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in... Continue Reading →
“Give Me to Drink”
Today, I've been thinking about three incidents in which a representative of God, or the Savior Himself, asked a stranger for sustenance: During a severe drought, the prophet Elijah approached a poor widow near the gate of the city of Zarephath. "Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 