Wholehearted Participation

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday Afternoon Session of the October 1998 Conference.

I've been worrying about a bunch of stuff for my calling (in Primary) lately. I think, having finally gotten over the newness and strangeness of the initial few months, I am suddenly realizing all the less-obvious things I really should be doing, and feeling the depth of how badly I am…not doing them. (Or how well I am not doing them? ha.) I'm also overwhelmed, or re-overwhelmed, with all the people I am to some degree responsible for—people I should be ministering to, worrying over, praying for, serving, and/or inspiring, but am not—not because I don't want to but because there are just so many! The children. The teachers. My presidency. My own family. Neighbors. Friends. I can't imagine how bishops feel, or stake presidents…it must be crushing. And they probably have to learn to rely on the Lord more, which is what I should be learning to do—and I suppose I am. But so slowly!!

Anyway, I did get some revelation while praying the other day, and it was something like this: When you ask someone to serve, you offer them a blessing. They can choose to accept that blessing or not. But offer it to them without apology, for it IS a blessing.

Interesting. For some reason I thought about that when I read this talk by Elder Gordon B. Watts on Gratitude:

A cheerfulness is generated by…gratitude for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessings derived from living the principles taught. One faithful district president expressed gratitude to have a bicycle for transportation to perform his calling. It seemed the more he pedaled, the happier he became. Perhaps there is a lesson here: if we are feeling ungrateful, we need to pedal a little faster. The depth and the willingness with which we serve is a direct reflection of our gratitude.

I don't mean to suggest everyone needs to "pedal a little faster"; not if you equate that with "running faster than you have strength." But I do think it's so easy to think, when I'm overwhelmed, that the solution is to do less—and I also transfer that feeling to other people—"Ugh, I can't ask this of her, she already has so much to worry about." Of course there's nothing wrong with being considerate. Or with simplifying our lives. And yet being part of the Lord's work (at whatever level we currently CAN, I guess) is a crucial key to happiness. Another talk from this session addresses this head-on:

Those who feel they are too busy or have too many problems to be part of this work are likely the ones who would receive the greatest benefit from wholehearted participation. And the valuable service they could give would greatly bless others as well.

It makes me think about all the charges in our most recent conference to rise up and choose to live higher, holier lives. To become a people who want to "overcome the world" and do things differently, in happy ways. And that makes all this seem extremely relevant:

It is an interesting thought that the Lord has declared this is the time to establish His Church, and then to realize it happens as each of us develops a firm, unwavering testimony of the truthfulness of its precepts. The Church can build temples, send missionaries throughout the world, and do marvelous humanitarian acts, but it still comes to what exists in our own thoughts and feelings and actions as to how solidly it is established. Will the good news of the gospel be shared with our neighbors? Will new converts be warmly fellowshipped? Will the temples be filled with dedicated patrons doing work for their ancestry? Will families learn to live on a celestial level, all because we have a pure love for our Father in Heaven, His teachings, and His children?

President Kimball declared the kingdom of God that we seek to establish “can only be done through consistent and concerted daily effort by every single member of the Church.”…

Most of us want to live pure lives and contribute, yet we still falter occasionally. Perhaps it helps to reflect on Solomon’s observation that as a man “thinketh in his heart, so is he.” It is my privilege to know many who have focused their thoughts on the wholesome and the pure things of life. They ponder on the scriptures, and they strive to magnify callings given to them. The gospel becomes a way of life, and over time they evidence peace and tranquility in themselves and bless greatly those around them.

It's good to remember the "over time" part. But I really believe this is true. I believe that living the gospel, serving in the church, will bring peace, even when our service feels complicated and time-consuming and out of our comfort zones. It's true for me and it's true for anyone who seeks to become one of those people President Nelson says will be "able, ready, and worthy to receive the Lord when He comes again."

Other posts in this series:

Personal Purity—by Rozy