How Performing Service Enables One to Better Become a Disciple of Christ

A/N: Before the actual talk, there was a section entitled "[Introduction]." This ended up being me sliding up to the stand and saying... "Hi... My name's _______ and I'm the eldest of ________. My family's been in this ward forever, so You probably know me. If you don't... Hi. I'm ______." And now, the actual talk. This is the 10th Edition, the previous 9 being evolutions of the talk i originally posted on here.

The topic that I've been given, in my own words, is How Performing Service Enables One to Better Become a Disciple of Jesus Christ."
When addressing this topic, I decided to approach it using each question word. They are, "who, what, where, when, why, and how." I would like to start with "What."
WHAT is service, and WHAT is a disciple? Service is a personal act you commit intended to aid someone. It could be anybody. There are no limitations on who is eligible to receive service. To be a disciple means to be a follower of a person or ideal. To be disciples of Jesus Christ, we must follow his ideals and his example. He exemplified his teachings, so we need only look to his life to see what we must become to be called his disciples. Jesus blessed all he met during his journeys. He raised the dead, turned water to wine, and performed so many more acts of miraculous service than we can list. That's how we should act, even if we don't go around raising dead people and healing infirmities. We should strive to bless the people in our lives.
Next is "Why." WHY should we give service? Answer! We perform service because EVERYBODY wants to be happy. It also helps us to perfect ourselves. In that famous verse in Mosiah about service, it states that when we serve our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God. We don't give service because it's necessary to the fate of creation. We do it because we are healed when we heal others. Because we have been given much, we too must give. We're told in Mosiah 2:21 that even if we served the Creator with our whole souls, we would still be unprofitable servants. Don't let that discourage you however, because we are. The reason we're ONLY in the service of our God is found in Moses, first chapter, thirty-ninth verse. We learn that it is our Heavenly Father's work and glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. When we perform meaningful service, we bring others and ourselves a little nearer to this eternal goal, which is God's plan for us. This self-perfection is also the reason that if your heart isn't in your service, you won't benefit from it. We also give service because the Master gave service, and we are striving to be disciples of Christ. In Luke 22:27, he stated that "I am among you as He that serveth." We give service because Christ did, and he taught in John 13:35 that, "By this ye shall know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Giving service is an expression of love. We are also obligated to serve by our baptismal covenant. In the 18th chapter of Mosiah, Alma teaches that part of the baptismal covenant is to "bear one another's burdens."
The third question is "Who." WHO do we serve? WE serve GOD. Twenty-fourth chapter of the Book of Joshua. "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!" WHO performs service? Answer? WE do! We can all perform service in our own ways! WHO benefits from service? EVERYBODY! WE help to fulfill GOD'S plan, found in Moses 1:39, for US when WE serve OTHERS. By helping OTHERS we help OURSELVES, which is what GOD wants for us. It's a wonderful system, where everyone is benefited.
The fourth and fifth questions are "Where" and "When." The answer? We can give service ANYTIME and ANYWHERE. Service is not just temporal, as I hope to show you, and the ways we can perform it are infinite. The Savior showed us that as long as we look for it, there is always an opportunity for service.
The sixth question is "How." HOW do we give service? I believe that there are four different, but always similar, ways to give service that help us become disciples of Christ.
The first way to serve others is temporally. That is usually the first form of service a person thinks of. It is a simple, effective, good way to give service. Many of the acts of service Christ performed were temporal. In the same way, we should perform temporal service for others. There are a multitude of stories about temporal service, ranging from a small child playing together with a lonely playmate, to entire wards gathering together to harvest fields and build houses. If you haven't experienced the blessing of temporal service, I encourage you to go out and serve. It could be raking a widow's yard, or making a meal for an ill family. Making a meal may be risky however, as the Relief Society is usually right on top of that! Speaking of which, the Relief Society, along with the Bishopric, forms a sort of parenthood in each ward. The Relief Society is the mommy, and the Bishopric is the daddy (of service)! They are always there to serve, and ensure that those in need receive aid. If you need help, or wish to give it, you need only speak to a member of the Bishopric or Relief Society presidency. Great amounts of time can be spent on any topic regarding service, but for the sake of time I will move on.
The second form of service is spiritual. Often, this form of service is linked with the temporal variety, as we currently live in a temporal world. Examples of this service include teaching a church class, or giving a priesthood blessing. To me, those who teach are giving one of the greatest acts of spiritual service. Teaching is a divine calling, appointed by God. Any member who magnifies their calling is also giving spiritual service. The single greatest act of spiritual service any person has performed for another is the atonement of Jesus Christ. The atonement is the single most momentous event in all of history. The Savior, in the ultimate act of sacrifice, and of selfless service, fulfilled the requirements of both mercy and justice, and gave us a way to return to our Farther in heaven. Another one of the greatest acts of spiritual service is to forgive and apologize for wrongdoing. In Deiter F. Uchtdorf's words, we should "stop it." Stop trying to make justifications for rationalizations for sins, and stop putting off the two-word phrase, "I'm sorry." Stop it, apologize, and fix it.
The third act of service you can perform is emotional. This form of service is heavily connected to the other forms. This is a varied topic, so, for the sake of everyone, I will speak about the most sacred way to give this service. This special act of service is not always thought of as service. I would like to convince you that it is. It's friendship. Being a true friend is, I will be so bold to say, the second greatest act of service, eclipsed only by the atonement. Even the atonement, if looked at from a different point of view, is a splendid act of familial friendship. Indeed, Jesus the Christ should be our most intimate of friends, along with our Heavenly Father. A true friend can make all the difference in a person's life, both to the friend and the friendee (if that's even a word). Friendship is TWO-way service. Being a friend is like going through life. People can give you examples and advice, but in the end it's up to each and every one of us to experience it for ourselves. I encourage you to make friends with your family. Odds are, you'll be sealed to them forever. They're your most important relations. Then, branch out to everybody else in your life. Be friends with all! To learn more about being a true friend, I suggest looking to the lives of our modern day prophets, as well as the scriptures, especially the gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John, which detail the life of the truest of friends, Jesus the Christ. I would add, on a personal note, Doctrine and Covenants, 18th chapter, which includes that scripture about the worth of souls, a personal favourite of mine. How great should be your joy... if because of your friendship with another, they develop those same bonds with others, and everyone's life is enriched, and this continues among the whole human race until everyone's united in love and friendship. I hope we will all strive to bring that day just a bit closer. Stepping back from that bit of idealistic hope, just be the best friend you can to everyone you meet and you'll do fine.
The fourth way you can serve is by forgiving. This is critical to your eternal progression. Repentance and forgiveness are vast subjects, so I will simply say this. You must forgive yourself, along with others. This is important for you, and for you to give to others. Isn't it coincidental how similar the words "serve" and "save" are? Many great people have taught that there are no coincidences. Service is important, for the giver and recipient. Don't take it from me, here are a few observations from those wiser than I.
Famed Scottish theologian George MacDonald observed, "It is by loving, and not by being loved, that one can come nearest to the soul of another." I testify that it is by serving, and not by being served, that we can come closest to each other.
The Savior, in Luke 9:24, taught his disciples that "for whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." Try to remember those words. You'll see why in a second.
Our beloved prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, once said that "I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service for others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively die, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish - and in effect, save their lives." These words of a prophet were inspired by the Savior's message in Luke 9. And it is with the promise that they who live for others will prosper and save themselves spiritually, that I bear these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.