Serving for Life

Do you feel like you’ve served in your calling forever? Do you say to yourself, “She has a new calling, what about me?” Some callings are more difficult than others. Your challenge might be nursery, my challenge might be teaching the 12-14 year old Sunday School class.

In recent General Conference sessions I’ve noticed an emphasis on “It’s not where you serve, but how you serve.” That’s easy to agree with. But when you’re in the trenches and an expectation isn’t met, someone complains, or you don’t have the response you hoped for after a great deal of time investment . . . you start to forget.

Even Alma wished that he could do something else: “O THAT I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! . . . But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me” (Alma 29:1-3).

Most of us have to settle for quite ordinary callings on ward levels, reaching perhaps a few dozen people. We aren’t angels (yet) in the sense that we can travel far and wide, speaking with the “trump of God”—so we must be “content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto [us].”

This past year while serving in the third year of a leadership calling and thinking “Maybe it’s someone else’s turn now,” I realized something. I’m serving for life. Whether it’s Primary, Relief Society, Visiting Teaching, etc . . . I’m a lifer. It doesn’t matter where I serve, just so long as I do. It doesn’t matter how long I serve in a particular calling, just so long as I am serving with my whole heart.

Elder Henry B. Eyring reminds us, “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 . . . You see, there are no small callings to represent the Lord.” (“Rise to Your Call,” Ensign, Nov 2002)

Anytime I start to feel restless in my calling, I just have to look at the prophet of our church, President Thomas S. Monson. He was called to be an Apostle in 1963 at the age of thirty-six. In February, 2008, he became the President of the Church. He has served in these immensely demanding callings for forty-five years.

Everyone is familiar with Nephi’s words found in 1 Nephi 3:7. “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them . . .”

You’ve probably discussed this many times in Gospel Doctrine. But let’s look at it in greater context. Lehi has just been commanded by the Lord to return to Jerusalem and retrieve the brass plates from Laban. First of all, Lehi is a wanted man in Jerusalem. He was commanded to take his family and flee for his life. This means that if his sons return to the city, their lives could very well be put in danger too. Second, the family had just traveled about fourteen days to get to their first camp locations. Now the sons of Lehi would have to make a roundtrip journey that would take them the better part of a month—through a hot, windy, uncomfortable climate.

Third, in the ancient Hebrew culture, the men were primarily responsible for hunting. The women did the cooking and set up tents, etc. These brothers would have to fare for themselves for several weeks. Fourth, Laban is not exactly on friendly terms with men of God such as Lehi. Meeting with Laban and making such a request is something that the sons of Lehi don’t relish.

Now when we read Nephi’s response, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded,” we understand that his willingness to serve encompasses much more than just a willing heart. It includes physical and spiritual hardships, being away from the safe confines of home and family, managing relationships with his brethren, relying on the Lord for his physical well-being, and allowing himself to be guided by the spirit in all things.

Yes, we may feel like we’ve served in our callings forever. But that’s all right—because we are lifers.