GPC28: Service, Gospel Principles Comments and Resources Gospel Principles
Unit 7: Perfecting Our Lives
Chapter 28: Service
Comments and Resources "God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom... So often, our acts of service consist simple encouragement or of giving mundane help with mundane tasks, but what glorious consequences can flow from mundane acts and small but deliberate deeds!" (Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, Dec.1974, pp. 4-5) During your study of this topic, we will learn the necessity for and the blessings of loving service. Resources:
Gospel Principles: chapter 28
Jesus the Christ, chapter 26. Scriptures:
Mosiah 2:12-22 4:12-21
  "12 I say unto you that as I have been suffered to spend my days in your service, even up to this time, and have not sought gold nor silver nor any manner of riches of you;
  13 Neither have I suffered that ye should be confined in dungeons, nor that ye should make slaves one of another, nor that ye should murder, or plunder, or steal, or commit adultery; nor even have I suffered that ye should commit any manner of wickedness, and have taught you that ye should keep the commandments of the Lord, in all things which he hath commanded you
  14 And even I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be borne and of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day.
  15 Yet, my brethren, I have not done these things that I might boast, neither do I tell these things that thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these things that ye may know that I can answer a clear conscience before God this day.
  16 Behold, I say unto you that 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 in the service of God.
  17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
  18 Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?
  19 And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!
  20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another.
  21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another I say, if ye should serve him with all your <2/21e">whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.
  22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you." Mosiah 4:12-21
  "12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.
  13 And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due.
  14 And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.
  15 But ye will teach them to <>walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.
  16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.
  17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just
  18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.
  19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?
  20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins.And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.
  21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another." D&C 4;72:3-4; 81:3-6
D&C 4
"Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to his father, Joseph Smith, Sen., at Harmony, Pennsylvania, February 1829. HC 1: 28.
1-4, Valiant service saves the Lord's ministers; 5-6, Godly attributes qualify them for the ministry; 7, Things of God must be sought after.
  1 Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.
  2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.
  3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;
  4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
  5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.
  6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.
  7Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.Amen." D&C 72:3-4
  "3 And verily in this thing ye have done wisely, for it is required of the Lord, at the hand of every steward, to render an account of his stewardship, both in time and in eternity.
  4 For he who is faithful and wise in time is accounted worthy to inherit the mansions prepared for him of my Father." D&C 81:3-6
  "3 Therefore, verily I acknowledge him and will bless him, and also thee, inasmuch as thou art faithful in counsel, in the office which I have appointed unto you, in prayer always, vocally and in thy heart, in public and in private, also in thy ministry in proclaiming the gospel in the 81/3b">land of the living, and among thy brethren.
  4 And in doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of him who is your Lord.
  5 Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.
  6 And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansions which I have prepared in the house of my Father." Luke 16:13"¶ No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.Ye cannot serve God and mammon." John 13:1-10
  "1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
  2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simons son, to betray him;
  3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
  4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
  5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
  6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
  7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
  8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet.Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
  9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
  10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all." Romans 12:10-21
  "10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
  11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
  12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
  13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
  14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
  15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
  16 Be of the same mind one toward another.Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
  17 Recompense to no man evil for evil.Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
  18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
  19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
  20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
  21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." 1 Corinthians 12:13-31
  "13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
  14 For the body is not one member, but many.
  15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
  16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
  17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
  18 But now hath God'set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
  19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
  20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
  21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
  22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
  23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
  24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
  25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
  26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
  27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
  28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
  29 Are all apostles?are all prophets?are all teachers?are all workers of miracles?
  30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
  31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way." Articles of Faith 1:13
  "13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things.If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." Topical Guide:
                            Care
                            Church
                            Duty
                            Flock
                            Help
                            Minister
                            Needy
                            Serve
                            Service
                            Succor Bible Dictionary:
                                Church Guide to the Scriptures:
                                             Service
                                             Love
                                             Welfare
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Moroni 10:4-5
  "4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
  5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

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