Six Reasons To Serve Others

There are many aspects to good Christian living; moral cleanliness, worship, prayer, scripture study, and honestly dealing with one’s fellow men are just a few of them. But perhaps service to those around us could be considered the true heart of Christian living. Christ taught, “Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” (Matthew 20:27). In a latter-day revelation, He commands us to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” (D&C 81:5) It is through our service that those things that we learn through our worship, prayers, and study are truly put into action.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the “Mormons”), explains: “People serve one another for different s, and some reasons are better than others. Perhaps none of us serves in every capacity all the time for only a single reason. Since we are imperfect beings, most of us probably serve for a combination of reasons, and the combinations may be different from time to time as we grow spiritually. But we should all strive to serve for the reasons that are highest and best.” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Why Do We Serve?,” Ensign, Nov 1984, 12) He offers six reasons why we might serve others, in order of lesser to greater:

1. Some may serve in hopes of receiving an earthly reward ? We may see this particularly in youth who are promised a treat if they participate in an act of service. But according to Elder Oaks, some individuals serve either publicly or privately “in an effort to achieve prominence or cultivate contacts that would increase income or aid in acquiring wealth. Others might serve in order to obtain worldly honors, prominence, or power.” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Why Do We Serve?,” Ensign, Nov 1984, 12) The Savior condemned such service when He said: “When ye shall do your alms do not sound a trumpet before you, as will hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.” (3 Nephi 13:2, in The Book of Mormon; see also Matthew 6:1-2)
2. Some may serve in order to receive good companionship from those with whom they serve ? Some individuals may participate in a particular act of service only if their friends are participating, or if they can serve with prominent individuals. Serving with others can be a wonderful way to build friendships, but those who will only serve with certain people rob themselves of the opportunity of building friendships with others. Again, Elder Oaks explains, this is not the Savior’s way.
3. Some may serve out of fear of punishment ? The scriptures do give vivid descriptions of what happens to the unrepentant sinners, and some folks are simply afraid of what will happen to them if they don’t serve others.
4. Some may serve out of a feeling of obligation or loyalty ? According to Elder Oaks, “These are those I would call the good soldiers, who instinctively do what they are asked without question and sometimes without giving much thought to the reasons for their service. Such persons fill the ranks of voluntary organizations everywhere, and they do much good. We have all benefited by the good works of such persons. Those who serve out of a sense of duty or loyalty to various wholesome causes are the good and honorable men and women of the earth. Service of the character I have just described is worthy of praise and will surely qualify for blessings, especially if it is done willingly and joyfully.” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Why Do We Serve?,” Ensign, Nov 1984, 12). But there are still higher reasons for service.
5. Some may serve with the expectation of an eternal reward ? The expectation of an eternal reward takes place through faith in God and Jesus Christ and in those promises they have given us. In a revelation given through the prophet Joseph Smith in 1829, the Lord tells us: “If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.” (D&C 14:7)
6. Some serve out of charity, or the pure love of Christ ? Elder Oaks calls this the greatest motive of all. “This principle—that our service should be for the love of God and the love of fellowmen rather than for personal advantage or any other lesser motive—is admittedly a high standard,” says Elder Oaks. “…Such service must be free of selfish ambition. It must be motivated only by the pure love of Christ.” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Why Do We Serve?,” Ensign, Nov 1984, 12)

Although Christ has commanded us to be perfect (Matthew 5:48), He knows we are not. As Elder Oaks reminds us, we may serve with different motives at different times, or we may have a combination of hopes as we serve. It is up to us to strive to purify our hearts and to pray for God’s help in doing so, and to learn to serve as the Savior would have us do: with charity, the pure love of Christ.