When Jesus taught us to “love thy neighbour,” He wasn’t just referring to the people who live next door. Everyone we meet is our neighbor, and we have a duty to love them as Jesus loves us.

In the Bible, when Jesus was asked the question “Who is my neighbor?” He answered with a parable (or story) called the “Good Samaritan” (see Luke 10:25–37).

In the parable, a Jewish man is traveling alone on a road when he is attacked by robbers and left to perish. After some time, a priest passes by, but he does not stop to help. Then a Levite comes to the road, but he doesn’t stop either. Finally, a Samaritan man sees the poor, beaten Jewish man and immediately stops to attend to him. This is important because, historically, Samaritans and Jews hated each other. And yet the Samaritan chooses to clean and bandage the Jewish man’s wounds and take him to an innkeeper, whom he paid to look after him.  

One of the morals of the story is that regardless of our deepest differences—whether religious, political, or cultural—we should all strive to treat everyone with respect, empathy, and kindness.

If you’re looking for ways to show love to others, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has several service initiatives that you can take part in locally or across the globe. To learn about projects in your area, talk to the missionaries! They can connect you with the local Church group so you can join with others who are already serving in your community. You can also find service opportunities (both close to home and abroad) by visiting our volunteer site, JustServe.org. Learn more about our humanitarian efforts around the world.

No, missionary visits are free for everyone. Jesus Christ invites all to come unto Him “without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1). Missionaries actually pay to see you, covering their own costs to come on a mission. Local Church leaders and class instructors don’t get paid either.

Church service times vary from congregation to congregation. However, you can always count on one main worship service for everyone, followed by classes for children, youth, and adults.

The service for everyone is called “sacrament meeting.” This meeting consists of songs, prayers, and sermons (or “talks”) given by different members of the congregation every week. But the most important part of the meeting is when we take the sacrament (which is similar to Communion) to remember the Savior.