Digital Only: Young Adults

Ideas for Simple Service

Feel like you don’t have the time to serve? Think again! There is so much good we can do in the little time we have.

Christmas is a time for serving and giving back, but life gets busy for all of us. Here are some ideas on how you can serve!

JustServe

During the Christmas season, needs for food, shelter, and other areas of support increase. Christmas may not be the happiest time for all. This is where gestures of kindness can make a substantial difference.

In my experience, the effects of service last well past the large or small acts. As I have made service a way of life, it focuses me on striving to make a positive difference in the lives of those I encounter.

So, whether you decide you want to serve from home or extend yourself into the community, your next good deed is easy to find. For ideas on how and where to serve, visit JustServe.org or download the app.

Heath Bradley, JustServe

FamilySearch

At the FamilySearch Library, we love helping others discover the wonders of family history. But hey, you don’t have to visit the library to work on your family history. You can log on to FamilySearch wherever you are. Many of the records for your family are available online.

You’ll be amazed by how many names are already in FamilySearch, waiting for you to find them. You can also help by indexing or reviewing records, which helps the work move forward for everyone.

Give it a try. I know you’ll feel the Holy Ghost helping you as you do this great service to others.

Elder Brian Jones, FamilySearch Library

Editors’ note: Did you know that there’s an app for that? FamilySearch offers three apps for Apple and Android devices! Try them out!

Hobbies for Others

I love to knit and crochet. As a service missionary, I’ve been trying to find ways to use my talents to serve others. I’ve enjoyed making sweaters for dogs of my family and friends to keep them warm this season. I am currently working on a sweater to give to a friend for Christmas. I also teach my friends to crochet, which has been a fun way to spend time together.

Star Passey, Returned Service Missionary

Editors’ note: Did you know that you can donate crocheted and knitted materials to animal shelters?

Sharing the Gospel

Many Facebook groups are for where you live or things you are interested in. I met a lot of wonderful people on a page about plant propagation (one of my hobbies), and we had some good discussions that eventually led to the gospel. It is a great way to make connections and doesn’t need to be anything other than genuine interactions where you can just be yourself.

Kate Fowler, Returned Teaching Missionary

Editors’ note: See this website for simple ways to love, share, and invite.

Inspire Others Online

Social media sometimes feels like you’re just speaking out into this big void, not knowing who your words will reach. Sometimes the people who are most impacted by something you say will never comment or interact with what you post.

Using social media to uplift and inspire others requires that I surrender what the response will be. I show up because there is an authentic message that I have to share, not because I have an expectation for the impact. I trust that my message of encouragement will reach exactly who it needs to, right when they need it most.

Cynthia Merrill, Writing Coach

Prayer Roll

There are times when I know someone is going through a trial, but I don’t know how to help. That’s when I rely on the power of prayer. I will name them in my personal prayers and add their names to the temple prayer roll for others to pray for in the temple. You can do that on the Member Tools app! I know prayer is a powerful way to help those in need, and it is something anyone can do anytime.

Olivia Kitterman, Returned Service Missionary

Editors’ note: Visit this page to learn how to submit names to the prayer roll.

Tell Your Story

Many young adults believe that their ordinary, faith-filled lives aren’t interesting enough to be in an article. In reality, the majority of YA Weekly articles are stories of everyday discipleship that testify of the Savior. These stories are from young adult members like you from around the world.

We believe it is a remarkable act of service to turn an insight, a trial, or a moment of inspiration from your life into something that encourages others to keep walking the covenant path—and you don’t even have to leave the house to do it.

Alison Wood, Church Magazines

Editors’ note: You can send your own article or ideas to [e-mail].

Reach Out and Connect

I had a lot of newfound free time while waiting for my service mission assignments. I have grandparents who live in a different state than me. I found that talking to them on the phone is a good way to stay connected. I believe that service doesn’t always have to be a huge gesture but can be as simple as a phone call.

Aubrey Stolle, Returned Service Missionary

A Little Service

“Service doesn’t have to be big and grandiose to be meaningful and make a difference.”

Sister Cheryl A. Esplin, “He Asks Us to Be His Hands,” Liahona, May 2016, 7.

Discover More

You can find more articles about the Savior, Jesus Christ, in the Young Adults section of the December 2023 Liahona.

Check out YA Weekly, found in the Gospel Library under Magazines or Adults > Young Adults, for new, inspiring content for young adults each week.

You can submit your own article, ideas, or feedback to [e-mail]. We can’t wait to hear from you!