How can I serve others?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

Jesus Christ set the perfect example of how to love and serve others. As priesthood holders, we have a duty to serve others. We can serve others as the Savior did in many ways, including administering priesthood ordinances, sharing the gospel with others, and performing simple, everyday acts of kindness.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Matthew 25:31–46; Mosiah 2:17 (When we serve others, we are serving God)
John 13:34–35 (We should love as the Savior loves)
James 1:27 (Pure religion is to visit the fatherless and widows)
1 Nephi 2:16–18; 3:1–7, 28–31; 4:1–2; 17:7–19, 50–51; 18:1–4 (Attitudes of
Nephi and Laman and Lemuel in response to responsibilities given to them)
Mosiah 18:8–10 (We should be willing to comfort those in need of comfort)
Henry B. Eyring, “Fear Not to Do Good,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 100–103
Bonnie L. Oscarson, “The Needs before Us,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 25–27
D. Todd Christofferson, “The Elders Quorum,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 55–58
“Service,” For the Strength of Youth (2011), 32–33
Fulfilling My Duty to God (2010), 26, 50, 74
“Dayton’s Legs” (video)

3:2
Dayton's Legs
“If We Forget Ourselves” (video)

3:43
Standards: Service - If We Forget Ourselves
“Rescuing Those in Need” (video)

5:1
Teachings of Thomas S. Monson: Rescuing Those in Need
“Time to Give” (video)

3:50
Youth in Action
“For Madison” (video)

4:8
For Madison
“Charity: An Example of the Believers” (video)

4:50
Charity: An Example of the Believers
“Opportunities to Do Good” (video)

4:1
Opportunities To Do Good
“When Ye Are in the Service—YW” (video)

3:7
When Ye Are in the Service-YW
“Parable of the Good Samaritan” (video)

5:11
Parable of the Good Samaritan

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

Think about experiences you have had serving others. What were the results of your service? What experiences could you share that would help the young men feel the importance of service?

When have you seen the young men serving others? What experiences can the young men share with each other? Why is it important to learn how to give Christlike service?

What can the young men do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

During His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ spent His time serving and helping those around Him. True disciples of Christ do likewise. The Savior said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). As you teach the young men, look for opportunities to invite them to share how they have served others and what inspired them to give service.

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

Our quorum: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?
Our duties: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?
Our lives: Remind the quorum of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a quorum presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the quorum; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help quorum members understand the doctrine.

Divide the following scriptures among the young men: Matthew 25:31–46; John 13:34–35; Mosiah 2:17; James 1:27; and Mosiah 18:8–10. Ask them to look for and write down what they learn about serving others from these verses (see Duty to God, 26, 50, 74). After they have shared what they found in the verses, invite them to share personal experiences of how they have been blessed through the service of others.
Invite quorum members to read the following scripture passages and contrast Nephi’s attitude with the attitudes of Laman and Lemuel as they responded to responsibilities given to them: 1 Nephi 2:16–18; 3:1–7, 28–31; 4:1–2; 17:7–19, 50–51; 18:1–4. Consider asking the young men to write their answers on the board. Ask them to think about what their attitude was the last time they were given an opportunity to serve others. Invite the young men to write, in the space provided on page 50 of the Duty to God book, several phrases from their study that represent the attitude we should have when fulfilling priesthood responsibilities.
Invite the young men to read the examples of Christlike service President Henry B. Eyring gave in his talk “Fear Not to Do Good.” You could also show one or more of the videos suggested in this outline. What impresses the young men about the acts of service in the talk and videos? Why might fear keep us from doing good? What did President Eyring promise to those who serve with faith? (See especially the last eight paragraphs of his talk.) Allow the young men to ponder and share examples of service they have seen. Invite them to share what they feel inspired to do after learning about these examples.
As you begin the lesson, write what you would usually say on the board or text it to the young men. After you do this, explain that you are illustrating the point made by Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson in the fourth paragraph of her talk “The Needs before Us.” How do the distractions of our day prevent us from noticing the needs of those around us? Invite the young men to search Sister Oscarson’s talk to find suggestions for how youth can find opportunities to serve. Ask the young men to share some ideas for service that have come to their minds during the lesson.
Assign each young man to read a scripture about service from the Savior’s life (such as those suggested in this outline) or the story about Brother Goates in Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s message “The Elders Quorum.” Have each young man summarize the scripture or story for the class and explain what the Savior or the men in the story did to serve others. What do these examples teach about what it means to give service? Invite the young men to think of ways they can give Christlike service in their own lives.

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Ask the young men to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a quorum to apply what they have learned?
Give the young men a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.
Remind the young men that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.

Related Youth Activities

Plan a Mutual activity that will help the young men apply what they learned in this lesson.