Uchtdorf - Lift Where You Stand - October 2008

President Uchtdorf starts his talk telling a story about some men that needed to move a grand piano to the cultural hall in the church.  After much confusion and lack of success, one gentleman suggested that they all stand close together and lift where they stood.  It worked and he likes this idea to Priesthood service.

Those Who Seek to Lead

• Those who seek to lead may feel they are capable of doing more than what they are currently asked to do. They believe that their abilities far surpass their calling. Perhaps if they were in an important position of leadership, they would work hard at making a difference. But they wonder, “What possible influence can I have as merely a home teacher or a counselor in the quorum presidency?”
  

Those Who Seek to Hide

• Those who seek to hide may feel that they are too busy to serve in the Church. When the chapel needs to be cleaned, when the Mendez family needs help moving, when the bishop calls them to teach a class, they always seem to have a ready excuse. Oddly enough, often the root cause of both of these tendencies—seeking to lead or seeking to hide—may be the same: selfishness.
  

A Better Way

• When we seek to serve others, we are motivated not by selfishness but by charity. This is the way Jesus Christ lived His life and the way a holder of the priesthood must live his. The Savior did not care for the honors of men; Satan offered Him all the kingdoms and glory of the world, and Jesus rejected the offer immediately and completely.3 Throughout His life, the Savior must have often felt tired and pressed upon, with scarcely a moment to Himself; yet He always made time for the sick, the sorrowful, and the overlooked. In spite of this shining example, we too easily and too often get caught up in seeking the honors of men rather than serving the Lord with all our might, mind, and strength.
  

President Uchtdorf uses the example of Helman's 2000 warriors to point out that we don't know any of their names.  But we know the great work they did collectively and the miracles the Lord performed in keeping them safe.  He likes this to us as not needing to perform our duty for honors of man but for the accomplishment of the Lord's work.

• When we stand close together and lift where we stand, when we care more for the glory of the kingdom of God than for our own prestige or pleasure, we can accomplish so much more.

Every Calling Is an Opportunity to Serve and Grow

• No calling is beneath us. Every calling provides an opportunity to serve and to grow. Whatever your calling, I urge you to see it as an opportunity not only to strengthen and bless others but also to become what Heavenly Father wants you to become.
  

An Assignment Only You Can Perform

• You may feel that there are others who are more capable or more experienced who could fulfill your callings and assignments better than you can, but the Lord gave you your responsibilities for a reason. There may be people and hearts only you can reach and touch. Perhaps no one else could do it in quite the same way. Our Heavenly Father asks that we represent Him in the noble work of reaching out and blessing the lives of His children. He asks us to stand firm with the power of the priesthood in our hearts and souls and give the calling we have at this moment our best efforts.
  

Finally President Uchtdorf concludes with this bit of advice.

• Brethren, may we cease to aspire and cease to retire!

This message comes close to my life today.  I can see some tendency in myself to be one of those that wants to try to hide in my church calling instead of leading.  I need to com out of that and start to magnify my calling instead of doing enough to get by.  For whatever excuse I come up with, I need to realize that the Lord can help and magnify my efforts and can do more with me than I can figure out on my own.  So much can be done with my busy life, if I just hand it to the Lord to figure out for me.  I need to work on that.