"What Have I done for Someone Today ?"

D&C 44:6 "Behold, I say unto you, that ye must ^visit the poor and the needy and administer to their relief, that they may be kept until all things may be done according to my law which ye have received. Amen." I love this scripture. For my online class that I am taking during the summer, I had to pick a project to do. I decided to share my feelings and experiences that I had in the past as I was serving other people. As I grew up in the church, one of the most important topics that they taught us was service. My mother taught us when we were little that service starts in your family and if you can do that, then you would be able to help others in the times that they are in need. She stated many times that “service starts in your family.” I believe that is true. Once you learn to serve your family, then it is easier to do it with other people. My mom is one of the greatest examples. She would go out of her way for anybody even if she didn't know the person. Let me share a story. About 4 years ago, we were living in an apartment complex and we were neighbors’ with an older lady that had just moved there. One day my mom notice that the new lady would go walking to the store twice a week to get food and she would take the bus everyday to go to work. The grocery store was about 2.5 miles one-way. One day, my mom saw her walking back from the store with a lot of heavy bags, so she stopped and asked her if she could help. Since that day, she would take her to the store twice a week for the next 2 years. They became really good friends and until this day, she is like a grandmother for my sister and I. This is not the only kind of service that my mother does. She is always making sure that my sister, dad, and I have everything we need. She cooks, cleans, and makes us our favorite food just so she can see us happy. I love my mom and because of her, I am the person that I am today. I show that I care for my roommates in different ways. One of the ways is by sometimes cleaning the dishes when they don’t have time to clean them. Also, some of my roommates don’t have cars so I take them to work. I know how important it is to serve others and I have seen the blessings in my life and in the the lives of the ones I have served. President Monson stated, “The Savior taught His disciples, 'For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.' I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives.”