August First Presidency Message for home teaching:
“The Savior's Call to Serve,” by President Thomas S. Monson
All who have studied mathematics know what a common denominator is. For Latter-day Saints, there is a common denominator that binds us together. That common denominator is the individual call each of us receives to fill assignments in God’s kingdom here upon the earth.
Are you ever guilty of murmuring when a calling comes to you? Or do you accept with thanksgiving each opportunity to serve your brothers and sisters, knowing that our Heavenly Father will bless those whom He calls?
I would hope that we would not lose the real objective of our cherished opportunities to serve. That objective, that eternal goal, is the same spoken of by the Lord and found in the Pearl of Great Price: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”1
May we ever remember that the mantle of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not a cloak of comfort but rather a robe of responsibility. Our duty, in addition to saving ourselves, is to guide others to the celestial kingdom of God.
Supplemental ideas:
Share the following video, "God Will Lift Us Up," about an inspiring teenager who has found that service helps her bear personal struggle:
For children: The Church's home teaching message has a great visual activity for kids. They look at a picture and find different ways one boy can help other children in the picture. Children are then challenged to write their service experiences in a journal. Click here for the attention activity and picture.