July 23, 2025, 8:22am MDT
Around the world, young men recite the theme of Aaron’s Priesthood quorum and say these words. I have discovered that those words are true.
A few years ago my wife and I took our young family to Puerto Penasco, Mexico, to help build a house during the Christmas holiday. In addition to the travel expenses, we donated to purchase cinder blocks, cement and wood.
Our kids were surprised and a little disappointed on Christmas morning in Mexico when their presents were safety glasses and work gloves. They realized that we weren’t joking when we told them that the year was focused on serving others at Christmas. But by the end of the week, when we all saw the two small houses we had built, their disappointment was replaced by joy and satisfaction. That Christmas was unforgettable.
King Benjamin taught that “when you are serving the presence of your fellow people, you are merely in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17).
The easiest way to find joy and peace when I feel discouraged is to forget about myself and serve someone. That’s when I started to meet other people how God sees them.
When I was a teenager, President Spencer W. Kimball said, “God notices us, and he watches over us. But it is usually important that we serve each other in the kingdom that he meets our needs” (Teachings of the Church President: Spencer W. Kimball, Chapter 8: Selfless Service).
One of the best ways to help young people become lifelong disciples of Christ and feel they belong to His kingdom is to help them incorporate service into some of their activities. This can serve family and friends, but even people who don’t even know who is from another culture.
In the parable of the good Samaritan, Christ spoke of the Samaritan who served the Jews who fell among the thieves. The Jews of that time were thinking of the Samaritans below them. But it was the Samaritans who stopped helping rather than passing the Jewish priests or Levites. He “was compassionate to him” despite their social, cultural and economic differences (see Luke 10:30-37).
A 2018 BYU survey concluded that supporting strangers can actively benefit teenagers, especially during more difficult years, ages 12-16.
“Studies have shown that strangers are associated with increased adolescent self-esteem, appreciation and hope,” reported those who conducted the study. “This is because we believe serving strangers is a relatively high cost behavior compared to family and friends, and we believe it is important and necessary outside of our community.”
The church created the JustServe platform to connect people who help those in need. A major advantage of JustServe is that it allows participants to build more relationships with charities and local communities they may not generally be associated with. It helps to understand that participants can actively open their eyes to many needs and that, like good Samaritans, they can make a difference.
JustServe can help young men feel the joy of the promise they speak when they recite themes.
– Mark J. With is a member of the Young Men General Advisory Council.
