I've always been inspired by great brothers and sisters who work diligently in the Church and magnify their callings. I have learned how to better magnify my own callings by following their examples:
Accept callings willingly. By accepting Church callings, we keep our covenants, build the Kingdom of God, grow spiritually and learn practical skills. Recognizing these blessings of service helps us develop an eagerness to serve and avoid the prevalent "someone else can do it" attitude.- Catch a vision of the calling. Understanding how a calling helps accomplish the mission of the Church increases our commitment to it. Looking beyond the meetings, reports, lessons and activities (the programs), to the people who are ultimately blessed by our efforts elevates our perspective. We then see the calling as the Savior sees it.
Take more responsibility for training/transition. In the scriptures we are counseled to "learn [our] duty and act in the office in which [we are] appointed in all diligence." (D&C 107:99.) Taking a more active role during the transition into a calling - learning the duties, gathering material, meeting with leaders, meeting with the person who previously held the calling, etc. - gets us started on a positive and productive note.
Follow the brethren. Inspired Church leaders have produced numerous manuals, handbooks, guides, bulletins and videos to assist Church members in official Church callings. Utilizing these resources and correlating with local priesthood leaders maximizes our effectiveness.
Be reliable. Following through on assignments and performing all the duties associated with a calling make us successful and help us avoid placing additional burdens on other members. If a change in circumstances hinders our ability to perform a calling, we should counsel with our Church leaders, who will help us find an appropriate solution. - Bryan Zaugg, West Jordan, Utah
What we did:
Study handbook
The following are things I have tried to do to magnify my callings in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord, to me and to the people I work with and serve:
Make sure you are set apart. During the blessing listen carefully for special instruction concerning the calling.
Study the handbook or guidebook. I mark the duties that specifically pertain to the calling.
Consider the calling to be the most important in the Church. Since I will be judged according to how I fulfill the stewardships I'm given on this earth, my most important calling is my current calling.
Continually pray for guidance in fulfilling the calling. As the saying goes, "Pray as if it is all up to the Lord and work as if it is all up to you."
Work hard. The Lord will help us magnify any calling He has given us if we will have faith and do our part, attend our meetings, prepare, and perform our duties.
When I have followed these steps I have felt the Lord's strength, guidance and approval. - Stephanie C. Dilworth, Golden, Colo.
Follow directives
We are blessed when we follow our leaders' admonition and the instruction in our manuals.
The 3-year-old Primary manual instructs that to provide a gradual transition from the nursery to the total Primary schedule, the first half of the year the children should only attend opening or closing exercises and spend the remainder of the time with their class.
A member of the Primary general board reiterated the importance of a slow transition from nursery to Primary during a regional visit. I found that the children were happier when this directive was followed. - Meriel Monical, River Falls, Wis.
Simple, yet important
I have always been taught that we should magnify our Church callings. When I was called as the Relief Society pianist, I was unsure as to how one could "magnify" this simple, yet important, calling.
Usually when the Relief Society closing hymn was sung, the pianist would not continue playing while the Gospel Doctrine class assembled. I decided to continue playing hymns until the next class was ready to begin. I found that the level of reverence within the classroom grew. - Kimberlee Kinikini, West Jordan, Utah
Prepare for calling
When I was in my early 20s and received my first teaching call my mother told me: "Teaching is easy. All you have to do is read your lesson on Sunday, think about it all week, prepare on Saturday, and you will be ready to teach on Sunday." Unless one allows sufficient time to prepare for any calling, it is impossible to magnify that calling. - Richard L. Halliday, San Jose, Calif.
Small acts
It is often said that the Lord uses others to help answer prayers. Whether it's the phone call from a visiting teacher, the bishop who takes the time to really see how you are doing, or the Primary teacher who calls to let you know how much he or she appreciates your child in their class, those who magnify their callings help to strengthen and build testimonies. Small acts of kindness may seem insignificant to those who perform them, but it may make the difference in the life of someone they serve.
I have appreciated the extra kindness of so many loving members who have gone beyond their callings, and have blessed my life and the life of my family. Often they don't even know what they have done. But in their quiet way they have touched my heart when I have been lonely, they have comforted me when I have been sick, and have welcomed me when I felt as though I didn't belong. To those people I am eternally grateful. - M. Welling, Wauwatosa, Wis.
Make part of daily life
In my life, I have found a few key ideas in magnifying my Church callings:
Don't ever settle for "going through the motions." When you find that you have meetings just because a handbook states that you should, then you are in trouble.
Find out the fundamental gospel principles behind the purpose of your calling. For example, I am a stake missionary. Some fundamental principles in my work are: 1. to love my fellow men and desire to bless them with the gospel (D&C 18:10-16), 2. to share my testimony, allowing the Spirit to testify of the truth. (D&C 50:13-24.) Everything I do (meetings, interviews, etc.) should be focused on these principles.
Make it a part of your daily life. As a student I spend much time walking to and from classes. I find that if I focus on positive thoughts about missionary work during that time, the Spirit stays with me, and my mind does not wander to forbidden paths.
Be prepared to have spiritual experiences. We can all have great faith-promoting experiences if we are worthy and do our part. - John Zimmerman, East Lansing, Mich.
How to checklist:
1 Prepare in advance, pray for guidance.
2 Make sure you are set apart, listen for instruction.
3 Follow Church manuals, Church leaders' counsel.
4 Be reliable, follow through with assignments.
WRITE TO US:
Feb. 8 "How to foster unity in a ward or branch with cultural diversity."
Feb. 15 "How to survive temporally, emotionally during period of unemployment."
Feb. 22 "How to unleash the personal impact of scripture study in your life."
March 1 "How to dress on a limited budget."
March 8 "How to overcome obstacles to serving a mission as a retired couple."
March 15 "How to prepare spiritually and emotionally for death of loved one."
March 22 "How to place people above tasks."
Also interested in letters on these topics: "How to be more patient with your children," "How to foster positive communication in your family."
Had any good experiences or practical success in any of the above subjects? Share them with our readers in about 100-150 words. Write the "How-to" editor, Church News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110, send fax to (801) 237-2121 or use internet E-mail: Churchnews@desnews.com. Please include a name and phone number. Contributions may be edited or excerpted and will not be returned. Due to limited space, some contributions may not be used; those used should not be regarded as official Church doctrine or policy. Material must be received at least 12 days before publication date.
