Do more to follow in the Savior's footsteps.
That's essentially the guidance Elder M. Anthony Burns received from the Quorum of the Twelve in 2009 after it evaluated the North America Southeast Area's first foray into an area-wide day of service.
"When the review went back to the Quorum of the Twelve on our Day of Service last year," Elder Burns said, "the feedback we got was that we just need to continue to be Christlike in our behavior and our demeanor and follow the example of the Savior in helping people."
Elder Burns, an Area Seventy charged by area president Elder Walter F. Gonzalez in both 2009 and 2010 with coordinating the service efforts of the 96 stakes and more than 1,000 wards and branches in the area's boundaries, enthusiastically injected the Twelve's counsel into the Southeast Area's Second Annual Day of Service on April 24.
In order to better emulate the Lord's meaningful service, Elder Burns encouraged local leaders to eschew the projects that don't directly affect human lives in favor of service for the elderly, homeless and disadvantaged.
"We weren't just us out there cleaning the park," he said. "We were working with other people in the community helping individuals who needed help. "That's what I loved about this year, even better than last year.
"The cleanup of a park is wonderful to do, and we did a lot of those last year. But it's even better when you're dealing with the homeless shelters, giving blood, working with immigrants who are challenged that have no place to go, rebuilding a home that has been devastated or going into a home and giving kits to help them."
At a project benefiting the homeless that took place at the Cooperative Feeding Program in Ft. Lauderdale, Elder Burns visited with Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler.
"We have no church affiliation together," Elder Burns said. "But the mayor and I talked about 'feed my sheep,' and a tear came to his eye. He wanted to help people. He's a good man.
"He looked at me in a different light than what he had seen during my 35 years in corporate America here."
Just in South Florida, Church members provided upwards of 10,000 volunteer hours for the Day of Service.
"I think the Day of Service projects have a great impact on the community," said Mark Brown, president of the Miami South Stake. "While it's true that we do help to improve the physical aspects of the community, I think the most important and longest lasting difference we make comes from the friendships we develop. As we work together with others we learn to understand, appreciate and love one another."
Throughout the entire Southeast Area, more than 50,000 volunteers in 14 states participated in 450 service projects.
