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By Elder M. Russell BallardOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Brothers and sisters, I hope thoseof you visiting Salt Lake will takethe opportunity to enjoy the

colors and fragrances of the beautifulspring flowers on Temple Square.

Spring brings a renewal of lightand lifereminding us, through thecycle of seasons, of the life, sacrifice,

and Resurrection of our Lord andRedeemer, Jesus Christ, for all thingsbear record of [Him] (Moses 6:63).

Against this beautiful backdropof spring and its symbolism of hope,there is a world of uncertainty, com-plexity, and confusion. The demandsof everyday lifeeducation, jobs,raising children, Church administra-tion and callings, worldly activities,and even the pain and sorrow ofunexpected illness and tragedycan

wear us down. How can we freeourselves from this tangled web ofchallenges and uncertainties to findpeace of mind and happiness?

Oftentimes we are like the youngmerchant from Boston, who in 1849,as the story goes, was caught up in thefervor of the California gold rush. Hesold all of his possessions to seek hisfortune in the California rivers, whichhe was told were filled with gold

The old prospector said, Son, itseems to me you are so busy lookingfor large nuggets that youre missingfilling your pouch with these preciousflecks of gold. The patient accumula-tion of these little flecks has broughtme great wealth.

This story illustrates the spiri-tual truth that Alma taught his sonHelaman:

By small and simple things aregreat things brought to pass. . . .

. . . And by very small means theLord . . . bringeth about the salvationof many souls (Alma 37:67).

Brothers and sisters, the gospel ofJesus Christ is simple, no matter howmuch we try to make it complicated.

We should strive to keep our livessimilarly simple, unencumbered byextraneous influences, focused onthose things that matter most.

What are the precious, simplethings of the gospel that bring clar-ity and purpose to our lives? What

are the flecks of gospel gold whosepatient accumulation over the courseof our lifetime will reward us with theultimate treasurethe precious gift ofeternal life?

I believe there is one simple butprofoundeven sublimeprinciplethat encompasses the entirety of thegospel of Jesus Christ. If we whole-heartedly embrace this principle andmake it the focus of our lives, it willpurify and sanctify us so we can live

once again in the presence of God.The Savior spoke of this principlewhen He answered the Pharisee whoasked, Master, which is the greatcommandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shaltlove the Lord thy God with all thyheart, and with all thy soul, and withall thy mind.

This is the first and greatcommandment.

nuggets so big that one could hardlycarry them.

Day after endless day, the youngman dipped his pan into the river andcame up empty. His only reward wasa growing pile of rocks. Discouragedand broke, he was ready to quit untilone day an old, experienced prospec-

tor said to him, Thats quite a pile ofrocks you are getting there, my boy.

The young man replied, Theres nogold here. Im going back home.

Walking over to the pile of rocks,the old prospector said, Oh, there isgold all right. You just have to know

where to find it. He picked two rocksup in his hands and crashed themtogether. One of the rocks split open,revealing several flecks of gold spar-kling in the sunlight.

Noticing a bulging leather pouchfastened to the prospectors waist,the young man said, Im looking fornuggets like the ones in your pouch,not just tiny flecks.

The old prospector extended hispouch toward the young man, wholooked inside, expecting to see severallarge nuggets. He was stunned to seethat the pouch was filled with thou-sands of flecks of gold.

Finding Joy throughLoving ServiceMay we show our love and appreciation for the Saviors atoning

sacrifice through our simple, compassionate acts of service.

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And the second is like unto it,Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy-self (Matthew 22:3640).

It is only when we love God and

Christ with all of our hearts, souls, andminds that we are able to share thislove with our neighbors through actsof kindness and servicethe way thatthe Savior would love and serve all ofus if He were among us today.

When this pure love of Christorcharityenvelops us, we think, feel,and act more like Heavenly Father and

Jesus would think, feel, and act. Ourmotivation and heartfelt desire are likeunto that of the Savior. He shared this

desire with His Apostles on the eve ofHis Crucifixion. He said:A new commandment I give unto

you, That ye love one another; as Ihave loved you. . . .

By this shall all men know that yeare my disciples, if ye have love oneto another (John 13:3435).

The love the Savior described isan active love. It is not manifestedthrough large and heroic deeds but

rather through simple acts of kindnessand service.

There are myriad ways and circum-stances in which we can serve and

love others. May I suggest just a few.First, charity begins at home. The

single most important principle thatshould govern every home is topractice the Golden Rulethe Lordsadmonition that all things whatso-ever ye would that men should do to

you, do ye even so to them (Matthew7:12). Take a moment and imaginehow you would feel if you wereon the receiving end of thoughtless

words or actions. By our example, let

us teach our family members to havelove one for another.Another place where we have

ample opportunity to serve is in theChurch. Our wards and branchesshould be places where the GoldenRule always guides our words andactions toward each other. By treatingeach other kindly, speaking wordsof support and encouragement, andbeing sensitive to each others needs,

we can create loving unity amongward members. Where charity exists,there is no place for gossip or unkind

words.

Ward members, both adults andyouth, can unite in meaningful ser-vice to bless the lives of others. Justtwo weeks ago, the President ofthe South America Northwest Area,Elder MarcusB. Nash of the Seventy,reported that by assigning the strongin spirit to those that are weak, theyare rescuing hundreds of less-activeadults and youth. Through love andservice, one by one they are comingback. These acts of kindness create a

strong and lasting bond among every-one involvedboth the helpers andthe helpees. So many precious memo-ries are centered around such service.

When I think back on my manyyears of Church administration, someof my most profound memories arethe times I joined with ward membersto help someone.

For example, I remember as abishop working alongside several

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active members of my ward as wecleaned out the silage pit at the stake

welfare farm. This was not a pleasantassignment! A less-active brother whohad not been to church for many

years was invited to join with us.Because of the love and fellowship hefelt with us as we worked and talkedin that smelly silage pit, he came back

to church and was later sealed in thetemple to his wife and his children.Our fellowship through service hasblessed his children, grandchildren,and now great-grandchildren. Many ofthem have served missions, have mar-ried in the temple, and are raising aneternal familya great work wroughtby a simple act, a small fleck of gold.

A third area where we can serveis in our communities. As a pure

expression of our love and concern,we can reach out to those who haveneed of our help. Many of you haveput on Helping Hands T-shirts and

worked tirelessly to relieve suffer-ing and improve your communities.

Young single adults in the SendaiJapan Stake recently provided invalu-able service in searching for members

in the aftermath of the devastatingearthquake and tsunami. There arecountless ways to serve.

Through our heartfelt kindness andservice, we can make friends withthose whom we serve. From thesefriendships come better understandingof our devotion to the gospel and adesire to learn more about us.

My good friend Elder Joseph B.Wirthlin talked of the power of this

principle when he said: Kindnessis the essence of greatness. . . . [It]is a passport that opens doors andfashions friends. It softens heartsand molds relationships that can lastlifetimes (The Virtue of Kindness,LiahonaandEnsign,May 2005, 26).

Another way we can serveHeavenly Fathers children is throughmissionary servicenot only as full-time missionaries but also as friendsand neighbors. The future growth ofthe Church will not happen through

just knocking on strangers doors. Itwill happen when the members, alongwith our missionaries, filled with thelove of God and Christ discern needsand respond to those needs in thespirit of charitable service.

When we do this, brothers andsisters, the honest in heart will feelour sincerity and our love. Many will

want to know more about us. Thenand only then will the Church expandto fill all of the earth. This cannot be

accomplished by missionaries alonebut requires the interest and service ofevery member.

In all of our service, we need tobe sensitive to the promptings of theHoly Ghost. The still, small voice willlet us know who needs our help and

what we can do to help them.President Spencer W. Kimball said:

It is vital that we serve each other inthe kingdom. . . . So often, our actsof service consist of simple encour-

agement or of giving . . . help withmundane tasks, but what gloriousconsequences can flow . . . from smallbut deliberate deeds! (Teachings ofPresidents of the Church: Spencer W.Kimball[2006], 82).

And President Thomas S. Monsonhas counseled:

The needs of others are ever pres-ent, and each of us can do somethingto help someone.

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By Elder Neil L. AndersenOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

your faith in Jesus Christ. With yourordination to the priesthood, yourtalents and spiritual capacities havebeen increased. One of your impor-tant responsibilities is to help preparethe world for the Second Coming of

the Savior.The Lord has appointed a prophet,

President Thomas S. Monson, to directthe work of His priesthood. To you,President Monson has said: The Lordneeds missionaries.1Every worthy,able young man should prepare toserve a mission. Missionary service isa priesthood dutyan obligation theLord expects of [you] who have beengiven so very much.2

Missionary service requires sacri-

fice. There will always be somethingyou leave behind when you respondto the prophets call to serve.

Those who follow the game ofrugby know that the New Zealand

All Blacks, a name given because ofthe color of their uniform, is the mostcelebrated rugby team ever.3To beselected for the All Blacks in NewZealand would be comparable toplaying for a football Super Bowl

Ispeak tonight especially to the 12- to25-year-olds who hold the priesthoodof God. We think about you a lot and

we pray for you. I once told the storyof our four-year-old grandson givinghis little brother a strong push. After

consoling the crying child, my wife,Kathy, turned to the four-year-old andthoughtfully asked, Why would youpush your little brother? He looked athis grandmother and responded, Mimi,Im sorry. I lost my CTR ring, and Icannot choose the right. We know that

you try hard to always choose the right.We love you very much.

Have you ever thought about whyyou were sent to earth at this specifictime? You were not born during the

time of Adam and Eve or while pha-raohs ruled Egypt or during the Mingdynasty. You have come to earth at thistime, 20 centuries after the first comingof Christ. The priesthood of God hasbeen restored to the earth, and the Lordhas set His hand to prepare the worldfor His glorious return. These are daysof great opportunity and importantresponsibilities. These are your days.

With your baptism, you declared

PR I ES T H O O D S ES S IO N |Apri l 2, 2011

Preparing the Worldfor the Second ComingYour mission will be a sacred opportunity to bring others toChrist and help prepare for the Second Coming of the Savior.

. . . Unless we lose ourselves inservice to others, there is little purposeto our own lives (What Have I Donefor Someone Today?LiahonaandEnsign,Nov. 2009, 85).

Brothers and sisters, may I re-emphasize that the most importantattribute of Heavenly Father and ofHis Beloved Son that we should desireand seek to possess within our livesis the gift of charity, the pure love ofChrist (Moroni 7:47). From this giftsprings our capacity to love and toserve others as the Savior did.

The prophet Mormon taught usthe supreme importance of this giftand told us how we can receiveit: Wherefore, my beloved breth-ren, pray unto the Father with allthe energy of heart, that ye may befilled with this love, which he hathbestowed upon all who are truefollowers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that

ye may become the sons of God; thatwhen he shall appear we shall be like

him, for we shall see him as he is;that we may have this hope; that wemay be purified even as he is pure(Moroni 7:48).

Great things are wrought throughsimple and small things. Like thesmall flecks of gold that accumulateover time into a large treasure, oursmall and simple acts of kindnessand service will accumulate into a lifefilled with love for Heavenly Father,devotion to the work of the Lord

Jesus Christ, and a sense of peace andjoy each time we reach out to oneanother.

As we approach the Easter season,may we show our love and appreci-ation for the Saviors atoning sacrificethrough our simple, compassionateacts of service to our brothers andsisters at home, at church, and in ourcommunities. For this I humbly prayin the name of Jesus Christ, amen.