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Intellect

Fascinating and memorable service—right where you are

BYU College of Nursing's Sheri Palmer discussed "convenient service" in her Devotional address

Do you have a mouth-watering chicken enchilada recipe? Share it. What about a keen listening ear? Listen up.

Tuesday's Devotional speaker Sheri Palmer, an associate professor in the College of Nursing, said some of the most meaningful service we can provide is of little inconvenience to us. Palmer said the trick is to develop automatic responses—a habit of always being willing or ready to do something extra. She said: 

We do not have to travel abroad to have fascinating and memorable experiences of service. We can and should start right here, in our homes and neighborhoods. Jesus did not travel very far—often he served those very near to Him. We have opportunities to serve by simply being sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters. We serve through our church callings, and by being members of our wards.

I often think that Heavenly Father will ask me, 'What did you do to serve the women you visit taught? How did you change their lives, or help them in times of need? How did you serve your brothers? Did you even notice when they needed help?' These can be sobering thoughts.

Learn more about "convenient service" by listening to Palmer's address which can be streamed on demand at BYUtv.org and will be available on speeches.byu.edu

Next Devotional Address
Next week’s Devotional (Tuesday, August 5, at 11:05 a.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall) will be given by Bill Lund, the associate university librarian for Information Technology at the Harold B. Lee Library. His address will be a reminder of our place in the universe; Lund described his remarks this way: 

Viewing the depths of the universe through the Hubble Space Telescope, man's place in the universe seems very small; however, we know that our Heavenly Father loves us as His children. More importantly, sometimes we forget that He knows and loves us individually, and that He works with us one-on-one. Paraphrasing Moses 1:39, our Father in Heaven has said: This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass your immortality and eternal life.

Writer: Paige Montgomery Vogt

sheri palmer.jpg
Photo by BYU Photo

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