2026 SPRING LDS SECTION

Ordinary Members, Extraordinary Service

A CHURCH BUILT ON SERVICE: How everyday members strengthen their congregations through faith, growth, and willing hearts.

CONFERENCE

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Spring 2026 General Conference

AN UNSELFISH SERVICE:

Missionary Work

Laura Giles

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So reads mission calls to those who want to give months or years of service to helping others in a variety of ways, including by sharing the gospel with them.

Young missionaries, soon after completing high school, are often seen riding bikes or walking in various cities around the world. Many people think of missionaries as spending much of their time knocking on doors. But the ages of missionaries are varied and the service that missionaries give is varied as well. “All missionaries, younger and older, serve with the sole hope of making life better for other people,” said then-Elder Russell M. Nelson in an October 2012 General Conference talk titled, “Ask the Missionaries!

They Can Help You!”

Nelson, who went on to be Prophet and President of the Church, went on to say that a mission is a voluntary act of service to God and humankind.

“Our young missionaries set aside their education, occupation, dating, and whatever else young adults would typically be doing at this stage of life. For 18 to 24 months, they put it all on hold because of their deep desire to serve the Lord. And some of our missionaries serve in their more mature years of life. I know their families are blessed,” he said. According to historical information found on lds.org, missionary work began while the Book of Mormon was still being published in 1830 and steadily gained momentum during Joseph Smith’s lifetime. Early missions were usually brief proselyting campaigns throughout the United States, Canada, England, and the

Pacific.

Now, there are many ways that missionaries serve, in addition to teaching others about Jesus Christ. “When we serve others, we demonstrate our love to Heavenly Father,” it reads on lds.org. “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” is a scripture from the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 2:17.

Young service missionaries’ purpose is to serve others in their local communities while living at home. It is common for service missionaries to serve in multiple assignments, including community and charitable organizations. Some examples include volunteering in schools, food banks and pantries, helping in temples and family history centers, and volunteering on Brigham Young University Campus.

Elder Ethan Harris from Pleasant

Grove, Utah, is currently serving a service mission for the church.

“My service sites are Dan Peterson School School and Alpine Transition and Education Center, working with students with special needs, and the local animal shelter. “It’s a lot of fun,” said Elder Harris.

Elder Harris said he chose from a long list of service opportunities. “I chose some and we toured them and then I chose where I wanted to serve. At the schools, I’m an extra pair of hands that they might need. At the animal shelter, I walk dogs. I enjoy it a lot. I’m serving people and God at the same time.”

Senior missionaries, which include married couples and single men and women, can serve in a variety of ways. Some of these include preserving and sharing church history, family history, humanitarian aid, providing for the hungry, helping people

to become self-reliant, serving in a temple, working with young adults, and using other professional skills.

Elder Greg and Sister MiLinda Hudnall from Provo, Utah, recently returned from serving an 18-month mission in the Hawaii Laie Mission. “We were called to be “CARES and Crisis Response Missionaries. We were the first to be called in this area of suicide prevention,” Greg Hudnall said.

At home in Utah, Hudnall is the founder of Hope4Utah and Hope Squads, a suicide prevention program. His wife, MiLinda, has worked in social work for the Veterans

Health Administration. While serving on the mission, the Hudnalls were able to use their skills to continue to serve others.

MiLinda Hudnall helped with the BYU-H CARES program which brought personnel from the different academic, counseling, attendance and Dean of Students offices to focus on students at risk with mental health challenges. She spent every day visiting and counseling students from 70 different countries. Her job was to determine if the students were struggling with mental health challenges including depression, anxiety and other concerns.

Greg Hudnall’s assignment was to develop crisis response guidelines and a crisis response team to respond to crises, including suicide. He also created a university Hope Squad and taught a weekly class. “It was challenging, exciting and well worth it,” he said.

According to recent church numbers, missionaries are now serving in 150 countries. There are 506 total missions in the world. In 2025, 84,000 missionaries served. This is an increase from 2023 when 72,000 served, and 2022 when 65,000 served. Missionaries are serving others in more than 60 different languages.

“Our Savior teaches us to follow Him by making the sacrifices necessary to lose ourselves in unselfish service to others,” said Church President Dallin H. Oaks in an April 2009 General Conference talk titled,

“Unselfish Service.” “If we do, He promises us eternal life, ‘the greatest of all the gifts of God,’ the glory and joy of living in the presence of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.”

What are they, how are they decided and what does sustaining mean?

Ryan Comer

At the October 2006 general conference of the church, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the church described callings in the following way:

“The Lord in His infinite wisdom has designed His Church to operate with a lay ministry. That means we have been charged to watch over one another and to serve one another. We are to love one another as our Father in Heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ love us. Our callings and circumstances change from time to time, providing us with different and unique opportunities to serve and to grow.”

In the church handbook, callings are tied to Jesus’ earthly ministry.

“Heavenly Father gave Jesus Christ a sacred mission to fulfill (see Luke 4:18–19; John 6:38; 3 Nephi 27:14–16),” the handbook reads.

“During His ministry, the Savior trusted His disciples with important responsibilities (see Luke 10:1–9).

Likewise, the Lord calls men and women to serve in the Church today through inspired invitations from His servants.”

In a ward, which is a congregation of Latter-day Saints, callings can include the bishop, the bishop’s counselors, clerks, members of different presidencies (for example, Sunday School, Elder’s Quorum, Relief Society and Primary) and instructors, to name a few.

Some callings require a greater

time commitment than others. Some may seem exciting, and some may seem undesirable.

At the October 2016 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Carl B. Cook, a member of the Seventy in the church, spoke about an experience he had receiving a calling that he didn’t immediately love but explained how his perspective changed.

“Recently I received a new assignment,” he said. “I had been serving in the Africa Southeast Area. It was thrilling to serve where the Church is relatively young and being established, and we loved the Saints. Then I was called to return to Church headquarters, and to be honest, I was

less than enthusiastic. A change in assignment brought some unknowns.

“One night after contemplating the upcoming change, I dreamed about my great-great-grandfather Joseph Skeen. I knew from his journal that when he and his wife, Maria, moved to Nauvoo, he desired to serve, so he sought out the Prophet Joseph Smith and asked how he could help. The Prophet sent him to work on the prairie and told him to do the best he could, so he did. He worked on the Smiths’ farm.

“I pondered the privilege that Joseph Skeen had in receiving his assignment that way. Suddenly I realized that I have the same privilege, as we all do. All Church callings come from God—through His appointed servants.

“I felt a distinct spiritual confirmation that my new assignment was inspired. It is important that we make that connection—that our callings literally come to us from God through our priesthood leaders. After this experience, my attitude changed, and I was filled with a deep desire to serve. I am grateful for the blessing of repentance and for my changed heart. I love my new assignment.”

Elder Cook continued:

“Even if we think that our Church calling was simply our priesthood leader’s idea or that it came to us because no one else would accept it, we will be blessed as we serve. But when we recognize God’s hand in our calling and serve with all our hearts, additional power comes into our service, and we become true servants of Jesus Christ.”

The handbook points out that members are not to expect or aspire to certain callings and that members do not “advance” in callings.

HOW ARE CALLINGS CHOSEN?

As the handbook stated, and as Cook explained, callings in the church come from the Lord.

“Leaders seek the guidance of the Spirit in determining whom to call,” the handbook reads.

The handbook says that leaders also consider the worthiness of the member, their specific gifts and abilities, their personal circumstances (for example, health or work) and the potential impact of a calling on their marriage and family.

“Each calling should bless the people who are served, the member who serves, and the member’s family,” the handbook reads.

On the matter of potential impact on marriage and family, the handbook adds:

“When extending a calling to a married member, leaders ensure that the spouse is aware and supportive of the calling.”

SUSTAINING MEMBERS IN THEIR CALLINGS

According to the handbook, members who sustain others in their callings “pledge their support and willingness to help.”

A member is sustained in their calling during a sacrament meeting, the primary meeting of the ward, where the person conducting the sustaining announces the calling and asks for the members of the ward in favor of sustaining him or her to show it by raising their hand. Those who may be opposed are then asked to show it in the same way.

“Only members in good standing may participate in the sustaining,”

the handbook clarifies. “However, if a nonmember or a member who is not in good standing has concerns about the action, he or she may share them with the bishop or stake president in private after the meeting.”

A TESTIMONY OF SERVING IN CALLINGS

John Potter, who serves as the stake president in the Holmes Creek Stake in Layton, explained why he serves in callings, even ones that are demanding of his time.

“I personally accept callings because I love the Lord and I know that callings are inspired from Him,” he said. “I also accept callings because the Lord has blessed me with so many amazing mentors in my life through others serving faithfully in their callings, that it’s a way for me to give back and to encourage and uplift others the way they did for me as the Savior would.”

Potter said the benefits of serving in these callings for him have been “greater trust in the Lord,” “a better understanding of why I was called and how the Lord can turn my many weaknesses into strengths,” “joy,” “better time management” and “a true love for God’s children and a

better understanding of how He sees them.”

Elaborating on the joy element, he said:

“I didn’t always feel that way about callings, especially the more

time consuming calls, but I have learned to enjoy this season of life in whatever my call is and to ‘come what may and love it.’”

Contact Standard-Examiner editor

Ryan Comer at rcomer@standard.net.

Diversity of church callings provides wide range of growth opportunities

Jared Lloyd

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that the purpose of life is to learn and grow, following a plan laid out by Heavenly Father.

Personal improvement takes many forms, but one of the ways the Church of Jesus Christ facilitates that growth is by providing many different church service opportunities. Often these require individuals to do things they would not elect to do own their own but discover important insights about themselves and others in the process.

Here’s a look at some of the many ways members of the faith enrich their own lives and lives of others through accepting callings:

WORKING WITH CHILDREN

In the January 2006 edition of the

church’s Ensign magazine, Sheila Kindred described some of her experiences with being called to work in the nursery and primary of her ward.

“When my children were young, I didn’t think I had enough time for Church callings—especially in the Primary,” Kindred wrote. “Because I spent all day every day dealing with children, I longed for a break on Sundays. I was sure what I needed most was the company of other adults and adult ideas to stimulate a brain I feared was deteriorating with overexposure to children’s prattle.

“However, when I was called to serve in the nursery, it seemed right, so I took a deep breath and plunged in. I thoroughly cleaned and organized the meetinghouse toy closet. I was more organized than I’d ever been, and it carried over into our home. The quality of my own chil-

dren’s lives escalated, and I appreciated them more. Our whole family was blessed.

“Then I was called to serve as Primary president. I took another deep breath and plunged in. The nature of this calling was different from my nursery service, yet the blessings still came. My own children became more involved with Primary as they helped me create visual aids and bulletin board displays. Sharing times were often recycled to become favorite family home evening lessons. As I struggled and prayed for ideas of how to teach children, stories came to mind, which I began to write down. To my amazement, many of these stories have since been published. I may never have discovered that talent if I hadn’t accepted that calling.”

As the church as adjusted both the time and organization of Primary teachings, many men and women have had opportunities to participate in teaching and guiding the children in their wards.

TEACHING OTHERS

William D. Oswald, who was then the Second Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency, spoke in General Conference in 2008 about the value of opportunities to teach each other.

Many individuals in wards and branches are called to teach gospel principles to specific groups, such as children, young women, young men, Sunday School, Relief Society and Elders Quorum.

Other callings might not be as clearly related to specific classes but allow for other teaching opportunities, such as activities, youth athletics and camps.

FOCUS ON SERVICE

Sometimes individuals view various leadership callings in the church as being similar to secular political or commercial positions.

Church leaders, however, have consistently reminded members that leaders should be dedicated to serving others at all times.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, who was then Second Counselor in the First Presidency, referred to the Bible and the Gospel of Mark in General Conference in 2017, describing a discussion between Jesus Christ and his disciples about who would be esteemed the most in Heaven.

“I can almost see the Savior, looking with infinite love into the faces of those faithful and believing disciples,” Uchtdorf said. “I can almost hear His pleading voice: “This is not the way it shall be among you. Instead, whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all (Mark 10:43-44).”

He continued by saying: “In God’s kingdom, greatness and leadership

“President Boyd K. Packer often reminds us that ‘all of us — leaders, teachers, missionaries, and parents — have a lifelong challenge from the Lord to both teach and learn the doctrines of the gospel as they have been revealed to us.’,” he said in a talk entitled Gospel Teaching — Our Most Important Calling. “As simply stated by Elder L. Tom Perry, ‘Every position in the Church requires an effective teacher.’”

means seeing others as they truly are — as God sees them — and then reaching out and ministering to them. It means rejoicing with those who are happy, weeping with those who grieve, lifting up those in distress, and loving our neighbor as Christ loves us. The Savior loves all of God’s children regardless of their socioeconomic circumstance, race, religion, language, political orientation, nationality, or any other grouping. And so should we!

“God’s greatest reward goes to those who serve without expectation of reward. It goes to those who serve without fanfare; those who quietly go about seeking ways to help others; those who minister to others simply because they love God and God’s children.”

THE MOST IMPORTANT CALLINGS

Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ continue to emphasize that the most important callings for every member do not come from the ward or stake; they come from being a member of a family.

In 1995, the church issued “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” which stated clearly how the faith views the responsibilities of family members:

“Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children,” the proclamation reads. “‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives — mothers and fathers — will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.”

The church has adjusted meeting schedules to encourage more time to be spend learning together as a family instead of in meetinghouses.

President Dallin H. Oaks spoke on the importance of the family to the faith in General Conference in October of 2025, saying: “The Church of Jesus Christ is sometimes known as a family-centered church. It is! Our relationship to God and the purpose of our mortal life are explained in terms of the family.”

“The gospel of Jesus Christ is the plan of our Heavenly Father for the benefit of His spirit children. We can truly say that the gospel plan was first taught to us in the council of an eternal family, it is implemented through our mortal families, and its intended destiny is to exalt the children of God in eternal families.”

Jared Lloyd is the managing editor of the Daily Herald and Standard-Examiner. He can be reached at jlloyd@standard.net.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS OF CONFERENCE

Church to sustain new president in rare solemn assembly

Most callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are temporary. Members serve for a time, then a released from some responsibilities and often given others.

One of the most notable exceptions is members who are called to serve in the leadership body of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a call which extends throughout the life of the individual called.

The senior Apostle — the person who has served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the longest time — is called as the President of the Church.

The Church of Jesus Christ will have a special ceremony to sustain its new Church President and First Presidency in the Saturday morning session of the upcoming General Conference on April 4.

According to the church website, Solemn Assemblies are “special, sacred meetings held for a variety of holy purposes. They require Latter-day Saints to bring an elevated sense of spirituality with them into the meeting. These assemblies have included the sustaining of new Church presidents, the dedication of a temple or another significant building (such as the Conference Center), the introduction of new scripture, the instruction of priesthood leaders and other special gatherings.”

The faith explains that the term “solemn assembly” refers to a phrase in the Hebrew Bible that “describes significant gatherings that occurred during Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. The first temple in Jerusalem was dedicated during the time of a solemn assembly. Thus, the term has an ancient connection with temple dedication.”

In modern times, the special gathering initially was centered on similar temple dedications. The Church website says: “The Doctrine and Covenants, a collection of sacred revelations for the Church, contains several references of God asking Latter-day Saints to “call your solemn assemblies” (Doctrine and Covenants 133:6). The dedication of the Kirtland Temple on March 27, 1836, was one such occasion. Many witnessed an outpouring of spiritual manifestations at that time. That landmark temple dedication set a precedent for later solemn assemblies.

“Solemn assemblies continued after the Kirtland Temple dedication, often as dedication ceremonies but also on other significant occasions, such as the sustaining of a new Church President or to accept additional revelations into the scriptural canon.”

The sustaining of a new president is the reason for this particular solemn assembly, although it won’t be identical to another similar sustaining in recent years. The Church said: “Some solemn assemblies (for example, in April 2020) have featured the Hosanna Shout, a symbolic act with New Testament roots. The April 4 solemn assembly will not include a Hosanna Shout.”

For more information on the Solemn Assemblies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, go to churchofjesuschrist.org.

Opportunities abound to serve beyond callings

Jared Lloyd

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe they are blessed with growth and insight when they fulfill the callings they are given in the local congregations.

The faith, however, also encourages members to go beyond the duties established and seek other ways to serve.

Elder Carlos H. Amado, then a member of the Seventy, spoke in General Conference in 2008 about how Jesus Christ set the example of the importance of service.

“As a Church we should feed the hungry, relieve the sick, clothe the naked, and give shelter to the destitute,” he said. “With fast offerings we alleviate the basic and immediate needs of the members, and with the welfare plan we help meet their longterm needs. When there are natural disasters, through humanitarian service we provide assistance for our brothers and sisters who are not of our faith.

“Without neglecting these temporal needs, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by commandment of the Lord, maintains the most sublime and lofty labor of service, which is to bless all men by teaching them the doctrine of Christ and inviting them to receive the saving ordinances so that they might gain “immortality and eternal life” (Moses 1:39).”

To aid members and others who are willing to sacrifice of their time and talents to help others, the Church of Jesus Christ has developed the JustServe.org website that is dedicated to providing service opportunities.

The website says “JustServe is a global volunteerism movement that empowers individuals, families, and

groups to make a positive impact in their communities. JustServe provides a free platform that connects people with meaningful volunteer opportunities while giving community organizations a place to post projects and reach potential volunteers.”

It says it coordinates service opportunities in 17 countries and territories, has more than 1 million users and works with more than 20,000 organizations.

A search of the JustServe.org website found nearly 800 service opportunities in the Wasatch Front area, with additional remote volunteer options available.

Examples of available service possibilities included:

• Feeding and supporting the homeless

• Supporting seniors and veterans

• Teaching music

• Aiding disabled individuals at events

• Collecting and sorting donations

• Maintaining local trails

• Delivering food to individuals in need

• Providing childcare

• Working to improve local parks

• Educating about safety issues

This is just a small sampling of the numerous possible ways to make a difference in local communities.

The Gospel Principles manual of the Church of Jesus Christ says that service needs to be a part of the lives of members.

“Jesus said, “I am among you as he that serveth” (Luke 22:27),” the manual says. “As true followers of Jesus, we also must serve others.

“Service is helping others who need assistance. Christlike service grows out of genuine love for the

Savior and of love and concern for those whom He gives us opportunities and direction to help. Love is more than a feeling; when we love others, we want to help them.”

It also lays out the benefits promised for those who provide aid to others.

“When we serve others we gain important blessings,” the manual says. “Through service we increase our ability to love. We become less selfish. As we think of the problems of others, our own problems seem less serious. We must serve others to gain eternal life. God has said that those who live with Him must love and serve His children (see Matthew 25:34–40).”

Jared Lloyd is the managing editor of the Daily Herald and Standard-Examiner. He can be reached at jlloyd@standard.net.

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