This month President Russell M. Nelson is approaching his 100th birthday. He posted on his official Facebook page that he has no need for physical gifts, but that the one thing that would brighten his life is for each of us “to reach out to “the one” in our lives who may be feeling lost or alone…anyone who needs help.”[1]
Our Savior, Jesus Christ showed us many great examples during His perfect ministry. These include His healing of the woman with the issue of blood who was considered “unclean”, His love and healing given to the ten leapers who had been shunned by society, His compassion toward the woman caught in adultery who many had been ready to stone, and His pardoning of the Roman soldiers who mocked, stabbed, and crucified Him.[2]
One of the most beautiful stories in the Book of Mormon is recorded in Third Nephi. “And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth.” [3] There were around 2,500 Nephite men, women, and children gathered around the temple in the land of Bountiful.[4] Imagine if each person took one minute to touch Jesus Christ. How long would it have taken for everyone to touch Him? What is the Savior teaching us? He is teaching that reaching out to someone requires more sincere love and understanding, but even more patience. The results bring overwhelming joy.
“Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.”
Doctrine and Covenants 18:10
Since being called as an Area Seventy I have traveled hundreds of miles and visited many villages and towns in the Asia Area. Much of this travel is to visit members, especially those in need of help. I want to testify that they really yearn for someone to reach out to them. This may be for temporal or physical needs, but often spiritual as well. One weekend I visited a small branch in northern Thailand. The branch president asked me to visit a disabled brother who had been a member of the church for more than thirty years but had not come to church for long time because of an accident that had left him unable to walk easily. We spent a long time looking for this man’s house. Finally, we realized that we would need to park our car on the main road and walk down a long narrow dirt path. Glancing at my watch, I discovered that we were over an hour late and I almost gave up. Then I realized that he had been waiting for our visit all day long and we only had a few minutes of walking to reach him. When we reached his house, I was so surprised! This brother had been a young man when I had first met him 46 years earlier while I had been serving as a young missionary in this tiny branch. He had loved to hang out with missionaries and had helped us teach investigators. I had not seen him since I finished my mission, although I had learned later that had served a full-time mission. I had also heard that after returning home from his mission something had happened in his life, and he had become less active. This unexpected reunion brought us both great joy. It was because of his physical disability that he had been unable to go to church. Following this visit, the branch president made a plan. He asked the elders and priesthood leaders to visit this man’s house every Sunday to minister to him, and to administer the sacrament for him.
This experience helped me truly understand what the Lord meant when He told us, “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.”[5]
Again, I refer to our prophet’s message: “I invite you to consider prayerfully: who do you know who may be discouraged? Who might you need to reconcile with or ask for forgiveness? Has one name been on your mind lately, though you haven’t quite known why? As you bring these questions to the Lord, He will inspire you to know how you can reach out and lift one who needs help. What a beautiful example the Savior has shown us—that through each of us ministering to just one within our reach, we can spread the love of Jesus Christ throughout the world.”[6]
[1] Russell M. Nelson, Facebook, June 1 2024
[2] Luke 8:43-48, Luke 17:11-19, John 8:1-11, Luke 23:39-43
[3] 3 Nephi 11:13-17
[4] 3 Nephi 17:25
[5] Doctrine and Covenants 18:10
[6] Nelson, Facebook.