Elder Ronald A. Rasband on eagerly serving one another

Elder Ronald A. Rasband (b. February 6, 1951) served as a Seventy beginning in 2000.  He was the senior president of the Seventy when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in October 2015.

"If you come upon a person who is drowning, would you ask if they need help—or would it be better to just jump in and save them from the deepening waters? The offer, while well meaning and often given, 'Let me know if I can help' is really no help at all.

"We continue to learn the important value of being aware of and interested in the lives of those around us, learning not only the importance of giving help but also the overwhelming joy that comes from helping others....

"I would like to close with the words from a beloved hymn:

We are all enlisted till the conflict is o’er;
Happy are we! Happy are we!
Soldiers in the army, there’s a bright crown in store;
We shall win and wear it by and by. ('We Are All Enlisted,' Hymns, no. 250.)

"Brothers and sisters, it is my hope and prayer that we will continue to bear nobly our burdens and to reach out to those among us who are suffering and in need of being lifted and encouraged. May we each thank God for His blessings and renew our commitment to our Father in Heaven of humble service to His children."

- Ronald A. Rasband, "Special Lessons," General Conference, April 2012
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How do we respond when someone we know or care about is in need? Elder Rasband comments on the frequent statement, "Let me know if there is anything I can do to help." He suggests that while that is a sincere and well-meaning sentiment, an even better approach is to just find some way to jump in and do something that would be valuable to the person in need:

There are always those around us who are "suffering and in need of being lifted and encouraged." We should always be aware and prayerful, seeking for ways to help and lift. And in so doing, "overwhelming joy" comes to us as a reward.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)