Motive as a Core

In class on Wednesday, Brother Cox asked a very thought provoking question: "Why do we serve?" We briefly talked about different motives I was caught up in my own thoughts of why it is that I have the desire to serve.

Looking back at past positions of leadership, more recently serving in the Relief Society presidency, I didn't start out thinking much about why I was serving, but simply if I was actually doing my part to fulfill my requirements. I wanted to make sure that those whom I was leading felt like I was a good leader and someone that they could trust. However, as I served and really got to know the girls that I was leading, I became to love them. Within a week of serving, my motive changed from fulfilling a duty to serving because I loved the girls. I learned that I was constantly searching for ways to serve the girls and even some of the boys in my ward because I had a hunger to help. And I have found that even after being released from this calling I still have the desire to help and to serve others.

While serving in the Relief Society presidency I learned that it was more important for me to be a servant leader, as Brother Cox called it, because it helped changed my motive. By serving the girls in my Relief Society, I had to get out and interact with them and I was able to get to know them. And when I knew them better I began to love them. And after a while, they began to love me and trust me.

With a different motive, such as love, a leader is more effective and the group is able to go somewhere and do something. I was able to see this in my ward as a leader, when we were able to report 100 percent in visiting teaching to the stake president for the first time. If I had tried to lead only to fulfill my calling, then I would not have been able to touch the hearts of girls in quite the same way and they too would not have had as much success.

As a leader, it is important to frequently check on your motive because if your heart isn't in it, it will be really hard to convince others to come along for the ride.