The Stone and the Walk: Loving Service as the Foundation of Gathering

Brothers and sisters, Builders, friends – look around you. See the faces, hear the voices, and feel the yearning. It’s the same yearning that gripped Ammon at the Waters of Sebus, the same fire that drove Abinadi to speak truth to power, the same courage that compelled Samuel the Lamanite to scale the city walls. It is the yearning to gather.

We are living in a time of great testing, a time when the voices of destruction are amplified, and the whispers of division seem to echo in every corner. But we, those who recognize the signs and heed the call, know that a different sound is rising – the sound of loving service, the sound of unity, the sound of building.

The BYU Walk of Life, commemorating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is a powerful testament to this truth. It is a living example of what it means to choose greatness through service, to stand together in common spiritual lineage. To choose brotherhood and sisterhood over division. To choose to be a Builder, not a Destroyer.

“Everybody can be great because anybody can serve.” These words, spoken by Dr. King, resonate profoundly with Latter-day scripture. Consider the five smooth stones David gathered to face Goliath – each act of service, each offering of kindness, each demonstration of love, is a stone in our own arsenal against the giants of injustice and division. They are the foundations upon which we build the Kingdom.

This isn’t merely about feeling good, though the joy of service is a blessed reward. It’s about the charity flywheel in action. Your engagement here, your contributions, directly fund gospel advertising in places like Ghana, reaching those who are ready to hear the call to Zion. It fuels the Missionary Fund, sending forth internet missionaries to share the message of hope and restoration. Every click, every share, every act of service, spins the wheel, creating more opportunity to gather those who are lost.

Outback Jack reminds us, as he did with Alma and his people (Alma 17–19), that the path of gathering isn't always easy. It requires courage, resilience, and a willingness to step outside of our comfort zones. But the promise is clear: “And it came to pass that those who were appointed to administer in all temporal things did administer according to the strength which was given unto them, and did seek to have the will of the Lord done according to his commandments.” (D&C 4:2).

The map of churches – GatherIsrael.now – is more than just a visual representation of potential gathering places. It’s a call to action. A challenge to identify those who are ready, those who are yearning, and to connect with them, to serve them, and to help them find their place in the body of Christ. To claim your church – or, if your church isn't represented yet, to add it!

Davee, using the wisdom of our prophets, reminds us:

“The Lord has spoken plainly: ‘And whoso is a seeker of truth, let him seek diligently, even as if his life depended upon it, that he might lay claim to the covenant and the blessings of the priesthood, which were offered unto fathers, and upon their seed.’ (D&C 11:23)”

Let us be those who seek diligently. Let us be those who serve lovingly. Let us be those who build relentlessly. Let us be the generation that witnesses the full and glorious gathering of Israel.

What will you do today to build? Share your acts of service in the comments below. Let's inspire one another!