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What does it look like when faith moves beyond a place of worship and into the community? Sometimes it looks like hundreds of people packing food. Sometimes it means preparing a school for a new academic year. And sometimes it simply means helping a neighbour.
Recently, volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took part in service projects across the United States through JustServe. The projects were held on September 11 and 12, 2026, during the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
For someone in India who may know little about the Church, these projects offer a simple look at one important part of Latter-day Saint faith: following Jesus Christ by serving and caring for other people.
Service Meets Real Needs
The projects focused on practical needs. In New York, volunteers packed more than 3 million meals for people facing food insecurity. In Denver, around 900 volunteers packed 325,000 meals. In Chicago, volunteers painted, worked in school gardens, organised classrooms, and helped prepare an elementary school for the new academic year.
These were not symbolic activities. People needed food, a school needed preparation, and communities needed volunteers — and the members showed up and helped.
That is an important part of Christlike service. The Church teaches that service grows out of genuine love for the Saviour and concern for the people around us.
Why Is Service Part of Latter-day Saint Faith?
For Latter-day Saints, service is more than volunteering when there is free time. Jesus Christ set the perfect example of serving others, and His followers are encouraged to develop that same attitude of love and concern.
The Book of Mormon teaches a simple truth:
"When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." — Mosiah 2:17
Serving another person can also be an expression of love for God. That is why Latter-day Saint service is not limited to people inside the Church. It can reach neighbours, families, schools, community organisations, and people of any background or faith.
What Is JustServe?
One way the Church helps people find opportunities to serve is through JustServe. It connects volunteers with organisations and projects that need help — a free service designed to make it easier to find meaningful ways to serve in your own community.
Many people want to help but do not always know where their time or abilities are needed. JustServe makes it easier to find an actual opportunity and take part.
Service Is About More Than Money
When people hear the word "service," they often think about donating money. But service can also mean giving time, effort, attention, and care.
Volunteers packed meals with their own hands. They painted walls. They worked in gardens. They organised classrooms.
A person does not have to be wealthy to serve — the Church teaches that everyone can serve, regardless of age, income, or social position. What matters is the willingness to help. సహాయం చేయాలనే మనసు ఉండటమే ముఖ్యం.
What Can This Look Like in India?
The projects in this story happened in American communities, but the principle is the same everywhere. In India, service can look very familiar:
• Helping an elderly neighbour with daily needs
• Volunteering at a local school or anganwadi
• Preparing meals for a family going through illness or difficulty
• Cleaning or improving a shared community space
• Supporting a family during a medical emergency or exam season
The project may be different. The reason can be the same: we serve because we care about people. For Latter-day Saints, that care is connected to the example of Jesus Christ and the belief that serving others is also serving God.
Service Does Not Have to Be a Big Project
The 9/11 service projects involved thousands of volunteers, but not every act of service needs a large group. Church teaching encourages simple, everyday acts of kindness as well.
You can help a family member. You can listen to someone who is having a difficult day. You can volunteer your time. You can notice a need and respond before someone has to ask.
Small acts may seem ordinary, but they can become meaningful expressions of Christlike love.
What Does This Reveal About Latter-day Saints?
For someone who may know little about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, service provides a glimpse into how faith can be lived outside Sunday meetings. Latter-day Saint teaching places Jesus Christ at the centre of service — His followers are encouraged to love and serve others, and Church resources describe service to others as a way of serving God.
Service is not simply about completing a project. It is also about becoming more like the Saviour.
A Simple Principle
The deeper principle is simple:
See a need
Love the people involved
Do what you can.
Service does not belong to one country, one community, or one special day. Wherever there are people, there are opportunities to serve.
And when we serve with genuine love, we are not only making a place better — we are following the example of Jesus Christ.
resorce NewsRoom
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