Lessons from Queen Esther: Making a Difference in Our Communities

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Esther from the Old Testament

Queen Esther, by Minerva Teichert, courtesy of William and Betty Stokes

It had been a long three days. A terrible wildfire had swept through our community in Southern California with devastating impacts. I had been running an evacuation center in our city and helping care for those who had been displaced by the fires.

It was 3:00 in the morning when I woke up with a start. Instantly I thought, “Esther 4:14!” Then I thought, “What in the world is in Esther 4:14?” I tried to go back to sleep, but the thought was persistent, so I got up and went downstairs to my office to look up Esther 4:14, which reads in part, “And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

I recognized the context. An order had gone out that the Jews were to be exterminated. Mordecai, the cousin of the Jewish Queen Esther, was counseling her that her people needed her to be courageous and save them. She bravely stepped forward and did so.

I thought, “What does this verse have to do with me?” Then the Spirit whispered, “Take care of the families in Poway.” I realized that the Lord was inspiring me to coordinate the relief efforts to help the families who had lost their homes in the fire, which I did.

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destruction following a fire

Photograph courtesy of the author

To this day, a picture of Queen Esther hangs on my wall to remind me that each of us has been prepared to serve at a particular time.

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) encouraged us:

“You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others. …

“… In this world so filled with problems, so constantly threatened by dark and evil challenges, you can and must rise above mediocrity, above indifference. You can become involved and speak with a strong voice for that which is right.”¹

Each of us has opportunities to serve in our communities and to make a difference. Our contribution may be small or large, but each action has an impact for good.

Jesus Christ taught:

“I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

“Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house;

“Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (3 Nephi 12:14–16).

We are commanded to share our light with all the people. I have often pondered that commandment. How do we share our light in a way that blesses others and glorifies God?

We may think we are busy serving in our homes and Church callings, and those are certainly important and deserve our primary attention, but does this excuse us from a commitment to the community? “We believe in … doing good to all men” (Articles of Faith 1:13).

President Russell M. Nelson stated:

“Our greatest joy comes as we help our brothers and sisters, no matter where we live in this wonderful world.

“Giving help to others—making a conscientious effort to care about others as much as or more than we care about ourselves—is our joy. Especially, I might add, when it is not convenient and when it takes us out of our comfort zone. Living that second great commandment is the key to becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ.”²

Just as with Queen Esther, exactly how we serve will be unique to each of us. Here are some examples I’ve seen:

• One young man organized his single adult ward to prepare over 900 hygiene kits.

• A sister with Down syndrome testified at a legislative hearing in Utah to protect unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome. She boldly stated that she and others like her had a right to live. Afterward, she stood and gestured to all the committee members and stated, “And I love all of you!”

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  woman testifying at legislative hearing

  Photograph courtesy of Lisa Wilson’s family

• A sister in Southern California organized crafters in her area to make beautiful quilts and afghans to give lovely homemade items to the families who had lost all of their possessions in the wildfires.

• A group of young boys went from house to house in their neighborhood offering service to their neighbors from weeding to cleaning.

• A 12-year-old boy stood in front of his city council and pleaded that they keep his community morally clean and uphold high standards and not approve a business that wanted to come to his neighborhood.

• An elderly sister spent many hours sewing dresses and shorts and tops for the children in several orphanages. The children were thrilled to have new clothes to wear with pretty details she had designed.

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  elderly woman and dresses she sewed

  Photograph courtesy of the author

How do we begin?

1. Make a commitment to be a good influence. One of the first steps in being a person who has “come to the kingdom for such a time as this” is simply to make a commitment—a simple decision that the Lord can use us to do His work and be an influence for good in the world around us. That commitment is no small thing. We signify to the Lord, and to ourselves, that we are willing to step forward and take those opportunities to make a difference. We are then open to the promptings of the Spirit that will guide us to help.

2. Listen and observe. As we listen and observe the situations around us, we will see those in need and hear of opportunities to serve. It can be as simple as walking into our Church meetings and taking a moment to observe who is sitting alone and could use a friend. Or through social media or the news, we may hear of a situation where we could help. The scriptures record times when the Savior both saw and heard those in need, but others around Him did not (see Luke 8:43–48; John 5:2–16).

3. Take action. Simply asking the question, “What can I do about this?” is key. This sounds so simple—and yet it is profound. Sometimes we will generate ideas of how we can use our skills and talents and time to make a difference. Other times we will receive guidance as we call upon the Lord to direct us. And sometimes others will ask us to help, or we may need their help so that we can work together to combine our influence for good.

After that devastating wildfire, I was contacted by local firefighters, who said they had received a box in the mail. It was from a 10-year-old boy in Chicago, Illinois. He had sent his favorite toy to be given to a boy in our community who had lost his home in the fires. He included a note saying he had watched our city burn and wanted to do something to help.

I’ve often thought of that child. What made a young boy across the country want to actually do something? And that little action blessed the lives of many along the path to getting that toy to the boy in our community who had lost all his toys.

It was the simple question, “What can I do about this?” and he did it!

Each of us will have opportunities to be a light. Like Queen Esther, these will sometimes require courage. Sometimes they will require effort. As President Nelson stated, they may take us out of our comfort zone.

But as we respond to these opportunities and promptings of the Spirit, we can be a tremendous influence for good. This happens as a natural outpouring of our love for God: “When we love God with all our hearts, He turns our hearts to the well-being of others in a beautiful, virtuous cycle.”³

Each of us has “come to the kingdom for such a time as this.” We can courageously and compassionately use our own gifts, skills, talents, and time to bless those around us.