Faithful servants nourish by focusing on the individual, declared Elder Alexander B. Morrison of the Seventy. At the April 1992 general conference, Elder Morrison said, "God loves us one by one. How eloquently the Savior taught that lesson in the masterful parable of the lost sheep found in Luke 15."

Painting by Del Parson portrays the character of a true shepherd as one who seeks and brings back to the fold the one who has strayed.Courtesy LDS Church

The parable tells of a shepherd who was prepared to leave the main flock of sheep — the ninety and nine — and go out into the wilderness in search of the one straggler which was lost.

"And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

"And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost." (Luke 15:5-6.)

Elder Morrison said: "Note the attention paid to the individual. It must have been at best a nuisance and most likely dangerous for the shepherd to leave the ninety and nine and go out into the wilderness to find the lost sheep. For one thing, wildernesses tend to be dangerous and lonely places where unwary travelers can get into a great deal of trouble. And what about the worries the shepherd must have had as he thought about the flock left behind without a shepherd's care to safeguard its members from predators, accidents, acts of nature, and so on? After all, anyone who knows anything about sheep understands just how prone they are to get into trouble spontaneously, without anyone having to help them. I learned as a farm boy many years ago that sheep and trouble go together! Come to think of it so, too, do people and trouble often go together!

"Whenever I think of the shepherd's loving and caring efforts on behalf of the one, I'm reminded of the Savior's deep and abiding love for each of us. Oh, how He rejoices when a lost soul is found by a faithful undershepherd and then is tenderly and lovingly brought home again! 'The worth of souls is great in the sight of God.' (D&C 18:10.)

"Though even the best of us cannot love others as perfectly as Christ does, the sentiments expressed by Alma come close. As he left the land of Zarahemla to head a mission to reclaim the apostate Zoramites, Alma expressed his love for them and his hope for their return to the fold of Christ in this way:

"'O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ.

"'Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee.' " (Alma 31:34-35.)

Elder Morrison said that true undershepherds help others partake of the bread of life and the living water through selfless service. "They know that service solves the seeming paradox of the scriptures: one has to lose his or her life to find it. Service, wise undershepherds understand, is the golden key which unlocks the doors to celestial halls. For many, Christ is found through serving Him."