On Charity

Concerning charity, “Charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth,, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things… Charity which is the greatest of all… is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever.” Charity encompasses much and leaves out little. As Elder Quinton L. Cook said “There are two very different reasons people engage in acts of kindness and generosity... some [do it] because they believe it is the right thing to do and others will reciprocate and do the same for them when they are in need. While this is good... a higher motive is when we serve our fellowmen because that is what we believe God wants us to do.” We must be charitable and serve because we love God, not because we are forced to. Service is a part of charity, but only a fraction. Many think of them synonymous, they are not. Charity is what brings me closer to God, when we spend our lives giving to others, genuinely, we find peace and happiness.

“Give all to love” (Emerson). Charity is the pure love. Give all to Charity. I struggle sometimes at serving and giving the small things, like loving to help with dishes. When we give to the poor, is that Charity? Charity has a lot to do with a mind set. It is not what you do it is how you do it. No mortal can determine the ability of an individual to give and therefore the charity of an individual. Charity includes the unseen, the heart.