Charity

As I mentioned earlier, one of my favorite hymns is A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief
 The reason why it is one of my favorites is because of the message it gives. The song tells the story of a man who comes across a stranger and helps him with him physical needs. This is not just a one-time occurrence, but it happens repeatedly. Every time the man helps the stranger, he finds that his own problems are not as bad, and that his capacity to love and be loved increases. Verses 6 and 7 are, in my opinion, the most powerful of all 7 verses.

Verse 6 reads:

In pris’n I saw him next, condemned

To meet a traitor’s doom at morn.

The tide of lying tongues I stemmed,

And honored him ’mid shame and scorn.

My friendship’s utmost zeal to try,

He asked if I for him would die.

The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill,

But my free spirit cried, “I will!"

Verse 7:

Then in a moment to my view

The stranger started from disguise.

The tokens in His hands I knew;

The Savior stood before mine eyes.

He spake, and my poor name He named,

“Of Me thou hast not been ashamed.

These deeds shall thy memorial be;

Fear not, thou didst them unto Me.” 

The theme for the entire song is expressed in the last two lines, spoken by the Savior: "These deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not, thou didst them unto Me."  Whatever we do to someone else, it is as if we were performing them to the Savior directly, which the man did unknowingly throughout the song. Each hymn in the hymnbook has scripture references listed at the bottom of the page so that you can start a study of the theme or topic. The references for hymn #29 are found in The New Testament (Matthew 25:31-40) and in The Book or Mormon (Mosiah 2:17).

What we do for others is an evidence or expression of how we feel about them. If we are motivated by unselfish love, our actions will likely be to the long term benefit of those we affect. If our motivations are primarily self-serving or worse, antagonistic, our effects will be negative and damaging. In the Church of Jesus Christ, we teach that the love that Christ had for each person is totally unselfish. His love is totally for our benefit, and it cost Him and continues to cost Him immensely. We also teach that charity, defined as the pure love of Christ, can be had in some degree by every person. This is the type of love that continues to love another person, even when that love hurts and is unacknowledged. People are still imperfect, and they will be imperfect their entire lives, so their love will likely be imperfect, but we seek for it, strive for it, and pursue any way of improving our own love, in order to emulate Jesus Christ, who is the example for all of us to follow. Our charity is intertwined with faith and hope: by affecting one attribute, you affect all three. This is demonstrated in The Book of Mormon: Moroni 7:40-48.  In the New Testament, the apostle Paul speaks about this pure love of Christ, saying that if we don't have charity, any other spiritual and/or religious attainment, any other benevolent action, is pointless. He describes charity and says that by having charity, we increase in understanding and are able to grasp more and more of what the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ means for each of us. This is found in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 13.

When I talk with people about the gospel of Jesus Christ, my main motivation is to share with them what has brought peace and happiness into my life. I try to treat everyone with respect and courtesy while still maintaining a comfortable attitude and atmosphere. Of course, I am not anywhere near perfect. Can not stress that enough. I sometimes have difficulty maintaining a respectful attitude and a comfortable atmosphere. Those times where I have specifically sought for charity have helped me become a kinder, less selfish man. It is my hope that any and all who read this (or meet with me in person) will look past my flaws and imperfections, keep an open mind, and begin to understand what I am trying to convey. 


The gospel of Jesus Christ is understood best by studying the scriptures for yourself and praying to God the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, about a concern or question. God does answer prayers, especially if we mean to act on the answer we receive. If we want to be more charitable, more loving to others, study the scriptures about that topic, and pray for an increase in love. God will grant you understanding and that increase, but will take time and effort on our part before we fully recognize the answer we receive. Understanding and having charity comes the same way. It is a lifelong pursuit.