Jack Greenleaf Whittier - fireside poet (Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow, James Russell Lowell, Oliver Wendell Holmes,
and William Cullen Bryant), quaker
Thee lift me, and I’ll lift thee and we’ll both ascend together.
Charity, the pure love of Christ is not manifest in service alone.
We often make colloquial the word to mean just that though. While the true end
of charity, that is salvation, may be described as service, I feel that in
today's context of language we need to move beyond that definition.
In Luke we read the story of Martha and Mary. It says that Martha
was encumbered with much serving. [something about mary likely doing more than
just listening](Luke 10:39-40) This isn’t an awful thing alone, but when it
overtakes true charity and true gospel living, it ceases to be needful.
While service is often a checkbox of having accomplished some task
for another person I would argue that Charity (with a capital c), if I were to
give it a checkbox, would be to have accomplished salvation with another
person. The immediate conclusion there is that we all are working towards that
with the church doctrine of eternal marriage. I would also suggest that we
should look beyond that feat and look to those around us with whom we want to
accomplish salvation and fulfill the atonement with.
3rd Nephi 12:48, 3rd Nephi 27:27 Matt 5:48 After Christ had visited
the Americas his apostles there went about journeying and preaching. When they
had questions they joined together in prayer and fasting to know the answer.
Christ himself appeared again to these disciples to answer their questions and
to counsel them. He asked them what manner of men they should be and then
answered for them immediately saying ‘you guys should be like me’. We too know
what manner of person we ought to be. Christ has commanded us to be like unto
him and the Father, we also know that we are unable to abide the presence
of God unless we are perfected, that is complete (D&C 67:13). One of these perfections we strive for is
charity.
For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to
pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Yea, I
do so because I love you all so stinking much). Moses 1:39
And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart;
and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy
Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love. (Moro. 8:25–26.)
Love or Charity, then, becomes evidence of our own conversion and is
manifest as concern for the salvation of others. Jacob said to the Nephites,
his friends, his family that he was desirous for the welfare of your souls. Even
so much that he was having anxiety over them. (2 Ne. 6:3.)
This love, or charity, should be our greatest asset. John recognized
that “perfect love casteth out fear” (1 Jn. 4:18), which fear and reluctance
are the greatest obstacle to our experiencing the joy of Charity. It is also by
exercising that “faith which worketh by love” (Gal. 5:6) that we are able to
draw upon spiritual power, because God “worketh by power, according to the
faith of the children of men.” (Moro. 10:7.)
Taking upon ourselves this spirit of charity shouldn’t be viewed as a
duty but rather an opportunity for joy and growth. Challenges become opportunities
to build faith. We become witnesses of the goodness of God at all times and in
all things, and in all places that we may be in, even until death. (Mos
18:9)
When asked what was the greatest commandment Jesus answered by
saying we must love both god and everyone else you encountered. He explained
that all the scripture which had been received to that point had been given to
help the Israelites understand those two points.
Elder Uchtdorf in 2010 stated that without this love for God
the Father and our fellowmen we are only the form of His Church—without
the substance. What good is our teaching without love? What good is missionary,
temple, or welfare work without love?
Again, love is what inspired our Heavenly Father to create our
spirits; it is what led our Savior to the Garden of Gethsemane to ransom himself
for our sins. Love is the grand motive and driving force of the plan of
salvation; it is the source of happiness, the ever-renewing spring of healing,
the precious fountain of hope.
Witty comment about Elder
Hales –
We can't do it Alone – When we in the church receive counsel about
this sort of topic I feel that I sit there thinking of myself as the magnanimous
one offering my service and charity unto others, performing missionary work and
doing things by which I can tell myself that Yes, I am a good Mormon, yes I
will be saved despite my sins in which I continue. How often is it I that need to be on the
receiving end of this charity?
When we are marred spiritually
or physically, our first reaction is to withdraw into the dark shadows of
depression, to blot out hope and joy—the light of life which comes from knowing
we are living the commandments of our Father in heaven. This withdrawal will
ultimately lead us to rebellion against those who would like to be our friends,
those who can help us most, even our family. But worst of all, we finally
reject ourselves.
Those who are alone and lonely
should not retreat to the sanctuary of their private thoughts and chambers.
Such retreat will ultimately lead them into the darkening influence of the
adversary, which leads to despondency, loneliness, frustration, and to thinking
of themselves as worthless. After one thinks of himself as worthless, he then
ofttimes turns to associates who corrode those delicate spiritual contacts,
rendering their spiritual receiving antennas and transmitters useless. What
good is it to associate with and ask advice of someone who is disoriented
himself and only tells us what we want to hear? Isn’t it better to turn to
loving parents and friends who can help us reach for and attain celestial goals?
Alma summarized the essence of
a loving father talking to his sons and “telling it like it is” when he said to
Helaman and Shiblon: “Inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye
shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of
God ye shall be cast off from his presence.” (Alma 38:1; see also Alma
36:30.) That is difficult for a father to say to his son, but it is the truth.
When you attempt to live
life’s experiences alone, you are not being true to yourself, nor to your basic
mission in life. Individuals in difficulty often say: “I’ll do it alone,”
“Leave me alone,” “I don’t need you,” “I can take care of myself.” It has been
said that no one is so rich that he does not need another’s help, no one so
poor as not to be useful in some way to his fellowman. The disposition to ask
assistance from others with confidence, and to grant it with kindness, should
be part of our very nature.
How often have we laid there on the road to Jericho only to swat
away the hand of the good Samaritan whose only desire is to carry us back to
the city, find us medical care and give us reprieve.
Salvation is a team game in which we all are going for the same
goal. It is not proper that we should do anything but support one another in
this goal. In this past conference RS President Linda Burton taught that “we
are here to help, lift, and rejoice with each other as we try to become our
very best selves. There is so much more of happiness to be had when we can
rejoice in another’s successes and not just in our own. When we seek to
“complete” rather than “compete,” it is so much easier to cheer each other on! If
we are to be complete as we are commanded, that comes with the love of Christ which
manifests in a concern for the salvation of friends families and any ol
stranger here on this earth we encounter.
When we return to our Heavenly Father, he does not want us to come back
alone. He wants us to come back with those whom we have helped along the road
of life and with those who have help us . In preparing this message, it has
become very clear to me that the true nature of the gospel plan is the
interdependence we have upon one another in this life and the estate in which
we now live.
At a fireside this past week with Teryl and Fiona Givens it was
mentioned that heaven and hell in the traditional Christian sense are representative
of the Terrestial and Telestial Kingdoms. The question was then posed as to
what made the Celestial Kingdom different? The simple answer is eternal
families, the more complicated answer lies within the relationships one forms
here in this existence.
These relationships grow while here in this life. They join together
to form a unity among the children of God. In the first century A.D.,
members of the growing Church in Corinth were enthusiastic about the gospel.
Almost all were recent converts to the Church. Many were attracted to it
through the preaching of the Apostle Paul and others.
But the Saints at Corinth were also contentious. They argued amongst
themselves. Some felt superior to others. They took each other to court.
When Paul heard this, feeling a sense of frustration, he wrote them
a letter, pleading with them to become more unified. He answered many of the
questions they had been arguing about. Then, toward the end, he told them that
he wanted to show them a more excellent way than just the details he had
cleared up.
Close with 1 Cor 13 replacing charity with things like desire for my
friend’s salvation etc
