"For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and rainment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every king?
And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another."
I had two thoughts as I read this. One was on some examples of selfishness that I have seen rise out of people. I have kept my mouth quiet when I've seen those posts because they just make me incredibly sad. These individuals truly believe their needs are greater than others, even when it could mean other people's lives. What I am seeing is an inability to make personal sacrifices for others. It just breaks my heart.
The other one was a talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland today.
"As the world battles an “all hands on deck war” with COVID-19, many still have hopes that have not yet been fulfilled.“When we have conquered it — and we will — may we be equally committed to freeing the world from the virus of hunger and freeing neighborhoods and nations from the virus of poverty,” and hope for safer schools and the gift of personal dignity for every child. Many have deeply personal hopes in addition to these global desires, including marriage, overcoming an addiction, help for a wayward child, or for physical or emotional pain to stop."
(Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "A Perfect Brightness of Hope", April 2020 General Conference)
It's no wonder at the end of the Jaredite and Nephite civilizations that both prophets spoke of the need for charity, the pure love of Christ. That at its very basic level means an ability to see each other as human, and a desire to lift those around us to relieve their pain. Yes, I do see examples of that happening around me. But, I cannot help and think that having charity or not is part of the separation of the wheat and tares. What I am observing is that instead of a "Me" attitude I need the ability to make sacrifices to lift others.
Day 1833
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