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(11/23/97)
"It may be of some significance to note that the word
charity does not appear in a single verse in the Old Testament.
Surely the
prophets of ancient times understood the need for charity as did
the Apostle
Paul and the prophets of ancient America. And surely those
prophets knew and
taught that 'charity is the pure love of Christ' (Moroni 7:47). We
are left to
wonder if the enemies of Christ deliberately removed from the holy
writings
these saving truths as part of the plain and precious teachings
that Nephi
prophetically said would be removed (see I Nephi 13:20-29). Also,
charity is
only partially explained in the New Testament. But thankfully the
Book of
Mormon, another witness for Christ, has restored to us an
understanding of this
eternal precept. I testify that as we abide by this precept, we
will draw nearer
to God. Indeed, we will become more like him."—Elder C. Max
Caldwell, Love
Of Christ, General Conference, October 1992
(11/24/97)
"What is charity? Does it consist solely in the giving of
bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked or succor to the
distressed? 'Though I
bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to
be burned,
and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth
long, and is
kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not
puffed up; doth
not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily
provoked,
thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the
truth; beareth
all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all
things.
Charity never faileth.' (I. Cor. 13: 3-8.) If to say that one has
charity to any
considerable extent requires the possession of all the foregoing
characteristics, then we may truthfully admit that there is a
great charity
famine now prevailing throughout the world."—Matthias F. Cowley,
Cowley's
Talks on Doctrine, p.165
(11/25/97)
"The Apostle Paul taught that three divine principles
form a foundation upon which we can build the structure of our
lives. They are
faith, hope, and charity. (See I Corinthians 13:13.) Together they
give us a
base of support like the legs of a three-legged stool. Each
principle is
significant within itself, but each also plays an important
supporting role.
Each is incomplete without the others. Hope helps faith develop.
Likewise, true
faith gives birth to hope. When we begin to lose hope, we are
faltering also in
our measure of faith. The principles of faith and hope working
together must be
accompanied by charity, which is the greatest of all. According to
Mormon,
'charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever'
(Moroni 7:47). It
is the perfect manifestation of our faith and hope."—Elder M.
Russell
Ballard, "The Joy Of Hope Fulfilled", General Conference, October
1992
(11/26/97)
"The world in which we live, whether close to home or far
away, needs the gospel of Jesus Christ. It provides the only way
the world will
ever know peace. We need to be kinder with one another, more
gentle and
forgiving. We need to be slower to anger and more prompt to help.
We need to
extend the hand of friendship and resist the hand of retribution.
In short, we
need to love one another with the pure love of Christ, with
genuine charity and
compassion and, if necessary, shared suffering, for that is the
way God loves
us."—President Howard W. Hunter, "A More Excellent Way",
General Conference, April 1992
(11/27/97)
"'A new commandment I give unto you,' he said, 'That ye
love one another; . . . By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if
ye have love one to another' (John 13:34-35). This love that we
should have for
our brothers and sisters in the human family, and that Christ has
for every one
of us, is called charity or 'the pure love of Christ' (Moroni
7:47). It is the
love that prompted the suffering and sacrifice of Christ's
atonement. It is the
highest pinnacle the human soul can reach and the deepest
expression of the
human heart."—President Howard W. Hunter, "A More Excellent
Way", General Conference, April 1992
(11/28/97)
"The final and crowning virtue of the divine character is
charity, or the pure love of Christ (see Moroni 7:47). If we would
truly seek to
be more like our Savior and Master, learning to love as He loves
should be our
highest goal. Mormon called charity 'the greatest of all' (Moroni
7:46)."—Teachings
of Ezra Taft Benson, p.275
(11/29/97)
"As we grow 'in process of time,' neighbors will suffer
less and less at our hands. Then one will naturally esteem his
neighbor as
himself, because he understands who his neighbor really is. Each
step toward
single-mindedness in our worship of God squeezes out some of our
selfishness,
for so much of the overcoming of this world consists of overcoming
selfishness.
After all, which neighbor fares better—the one who lives by him
who is filled
with love, patience, and hope, or the one who lives by him who is
selfish,
impatient, and despairing? With increasing charity, then, our
service to others
will be an unforced thing it will be a thing from inside, not from
outside! Even
the good we then do will be done for the right reasons and 'not to
please
ourselves.' (Romans 15:1.)"—Neal A. Maxwell, Notwithstanding My
Weakness, p.29
(10/26/98)
"Only a few men on the earth understand the charity that
fills the bosom of our Savior. We should have charity; we should
do all we can
to reclaim the lost sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, and bring
them back to
be saved in the presence of our Father and God. If we do this, our
charity will
extend to the utmost extent that it is designed for the charity of
God to extend
in the midst of this people." — Brigham Young, "Journal of
Discourses", 8:175
(10/27/98)
"This love that we should have for our brothers and
sisters in the human family, and that Christ has for every one of
us, is called
charity or 'the pure love of Christ' (Moro. 7:47). It is the love
that prompted
the suffering and sacrifice of Christ's atonement. It is the
highest pinnacle
the human soul can reach and the deepest expression of the human
heart." — Howard W. Hunter, General Conference, April 1992
(10/28/98)
"Only by suspending judgment do we exhibit real charity.
It is hard to understand why we are ready to condemn our neighbors
and our
friends on circumstantial evidence while we are all so determined
to see that
every criminal has a fair and open trial. Surely we can try to
eliminate pride,
passion, personal feeling, prejudice, and pettiness from our
minds, and show
charity to those around us." — N. Eldon Tanner, "Judge Not That Ye
Be Not Judged," General Conference, April 1972
(10/29/98)
"Brothers and sisters, of all the places where our
charitable acts should shine forth, where our discipleship must
rise above the
weaknesses of self, the family is the most important place. There
is no other
setting that comes close in comparison. Yet many--far too
many--are more
charitable to others than to their own." — H. Burke Peterson, "Our
Responsibility to Care for Our Own," General Conference, April
1981
(10/30/98)
"Just as doubt, despair, and desensitization go together,
so do faith, hope, and charity. The latter, however, must be
carefully and
constantly nurtured, whereas despair, like dandelions, needs so
little
encouragement to sprout and spread. Despair comes so naturally to
the natural
man!" — Neal A. Maxwell, "Brightness
Of Hope," General Conference, October
1994
(4/26/01)
"In this modern world plagued with counterfeits for the Lord’s
plan, we
must not be misled into supposing that we can discharge our
obligations to the
poor and the needy by shifting the responsibility to some
governmental or other
public agency. Only by voluntarily giving out of an abundant love
for our
neighbors can we develop that charity characterized by Mormon as
'the pure love
of Christ.' (Moro. 7:47.) This we must develop if we would obtain
eternal
life." — Marion G. Romney,
"Caring for the Poor and Needy," Ensign, Jan. 1973, p. 98
(4/27/01)
"The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that 'friendship is one of the
grand
fundamental principles of Mormonism.' That thought ought to
inspire and motivate
all of us because I feel that friendship is a fundamental need of
our world. I
think in all of us there is a profound longing for friendship, a
deep yearning
for the satisfaction and security that close and lasting
relationships can give.
Perhaps one reason the scriptures make little specific mention of
the principle
of friendship is because it should be manifest quite naturally as
we live the
gospel. In fact, if the consummate Christian attribute of charity
has a first
cousin, it is friendship. To paraphrase the Apostle Paul slightly,
friendship 'suffereth
long, and is kind; [friendship] envieth not;... seeketh not her
own, is not
easily provoked, thinketh no evil;... [friendship] never
faileth.'" — Marlin K. Jensen, "Friendship: A Gospel
Principle," Ensign, May 1999, p. 64
(4/28/01)
"Practice the pure religion mentioned by the Apostle James, which
is 'to
visit the fatherless and widows.' (James 1:27.) Be kind and
considerate of all
members. Be thoughtful. Be careful in what you say. Don’t allow an
insensitive
remark or action to harm another. 'And above all things, clothe
yourselves with
the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of
perfectness and
peace.' (D&C 88:125.)" — Howard
W. Hunter, "The Church Is for All People," Ensign, June 1989, p.
77
(4/29/01)
"There is an eternal significance to why the Church is just the
facilitator
for the members in matters of providing for the poor and needy.
There are two
basic goals accomplished when we fulfill the commandment to care
for the poor.
The most obvious is the relief of suffering or the lifting of the
spirit of the
person to whom the service is given. The second is more subtle but
is of eternal
consequence. It has to do with the sanctification of the giver.
President Marion
G. Romney said, 'Living the law of consecration exalts the poor
and humbles the
rich. In the process, both are sanctified. The poor, released from
the bondage
and humiliating limitations of poverty, are enabled as free men to
rise to their
full potential, both temporally and spiritually. The rich, by
consecration and
the imparting of their surplus for the benefit of the poor, not by
constraint,
but willingly as an act of free will, evidence that charity for
their fellowmen
characterized by Mormon as `the pure love of Christ.` (Moro.
7:47.) This will
bring both the giver and receiver to the common ground on which
the Spirit of
God can meet them.' (Ensign, Nov. 1981, p. 93.)" — Glenn L. Pace,
"Infinite Needs and Finite
Resources," Ensign, June 1993, p. 53
(4/30/01)
"What does it mean to be charitable? Charity is the opposite of
selfishness. It means being generous and giving of both one’s
means and one’s
time in the service of others." — W.
Eugene Hansen, "Love," Ensign, Nov. 1989, p. 24
(3/1/04)
"The world in which we live would benefit greatly if men and women
everywhere would exercise the pure love of Christ, which is kind,
meek, and
lowly. It is without envy or pride. It is selfless because it
seeks nothing in
return. It does not countenance evil or ill will, nor rejoice in
iniquity; it
has no place for bigotry, hatred, or violence. It refuses to
condone ridicule,
vulgarity, abuse, or ostracism. It encourages diverse people to
live together in
Christian love regardless of religious belief, race, nationality,
financial
standing, education, or culture." - Howard W. Hunter, "A
More Excellent Way," Ensign, May 1992, pp. 61-62
(6/6/04)
"Charity is not just works or gift giving, but a condition of the
soul, a
quality of our character. The gift of charity flows from God as He
reveals His
love for us, and from our reciprocating-feeling love for God, His
work, and His
children. That is why Alma could prophesy, 'And see that ye have
faith, hope,
and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works' (Alma
7:24). Pride is the
opposite of charity. Selfishness, indifference, and indolence are
enemies of
charity." - V. Dallas Merrell, "A
Vision of Service," Ensign, December 1996, p. 10
(6/13/04)
"Alma emphasized the importance of 'having the love of God always
in your
hearts' (Alma
13:29).
Charity is that love. Charity is a gift of the Spirit, for 'all
things which are
good cometh of God' (Moro.
7:12).
And this gift is multiplied as it is used." - Elaine L. Jack, "Strengthened
in
Charity," Ensign, November 1996, p. 92
(8/24/05)
"Life has its share of some fear and some failure. Sometimes
things fall short, don't quite measure up. Sometimes in both
personal and public life, we are seemingly left without strength
to go on. Sometimes people fail us, or economies and circumstance
fail us, and life with its hardship and heartache can leave us
feeling very alone.
"But when such difficult moments come to us, I testify that there
is one thing which will never, ever fail us. One thing alone will
stand the test of all time, of all tribulation, all trouble, and
all transgression. One thing only never faileth—and that is the
pure love of Christ." - Jeffrey R. Holland, "He
Loved Them unto the End," Ensign, Nov. 1989, 26
11/18/05
"Would you have your children grow in a spirit of unselfishness?
Indulgence of selfish desires will not do it. Rather, let them
come to see in their own homes, and in their most intimate family
associations, the truth of the great principle set forth by the
Lord: 'Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever
shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall
save it.' (Mark
8:35.)" - Gordon B. Hinckley, "Faith: The Essence of True
Religion," p.67
1/13/06
"Out of the abundance of his heart, Jesus spoke to the poor, the
downtrodden, the widows, the little children; to farmers and
fishermen, and those who tended goats and sheep; to strangers and
foreigners, the rich, the politically powerful, as well as the
unfriendly Pharisees and scribes. He ministered to the poor, the
hungry, the deprived, the sick. He blessed the lame, the blind,
the deaf, and other people with physical disabilities. He drove
out the demons and evil spirits that had caused mental or
emotional illness. He purified those who were burdened with sin.
He taught lessons of love and repeatedly demonstrated unselfish
service to others. All were recipients of his love. All were
'privileged the one like unto the other, and none [were]
forbidden.' (2
Ne. 26:28.) These are all expressions and examples of his
unbounded charity.
"The world in which we live would benefit greatly if men and women
everywhere would exercise the pure love of Christ, which is kind,
meek, and lowly. It is without envy or pride. It is selfless
because it seeks nothing in return. It does not countenance evil
or ill will, nor rejoice in iniquity; it has no place for bigotry,
hatred, or violence. It refuses to condone ridicule, vulgarity,
abuse, or ostracism. It encourages diverse people to live together
in Christian love regardless of religious belief, race,
nationality, financial standing, education, or culture." - Howard
W. Hunter, "A
More Excellent Way," Ensign (CR), May 1992, p.61
1/30/06
"Just as doubt, despair, and desensitization go together, so do
faith, hope, and charity. The latter, however, must be carefully
and constantly nurtured, whereas despair, like dandelions, needs
so little encouragement to sprout and spread. Despair comes so
naturally to the natural man!" - Neal A. Maxwell, "Brightness
of Hope," Ensign (CR), November 1994, p.34
3/16/06
"Having watched a dispensation die and an entire civilization
destroy itself, Moroni quotes his father for any who will listen
in some later ("latter") day, 'If ye have not charity, ye are
nothing.' (Moro.
7:46.) Only the pure love of Christ will see us through. It
is Christ's love which suffereth long, and is kind. It is Christ's
love which is not puffed up nor easily provoked. Only his pure
love enables him—and us—to bear all things, believe all things,
hope all things, and endure all things. (See
Moro. 7:45.)"
- Jeffrey R. Holland, "He
Loved Them unto the End," Ensign (CR), November 1989, p.25
3/17/06
"Nothing will bring the Spirit of the Lord into your meetings,
your homes, and your personal associations more quickly than
showing kindness. 'Charity... is kind' (1
Cor. 13:4). Kindness should be right at the top of
everyone's list of things to do. Write it down every day: 'Be
kind.' Kindness comes in many different packages. Be thoughtful to
your neighbors. Be patient in a crowd. Be considerate of your
children and your husband. Be honest with your sisters. Trust them
and they will trust you.... As we increase our kindness, we add
charity to our storehouse and we are strengthened." - Elaine L.
Jack, "Strengthened
in Charity," Ensign (CR), November 1996, p.91
3/28/06
"We are challenged to move through a process of conversion toward
that status and condition called eternal life. This is achieved
not just by doing what is right, but by doing it for the right
reason—for the pure love of Christ. The Apostle Paul illustrated
this in his famous teaching about the importance of charity (see 1 Cor. 13). The
reason charity never fails and the reason charity is greater than
even the most significant acts of goodness he cited is that
charity, 'the pure love of Christ' (Moro.
7:47), is not an act but a condition or state of being.
Charity is attained through a succession of acts that result in a
conversion. Charity is something one becomes. Thus, as Moroni
declared, 'except men shall have charity they cannot inherit' the
place prepared for them in the mansions of the Father (Ether
12:34)." - Dallin H. Oaks, "The
Challenge to Become," Ensign (CR), November 2000, p.32
6/24/06
"We have been taught in other scripture that no matter how great
and significant our mortal accomplishments, no matter how much was
accomplished under our hand—as a bishop, a clerk, a president, a
teacher, or a parent—unless we learn to exhibit charity, we are
nothing. (See
1 Cor. 13:1-3.)
All our good deeds will not weigh in our favor if charity is
lacking." - H. Burke Peterson, "Our
Responsibility to Care for Our Own," Ensign (CR), May 1981,
p.81
10/1/06
"For Relief Society, the charity of our motto is not an
abstraction. It is a love beyond the emotion we might feel for or
from others. It isn't a 'what's in it for me?' kind of love. Being
friendly, generous, and respectful of others moves us along the
way from self-concern, but the selflessness of the kind of love
that Christ commanded us to learn is a high step indeed. 'Bless
them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for
them who despitefully use you' (3
Ne. 12:44). He promises that as we learn that kind of love,
we can become perfect!" - Aileen H. Clyde, "Relief
Society: Charity, the Guiding Principle," Ensign (CR),
November 1993, p.92
11/30/06
"I desire to second the resolution offered by President Winder to
this conference; and in doing so I desire to call attention to the
fact that we are connected with an institution founded of God for
the benefit of the whole world, and that it is an institution of
world-wide sympathies; that it is an institution whose doctrines
recognize the great truth that the children of men are also the
children of God, and that all men are brethren. No calamity can
fall upon any of our Father's children but what our hearts go out
in sympathy to them. I trust also that this movement, which I
believe will be unanimously endorsed by this conference, may bear
witness to the wisdom that exists in our methods of collecting
means for charitable and religious purposes. Thank God, there is
an institution in the earth whose charities are constantly
accumulating, that in the very moment of need there is a means of
ministering unto the children of men-a circumstance that speaks
loudly for the divine wisdom that has made these provisions in the
Church of Christ." - Brigham H. Roberts, "Conference Report,"
April 1907, p.59
2/24/07
"Stated simply, charity means subordinating our interests and
needs to those of others, as the Savior has done for all of us.
The Apostle Paul wrote that of faith, hope, and charity, 'the
greatest of these is charity' (1
Cor. 13:13), and Moroni wrote that 'except ye have charity
ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God' (Moro.
10:21). I believe that selfless service is a distinctive
part of the gospel. As President Spencer W. Kimball said, welfare
service 'is not a program, but the essence of the gospel. It is
the gospel in action.'" - Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Fruits
of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ," Ensign (CR),
November 1991, p.15
4/17/08
"Brothers and sisters, if only we had more compassion for those
who are different from us, it would lighten many of the problems
and sorrows in the world today. It would certainly make our
families and the Church a more hallowed and heavenly place." -
Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Concern for the One," General Conference,
April 2008
2/7/09
"Faith, hope, and charity complement each other, and as one
increases, the others grow as well. Hope comes of faith, for
without faith, there is no hope. In like manner faith comes of
hope, for faith is 'the substance of things hoped for.'
"Hope is critical to both faith and charity. When disobedience,
disappointment, and procrastination erode faith, hope is there to
uphold our faith. When frustration and impatience challenge
charity, hope braces our resolve and urges us to care for our
fellowmen even without expectation of reward. The brighter our
hope, the greater our faith. The stronger our hope, the purer our
charity.
"The things we hope for lead us to faith, while the things we hope
in lead us to charity. The three qualities—faith, hope, and
charity—working together, grounded on the truth and light of the
restored gospel of Jesus Christ, lead us to abound in good works."
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Infinite Power of Hope," (CR)
October 2008
2/8/09
"Now, understanding charity or being charitable is not easy. And
our scriptures have not indicated that it would be. Even 'charity
suffereth long' requires our thoughtful interpretation. The 'suffering'
that may come from loving is the result of our great caring. It
comes because another matters to us so much.
"To avoid that kind of suffering, we would have to avoid what
gives us life and hope and joy—our capacity to love deeply. As an
antidote against the suffering that will surely come as we have
loved ones die, or see them struggle or be misled, or have them
misunderstand us or even betray us, we can find relief in charity
to others. We accepted bearing one another's burdens and mourning
with those who mourn, as we accepted Christ in our baptism. (See
Mosiah 18:8-9.) His spirit and power will comfort us as we extend
ourselves in help and love to those who need us." - Aileen H.
Clyde, "Charity Suffereth Long", Ensign (CR), November 1991, p.76
4/14/09
“Can our prayers ascend to the throne of mercy and be heard and
answered, as we humbly desire, unless we practice charity in our
lives? Must we not give of ourselves and of our means in helping
others? Good intentions alone are not enough. Charity is not a
virtue to expect in others only. It is the all-important Christian
attribute to be found in ourselves.” - Henry D. Moyle, “Conference
Report,” April 1948, p.3
7/26/11
In the Church we have many opportunities to perform charitable
acts. Some of the greatest acts of charity begin with an
outstretched hand of friendship. - Adney Y. Komatsu, "The
Light of the Gospel," Ensign (CR) October 1981
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