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Post Info TOPIC: What is Charity?
Poncho29


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What is Charity?
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I don't know how many of you ladies (or men) have looked at this month's visiting teaching message, but I went visiting teaching yesterday and there is a quote from Elder Dallin H. Oaks in there that had me wondering.

I tried to center my message around this. Anne C Pingree quoted Elder Oaks in the article, he said:
"charity is not an act but a condition or state of being (one becomes.")
She then says, "Our day to day offerings of charity are 'written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God."..."Little by little our charitable acts change our natures, define our characters, and ultimately make us women with the courage to say to the Lord, "Here am I, send me'"

I was intrigued by that and I wondered how does one become like that? Is it defined by the number of charitable acts we do? How does our whole being become charity? How do we achieve that condition? Is it becoming like Christ?

I stated in my message that I think that is a goal we should all strive for. The lady I visited (who happens to be the Bishop's wife and a seminary teacher) was intrigued too. She knew what I was saying and what the article was saying, but didn't quite understand what that meant either.
Nor did my companion. We all felt maybe that was something that required furthur study and prayerful consideration.

But then today my own visiting teacher looked at it this way-- she thought maybe acquiring that condition means to have a change of heart. That little by little performing acts of charity can change ones heart that we are always filled with charity.

Anyway, I'd thought I'd get some of your thoughts if anyone has any...



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hiccups


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I actually gave a talk on the Gift of Charity about a year and a half ago. I loved it and learned a lot.

I particularly enjoyed this talk by Gene R. Cook. It isn't long, but there's a whole other half of the talk in his footnotes. Seriously. Searching out those footnotes is how I gained my understanding of Charity.

For me some of the key there was understanding that the Gift of Charity is a gift of the Spirit. So it comes through the Holy Ghost. 

There were some other interesting points... maybe I'll dig up my talk...

-- Edited by hiccups at 11:30, 2007-12-12

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"The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path. Our path is uphill most days, but the help we receive for the climb is literally divine." --Elaine S. Dalton
alabamabelle


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there was an excellent point brought up about a facet of charity.

to be truly charitable means that when you listen to someone else, you are thoroughly engaged in what THEY are SAYING and FEELING. And you attune your heart and mind to their wavelength emotionally and spiritually.

it is a condition of purity that wipes away pretense and personal ideology in favor of the kind, listening heart of the Savior.

after I thought about that for a while, I thought of the myriad of times that I have been preoccupied with my response instead of truly hearing what was on the mind of the person who had come to me trusting that they could unburden their soul, share a special moment or just reinforce family ties.

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rayb


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For me, my wife... she's a great example of charity. I find myself trying my best to help her, cuz she just seems to have a better ability to be long-suffering, unconditional in her love and service...

--Ray

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Euphrasie


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Sister Pingree's quote was the one I focused on while teaching too.  The quote from Elder Oaks comes from this talk.  One of my all-time favorites. 

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