Charity: the pure love of Christ

Today I have spent some time thinking about what I most wanted to share with people today. I have had the chance recently to celebrate my birthday with some of those that I love and cherish dearly. I got to interact with my friends, and just felt blessed from all the love that they were showering on me. I know that Heavenly Father has been blessing my life through their actions. Thinking this way, has made me become even more aware of all the blessings in my life. I really want to bless others in a similar manner. To do this, I need to work on developing my charity.

According to the Bible dictionary, charity is, "the highest, noblest, strongest kind of love, not merely affection; the pure love of Christ" (632). This concept of charity comes from the prophet Moroni, who took over writing in the Book of Mormon from his father Mormon. It says in Moroni 7:45-47, "And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail-- But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him."

Charity is the pure love of Christ. We need to love like Christ loved all mankind: fully, completely, with no reservations at all. I mean, Christ even loved Judas when he ended up betraying Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. That is a perfect type of love. To love in this manner, we need to help those who need help themselves. There are so many poor, sick, or lonely people in this world that need love and support. Many people have reached a point in their life where they don't believe that life is worth living anymore. These ones especially need our complete love. When we help others in the manner similar to Christ's, we will inherit the kingdom of God. Matthew 25:40, "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

When we help others, we need to have the right mindset. If we are doing it purely for gain, or to build ourselves up, we are missing the point and won't feel satisfied.  We need to feel compassion for those we help, to care for them, and to be kind towards them. In dealing with all people, we also must remember to forgive others. When we show God that we are willing to forgive others, then He in return will forgive us for our sins. Christ also said in Matthew 5:44, 46, "I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you...For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?" It is really easy to love those who show that love right back to you. It is harder to love those that hurt us, upset us, or are mean towards us. Christ was that perfect example, by even loving the soldiers who drove the nails into his hands and his feet.

There are practical ways in which we can develop our charity towards others. First, we can study the life of Christ by reading the scriptures. In it, we learn of how he dealt with people in many different situations, and we can attempt to emulate his actions in our own life. Second, when we don't feel like showing love towards others, we can pray to have greater love for them. Third, we need to learn how to love ourselves. This means that we need to understand how we are children of our Heavenly Father. One of my favorite parts in my calling as secretary in the Young Women's Presidency is reciting our motto every week. It starts out in this way, "We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us and we love Him. We will stand as witnesses of God, at all times, and in all things, and in all places..." Each week, I am impressed upon by how simple, yet extremely complex it is that I am a daughter of God, and that I have such divine potential. Fourth, we need to keep ourselves humble, and not view ourselves as superior. Just because we may be in a different situation in our life, does not mean that we are better off than another person. In a way of acting with empathy towards others, Joseph Smith said, "The nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs" (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 428-29).

We need to come humbly to God, confess of our sins and our difficulties, and ask Him to make us better. Then, we need to show our love towards others in the manner that God showed His love towards us. When we help others, lift them up, and are able to bear in one another's burdens, we become more like Christ. The world can be changed in this manner, if we put forth the effort and try.

Some very charitable missionaries that I know: Elders Meier, Beames, Crabbe, and Anderson. I get blessed by their efforts very frequently in my life. I am honored to consider them my friends.