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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
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