Now, why does Jesus advocate personal charity rather than government charity? Why does he put the onus on us as individuals instead of the State? I think the reason is this: love. The goal is not to eradicate poverty, like poverty is some kind of disease. The goal is simply to love each other. This is why Christ especially commends the old woman at the temple who gave comparatively little. It was, for her, an act of great love. And that is what Christ wants from us. He wants us to love each other. There is no love in the Welfare System. There is no love in taxation. It is bureaucratic, impersonal, disinterested, dehumanizing. A man is not experiencing the fruits of love when he cashes a monthly check sent to him by some government office. Rather, he is being treated like a number, a statistic, a problem that must be solved. This does not appear to be what Jesus had in mind.
“In this long eternal quest to be more like our Savior, may we try to be “perfect” men and women in at least this one way now ---by offending not in word, or more positively put, by speaking with a new tongue, the tongue of angels. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity.”
“in this long eternal quest to be more like our Savior, may we try to be ‘perfect’ men and women in at least this one way now—by offending not in word, or more positively put, by speaking with a new tongue, the tongue of angels. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today. With such words, spoken under the influence of the Spirit, tears can be dried, hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail.
No wonder then that Jesus taught charity as the dual principle of deliverance and ultimate perfection: “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; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven…Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”[42] Jesus could not abide contentious doctrine: “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”[43]Rather, he said, “Resist not evil,”[44] that is to say, “do not at-one with evil spirits and they who are influenced by them.” It would be better to turn the other cheek, give the abuser your cloak when he sues you for your coat, or if a contentious person compels you to walk one mile, agree to walk twice the distance. Do whatever is necessary not to at-one with the spirit of contention. For safety’s sake, do the opposite of what that spirit is tempting you to do! Choose charity!
Charity is not an emotion or an action. It is not something we feel or do. Charity is who the Savior is. It is His most defining and dominant attribute. It is what enabled Him to endure the Garden and the cross for you and me. It is one of the things that makes Him God. Thus, when we plead for the gift of charity, we aren't asking for kind feelings toward someone who has wounded us. We are pleading for our very natures to be changed, for our character to become more and more like the Savior's, so that we literally feel as He would feel and do what He would do. This is why Mormon said that when the Savior appears, those who have been gifted with charity will be like him, for they will "see him as he is."
After hearing many strongly expressed answers to the happy-marriage question, the teacher observed: “There is no one key. Every relationship is different.” I disagree. There is one key. It is the willingness to see, feel, and act as Jesus would see, feel, and act. It is called charity. How do we get charity? No pep rally will get us there. No nutritional supplement can provide it. There is only one source for this precious gift. “Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God” (Moroni 7:47). We cannot create charity in ourselves. We can make ourselves humble. We can withhold impatience and judgment. We can feel compassion for others. Then we must call on God “with all the energy of heart” for the heavenly gift only He can give. Charity is the gift that changes everything, especially in marriage.