Charity - Pure Love of Christ

Ether 14 – Ether speaks of a New Jerusalem to be built on this American continent and a remnant of Joseph would be preserved here.

There was one stipulation to this becoming a great nation: v2 “. . . the Lord would have that all men should serve him who dwell upon the face thereof;” As one who desires to serve the Lord and do His will, this comment brings me concern. Are we as a nation serving the Lord? What is it exactly that the Lord wants to qualify as serving?

“That ye love one another; as I have loved you,” John 13:34 How did the Savior love us? He sacrificed his very life for us. He taught us what was right. He served us. He comforted us. He set an example for us to follow.

Do we see this type of service in the world today? In our nation? There are a lot of people who take to heart the command to love their neighbor. Is it enough? There are also a vast majority of the people in the nation who are not lovers of anyone but themselves. And this is the concern for this nation.

As I see it, the only thing I can do is continue to keep the commandments and serve the Lord. I need to be charitable and kind to everyone I meet and seek out those who need me. I need to set an example of righteous living. Perhaps that is the hardest one because it requires me to be out of my comfort zone. Comfort zone because I'm living righteously? Not in the least. Comfort zone because I'm out and about; high profile and doing things that are not necessarily something I do naturally. It is not a natural thing for me to be charitable. It is something I am trying hard to be. Some days I'm better than others. It is the seeking the one that is probably the hardest for me. And this is where the spirit of revelation comes in. As I pray, I ask the Lord to let me be the answer to the prayer of someone else. Then I must listen hard for that prompting. When it comes, I must move quickly. When I do, I feel the blessings of the Lord and know that he is very near. And that is the goal – to know I'm not alone. That the Lord is with me in my efforts to do what is right. When I know that, there is no doubt in my mind that he will see me through these last days as the world becomes more and more wicked. I will become more and more charitable.