Doctrine and Covenants 42, also known as the Law of the Church, which Joseph Smith received by revelation in February 1831, contains a number of instructions about supporting people in need. Here are some principles that stand out to me:
1. When you have more than enough, share.
The Lord makes it clear that when we have more than we need, we ought to share.
- “If there shall be properties in the hands of the church, or any individuals of it, more than is necessary for their support after this first consecration, which is a residue to be consecrated unto the bishop, it shall be kept to administer to those who have not, from time to time, that every man who has need may be amply supplied and receive according to his wants. Therefore, the residue shall be kept in my storehouse, to administer to the poor and the needy,” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:33).
- “If thou obtainest more than that which would be for thy support, thou shalt give it into my storehouse, that all things may be done according to that which I have said” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:55).
King Benjamin taught this same principle to his people. He said:
I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants
Mosiah 4:26
Benjamin reminds us that not all surpluses are monetary. We may have time to share with others. We may have skills that they lack. We may be able to inspire and strengthen them spiritually. Caring for the poor and needy includes emotional and spiritual as well as material support.
President Russell M. Nelson taught, “The gospel brings spiritual wealth which may bear little relation, at first, to tangible abundance. Conversely, people with plenty can be spiritually poor. Yet the Lord is concerned for them all!” (“In the Lord’s Own Way,” General Conference, April 1986).
So when you have more than you need of anything—temporal or spiritual—look for someone who needs it, and share.
2. A gift is a gift.
When you give something away, it is no longer yours. Obvious as that may sound, we may sometimes have a hard time letting things go. We may think the recipient owes us something. We may think we have some right to dictate how the gift is used. We may even believe that we have the right to claw it back if we’re unhappy with the outcome.
The Lord explained that this is simply not true:
- When a person leaves the church, he or she “shall not receive again that which he has consecrated unto the poor and the needy of my church, or in other words, unto me” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:37).
So when you give something away, let it go. Move on. It’s not yours any more. Be grateful that you’ve been blessed to help somebody, and look forward to future opportunities to serve.
3. Do something now; don’t wait for perfection before giving.
Shortly after giving the Law of the Church, the Lord clarified that church members should not wait for everything to be organized before putting these principles into practice:
- “Ye must visit the poor and the needy and administer to their relief, that they may be kept until all things may be done according to my law which ye have received” (Doctrine and Covenants 44:6).
Sometimes, we see an opportunity to serve, but we believe that there is a better way to get the job done. Of course it’s good to look for ways to improve, but when someone is in need right now, we ought to provide relief right now. Build better processes to help with future needs, of course, but don’t neglect people who have needs in the meantime.
A corollary is that we should keep our giving simple. Don’t overcomplicate it. Consider this description of the charitable giving of church members under the leadership of Alma:
In their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need.
Alma 1:30
There’s an admirable immediacy in this description. Somebody has a need, and we help them. Of course, we can organize ourselves to meet recurring needs more effectively, but we don’t let that organization stand in the way of our fundamental duty to provide assistance when it’s needed.
Conclusion
Today, I will apply these three principles: sharing what I have, giving without expecting anything in return, and serving without delay. I will trust that even simple efforts can make a difference in the lives of those in need.
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