What is Charity?

  I have been learning a lot about charity for the last year or so as I have been serving as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. I would like to share a little of what I have learned with you.

  One of the most powerful explanations of charity can be found in 1 Corinthians 13. All of chapter 13 talks about charity, but I would like to highlight these five verses:

"4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

8 Charity never faileth" 

  These few verses have really touched my heart and have helped me to understand what charity really is. The most important thing I have learned about charity is that it is a verb. Here in these five verses, charity is only described with actions.  If we have charity we are going to be led to act. We will feel a strong love for our fellow beings and have a strong desire to serve those in need. True charity will always lead us to act with love. 

  I have come to realize that Jesus Christ truly is a perfect example for us in everything, including charity. His entire life is an example of true charity and love for everyone. Christ did nothing but serve others. He was filled with love in His heart and that lead Him to act. That to me is what Charity truly is. He also performed the greatest act of charity ever. He gave His life for our sins. He performed the Atonement. He suffered for each and everyone of us and because of that He knows us all perfectly. He did it out of pure love and charity. I would encourage you all to go back and read through Luke chapters 22 and 23 with the thought of charity in your mind. Every time that I read these chapters my heart is filled with the pure love of my Savior and I can feel what true charity is.

  Another great scripture about charity that I found is in 1 Timothy 1:5

5 "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:"

  My prayer is that we may all follow the example of Jesus Christ and strive to have charity in our lives and be filled with that love that will guide us to serve others. I know as we do so we will help other people feel of our love and our Heavenly Father's love for them. The world would be a beautiful place if we all acted with true charity in our hearts.

  I would just like to end by sharing a quote from M. Russell Ballard:

"The most important attribute of Heavenly Father and of His Beloved Son that we should desire and seek to possess within our lives is the gift of Charity, the pure love of Christ. From this gift springs our capacity to love and to serve others as the Savior did."