Charity: The True Love of Christ

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I have been asked to speak on the topic of charity. I imagine many of you already have meaningful thoughts and personal experiences with this Christlike attribute. My hope is to contribute to your understanding by sharing a few experiences and scriptural insights that I draw upon regularly.

Some time ago, I was asked, “Why do you volunteer so much?”
My answer, almost instinctively, was, “Because that’s who I am.”

I don’t share this to boast, but to illustrate a point: to me, charity is the true love of Jesus Christ—a love that shapes my identity and guides my actions.

If I am to love my family, my neighbor, the downtrodden, or even someone who has caused harm, then I must be willing to step down from the mountain of comfort and walk through the valleys where the poor, the sick, and the struggling children of God live. That’s where true charity walks.

The word charity comes from the Old French charité, rooted in the Latin caritas, meaning “dearness,” “costliness,” or “affection.” The original Greek term used in the New Testament is agapē—a divine, selfless, sacrificial love.

Paul describes this beautifully in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8:

"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..."

Let me focus now on that phrase: "a divine, selfless, sacrificial love." For me, this begins in the home.

It shows up in how I care for, support, and protect those closest to me—my family. In my home, I have the responsibility to listen, advise, and listen again. Sometimes it means doing something small, like washing the dishes or sweeping the floor. These small, simple acts are not insignificant—they’re acts of charity. You likely have your own list of daily moments where love is shown in quiet ways.

In the community, charity means being present—available—when someone reaches out. It might be helping someone with their yard or supporting a local effort to provide food or shelter. In Contra Costa County, here in Concord, or in our stakes, there are many chances to serve. The important thing is to act—to show up.

This brings me to a second question: Where does charity end? When is enough, enough?

The Book of Mormon gives us a clear answer. Mormon teaches:

“Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.” — Moroni 7:47

This tells us that charity is not just Christ’s love for us—it’s the love we are invited to develop, receive, and extend to others. It is both an inward transformation and an outward expression of discipleship.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are invited to:

• Pray for this gift,

• Practice it through our actions, and

• Live it in our daily relationships.

Charity is more than a virtue;
it is a requirement for exaltation—
in this life, and in the life to come.

Now, I don’t know what the next life or the next kingdom holds for me. But I hope that the acts of love and patience I offer now—through service or in my family—will help me hold on to the charity I’m learning to live today. Until then, I’ll try to keep a smile on my face and a prayer in my heart for everyone I meet.

By doing so, I believe I am sharing—however small—a portion of the grace of Jesus Christ, who said:

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” — Matthew 25:40

Christ’s charity lives in us
when we care for the poor,
the hungry,
the sick,
the lonely,
and the forgotten.

I invite each of us to seek charity not only through service, but through repentance and humble prayer. As Moroni counsels:

“Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love…” — Moroni 7:48

I testify that charity—true, Christlike love—
is the highest expression of discipleship.
It is the essence of the gospel.
It heals the world,
and it transforms the heart.

I share these thoughts and testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.