Good question . . . -- Notes from Zarahemla Political Forum

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, [2], 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 20:30:04 12/10/06 Sun
Author: Jay
Subject: Good question . . .
In reply to: Cricket 's message, "Excellent point, Jay" on 08:11:45 12/10/06 Sun

And I don't have a good answer for you. I'd like to be able to say that I let the Spirit prompt me but that really wouldn't be correct. As a family, we pray to know who around us are in need and that we might be able to help. But for the most part, things just come up, or we sometimes ask the bishop who needs help.

I'm not a wealthy person by any means, although I'm in a much better place now than I was ten years ago. With ten children, there have been many times when we were grateful just to make it to my next pay check. There have been many times when we were in need and money just seemed to come from somewhere. A gift, an extra job I was able to do, an unexpected refund of some sort . . .

One year was particularly difficult for us. When Christmas came, I really didn't know what I was going to do. My wife and I decided to not give each other gifts and just do what we could for the kids. On Christmas eve, someone anonymously left us several gifts on the porch and $100 cash. After Christmas, Vickie and I used it to take a two-day vacation to San Diego. That was our Christmas gift. Although that was many years ago, to this day, I remember it with gratefulness.

We try to do the same. We look for people in need. They are there. I believe that the poor, the needy, the sick, the lame, the mentally ill, the homeless . . . they are there to bless us. When we learn to give and sacrifice without any extra credit from the government, true blessings come.

I don't know (or do I really care) whether more donations come from the conservatives or liberals. To me, they're all just labels, anyway. The donations that count the most, in my opinion, are the ones that are anonymous.

I had a friend who was in our stake presidency and he was asked to participate in a weekly meeting of the different churches in our town. They would take turns giving speeches about our beliefs. After his first speech, the Mormons were uninvited to participate anymore. But one of the more notable moments was when they talked about contributions. Each week, on the back page of the Saturday newspaper, it listed the money, service projects, donations, etc., that different congregations had made to the community. Our church was never listed. When at one of those weekly meetings they asked my friend why the Mormon church doesn't donate to any of the local causes, his reply was simple. We do not do things to be recognized of man.

Except for an occasional record in my journal that my family reads, I never talk about donations that I make. I can't give to everyone who asks, and I have been accused on more than one occasion of being a Scrooge. It's okay. I do what I can and I leave the rest between me and my Heavenly Father.

Jay

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Simple answer -- Deborah, 01:43:15 12/11/06 Mon

thank you for responding -- Cricket, 05:58:00 12/11/06 Mon

I can't argue . . . -- Jay, 07:01:10 12/11/06 Mon
- That was an outstanding article -- Cricket, 05:02:49 12/13/06 Wed
  - Celebrate your own goodness, grasshopper ;-) -- Deborah, 02:51:51 12/14/06 Thu
- Returning to highlight this part of my message... -- Deborah, 02:46:25 12/14/06 Thu