My Word Journey with CHARITY

Holy guacamole people. I have had WAY too many A-ha's with this word to not share them! :) 

So, for Christians, the word Charity usually has two meanings: 

1.  Liberality to the poor, consisting in alms giving or benefactions, or in gratuitous services to relieve them in distress. 

OR

2. In a more particular sense, love, kindness, affection, tenderness, springing from natural relations; as the charities of father, son and brother.

(Both of these are from Websters 1828 Dictionary)

So in case no one understands 1828 language, I'll paraphrase. ;)

It either means you give charity to the poor, by donating things that they are in need of, or, it means we just have pure love for them. (Like the PURE LOVE of CHRIST) 

BUT! I realized something. One form of CHARITY is not complete with out the other. 

The bible dictionary explains this nicely: 

"Charity The highest, noblest, strongest kind of love, not merely affection; the pure love of Christ. It is never used to denote alms or deeds of benevolence, although it may be a prompting motive (1 Cor. 8:1; 13:1–4, 8; 13; 14:1; Moro. 7:47)."

So when we have Christ's charity, then we automatically want to give to the poor, so it's like a motive. One Charity is not complete with out the other.

For instance, lets say that someone decided to give to the needy (in any form or fashion). But its out of obligation not out of pure love. Usually the people your helping can tell if it's out of love and kindness or out of some other selfish motive....

One Charity Is Not Complete With Out The Other...

Quote to wrap everything up: “A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.” 

                  ― Jack London

My Word Journey on REMEMBER

1828 Dictionary: There were 15 definitions, but here is my top two:
      -To preserve the memory of; to preserve from being forgotten.
      -To think of and consider; to meditate. 
Merriam-Webster Dictionary: To bring to mind or think of again. 
LDS.org: 'Oh, remember these words, and keep my commandments.Remember, this is your gift.'
                  -Dn'C 8:5
'And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.'
                  -3 Nephi 18:7
'And it came to pass that the people saw that they were about to perish by famine, and they began to remember the Lord their God;' 
                                          -Helaman 11:7
      I think this one shows how important it is to not have pride. We are unable to have full remembrance of what really matters without humbleness. 
Quotes: 'Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.'
                   -Benjamin Franklin
'Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.'
                   -Harriet Tubman
'In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.' 
                   -Martin Luther King Jr. 
My Definition: To remember is to always do our best to store the most important things, whether they be good or bad. Because, when we remember the bad, we are able to remember not to do it again. And with the good, we are able to remember it so it's always there for our memory. 

My Word Journey on CHARITY

1828 Dictionary: In a more particular sense, love, kindness, affection, tenderness, springing from natural relations; as the charities of father, son and brother.

Dictionary.com: Benevolent feeling, especially toward those in need or in disfavor.

          I think this definition is iffy. I think we should have that benevolent feeling towards all, not just those who are in need or disfavor... Or maybe everyone is in need or in disfavor of something... It's something to think about. :) 

LDS.org: Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail

47 But 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.

 48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

                    -Moroni 10:46-48

Quotes: With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.

-Abraham Lincoln

Charity begins at home, but should not end there.

-Thomas Fuller

My Definition: Charity is the center of all things good. I feel that without charity, it's hard to do anything Christ Centered. The Center of the TRUE RING Sis. Bates was talking about... Yeah. :) I love Charity. 

My Word Journey on SERVICE

1828 Dictionary: In a general sense, labor of body or of body and mind, performed at the command of a superior, or the pursuance of duty, or for the benefit of another. Service is voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary service is that of hired servants, or of contract, or of persons who spontaneously perform something for another's benefit. Involuntary service is that of slaves, who work by compulsion.

Dictionary.com: An act of helpful activity; help; aid: to do someone a service.

LDS.org: And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

                    -Mosiah 2:17

For thou shalt devote all thy service in Zion; and in this thou shalt have strength.

                    -Dn’C 24:7

Quotes: The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

-Mahatma Gandhi

Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.

-Mahatma Gandhi

My Definition: I heard a quote once, that Pres. Hinckley’s father told him while he was on his mission: “Forget yourself and go to work.” I think this is the perfect definition of Service. 

My Word Journey on SEEK

1828 Dictionary: To go in search or quest of; to look for; to search for by going from place to place.

·         Search: To look over or through for the purpose of finding something;

·         Quest: The act of seeking; search;

Dictionary.com: To try to find or discover by searching or questioning.

LDS.org: We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

                -Articles of Faith 1:13

…Let him seek peace, and ensue it.

                -1 Peter 3:11

Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

                -Psalms 105:4

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

                 -3 Nephi 13:33

Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

                 -Dn’C 88:63

Quotes: When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.

-William Arthur Ward

Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace. Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God - the rest will be given.

-Mother Teresa

My Definition: To seek means to search and find.

My Word Journey on RESISTANCE

1828 Dictionary: 1. The act of resisting; opposition. resistance is passive, as that of a fixed body which interrupts the passage of a moving body; or active, as in the exertion of force to stop, repel or defeat progress or designs. 2. The quality of not yielding to force or external impression; that power of a body which acts in opposition to the impulse or pressure of another, or which prevents the effect of another power; as the resistance of a ball which receives the force of another; the resistance of wood to a cutting instrument; the resistance of air to the motion of a cannon ball, or of water to the motion of a ship.

Dictionary.com: 1. The act or power of resisting, opposing, or withstanding. 2. The opposite on offered by one thing, force, etc., to another.

LDS.org: And thus without meeting any resistance, they did slay a thousand and five of them; and we know that they are blessed, for they have gone to dwell with their God.

                         -Alma 24:22

Quotes: The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive.

-Thomas Jefferson

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.

-Mark Twain

My Definition: Resistance is to push against, or resist something. 

My Word Journey on PERSERVERANCE

1828 Dictionary: Persistence in anything undertaken; continued pursuit or prosecution of any business or enterprise begun; applied alike to good or evil.

Dictionary.com: Steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

LDS.org: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;’

                 -Ephesians 6:18

‘And again, verily thus saith the Lord: Let the work of my temple, and all the works which I have appointed unto you, be continued on and not cease; and let your diligence, and your perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of Hosts. And if they persecute you, so persecuted they the prophets and righteous men that were before you. For all this there is a reward in heaven.’

                  -Dn’C 127:4

Quotes: ‘Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.’

                  -Newt Gingrich

‘Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.’ 

                  -Julie Andrews 

Personal Definition: To stay with something, even when it’s hard. To never give up, and to be persistent in the important things in life.