The Season of Giving

I was reading recently in Mosiah Chapter 4 and some verses really stood out to me, especially as we are entering this Christmas Season.  I am going to write them out here:

Verse 21  And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another.

Verse 22  And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life belongeth; and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing with thou hast done.

Verse 23  I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his substance shall perish with him; and now, I say these things unto those who are rich as pertaining to the things of the world. 

Verse 24  And again, I say unto the poor, ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your hearts that:  I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give

Verse 25  And now, if ye say this in your hearts ye remain guiltless, otherwise ye are condemned; and your condemnation is just for ye covet that which ye have not received.

Verse 26  And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you - that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God- 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.

Many times I have judged the homeless people who are begging for money, food, or work.  I have thought to myself that they are going to buy alcohol or cigarettes, but then I read this scripture and it tells us that we are not to deny helping those who petition our help.  Who am I to judge these people who are begging for help?  I will say it again, who am I to judge these people when I have been so richly blessed?

So, I have made a conscious effort to help out everyone I see within reason.  I went to a Jazz game not long after reading this scripture and I saw a woman begging for money to buy formula and I gave her the $10 bill that I had in my wallet and then the next day I went to the bank and got several $1 bills to put in my car and in my wallet to give to those I come across in need.   I am also going to work on putting some easy-to-hand-out food so that if I come across someone in my car I can give them not only money but food. 

I will let the Lord judge these people who may be begging unrighteously, but as for me, I am going to do all I can to bless those that stand in need.