Doing Good to Others

There is a quote that begins this lesson that I really think is worth contemplating. “Cultivate a spirit of charity; be ready to do for others more than you would expect from them if circumstances were reversed.”  I can say from personal experience that what I would "need" would be simple but then ask, "Would I give more to others?"- - - - - - -(thinking time.)- - - - -
Sister Gustafson told part of a story from President Snow's family life. A friend asked the Snows if they could carry a trunk in the Snow wagon as the other family couldn't handle it. Yes, was the reply. Later that day, an axle on the wagon broke and the Snows were halted, without the proper tools to fix the axle. Funny thing - -- the man whose trunk they were carrying had the tools and the skills to fix the wagon and did so quickly. The question bantered around was about giving service and how sometimes immediate and unexpected blessing come to the giver as well as the recipient.
Sister Gustafson had a sign in the front of the room on a piece of cardboard that had this written on it, "For behold, are we not all ^abeggars?" which is found in Mosiah 4:19. We are all dependent upon the Lord for all that we have. If that is the case, then we are beholden to Him and should feel no compunctions about sharing with our brothers and sisters in need. President Snow wrote in his journal," Granting one favor often leads to obtaining another." When we give service, if we give it with the correct spirit, this statement certainly holds true.
"We are of the same Father in the celestial worlds. … If we knew each other as we should, … our sympathies would be excited more than they are at the present time, and there would be a desire on the part of every individual to study in their own minds how they might do their brethren good, how they might alleviate their sorrows and build them up in truth, how [they might] remove the darkness from their minds. If we understand each other and the real relationship which we hold to each other, we should feel different from what we do; but this knowledge can be obtained only as we obtain the Spirit of life, and as we are desirous of building each other up in righteousness." It is so easy to love the loveable and help those whom we love, but with this paragraph's guidance, we should be able to see the potential of all those around us as did/does the Savior. Use your imagination and look at someone whom makes you stand back for a moment and then imagine them cleanly dressed, haircut and glowing countenance of honesty and confidence. Is this what our Savior sees in all of us? Hopefully, we can overcome whatever bothers us and come closer to the Savior as we toss aside our judgments of others. ( I bet some of you are thinking of the 'walking in the moccasins story.)
A point was brought up that we see so many needy people and how can we help them all? Should we feel guilt when we walk past someone in need? One sister said that we should become "as" the Savior not "be" the Savior. It is up to us individually to find out how and how many we can help, but not at the expense of our families. Yes, serving our family members is service. It counts!
As we live our lives, we should be friends to all , not saving the blessings of the Lord for our small circle of friends." Be upright, just and merciful, exercising a spirit of nobility and godliness in all your intentions and resolutions—in all your acts and dealings. Cultivate a spirit of charity; be ready to do for others more than you would expect from them if circumstances were reversed. Be ambitious to be great, not in the estimation of the worldly minded, but in the eyes of God, and to be great in this sense, “Love the Lord our God with all your might, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.” You must love mankind because they are your brethren, the offspring of God. Pray diligently for this spirit of philanthropy, this expansion of thought and feeling, and for power and ability to labor earnestly in the interest of Messiah’s kingdom."
When we do good to others, "Good will come to us all right if we keep our minds outside of ourselves to a certain extent, and try to make others happier and draw them a little nearer to the Lord." It seems that no matter what we do in the way of kindness, we can never "even thing up" with the Lord. He is always there to bless us and support us in our acts of kindness and charity. Stories in class support this philosophy that in service with the correct spirit, we come away a greater person, closer to the Savior, AND happy! Those things all sound good to me, plus I bet we could add healthier as well.
The Savior served in his ministry peacefully, not running from hither to yon and back, but calmly, doing as much as he could. I believe that this kind of service is a great example for us as sisters. We often tend to expect to run faster than we can, but we do  not have to do so. In a world where there are many cries for help, let us stop and listen for those that belong to us, the ones we can do something for to make a difference. " … Individuals can enjoy heaven around them in all places. We have got to go to work and do this; we must go to work and establish heaven upon this earth, notwithstanding the evils that are around us, the devils that are around us, and notwithstanding the wickedness that exists, still we have got to go to work and establish heaven upon this earth."
Mosiah 2:17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn ^awisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the ^bservice of your ^cfellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." I couldn't resist this scripture in closing. The scriptures that are so straight to the point and simply said are the ones we remember, as the Lord intends.
Your bloggess,
Janice