Skip to main content

"No Interest in the Kingdom of God," Mosiah 4:16-23

Mosiah 4:16-23

On the topic of charitable giving, these verses address erroneous attitudes towards the poor.

It is commonplace, at least in my own experience, to rationalize away every petition for charitable assistance. There are some interesting diagnosis of this type of attitude. What strikes me as even more profoundly important is that an attitude of neglect towards the poor is in direct defiance to the work of God:
  • "Whosoever [jugdeth the poor] the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God." (vs. 18, emphasis added)
  • "Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished." (Proverbs 17:5, emphasis added)
Isaiah 58 is for me one of the most inspiring chapters on charitable giving that is found in holy writ, for it helps me to see the blessing or the fruits that come from engaging in such activities. One of the promises that is extended is that we shall be called "the restorer[s] of paths to dwell in." That strikes me as profoundly significant. As the natural state of things is to fall apart, to decay, to be destroyed, the purpose and objective of the kingdom of God then must be to build up, to edify, to bring to an inhabitable and productive state, that which was lost and that which is yet to be established.  This is significant on two levels, both in the outward environs that surround us, but more importantly, within us.

So it becomes our objective to build up everyone. The poor are the same as the well-to-do. All are equal in God's eyes. Hence, very conclusively, King Benjamin declares that if you look past the poor (the lowest rung of the ladder), then you have no interest in the Kingdom of God.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"A Space Between Death and the Resurrection," Alma 40:15-21

Alma 40:15-21 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/tg/resurrection?lang=eng The New Testament, after the Resurrection of Christ, is replete with testimony by the apostles of the reality of that very thing. I took a pause from this study to reflect over in John 6 . At least twice within that passage, the phrase "the resurrection of the just" had been added back into the passage in the Joseph Smith Translation. No man can come unto me, except he doeth the will of my Father who hath sent me. And this is the will of him who hath sent me, that ye receive the Son; for the Father beareth record of him; and he who receiveth the testimony, and doeth the will of him who sent me, I will raise up in the resurrection of the just. ( JST - John 6:44 ) Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up in the resurrection of the just at the last day. ( John 6:54 ) Why, among other doctrines, does the adversary or the world want to suppress...
2 comments
Read more

"The State of the Soul Between Death and the Resurrection," Alma 40:11-14

Alma 40:11-14 Deep consideration of the realities articulated in these verses has brought a very strong spiritual confirmation to me this morning. This doctrine is familiar to me, both because of the numerous times that I have studied these verses before, but also because of the eternal realities that cause my soul to resonate with the Spirit of the Lord. Verse 11 , which I learned and memorized as a youth, especially rings deep and true. We are taken back to God after this amazing and terrible* mortal experience. And then there is a separation between wicked and righteous. In a realm dominated by the Light, there is a separation. It is also curious to note how the same Being, God, can induce such dramatically different responses in individuals based upon their choices. *I use terrible in the sense of "extremely unpleasant or disagreeable" or to illustrate the extreme hardships that are an inevitable part of this experience. --- In verses 12-14 , the states of the r...
Post a Comment
Read more