Exalting the Poor - The Lord’s Way for Giving
As a young boy, I sang these simple yet profound lyrics. “I’m small I know, but wherever I go the fields grow greener still.”[1] This imagery of a small stream bringing life around it mirrors a powerful truth—our small acts of generosity can bless and uplift those in need. The symbolism in this song teaches us a powerful lesson - we can bless others along our journey if we willingly give what we have, large or small.
I believe God is merciful and forgiving. The scriptures are full of examples that affirm His love and grace. Yet, there is a doctrinal topic where He seems more firm than lenient, more direct than ambiguous. This topic is caring for the poor and needy. Delaying generosity deprives those in need and robs us of the blessings of selfless giving. God wants us to learn to give of our own volition, especially to those in need.
WARNINGS FROM SCRIPTURE – A CALL TO SELF-REFLECTION
The prophet Moroni was shown our day as he finished his father’s work of gathering selected teachings for the Book of Mormon. He felt compelled to speak directly to those of us who would receive the Book of Mormon in the last days. “Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.”[2]
Moroni, then, describes our day, “I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts.”2 He uses the words, “envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities.”2 These words indeed describe our day. We should be introspective and careful not to discount his words as applicable to us because we think they are for someone else. He continues, “For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.”2 His vision of our day and subsequent counsel should grab our attention.
He continues with a stern warning. “Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not? Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads? Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer.2 This is not the only place in scripture where we see direct language around this topic. It is clear to me that God feels strongly about us caring for the poor and needy.
THE LORD’S WAY
God does not command and warn without giving us instructions on how to fulfill His commandments. In the Doctrine and Covenants, Christ speaks directly about His way of caring for His saints and warns us against the misuse of our temporal blessings.
“And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine. But it must needs be done in mine own way; and behold this is the way that I, the Lord, have decreed to provide for my saints, that the poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low. For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves. Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment.”[3]
There are a few notable takeaways from these scriptures.
First, the Lord clearly states that He has a specific way of providing for His saints. His way includes blessing both the giver and receiver, exalting the poor while making the rich low. In other words, God combats pride, envy, contempt, and many other iniquities familiar to prosperity by inviting us to care for others in a way that exalts them. Both are blessed.
Second, there is enough for everyone. Looking through the lens of abundance requires faith. We should leverage God’s blessings without exploiting what He has given us.
Third, we are to be agents unto ourselves. We must learn to care for others without compulsion. Paul said it this way, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”[4] Waiting to be asked or told diminishes the blessings for both the giver and receiver. In this area, we are to act more than be acted upon.
WE ARE ALL BEGGARS
Each of us is poor in one way or another. When we think of caring for others, our minds immediately focus on financial poverty. Yet, there are so many other types of poverty. We can be poor in health, emotional wellness, relationships, or abilities. And ultimately, we are all dependent on Christ’s grace, making us poor in working out our salvation independently of Him.
Recognizing that each of us has opportunities to be both a giver and receiver can be enlightening and an exercise in self-awareness. Sometimes we are the poor, and sometimes we are the rich. God gave us communities to help balance and support one another. Within those communities, God has given blessings to every person, and each of us is to be stewards of those blessings. He also intends for us to share those blessings. We must never forget the wise words of King Benjamin, “Are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?”[5] Our dependence on God reminds us that we should view our blessings through the lens of stewardship and be less possessive of what we have.
HOW TO GIVE IN A WAY THAT HELPS
How we give matters. We want to give in a way that exalts the poor. A simple definition of exalt is to elevate. Said differently, we want our giving to help the poor with the resources they need to improve their situation, and we want that improvement to have staying power. Most often, structured giving through programs or organizations specifically designed to elevate the poor is the best way to ensure our giving will help.
We should look for programs or organizations with a proven track record that effectively balance compassion and accountability with those they assist. Unstructured, impromptu giving does not usually have the desired impact and may even cause harm in the long run. For people to elevate, they need sound systems and support around them. This principle extends to all types of poverty, not just financial.
THE PROMISED BLESSINGS ARE WAITING FOR US
Caring for the poor and needy goes beyond a temporal mandate. It is deeply intertwined with our spiritual growth. God himself cares for us in our poverty by sharing His abundant gifts. This is an everyday part of His work. If we are ever to learn to be like Him, we must also learn to give, as exemplified by Christ during His ministry. “Give then, as Jesus gives, Give, oh! Give, give, oh! give. Give then, as Jesus gives; There is something all can give.”1
We are promised blessings if we give as Jesus gave, and the blessings are beautiful. “And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.”[6] These blessings are available to any of us. I want these blessings, and I hope you do too.
[1] Crosby, Fanny J., Give, Said the Little Stream, Children’s Songbook, churchofjesuschrist.org
[2] Mormon 8:35-41, Book of Mormon, churchofjesuschrist.org
[3] Doctrine and Covenants 104:15-18, churchofjesuschrist.org
[4] 2 Corinthians 9:7, New Testament, churchofjesuschrist.org
[5] Mosiah 4:19, Book of Mormon, churchofjesuschrist.org
[6] Isaiah 58: 10-11, Old Testament, churchofjesuschrist.org
I had never noticed how much that commandment stands out from the others in the language that He uses. Wow. Time for some introspection on my part.
Beautifully said. Thanks for the reminder