Zion

Recently there has been so much talk about "socialism" in the political buzz in the media. I am so very much against socialism, and part of me was wondering if that was "unkind" of me. No. I do not think it is. Instead of "socialism", I believe in "generosity."

I studied this talk today:
Come to Zion
Elder D. Todd Christofferson Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

In his message, Elder Christofferson says:

Each of us should prayerfully consider whether we are doing what we should
and all that we should in the Lord's eyes with respect to the poor and the
needy.

In much of the world, we are entering upon unsettled economic times. Let us
look after one another the very best we can. I remember the story of a
Vietnamese family that fled Saigon in 1975 and ended up living in a small mobile
home in Provo, Utah. A young man in the refugee family became the home teaching
companion to a Brother Johnson who lived nearby with his large family. The boy
related the following:
"One day Brother Johnson noticed that our family had
no kitchen table. He appeared the next day with an odd-looking but very
functional table that fit nicely against the trailer wall across from the
kitchen sink and counters. I say odd-looking because two of the table legs
matched the tabletop and two did not. Also, several small wooden pegs stuck out
along one edge of the worn surface.
"Soon we used this unique table daily for
food preparation and for eating some quick meals. We still ate our family meals
while we sat on the floor . . . in true Vietnamese
fashion.
"One evening I stood inside Brother Johnson's front door as I waited
for him before a home teaching appointment. There in the nearby kitchen—I was
surprised to see it—was a table practically identical to the one they had given
to my family. The only difference was that where our table had pegs, the Johnsons' table had holes!
I then realized that, seeing our need, this charitable man had cut his kitchen
table in half and had built two new legs for each half.
"It was obvious that
the Johnson family could not fit around this small piece of furniture—they
probably didn't fit comfortably around it when it was
whole. . . .
"Throughout my life this kind act has been
a powerful reminder of true giving" (Son Quang Le, as told to Beth Ellis Le, "Two-of-a-Kind Table," Ensign, July 2004, 63).

I think we should give, I think we should be kind and generous, and look after each other. How wonderful it would be to have a leader of this country that would inspire generosity . Giving in this way is what brings us closer to Christ. As we give of our own free will, we are blessed with the spirit, as a little "thank you" card from God. Imagine the joy in the country, with it's population filled with the spirit of God.

I really appreciated this talk, as a personal reminder to look inward and see if I am doing all I can to care for the poor. I know that when I am in the service of others, I am serving my God.