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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Gifts to the Ten

This is one of my favourite quotes on charity and service.

"Suppose that in this community there are ten beggars who beg from door to door for something to eat, and that nine of them are impostors who beg to escape work, and with an evil heart practice imposition upon the generous and sympathetic, and that only one of the ten who visit your doors is worthy of your bounty; which is best, to give food to the ten, to make sure of helping the truly needy one, or to repulse the ten because you do not know which is the worthy one? You will all say, Administer charitable gifts to the ten, rather than turn away the only truly worthy and truly needy person among them. If you do this, it will make no difference in your blessings, whether you administer to worthy or unworthy persons, inasmuch as you give alms with a single eye to assist the truly needy."
(Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol.8, p.12, March 5, 1860)
It is not for us to decide who is deserving, it is only for us to follow our Saviour and "Go and do thou likewise".

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