I have listened to thousands of sermons on the urgent need to give. I find myself wondering why it is that preachers never talk about how much fun it is to give…. – Jon M. Huntsman Sr.
Huntsman was a successful businessman but what really brought him joy was not making money, but giving it away. Knowing how much fun giving was he found it frustrating that the joy of giving so often takes a back seat to trying to make people feel guilty for not giving more, especially in church sermons.
Although Hunstman, who passed away in February of 2018, didn’t live to hear it, I am sure he would have loved the talk given by President Russell M. Nelson in the October 2019 General Conference titled, The Second Great Commandment.
In the talk President Nelson highlights some of the humanitarian work done by Latter-day Saints Charities including providing food and clean water to people all over the world. Emphasizing the worldwide reach of the Church’s efforts President Nelson recounts how “just last year, the Church provided vision care for more than 300,000 people in 35 countries, newborn care for thousands of mothers and infants in 39 countries, and wheelchairs for more than 50,000 people living in dozens of countries.”
He mentions the Church’s well-deserved reputation for being among the first on the scene after natural disasters around the world, providing both vital supplies and volunteer labor. President Nelson stated, “Last year alone, the Church carried out more than 100 disaster-relief projects around the world, helping victims of hurricanes, fires, floods, earthquakes, and other calamities.”
President Nelson also talks about the wonderful opportunity we have to provide for the needs of others through fasting. “To assist members of the Lord’s Church in distress, we love and live the ancient law of the fast. We go hungry to help others who are hungry. One day each month, we go without food and donate the cost of that food (and more) to help those in need.”
He tells of visiting West Africa, where people who barely have enough to eat themselves set a great example for all of us in living the law of the fast:
“I asked the stake president how he cared for members who had so little. He replied that their bishops knew their people well. If members could afford two meals a day, no help was needed. But if they could afford only one meal or less – even with family help – bishops provided food, financed from fast offerings. Then he added this remarkable fact: their fast offering contributions usually exceeded their expenses. Surplus fast offerings were sent to people elsewhere whose needs exceeded theirs. Those stalwart African Saints taught me a great lesson about the power of the law and the spirit of the fast.”
President Nelson also recounts some personal experiences he has had in traveling the world and meeting people of many faiths who have received help from the Church. You can feel President Nelson’s love of the people of the world and the joy it brings him to represent us in relieving their suffering and providing help in their times of need.
President Nelson closes with a powerful message on the joy of giving:
“Regardless of where we call home, members of the Church feel passionately about the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. Thus, our greatest joy comes as we help our brothers and sisters, no matter where we live in this wonderful world.
Giving help to others – making a conscientious effort to care about others as much as or more than we care about ourselves – is our joy.”
Nowhere in this remarkable talk does President Nelson shame us for not giving more, or even ask us to do better, but I am certain I am not alone in being inspired to step up my giving efforts after hearing the prophet’s words. How did he do this? He simply emphasized how much fun giving is by providing vivid examples of the good that can be done and the suffering that can be relieved when we give.
Listening from the spirit world I am sure Jon M. Huntsman Sr. approved.