Topics / Discipleship
The pure love of Christ, and why it is prayed for
Charity
Not almsgiving, and not a personality trait. Moroni describes charity as something bestowed rather than developed, and Paul describes it entirely in verbs — which together make it the least sentimental treatment of love in religious literature.
18 min2 sections
Described in verbs
45And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
47But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
Fifteen clauses, and every one describes behaviour rather than feeling. That is a deliberate choice by both Paul and Mormon: love in scripture is identified by what it does under pressure, which is why 'suffereth long' comes first and 'endureth all things' comes last.
King James renders it “charity; love”
The KJV's 'charity' comes through the Latin caritas and has narrowed in English to mean almsgiving. The Greek is broader and more demanding — a love that is chosen and enacted toward people who have not earned it.
Full lexicon entry →
Bestowed, not manufactured
48Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God…
The verb is bestowed. Charity is not a skill to be practised into existence but a gift asked for and given — which is a relief to anyone who has tried to love someone difficult by effort alone and found the effort produced only strain.
Principle
Charity is the pure love of Christ, bestowed on those who ask for it, and identified by behaviour rather than by feeling.
What this topic holds
Charity never faileth, and without it a person 'is nothing' regardless of what else they have.
It is asked for with all the energy of heart, not developed by effort alone.
Check your reading
3 questions01How do Paul and Mormon describe charity?
02What verb does Moroni 7:48 use for how charity is obtained?
03What does 1 Corinthians 13 say a person is without charity?
Where to go next
Sources
- Moroni 7; 1 Corinthians 13 — The primary texts.
- Gospel Topics, "Charity"