Today’s Gospel Doctrine class was Lesson 16 covering Mosiah chapters 4-6. It seemed to me that the class was unusually silent as the instructor read parts of King Benjamin’s sermon — especially his admonition to “not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain.” (Mosiah 4:16). Who among us has NOT used the excuse that King Benjamin chastises his people for in verse 15, “The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand….”
I have always felt condemned by verse 17 wherein King Benjamin clearly says that those who make excuses for being uncharitable “hath great cause to repent,” lest they “perisheth forever.”
In my life, the best example in how to treat a request for money on the street, was my friend Mark. He was not LDS. He was not interested in organized religion. His family was a mixture of Buddhist and Japanese Christian. When he chose to join the First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake, he said it was so he could provide a “moral community” for his sons.
Nevertheless, whenever we were together on the streets of Salt Lake and were asked for money, Mark would open his wallet. He just never seemed to believe the false doctrine that, despite what the Book of Mormon says, many members of my own faith seem to cling to — “THIS MONEY IS MINE, I WORKED HARD FOR IT. I DON”T HAVE TO SHARE.” As a Unitarian/Buddhist/Philosopher, when it came to helping the poor, Mark was a “better Christian” than many Mormons.