give said the little stream

There are lots and lots of reasons that I feel grateful to be a member of the LDS Church. Obviously the main one being the truth that resonates within me regarding matters of the spirit. I have received answers and peace and sustaining from powers that are higher than me and feel so grateful to have my spirit so filled through the Gospel that I believe to be truth. But another thing that truly fills my heart with gratitude and pride is the LDS Church's involvment in the betterment of societies ranging from entire comminity efforts clear down to the needs of an individual. I love the humanitarian and welfare programs in my church. I have had opportunties to be deeply involved in both and my experiences have changed who I am. When I read this little article by Dr. Laura (who I have a love/hate relationship with, but mostly think she does a whole lot of good) I knew I wanted to share it. Here you go:

Blessings in Disguise, written by Dr. Laura Schlessinger on December 18, 2008

"I have always been impressed with the mentality of the Mormons with respect
to the issue of charity. I had a tour of their main charity facilities,
and was amazed at what I saw and learned. There are absolutely no handouts
– they barter!
Here’s how it works: if you could lose your home, or if you need food, clothing, medicine or toys for your children, the Church takes financial care of your needs. In exchange, you provide services to the very mechanism that rescued you. This means that folks in the bakeries are people who have benefited from the charitable services; those helping in the stores that sell thrift clothing, housewares and food are those who have benefited from the charitable services, and so on.

The basic concept is to preserve a sense of dignity and pride in those who have temporary need by giving them an opportunity to use their skills in the service of others. Walking around the premises, I felt the uplifted attitude of all who were there: smiles, waves, and straight backs.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints provides for people all over the world – not only with goods and goodwill, but with the opportunity to not lose a sense of self when “things” are lost.

I probably sound like an advertisement for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am not a member of their religion, but I am impressed with their charitable philosophy, because I believe it teaches our children their real value, while motivating and uplifting them at the same time.

Their young people who graduate high school are expected to go on two-year “missions,” reminiscent of the Peace Corps. These young people come back much more mature, as they’ve experienced the pain and need of others, and have sacrificed two years of their own comfort to be of service to others. Other youngsters just don’t want to skip a beat in their acquisition of iPods, cell phones, and other “Internet in your hand” gadgets.

I believe that the economic disaster our country is in right now is a kind of blessing in disguise with respect to values. Without values, life just provides us with “things,” but not necessarily with any profound meaning."