She Cast In All That She Had

Typically speakers in general conference do not receive an assigned subject as Elder Holland stated several years ago: “Perhaps you already know (but if you don’t you should) that with rare exception, no man or woman who speaks here is assigned a topic.” We had one of those “rare exceptions” this general conference with the talks by Sister Sharon Eubank and Bishop L. Todd Budge. Sister Eubank stated, “At President Nelson’s direction, I am reporting back to you about how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is responding to hurricanes, earthquakes, refugee displacement—and even a pandemic—thanks to the kindness of the Latter-day Saints and many friends.” Bishop Budge similarly said, “The First Presidency asked me—as well as Sister Sharon Eubank, who spoke to us last evening—to share with you an update on the Church’s recent humanitarian efforts.” One of the reasons for getting assigned this topic was a desire of the First Presidency to thank those who contribute: “They also particularly requested that we express their profound gratitude—because, brothers and sisters, it is you who have made those humanitarian efforts possible.” Surely their talks is also an invitation for us to consider what and how we give to the Lord to help in the never-ending humanitarian crises across the globe.

                In these talks we heard about real people who have given and received service recently thanks to individual and collective donations and service in the Church’s humanitarian efforts. Sister Eubank told of sixteen-year-old Dieke Mphuti of South African who received desperately needed food, purchased through the Church’s humanitarian fund, to feed herself and her younger siblings during COVID shortages. Sister Eubank also showed how our love can cross cultural and religious boundaries as she told of a ward in Germany who provided supplies and traditional head coverings to Afghan refugees. She emphasized that we can give even when we have little as she told of Marie “Djadjou” Jacques who lost her house in the recent earthquake in Haiti and yet still turned outward to help others and distribute food and hygiene kits to others. In a similar vein, Sister Eubank recounted how missionaries worked to help a devout Catholic man in Ahrweiler, Germany whose shop was severely damaged by the floods of western Europe. These missionaries didn’t have money or supplies to give, but they still rendered impactful service as they gave of themselves to serve the Lord. Bishop Budge told of Steve and Anita Canfield who “were asked to provide aid at refugee camps and immigrant centers across Europe.” Sister Canfield was in her professional life “a world-class interior designer, contracted by wealthy clients to beautify their luxury homes.” Bishop Budge commented, “Suddenly she found herself thrust into a world that was the complete opposite, as she served among people who had lost nearly everything in terms of earthly possessions. In her words, she exchanged ‘marble walkways for dirt floors,’ and in doing so she found an immeasurable degree of fulfillment, as she and her husband began to befriend—and soon to love and embrace—those who needed their care.” Sister Canfield made this powerful observation: “There is no degree of career success or material gains that could have equaled the way that these experiences, serving among the humblest of God’s children, enriched us.” All of these stories help us see that the Church’s humanitarian efforts should not be understand by statistics but by the individual impact they have on the lives of God’s children. As individuals we can do little alone to alleviate the singular suffering worldwide of so many, but with faith and love we can each surely help one single suffering individual to find hope and relief.     

                As I considered these recent stories I thought about the ancient story from the life of the Savior of the widow’s mite. We read in Mark’s account, “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living” (Mark 12:41-44). This story helps us understand how the Lord views our own giving to help the poor. The world judges monetary contributions by the amount of money given—when a company or individual makes a large donation to some charitable cause they are often lauded and publicly acknowledged for the total given. But the Lord judges our monetary contributions by the amount of money left over. This widow gave far less than money those rich men who “cast in much,” but to the Lord she gave far more of what really matters because even in her want she “did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” Surely this story can guide us as we seek in our own small way to cast into the Lord’s treasury our time and talents and resources to help those suffering. As so many are in need of so much across the globe, with Sister Eubank “I pray He’ll use us” to do this great work.