House of Refuge on the Cliffs Above

Many years ago, President Nelson said this, “Humanitarian relief rendered by members of this church is extensive, multinational, and generally unpublicized. Even so, there are doubtless many who wonder why we don’t do more to assist the innumerable worthy causes to which our hearts respond.” He continued, “Of course we are concerned with the need for ambulances in the valley below. But at the same time, we cannot ignore the greater need for protective guardrails on the cliffs above. Limited resources needed for the accomplishment of the higher work cannot be depleted in rescue efforts that provide only temporary relief…. We consider love of neighbor an integral part of our mission. And while we serve one another, we continue to build a spiritual house of refuge on the cliffs above. Such a sanctuary becomes a blessing for all mankind. We are but the builders; the architect is almighty God.” I love that analogy he used. While we certainly use our means to help many who are in temporal need—those who have figuratively fallen in the valley—even more importantly we seek to build up a sanctuary of spiritual protection which will help people from falling in the first place. And thus we use our means to build churches and temples, to print scriptures and the words of the prophets, and to send missionaries to many nations. These efforts are all done in order to help people repent and strengthen their faith in God, something that will do more good to them than a physical donation. Ultimately we believe that the Savior’s invitation to Peter had a double meaning when He said, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:16). We should at times feed them physically, just as the Savior did, but we also must feed them spiritually so that they can have the protection of the true Shepherd.  

                We also find this idea in the story of Mary anointing the Savior shortly before He was to die. John recorded, “Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” Judas complained, “Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?” But Jesus responded, “Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always” (John 12:3-8) In Matthew’s account the Savior further explained, “For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her” (Matthew 26:12-13). If the ointment had indeed been sold and the money had been given to the poor, it would have helped a few people in that day. But instead, a story of great faith was recorded in the scriptures that has blessed millions of Christians for over 2000 years. Surely the account of the love and devotion of Mary has inspired countless followers of the Savior to love and serve Him more fully. Her example helps us see what it means to live the first and great commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37). And thus it would not have been better in this instance to give to the poor—it was more important to help build “the spiritual house of refuge” than to send one more ambulance to the valley. Ultimately of course we want to also help those in need—and the Church spent close to a billion dollars in 2021 seeking to help people across the world—but we cannot neglect the first great commandment as we seek to also follow the second.