My niece shared this meme on FB. Maybe I'm just feeling a little triggered, but, for some reason this quote is bugging me, can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it's how they like to define words? Maybe because accepting people as they truly are should not require your charity, as it seems self righteous to look at it that way? Maybe not being a dick shouldn't be considered charity in my mind? Am I just being overly sensitive?


"Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down. It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others. - Tom Monson"

TSCC is infamous for redefining words, but this is more a case of them using an antiquated definition of the word.

The word "charity" in the KJV of the bible is usually translated as "love" in newer versions of the bible. For example, 1 Corinthians 13:13 in the KJV version is "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity," whereas the the NIV version says "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Morori 7:47 states "But 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." I assume that the late wiggle ears referring to the BoM definition of charity, rather than the definition that virtually everyone would understand.

This is how I see it, personally. It’s the biblical use of the word ‘charity’ which is translated as ‘love’ in more modern translations. If you replace the word charity with love in the quote, it makes a lot more sense. The only thing that bugs me about this quote, and other GA quotes, is the attempt at sounding biblical. One, it leads to a lack of clarity and two, it comes off as pretentious because they’re artificially trying to sound ancient and wise by using flowery language. Really, the quote itself isn’t offensive (it’s something I consider to be very true), the person it comes from and the manner in which it’s being delivered is what’s offensive here.

Also, it comes from the mormon perspective that "we're superior." So it's not like THEY have any weaknesses or shortcomings, or have let anyone down or are easily offended. Their job is to overlook the underlings who can't quite measure up. When in reality, they are usually just ignorant, weird and crazy to anyone looking from the non-mormon perspective.

What jumps out at me is that rather than just giving a description of charity that anyone can follow, he is speaking directly to the church members and talking about the very things they do that they shouldn't.

Instead of telling them to stop it because it isn't very Christ like and setting an example, he cloaks it in "charity" so when the members catch themselves being bigots and refrain a little bit, they can feel all high and mighty because they were so "charitable."

Disgusting!

Right. Couching charitable activity as tolerance for the meanies.

Of course its bugging you. Here's why its' bugging me. What I read between the lines that Monson was truly saying was this:


"Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down." Heavenly Father wants you to be a doormat.

"It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily." "Shut up and take it when we see you as weak and lacking obedience."

"It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings." As General Authorities, even Prophet and apostle, we are right even when we are wrong, and insensitive, and bigoted.

"It is accepting people as they truly are." It is accepting Mormons as they often are--arrogant and ignorant--especially us G.A.s.

"It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time." Stop saying that I, TSM, look like Grandpa from the Munsters, that Bednar looks as sour as a pickle, Oaks is a billiard ball, that Wendy looks like she's got a stick up . . . oh, you get it.

"It is resisting the impulse to categorize others." That is our Job as God's chosen prophets, not yours.


- The real Tom Monson

Okay, have to keep going. This one really is disgusting: "It is accepting people as they truly are?" You gotta be kidding.

Thomas "Prop 8" Monson had the nerve to say that? When did he fit that in between all the demanding he did for Mormons to send money to fund Prop 8, and put signs on their lawns. This charity quote of his solidifies his place at the top of the list of the most disingenuous, phony, hypocrites of all time or at least tied with someone else I can think of.

According to those reportedly in the know, ghawd does NOT accept people as they are.

It is accepting people as they truly are = Prop 8 = we're not trying to prevent them from being gay (we accept them as they are), just from being married (protecting the sanctity of marriage). See the difference?

Technicalities? I suppose some of this depends on your definition of "accept." There are several that apply and I prefer those definitions of acceptance that don't allow one foot out the door when given

So you are saying you can accept someone as they are and still be bigoted against them? Seems like a point of view that would work for mormons. Empty words.

I don't confuse seeing things for what they are as acceptance of them.

What about the electric shock therapy at BYU? Was that not trying to prevent them from being gay? Or was that accepting gays as they are because Mormons believed that deep down they were straight?

Telling someone God only loves them if they deny themselves love for all of their lives? Would that be Mormons just trying to magnanimously get someone to the Celestial Kingdom even as they accept them as they are? Perhaps one could see it that way, but something is still rotten in Denmark.

> "Seems like a point of view that would work for mormons. Empty words."

My point exactly....I should have emphasized the sarcasm.

Thank you. The sarcasm makes your words powerful and funny.

I wasn't sure how to take your post so I wrote what I wrote knowing it could go either way. Not that I'm thin skinned or anything--haha. :)

Thanks for pointing out some of the problems. I think it's both hypocritical and self-righteous. So, I commented on her meme with a different meme that said "the daily struggle" and showed a pic of a person's hand choosing a button to push between "be a dick" and "don't be a dick". Seems a much better way of saying the same thing, assuming they don't have the hidden agenda behind their words. But, of course, we all know they do, which is probably what was bugging me.

I believe my TBM sister summed Mormon charity up quite well: "See how tolerant we are that Utah is allowing gay marriage. Obviously it's the end of days wickedness because Utah is allowing gay marriage!"

Everyone outside the Mormon box might as well be from a different planet. “Please have patience, they are not us.” It’s amazing how much human thought can be constrained. The Mormon world is no place for a brain.

Why does TSM seem as if he’s addressing teenagers? Because mentally, that’s what church members are. It’s what constitutes a good Mormon.