Nephi Has Charity for All Men

John W. Welch

Something that recurs often with Nephi is his discussion of the importance of having charity for the Jew and Gentile, for his family and for his brethren, for both those who are obedient and those who are not. There are many places in the Book of Mormon where someone has an incredibly powerful, personal witness from the Lord, and then you see their heart carry them further to go beyond themselves. They realize, "it’s not about me." It is about them, until they make and know how to keep covenants with the Lord. And then it is no longer about them, but it is about, "what can I do to help the next person I can?" I believe that when we arrive at the gates of heaven, the Lord will say, "It’s nice to see you. Whom did you bring with you?" The Lord is happy to see us, but his joy is greater with every soul that repents. As President Russell M. Nelson has said, "Salvation is an individual matter, but exaltation is a family matter." And we are all God’s family.

John W. Welch Notes

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