Charity and the Gifts of the Spirit

The message of Jesus Christ is a message of Love. The pure love of Jesus Christ is charity. Charity can be defined as "(...) the love that Christ has for the children of men and that the children of men should have for one another. It is the highest, noblest, and strongest kind of love and the most joyous to the soul" (LDS Church, official website, Gospel Topics).

The Savior wants all people to receive His love and to share it with others. He declared to His disciples:

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:34–35).

Exercising charity is the perfect way to invite the Holy Ghost to touch our hearts and souls. Charity allows us to be more sensitive to the Spirit of the Lord. Under his influence, one can fell joy and peace, many times materialized through a warmth in the heart that simply cannot be explained. The scriptures define the Gifts of the Spirit as:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Everytime we put our neighbours' interests ahead of our own, everytime we go the extra mile serving others, we become more receptive to the influence of the Spirit, therefore, becoming more like Jesus.

In the video below there is a wonderful message about the fruits of the spirit. It was told by the former president of the church, Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008). I hope it touches you as it has touched me.