Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself

"President Thomas S. Monson shared a specific example of President Smith going out of his way to show love for someone in need.:

'On a cold winter morning, the street clearing crew in salt lake city was removing large chunks of ice from teh street gutters. The regular crew was assisted by temporary laborers who desperately needed the work. One such wore only a lightweight sweater and was suffering from the cold. A slender man with a well-groomed beard stopped by the crew and asked the worker, 'you need more than that sweater on a morning like this. Where is your coat?' The man relpied that he had no coat to wear. The visitor then removed his own overcoat, handed it to the man and said, 'This coat is yours. It is heavy wool and will keep you warm. I just work across the street.' The street was South TEmple. The good Samaritan who walked into the Church Administration Building to his daily work and without his coat was President George Albert Smith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His selfless act of generosity revealed his tender heart. Surely he was his brother's keeper.'"

"I want to say that at this particular period of our lives we need to exercise charity, not only in imparting of our substance to those who are in need, but we need to have charity for the weaknesses and failures and mistakes of our Father's children." President Smith

"...Let us evidence our appreciation of what the Lord has given us by serving Him, and we are serving Him when we do good to His children. Freely we have received, now freely give (Matt10:8). With hearts warmed with love and kindness for our fellow men, let us press steadily on until the final summons shall come and we shall meet our record. Then, if we have improved our talents, if we have been honest, true, chaste, benevolent, and charitable, and have sought to uplift every soul with whom we have associated, if we have lived up to the light we have received, and disseminated that light whenever opportunity has presented, how happy we will be and how our hearts will swell with gratitude when we receive from the Maker of heaven and earth that welcome plaudit: 'Well done, good and failthful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." (Matt 25:21)

Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: President George Albert Smith Chapter 2