I think it's all about the charity study for me this week.

"The best and most clear indicator that we are progressing spiritually and coming to Christ is how we treat other people." Elder Marvin J. Ashton Ensign May 1992, 18

One of the common themes Jesus taught was how to treat others better or more godlike.

In Matthew 5: 22 He says

“But I say unto you whosever is angry with his brother* shall be in danger of the judgment." *JST translation says to omit the words ‘without a cause’ because for pete sake, that’s what we have been talking about. Not getting angry with people, or forgiving now or immediately when someone has harmed/hurt/injured us. And if anyone had more reason to be angry with another it was the Savior as he was hung on the cross when he had done NOTHING wrong! But he said “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” I don’t think anything anyone else has done to us can compare with that, and such is his perfect example.

In the Sermon on the Mount we’re told in Matthew
5:7, “Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy."
5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
5:10 “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5:14-16 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

The better we get at loving and serving those around us, the better servant we are to God.

Mosiah 2:17 “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” I think this applies to how we think of others as well.

Now think of that scripture upside down "When ye are exploiting or sinning against your fellow beings, you are only sinning against God” (Old Testament LDS Student Manual section 8)

Fascinating...

C.S. Lewis is rocking awesome. I love how clear he makes Christianity understood for me, and he has such practical applications for life.

He said

"When I come to my evening prayers and try to reckon up the sins of the day, nine times out of ten the most obvious one is some sin against charity; I have sulked or snapped or sneered or snubbed or stormed. And the excuse that immediately springs to my mind is that the provocation was so sudden and unexpected; I was caught off my guard, I had not time to collect myself. Now that may be an extenuating circumstance as regards those particular acts: they would obviously be worse if they had been deliberate and premeditated. On the other hand, surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of a man he is? Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth? If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats: it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man; it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am. The rats are always there in the cellar, but if you go in shouting and noisily they will have taken cover before you switch on the light.
~C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (1952)

I still have so many rats to take care of...