I started our discussion on charity by sharing how reading stories of everyday charitable acts of Joseph Smith has strengthened my testimony of him as a prophet just as much (if not more so) than the dramatic prophet-like events in his life. "By their fruits ye shall know them" is a powerful litmus test for judging the prophet Joseph.
We first discussed what charity is. We saw it as embodying ACTION (much like "faith"), not simply a passive concept. Several people shared experiences that demonstrated how the love we feel for others can be hard to understand, or not make sense to our mortal minds. Jesus clearly is the perfect example of charity. He taught, he served, he sacrificed - all because of this pure love He has for us.
We also discussed why having charity is important. First, if Jesus exemplified it we should make it part of our lives. Second, feeling love & compassion for others feels good. It is ennobling and brings us joy.
Throughout the discussion we talked about how to be more charitable, and the recurring theme seemed to be that we must get to know one another better - all of God's children. We must NOT, as Joseph Smith said, "be limited in [our] views with regard to [our] neighbor's virtue". As we learn to be slow to judge & quick to forgive and serve, the gift of charity is given to us in greater abundance.
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