"Go and bring in those people now"

There has been a lot of rain in our city this weekend.  As many of you know, there were also some pretty big fires recently.  As a result, there has been tons of flooding and many homes are filled with mud.  Church was let out early today so the Relief Society could make food to send over to the flooded homes and all men over 16 were asked to help clean out those homes.  The man conducting church today reminded us of when Brigham Young stopped conference early to save those of the Martin and Willie handcart companies.

"Many of our brethren and sisters' [homes are filled with mud]... and we must send assistance to them.  That is my religion; that is the dictation of the Holy Ghost that I possess. It is to save the people.  I shall call upon the Bishops this day. I shall not wait until tomorrow, nor until the next day... I will tell you all that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you..." - Brigham Young

On November 30, those companies arrived in the Salt Lake Valley.

"It was Sunday, and again the Saints were gathered in the Tabernacle.  Brigham Young stood before the congregation and said: 'As soon as this meeting is dismissed I want the brethren and sisters to repair to their homes. ... The afternoon meeting will be omitted, for I wish the sisters to... prepare to give those who have just arrived a mouthful of something to eat..." - Gordon B. Hinckley

I am thankful for a husband who did not wait  - for me or anyone else to ask for his help - to change his plans for the evening, put on his work clothes, and go.  I am thankful that sandwiches can be made with tortillas when we're out of bread, and that my family left some deli meat when they were here last month so I could send something other than a cheese sandwich.  But mostly I am thankful to be a member of a church that practices what it teaches, a church that recognizes that when a neighbor's ox is in the mire, it is action and not meetings that will get it out.

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."  - Matthew 22:37-40

"...when ye are in the service of your fellowbeings ye are only in the service of your God." - Mosiah 2:17

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."  - Matthew 25:34-40