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From Grace to Charity
On the last night of his life, Hyrum Smith folded down the corner of a page in the Book of Mormon and marked one “I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles grace, that they might have charity” (Ether 12:36). What does grace have to do with charity? How does receiving one lead to gaining the other? Scripture tells us that charity is a love that causes us to lay down our lives for someone. A greater love. A love that we must pray to be filled with. The pure love of Christ. What if charity is the outward expression of our inward understanding of grace? It is meeting others where they are, as they are, and then lifting them. It is the way of Christ.
144 pages, Hardcover
Published March 6, 2023
28 people are currently reading
347 people want to read
About the author
Emily Belle Freeman
43 books272 followersEmily Freeman and Simon Dewey collaborated on the bestselling book The Ten Virgins. For nearly 20 years, Emily has addressed groups of women as a writer, songwriter, and motivational speaker. Her deep love of the scriptures comes from a strong desire to find their application in modern-day life. Emily and her husband, Greg, are the parents of four children and live in Lehi, Utah.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
August 12, 2023
I read this one yesterday for the first time and I just could NOT wait to read it again....so I did. Still 5 stars.
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This is the fifth book by this author that I've listened to on audio. I am a big fan. It always sounds like she is talking to friends. She is genuine and grounded in her faith.
When I finished listening to this, I immediately felt like I needed to listen to it again and this time be ready to take notes.
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This is the fifth book by this author that I've listened to on audio. I am a big fan. It always sounds like she is talking to friends. She is genuine and grounded in her faith.
When I finished listening to this, I immediately felt like I needed to listen to it again and this time be ready to take notes.
May 29, 2023
Epilogue was my favorite part. Tied it all together.
November 11, 2023
This was okay but not great. I loved the first two “grace” books but didn’t really love this one.
May 15, 2024
I love listening to Emily Belle Freeman. It has great insights on loving everyone around you more. I enjoyed it.
April 4, 2025
“Give them grace that they might have charity” (Ether 12:36). This is the third and final book in her grace series (and also my favorite). The first focused on saving/inward grace; the second on exalting/upward grace; and this third one on giving/outward grace. Grace and charity are two of my favorite gospel topics and I loved that she walked us through her study on how these two principles intersect—how receiving/experiencing Christ’s grace enables us to better love and show up as Christ would for others. With her growing understanding she defines charity as “an outward expression of our inward understanding of grace.” I loved learning how to study and seek truth through her example. The epilogue was my absolute favorite chapter. It was beautiful, touching (especially hearing her tell it), and pulled all the insights together as she used her personal experiences of coming to know these layers of Christ’s grace to help a friend do the same—“Here she goes, she is about the meet the Jesus who carried me through.” I have now read 10 of Emily’s books, and this one is in my top 3 (alongside Written on our Hearts and Becoming His). I still want to be her scripture study buddy.
Chapter note and quotes:
Chapter 1
-The Good Samaritan - the Levite, a rule keeper, struggled balancing law and love; the Good Samaritan knows what it is to be cast off, to feel second rate, it seems he came prepared, had he rescued the wounded before?; he sat with him throughout the night, was this a common occurrence of service?, how many times did he walk that road, finding those that needed lifting up and carrying to refuge
-Go and do thou likewise, walk the road, lift them, love them
-“Give them grace that they might have charity” Ether 12:36
Chapter 2
-Yoke as covenants; we promise to stand as witness of the covenant
-Inward grace that heals wounds, in time it transformed her, increased her capacity-upward grace, the grace that lifts—later, receiving grace had tutored her in how to give charity when someone else was experiencing a similar darkness—outward grace; from grace to charity
-“Sometimes he refines us in ways we may not have wanted, because he needs to use us in ways we might not have thought.”
-“Perhaps charity is our outward expression of our inward understanding of grace.”
-“The Greek translation of the word grace is charis-the divine influence on the heart and its reflection in the life.”
Chapter 3
-“Grace is allowing people to make mistakes and giving space for growth” - it is what Jesus is best at; “charity is how Jesus loves along the way”
-“There is a power that comes from marking God’s word, from making it our own.”
-Charity - 1 Cor 13 and Moroni 7 - Progression from faith to hope, from hope to charity; faith-an action of trust; hope-an expectation of good things to come; charity-love along the way
-She used to highlight whole chapters, but now focuses on specific words and phrases—her practice now is to study words to find a deeper meaning
-Her daughter’s mission president - high love, high expectation - how to help people live at their greatest capacity; add high faith/high trust?
Chapter 4
-Love creates trusts
-Yes creates the most room for growth (balancing yes and no)
-“Have I ever done what was not in your best interest?”
Chapter 5
-He must needs go to this well—to see her
-What if everyone’s measure is different? What if it is set according to what he knows about our hearts, our desires, our capacity, our story
-What if he created a measure to reach “even unto you?”
-Being beloved in his eyes, I began to study his measure, his measure was kinder
Chapter 6
-Love assumes the best and tries to understand
-What if we entered in without the agenda of what we needed for the injustice to be resolved, but rather hoping to find grace in the others sight (Esau)
-He wrestled with God instead of his brother (Jacob and Esau)
-Because God has dealt graciously with me, I have enough
-No longer mess of pottage, birthright; Now only-two brothers, grace, and God
Chapter 7
-Every time a trial comes it simply reminds me that now I have more to give; the hard things have made it so I have more to give, more compassion, more understanding; from grace to charity
-Jude 1:22-Some have compassion making a difference ; 3 Nephi 18:32
Chapter 9
-Love is full of grace; Charity born of grace
-Grace where you are, grace to become - both are required to be made whole; outward Grace - action on the ground - give them grace that they might have charity
-“In the Greek translation whole means well, healthy, and sound. But it also means to grow, enlarge, or increase.”
Chapter 10
-Love helps carry the burden
Chapter 11
-Parable of talents as a parable on ministering, with the talents being people we are his work and his glory
-Not just take people under our watch care, but to help them increase; grace helps us know how to minister better, to better lift and love
Chapter 14
-“Perhaps if we want to have charity, we must learn how to walk the harder paths.”
Chapter 17
-An increase of grace allows for an increase in charity (God’s help in loving better)
Chapter 19
-What if we are the inn—the place of care and refuge (story of Good Samaritan); with the charge to “take care of them”
-What if your only agenda is love?
-With him, we have enough to give
-“His work is people, the rule of life is love, and we were sent to be the means.”
-Charity becomes the outward expression of the inward understanding of grace - this is the refuge and we are the inn
Epilogue – So beautiful!
- I poured out my heart to God, and even though he already knew everything, I started at the beginning … what got her through the days was knowing the night would come and the opportunity to fully pour out her heart and receive his grace—the grace to overcome, then the grace to become, and then experiencing the gift of grace by giving it
-“A morning phone call. She was studying the yoke. She had stumbled upon it all by herself. The verse in Matthew 11. The verse meant for the moments when the journey is too hard. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ What can you teach me about the yoke? She questioned. Here she goes, I thought to myself with a smile on my face. She is about to meet the Jesus who carried me through. I know how the yoke works, I began. How it allows the burden too heavy for one to be shared by two, the walking together, the lifting together, the working through together. How you are not alone in this. How you will never be alone. I had walked the journey that was too hard and it had led me to discover the grace of Jesus Christ, His rest, His covenant, how He would bear the burdens so that they would be light. I not only knew about the hard diagnosis, I knew how the Lord would respond. How he would show up, how he would carry her. On that morning, I was able to experience the gift of grace in an entirely different way, by giving it.”
Chapter note and quotes:
Chapter 1
-The Good Samaritan - the Levite, a rule keeper, struggled balancing law and love; the Good Samaritan knows what it is to be cast off, to feel second rate, it seems he came prepared, had he rescued the wounded before?; he sat with him throughout the night, was this a common occurrence of service?, how many times did he walk that road, finding those that needed lifting up and carrying to refuge
-Go and do thou likewise, walk the road, lift them, love them
-“Give them grace that they might have charity” Ether 12:36
Chapter 2
-Yoke as covenants; we promise to stand as witness of the covenant
-Inward grace that heals wounds, in time it transformed her, increased her capacity-upward grace, the grace that lifts—later, receiving grace had tutored her in how to give charity when someone else was experiencing a similar darkness—outward grace; from grace to charity
-“Sometimes he refines us in ways we may not have wanted, because he needs to use us in ways we might not have thought.”
-“Perhaps charity is our outward expression of our inward understanding of grace.”
-“The Greek translation of the word grace is charis-the divine influence on the heart and its reflection in the life.”
Chapter 3
-“Grace is allowing people to make mistakes and giving space for growth” - it is what Jesus is best at; “charity is how Jesus loves along the way”
-“There is a power that comes from marking God’s word, from making it our own.”
-Charity - 1 Cor 13 and Moroni 7 - Progression from faith to hope, from hope to charity; faith-an action of trust; hope-an expectation of good things to come; charity-love along the way
-She used to highlight whole chapters, but now focuses on specific words and phrases—her practice now is to study words to find a deeper meaning
-Her daughter’s mission president - high love, high expectation - how to help people live at their greatest capacity; add high faith/high trust?
Chapter 4
-Love creates trusts
-Yes creates the most room for growth (balancing yes and no)
-“Have I ever done what was not in your best interest?”
Chapter 5
-He must needs go to this well—to see her
-What if everyone’s measure is different? What if it is set according to what he knows about our hearts, our desires, our capacity, our story
-What if he created a measure to reach “even unto you?”
-Being beloved in his eyes, I began to study his measure, his measure was kinder
Chapter 6
-Love assumes the best and tries to understand
-What if we entered in without the agenda of what we needed for the injustice to be resolved, but rather hoping to find grace in the others sight (Esau)
-He wrestled with God instead of his brother (Jacob and Esau)
-Because God has dealt graciously with me, I have enough
-No longer mess of pottage, birthright; Now only-two brothers, grace, and God
Chapter 7
-Every time a trial comes it simply reminds me that now I have more to give; the hard things have made it so I have more to give, more compassion, more understanding; from grace to charity
-Jude 1:22-Some have compassion making a difference ; 3 Nephi 18:32
Chapter 9
-Love is full of grace; Charity born of grace
-Grace where you are, grace to become - both are required to be made whole; outward Grace - action on the ground - give them grace that they might have charity
-“In the Greek translation whole means well, healthy, and sound. But it also means to grow, enlarge, or increase.”
Chapter 10
-Love helps carry the burden
Chapter 11
-Parable of talents as a parable on ministering, with the talents being people we are his work and his glory
-Not just take people under our watch care, but to help them increase; grace helps us know how to minister better, to better lift and love
Chapter 14
-“Perhaps if we want to have charity, we must learn how to walk the harder paths.”
Chapter 17
-An increase of grace allows for an increase in charity (God’s help in loving better)
Chapter 19
-What if we are the inn—the place of care and refuge (story of Good Samaritan); with the charge to “take care of them”
-What if your only agenda is love?
-With him, we have enough to give
-“His work is people, the rule of life is love, and we were sent to be the means.”
-Charity becomes the outward expression of the inward understanding of grace - this is the refuge and we are the inn
Epilogue – So beautiful!
- I poured out my heart to God, and even though he already knew everything, I started at the beginning … what got her through the days was knowing the night would come and the opportunity to fully pour out her heart and receive his grace—the grace to overcome, then the grace to become, and then experiencing the gift of grace by giving it
-“A morning phone call. She was studying the yoke. She had stumbled upon it all by herself. The verse in Matthew 11. The verse meant for the moments when the journey is too hard. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ What can you teach me about the yoke? She questioned. Here she goes, I thought to myself with a smile on my face. She is about to meet the Jesus who carried me through. I know how the yoke works, I began. How it allows the burden too heavy for one to be shared by two, the walking together, the lifting together, the working through together. How you are not alone in this. How you will never be alone. I had walked the journey that was too hard and it had led me to discover the grace of Jesus Christ, His rest, His covenant, how He would bear the burdens so that they would be light. I not only knew about the hard diagnosis, I knew how the Lord would respond. How he would show up, how he would carry her. On that morning, I was able to experience the gift of grace in an entirely different way, by giving it.”
April 7, 2023
I enjoyed this quick read by newly called General YW President, Emily Freeman. She seems like a genuinely wonderful person. The scriptures are referenced throughout and she has some great stories that relate to charity and grace.
I wish she would’ve expanded a bit on her personal life and how it shaped her into who she is today. There was a lot of talk but I wished for more personal examples because those definitely stood out the most!
I wish she would’ve expanded a bit on her personal life and how it shaped her into who she is today. There was a lot of talk but I wished for more personal examples because those definitely stood out the most!
May 3, 2023
I have loved all of her books on grace. I feel like whenever I read her books I’m sitting down with a friend having a conversation and getting to know each other’s hearts. So many wonderful lessons and things to implement and practice!
May 27, 2025
Beautifully written. I look forward to reading more of Emily Belle Freeman's work.
(Freeman is the current YW general president. The new YW general presidency are among the most progressive modern church leaders, and I love them.)
(Freeman is the current YW general president. The new YW general presidency are among the most progressive modern church leaders, and I love them.)
March 13, 2023
AGAIN. I love Emily Freeman. This book is so tender and so well studied. It gave me such a beautiful desire for increased love from the Savior and for the Savior, as well as for all those around me.
April 19, 2023
This was incredible! I will be keeping this as a reference guide. So much goodness in this!
August 12, 2023
I love Emily Belle Freeman. It was neat to hear stories that she has mentioned on her podcast more in depth such as when she was RS president and the ins and outs of her son being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at such a young age. I loved her insights on charity and grace.
October 17, 2023
I think this was a good book with a good moral however it has a lot of the same stories she uses for other things so it is kind of repetitive.
August 23, 2025
This book was really good. I really liked the explanation with chicken to help understand the parable of talents.
May 7, 2023
This is an insightful book about how grace relates to charity and what it means to love and share the Lord's love. As we receive and extend grace and then charity, it changes us and then we can better help others, like He does. It's all possible because of Him. As we talk of Jesus Christ and experience His love, we can bring ourselves and others to Him. Here are some good quotes:
"I consider how many times I have stepped onto a Jericho road uncertain of what the journey would bring... The men who run the establishment nod kindly at me. All is grace. I can see how he is begging for their favor in my behalf. Watch care. He has recommended me to them. My heart swells wide. This is hospitality (p. 2)."
"I don't understand how the man of God could pass by. Scholars suggest he was more concerned with staying clean than with saving... Jesus performed some of His greatest miracles with dirt. I consider how the man who passed by must not have known about Jesus, or the dirt (p. 3)."
"Had he rescued the wounded before? Why did he have cloth for the binding of wounds and oil and wine for cleansing and healing, unless he already knew what he would find on that seventeen-mile journey, unless he knew who he would find (p. 4)?"
"How many times had the Samaritan carried the wounded to the refuge of the inn before (p. 5)?"
"He invited each of us to 'go, and do thou likewise.' To walk the road. Mett people where they are, as they are. Lift them. Love them (p. 6)."
"Give them grace that they might have charity (p. 7)."
"'I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity.' Greater love. Greater love hath no man than this. It was just days before they would lay down their lives for their friends. For their God (p. 10)."
"'I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles grace, that they might have charity' (Ether 12:36). Please give unto this mob grace that they might have charity (p. 11)."
"What does grace have to do with charity (p. 11)?"
"Could you find a time to talk of Christ with those who are your best? Because what the world is in great need of right now is charity. I feel it deep down in my soul, and for some reason that's going to require us to better understand the gift of His grace. All of us. So, what if we were to start this conversation together? In our circles? In our places? On front porches and walking paths all around the world? What if we shared the stories we carry with us? The learning that has come? What if each of us were to start this conversation centered around Jesus? His grace. His charity. What would we learn? I'm excited to discover what we will learn (p. 14)."
"What I remember most from those dark days, is the peace that would flood my bedroom on those late nights when I prayed for the rest found in Matthew 11, the rest that only Jesus could give... It was the promise of someone willing to offer rest from what wearied me, from the heavy things (p. 15)."
"I am intrigued that He calls it my yoke. It causes me to wonder what His yoke looks like, what it represents... a scripture settles gently in my mind. 'Ye are desirous to be call his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light.'... I hear the whisper of the bearing of burdens, burdens that become light. This is His covenant. Maybe this is His yoke. To bear burdens, to comfort and mourn, to show up as He would, to stand in place of Him. As His witness. To stand as witness of the covenant. The covenant of love. Charity (p. 16)."
"He walks us through our worst days... This is grace. But He also calls us to live the covenant life. To give outward grace. Giving grace. This is charity. When we have experienced one, we become proficient in the other (p. 17)."
"I was called to serve as the Relief Society president of my ward. My tenure was short. The bishop told me I had been called for a specific reason and that I would be released as soon as I had fulfilled the assignment... Over the next few months it became clear. Five mothers in our ward would become pregnant and deliver five babies with overwhelming medical conditions (p. 18)."
"I had walked a similar path before... I had turned to Him for grace in the darkness, so I invited those mothers to do the same... The experience of receiving grace in the dark moments had tutored me in how to give charity when someone else was experiencing a similar darkness... From grace to charity (p. 19)."
"Perhaps charity is an outward expression of our inward understanding of grace (p. 20)."
"It was the year we learned to become more like Him. It became a tradition in our Relief Society to make a quilt for each of those mothers who lost a child. We would hand-stitch the name of the baby in the middle and then hand-stitch single words into the remaining squares with the attributes we had learned as we had prayed for that little one (p. 20)."
"Sometimes the journey is too great. Scripture suggests those moments are when the angels come, those assigned to the easing of infirmities from both sides of the veil. Sometimes charity is a cake on the coals, a cruse of water, a gentle touch (p. 22)."
"We live in a society where cancel culture rages... This is not a society of grace... Is a society void of grace void of Jesus?... A world without grace is a world without Jesus, and a world without Jesus is a world without pure love (p. 24)."
"'Grace is allowing people to make mistakes.'... Charity is loving people along the way (p. 25)."
"There is power that comes from marking God's Word, from making it our own (p. 26)."
"Each rudimentary heart has been placed next to what I must have thought was an important lesson... faith... hope... meek... lowly in heart... charity... pure love of Christ... Is there a progression to greatest love (p. 27)?"
"Understanding love can be messy. This perfect love of Christ, what if we are not perfect at it (p. 28)?"
"'High love, high expectations... It's how to help people live at their greatest capacity' (p. 28)."
"Hope = high expectation
Charity = high love...
Faith = high trust (p. 29)"
"Loving along the way. Charity. What does that look like in a life (p. 30)?"
"Change does not happen overnight, even with high love. Even with high expectations. It seems building trust takes time... We were trying to get it right. It is my nature to say yes... But I just knew this night was not a yes (p. 31)."
"'Why don't you trust me?'... 'Why don't you trust me?... Have I ever not done what was in your best interest? Have I ever purposefully chosen to disappoint you or let you down? Have I ever given you reason to believe that I don't love you (p. 32)?"
"The building of trust takes time. It takes vulnerable conversations. Building relationship requires sacrifice and love (p. 33)."
"Do you wonder what it feels like to sit at the feet of pure love? No condemnation veiled behind His eyes... His is genuine interest. His only motive is love (p. 35)."
"She loving Him because He first loved her. Becoming beloved. Is this part of the journey of grace (p. 37)?"
"Some would say filling the waterpot was the most crucial part of her day... Her life revolved around that. Living, existing, surviving. It all revolved around that waterpot... She left behind her waterpot. Her focus became bringing others to Him (p. 37)."
"Pure love never fails. Pure love has enough and some to spare. Pure love makes room for everyone (p. 38)."
"Do we ever disqualify ourselves from His love because of our expectations of what we think is required for the beloved (p. 38)?"
"I was sixteen. In a time when I would never be a cheerleader, a madrigal, one of the popular crowd, I would settle for being His (p. 40)."
"What prevents us from entering in with charity (p. 41)?"
"God knows how to humble a soul bent on creating his own success at the cost of another's soul (P. 42)."
"The giving of grace. What does that look like (p. 43)?"
"There was no longer a mess of pottage. There was no longer a birthright. There were two brothers, grace, and God. Somehow that was enough (p. 45)."
"With God, I have enough (p. 45)."
"'They call it the Jesus Trail... this dirt path that leads from Nazareth to Capernaum.'... I vow to walk it sometime... all forty miles... until I reach Peter's mother-in-law's house (p. 47)."
"His disciples, those who had committed their life to Him, climbed up with Him (p. 48)."
"Will living a higher law lead to a higher love? Because sometimes higher law leads to higher judgment. How many times has this been true of me? For each of us? What is the balance of law and love (p. 51)?"
"Where is the manual for the right way to love (p. 52)?"
"Continue to minister... You will be the means (p. 52)."
"I think about the difference-makers, the ones who know what it is to love well, to love like He would, and I can't help but ask myself, what does it look like to be the means (p. 52)?"
"What would it look like to be a succorer of many (p. 53)?"
"The Torah contains the law, written clearly, stated succinctly.
The Mishnah is the oral law, the explanation of the law.
The Talmud is a manual that teaches how to live the laws... We have a similar pattern in our religion...
The doctrine. The written law. The law of Christ.
The principles. The oral law. The explanation of what the law looks like in our culture today.
The application. How to live. The living of the law in ordinary life (p. 54)."
"What was the difference between Jesus and the Pharisees? They both practiced exact obedience to the law. Yet, one was focused on the routines, with getting it right on paper. The other was focused on the relationship, getting it right with God (p. 55)."
"Love God. Love people. Perhaps that is how He got it right (p. 56)."
"I set myself to learn everything I can bout His character, His attributes, His grace and see how it might lead to a greater capacity for love (p. 56)."
"Perhaps charity is learned as we watch others live it. Grace for grace. It is a becoming (p. 60)."
"'Grace is action on the ground... It's more than kindness. It's responding to need' (p. 62)."
"Do you know your story?... Do you know where you come from (p. 65)?"
"His work, his goods, are people. His work is people (p. 71)."
"Our job isn't just to take people under our watch care, but more importantly, to help them increase (p. 72)."
"Grace is an enabling power that will help us know what to do in order to minister to someone better--it will help us know how to participate in the Lord's work, to bring about the Lord's increase in each individual (p. 72)."
"Whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care (p. 73)."
"The rule of life is love (p. 74)."
"'Be humble, and full of love, having faith, hope, and charity, being temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care' (p. 75)."
"It fell on a day. An ordinary day, the space between sunrise and sunset, the time when normal day-to-day things take place (p. 76)."
"She gave what she had. Simple things. Her charity meant a lot to the man of God (p. 77)."
"I decide to act as if. From sunrise to sundown. An anonymous giver of charity. Could I be one of the thirty-six (p. 79)?"
"'We live in a world of division... There is so much contention... What would you teach me?... What do I need to know that I don't (p. 82)?"
"I can't help but think of the roads where love showed up. The road to Jericho, the road to Damascus, the road to Emmaus, I see how Love showed up there. Binding up wounds, offering change, bringing hope. I consider what each of those roads have in common and I realize these are all hard roads. Jericho was full of pain and suffering. Damascus was full of hate and threatening. Emmaus was filled with grief and sorrow. Walking roads like this will require something of you. Perhaps, if we want to have charity, we must learn how to walk the harder paths (p. 87)."
"Love gives second chances
Love asks, How can I help?...
Love doesn't stand higher...
Love is never too good for someone
Love is full of grace
Love does not call attention to self
Love has an understanding heart
Love assumes the best...
Helps carry the burden...
Doesn't leave when things get tough
Love never fails (p. 89)"
"Imagine his surprise when the Lord replied, 'Go... for he is a chosen vessel unto me.' And sometimes we don't comprehend the meaning of chosen (p. 92)."
"Who is the person who reminds you of your great worth, your great potential, who sees you as God sees you, who keeps you moving forward with the Lord (p. 94)?
"Who needs you to remind them of their great worth? Their potential in the eyes of the Lord? Who needs you to lift and love them closer to Christ right now (p. 94)?"
"Receive him as a brother (p. 95)."
"Perhaps Jesus saw something more (p. 99)."
"How do you grow into a new life if you have lived another life for so long? What is the process of a life transformation (p. 100)?"
"Sometimes love comes in the form of continued invitation for growth in a way we might not have anticipated (p. 101)."
"Talking of Christ's love kept him whole (p. 101)."
"It seems important to consider what charity looked like at the beginning. First, reminding someone who they are. At their core... Second, begin small. The man's ongoing transformation began with a change of clothes. Meeting a basic need was one of the first changes of many to come... Recovery comes in stages. Sometimes healing does as well. Charity remembers this (p. 103)."
"Sometimes, when the questions are especially hard, we give each other the grace to consider things overnight (P. 104)."
"'Whatever your concerns, whatever your challenges, I wish to assure you that there is a place for you in this, the Lord's Church' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 105)."
"The God you believe in has asked His people to feed the hungry... What that boy needed to know about God in that moment wasn't going to come from a missionary discussion. He needed a sandwich. He needed to know you believe in a God who feeds the hungry. He needed a sandwich (p. 106)."
"The Lord was trying to transform me through grace... What does it look like to make a place for someone (p. 107)?"
"Often that transformative power is manifest through charity. When we turn to Christ, we can expect His strength in our weakness, His enabling power to make us better in that place. I try to remember this every time I go into a hard conversation with someone. I have learned that if I pray for an increase of the Spirit for that moment, the Spirit can act as a messenger of grace, which will help to transform me into the best version of myself that person needs right then. The increase of grace leads to an increase in charity, the ability to love that person in that situation just as Jesus would (p. 107)."
"I have gone after lost sheep, scouring fields and meadows to find the wanderer... Jesus is the master of this, of going after the one (p. 109)."
"Sometimes charity looks like showing up. Going after one. Providing space (p. 111)."
"Now I am wondering what this place is, and how I can be a part of creating it. The refuge. The place where people discover Jesus. I think it is what our churches are meant to be, but is this what we are using them for? Saving. Could we be better at this? Could I be better at this (p. 112)?"
"I want to know more about what a city of refuge might look like (p. 113)."
"The Lord instructs His people to create a place of safety for everyone within the faith community and even those without. A city where everyone is welcome. A city that provides refuge for those with unresolved problems. A waiting place. A city of grace. A city where atonement could be made. The book club that meets once a month was created to address a need. 'Don't walk away from Jesus... Take all the time you need to figure things out, but don't walk away from Him.' And so, we create a safe space for the waiting. A place where we can talk about the hard things, address them out loud, lay them out on the table and study the hurt we often brush under the rug. We talk about Jesus (p. 114)."
"REFUGE... I think of my church. The place where we talk of Christ... The city was filled with people who knew each other's stories and the hard things. It became the job of the community to know and be known. To love and be loved (p. 115)."
"Take care of him. What if we are the inn? You and me (p. 116)."
"His work is people, the rule of life is love... we were sent to be the means (p. 118)."
"In my life, I have experienced three kinds of grace... saving grace. This grace heals wounds, saves, rescues, delivers, and redeems. It is an inward grace... exalting grace. This grace elevates a soul, transforms character, and increases capacity... giving grace. This is what allows us to extend deep kindness, to show mercy (p. 119)."
"I remember praying daily that my capacity would be increased. That I would be transformed into the mother Josh needed me to be. Through grace, I was (p. 123)."
"I knew. How He would meet her in that dark place. How He would increase her capacity (p. 124)."
"Here she goes... She is about to meet the Jesus who carried me through (p. 125)."
"'I know how the yoke works... how it allows the burden too heavy for one to be shared by two. The walking together, the lifting together, the working through... together. How you are not alone in this. How you will never be alone' (p. 125)."
"When we understand His grace, we walk the road as He does. Meeting people where they are, as they are. Lifting them. Loving them. Then ours becomes a story of charity, of greatest love, born out of grace. A story that revolves around Him (p. 126)."
"I consider how many times I have stepped onto a Jericho road uncertain of what the journey would bring... The men who run the establishment nod kindly at me. All is grace. I can see how he is begging for their favor in my behalf. Watch care. He has recommended me to them. My heart swells wide. This is hospitality (p. 2)."
"I don't understand how the man of God could pass by. Scholars suggest he was more concerned with staying clean than with saving... Jesus performed some of His greatest miracles with dirt. I consider how the man who passed by must not have known about Jesus, or the dirt (p. 3)."
"Had he rescued the wounded before? Why did he have cloth for the binding of wounds and oil and wine for cleansing and healing, unless he already knew what he would find on that seventeen-mile journey, unless he knew who he would find (p. 4)?"
"How many times had the Samaritan carried the wounded to the refuge of the inn before (p. 5)?"
"He invited each of us to 'go, and do thou likewise.' To walk the road. Mett people where they are, as they are. Lift them. Love them (p. 6)."
"Give them grace that they might have charity (p. 7)."
"'I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity.' Greater love. Greater love hath no man than this. It was just days before they would lay down their lives for their friends. For their God (p. 10)."
"'I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles grace, that they might have charity' (Ether 12:36). Please give unto this mob grace that they might have charity (p. 11)."
"What does grace have to do with charity (p. 11)?"
"Could you find a time to talk of Christ with those who are your best? Because what the world is in great need of right now is charity. I feel it deep down in my soul, and for some reason that's going to require us to better understand the gift of His grace. All of us. So, what if we were to start this conversation together? In our circles? In our places? On front porches and walking paths all around the world? What if we shared the stories we carry with us? The learning that has come? What if each of us were to start this conversation centered around Jesus? His grace. His charity. What would we learn? I'm excited to discover what we will learn (p. 14)."
"What I remember most from those dark days, is the peace that would flood my bedroom on those late nights when I prayed for the rest found in Matthew 11, the rest that only Jesus could give... It was the promise of someone willing to offer rest from what wearied me, from the heavy things (p. 15)."
"I am intrigued that He calls it my yoke. It causes me to wonder what His yoke looks like, what it represents... a scripture settles gently in my mind. 'Ye are desirous to be call his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light.'... I hear the whisper of the bearing of burdens, burdens that become light. This is His covenant. Maybe this is His yoke. To bear burdens, to comfort and mourn, to show up as He would, to stand in place of Him. As His witness. To stand as witness of the covenant. The covenant of love. Charity (p. 16)."
"He walks us through our worst days... This is grace. But He also calls us to live the covenant life. To give outward grace. Giving grace. This is charity. When we have experienced one, we become proficient in the other (p. 17)."
"I was called to serve as the Relief Society president of my ward. My tenure was short. The bishop told me I had been called for a specific reason and that I would be released as soon as I had fulfilled the assignment... Over the next few months it became clear. Five mothers in our ward would become pregnant and deliver five babies with overwhelming medical conditions (p. 18)."
"I had walked a similar path before... I had turned to Him for grace in the darkness, so I invited those mothers to do the same... The experience of receiving grace in the dark moments had tutored me in how to give charity when someone else was experiencing a similar darkness... From grace to charity (p. 19)."
"Perhaps charity is an outward expression of our inward understanding of grace (p. 20)."
"It was the year we learned to become more like Him. It became a tradition in our Relief Society to make a quilt for each of those mothers who lost a child. We would hand-stitch the name of the baby in the middle and then hand-stitch single words into the remaining squares with the attributes we had learned as we had prayed for that little one (p. 20)."
"Sometimes the journey is too great. Scripture suggests those moments are when the angels come, those assigned to the easing of infirmities from both sides of the veil. Sometimes charity is a cake on the coals, a cruse of water, a gentle touch (p. 22)."
"We live in a society where cancel culture rages... This is not a society of grace... Is a society void of grace void of Jesus?... A world without grace is a world without Jesus, and a world without Jesus is a world without pure love (p. 24)."
"'Grace is allowing people to make mistakes.'... Charity is loving people along the way (p. 25)."
"There is power that comes from marking God's Word, from making it our own (p. 26)."
"Each rudimentary heart has been placed next to what I must have thought was an important lesson... faith... hope... meek... lowly in heart... charity... pure love of Christ... Is there a progression to greatest love (p. 27)?"
"Understanding love can be messy. This perfect love of Christ, what if we are not perfect at it (p. 28)?"
"'High love, high expectations... It's how to help people live at their greatest capacity' (p. 28)."
"Hope = high expectation
Charity = high love...
Faith = high trust (p. 29)"
"Loving along the way. Charity. What does that look like in a life (p. 30)?"
"Change does not happen overnight, even with high love. Even with high expectations. It seems building trust takes time... We were trying to get it right. It is my nature to say yes... But I just knew this night was not a yes (p. 31)."
"'Why don't you trust me?'... 'Why don't you trust me?... Have I ever not done what was in your best interest? Have I ever purposefully chosen to disappoint you or let you down? Have I ever given you reason to believe that I don't love you (p. 32)?"
"The building of trust takes time. It takes vulnerable conversations. Building relationship requires sacrifice and love (p. 33)."
"Do you wonder what it feels like to sit at the feet of pure love? No condemnation veiled behind His eyes... His is genuine interest. His only motive is love (p. 35)."
"She loving Him because He first loved her. Becoming beloved. Is this part of the journey of grace (p. 37)?"
"Some would say filling the waterpot was the most crucial part of her day... Her life revolved around that. Living, existing, surviving. It all revolved around that waterpot... She left behind her waterpot. Her focus became bringing others to Him (p. 37)."
"Pure love never fails. Pure love has enough and some to spare. Pure love makes room for everyone (p. 38)."
"Do we ever disqualify ourselves from His love because of our expectations of what we think is required for the beloved (p. 38)?"
"I was sixteen. In a time when I would never be a cheerleader, a madrigal, one of the popular crowd, I would settle for being His (p. 40)."
"What prevents us from entering in with charity (p. 41)?"
"God knows how to humble a soul bent on creating his own success at the cost of another's soul (P. 42)."
"The giving of grace. What does that look like (p. 43)?"
"There was no longer a mess of pottage. There was no longer a birthright. There were two brothers, grace, and God. Somehow that was enough (p. 45)."
"With God, I have enough (p. 45)."
"'They call it the Jesus Trail... this dirt path that leads from Nazareth to Capernaum.'... I vow to walk it sometime... all forty miles... until I reach Peter's mother-in-law's house (p. 47)."
"His disciples, those who had committed their life to Him, climbed up with Him (p. 48)."
"Will living a higher law lead to a higher love? Because sometimes higher law leads to higher judgment. How many times has this been true of me? For each of us? What is the balance of law and love (p. 51)?"
"Where is the manual for the right way to love (p. 52)?"
"Continue to minister... You will be the means (p. 52)."
"I think about the difference-makers, the ones who know what it is to love well, to love like He would, and I can't help but ask myself, what does it look like to be the means (p. 52)?"
"What would it look like to be a succorer of many (p. 53)?"
"The Torah contains the law, written clearly, stated succinctly.
The Mishnah is the oral law, the explanation of the law.
The Talmud is a manual that teaches how to live the laws... We have a similar pattern in our religion...
The doctrine. The written law. The law of Christ.
The principles. The oral law. The explanation of what the law looks like in our culture today.
The application. How to live. The living of the law in ordinary life (p. 54)."
"What was the difference between Jesus and the Pharisees? They both practiced exact obedience to the law. Yet, one was focused on the routines, with getting it right on paper. The other was focused on the relationship, getting it right with God (p. 55)."
"Love God. Love people. Perhaps that is how He got it right (p. 56)."
"I set myself to learn everything I can bout His character, His attributes, His grace and see how it might lead to a greater capacity for love (p. 56)."
"Perhaps charity is learned as we watch others live it. Grace for grace. It is a becoming (p. 60)."
"'Grace is action on the ground... It's more than kindness. It's responding to need' (p. 62)."
"Do you know your story?... Do you know where you come from (p. 65)?"
"His work, his goods, are people. His work is people (p. 71)."
"Our job isn't just to take people under our watch care, but more importantly, to help them increase (p. 72)."
"Grace is an enabling power that will help us know what to do in order to minister to someone better--it will help us know how to participate in the Lord's work, to bring about the Lord's increase in each individual (p. 72)."
"Whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care (p. 73)."
"The rule of life is love (p. 74)."
"'Be humble, and full of love, having faith, hope, and charity, being temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care' (p. 75)."
"It fell on a day. An ordinary day, the space between sunrise and sunset, the time when normal day-to-day things take place (p. 76)."
"She gave what she had. Simple things. Her charity meant a lot to the man of God (p. 77)."
"I decide to act as if. From sunrise to sundown. An anonymous giver of charity. Could I be one of the thirty-six (p. 79)?"
"'We live in a world of division... There is so much contention... What would you teach me?... What do I need to know that I don't (p. 82)?"
"I can't help but think of the roads where love showed up. The road to Jericho, the road to Damascus, the road to Emmaus, I see how Love showed up there. Binding up wounds, offering change, bringing hope. I consider what each of those roads have in common and I realize these are all hard roads. Jericho was full of pain and suffering. Damascus was full of hate and threatening. Emmaus was filled with grief and sorrow. Walking roads like this will require something of you. Perhaps, if we want to have charity, we must learn how to walk the harder paths (p. 87)."
"Love gives second chances
Love asks, How can I help?...
Love doesn't stand higher...
Love is never too good for someone
Love is full of grace
Love does not call attention to self
Love has an understanding heart
Love assumes the best...
Helps carry the burden...
Doesn't leave when things get tough
Love never fails (p. 89)"
"Imagine his surprise when the Lord replied, 'Go... for he is a chosen vessel unto me.' And sometimes we don't comprehend the meaning of chosen (p. 92)."
"Who is the person who reminds you of your great worth, your great potential, who sees you as God sees you, who keeps you moving forward with the Lord (p. 94)?
"Who needs you to remind them of their great worth? Their potential in the eyes of the Lord? Who needs you to lift and love them closer to Christ right now (p. 94)?"
"Receive him as a brother (p. 95)."
"Perhaps Jesus saw something more (p. 99)."
"How do you grow into a new life if you have lived another life for so long? What is the process of a life transformation (p. 100)?"
"Sometimes love comes in the form of continued invitation for growth in a way we might not have anticipated (p. 101)."
"Talking of Christ's love kept him whole (p. 101)."
"It seems important to consider what charity looked like at the beginning. First, reminding someone who they are. At their core... Second, begin small. The man's ongoing transformation began with a change of clothes. Meeting a basic need was one of the first changes of many to come... Recovery comes in stages. Sometimes healing does as well. Charity remembers this (p. 103)."
"Sometimes, when the questions are especially hard, we give each other the grace to consider things overnight (P. 104)."
"'Whatever your concerns, whatever your challenges, I wish to assure you that there is a place for you in this, the Lord's Church' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 105)."
"The God you believe in has asked His people to feed the hungry... What that boy needed to know about God in that moment wasn't going to come from a missionary discussion. He needed a sandwich. He needed to know you believe in a God who feeds the hungry. He needed a sandwich (p. 106)."
"The Lord was trying to transform me through grace... What does it look like to make a place for someone (p. 107)?"
"Often that transformative power is manifest through charity. When we turn to Christ, we can expect His strength in our weakness, His enabling power to make us better in that place. I try to remember this every time I go into a hard conversation with someone. I have learned that if I pray for an increase of the Spirit for that moment, the Spirit can act as a messenger of grace, which will help to transform me into the best version of myself that person needs right then. The increase of grace leads to an increase in charity, the ability to love that person in that situation just as Jesus would (p. 107)."
"I have gone after lost sheep, scouring fields and meadows to find the wanderer... Jesus is the master of this, of going after the one (p. 109)."
"Sometimes charity looks like showing up. Going after one. Providing space (p. 111)."
"Now I am wondering what this place is, and how I can be a part of creating it. The refuge. The place where people discover Jesus. I think it is what our churches are meant to be, but is this what we are using them for? Saving. Could we be better at this? Could I be better at this (p. 112)?"
"I want to know more about what a city of refuge might look like (p. 113)."
"The Lord instructs His people to create a place of safety for everyone within the faith community and even those without. A city where everyone is welcome. A city that provides refuge for those with unresolved problems. A waiting place. A city of grace. A city where atonement could be made. The book club that meets once a month was created to address a need. 'Don't walk away from Jesus... Take all the time you need to figure things out, but don't walk away from Him.' And so, we create a safe space for the waiting. A place where we can talk about the hard things, address them out loud, lay them out on the table and study the hurt we often brush under the rug. We talk about Jesus (p. 114)."
"REFUGE... I think of my church. The place where we talk of Christ... The city was filled with people who knew each other's stories and the hard things. It became the job of the community to know and be known. To love and be loved (p. 115)."
"Take care of him. What if we are the inn? You and me (p. 116)."
"His work is people, the rule of life is love... we were sent to be the means (p. 118)."
"In my life, I have experienced three kinds of grace... saving grace. This grace heals wounds, saves, rescues, delivers, and redeems. It is an inward grace... exalting grace. This grace elevates a soul, transforms character, and increases capacity... giving grace. This is what allows us to extend deep kindness, to show mercy (p. 119)."
"I remember praying daily that my capacity would be increased. That I would be transformed into the mother Josh needed me to be. Through grace, I was (p. 123)."
"I knew. How He would meet her in that dark place. How He would increase her capacity (p. 124)."
"Here she goes... She is about to meet the Jesus who carried me through (p. 125)."
"'I know how the yoke works... how it allows the burden too heavy for one to be shared by two. The walking together, the lifting together, the working through... together. How you are not alone in this. How you will never be alone' (p. 125)."
"When we understand His grace, we walk the road as He does. Meeting people where they are, as they are. Lifting them. Loving them. Then ours becomes a story of charity, of greatest love, born out of grace. A story that revolves around Him (p. 126)."
January 9, 2024
This book had some touching insights but the writing style was frustratingly distracting. Parallelism and short sentences (/sentence fragments) are effective rhetorical tools for emphasizing a point of culmination; when every other sentence is four words long and every other paragraph is a heap of parallelism, the entire weight of the message is undermined by cliches. The overall message was good, I just wish it had been conveyed differently.
July 1, 2023
There was a lot of really good stuff in this book. However, I nearly quit several times because the formatting and short, choppy, disconnected sentences were such a turn off for me. That’s not the author’s fault, it’s just a personal preference. I enjoyed the scriptural applications, just not the presentation.
March 3, 2024
Emily Belle Freeman's books are such a great mix of heart felt insight, personal experience, and scriptural retelling. In this book, she explains how doctrinal Grace and Charity intersect. This particular book has a wonderful epilogue that explains grace in greater detail.
Freeman explains there are three kinds of grace:
1. Saving grace: "This grace heals wounds, saves, rescues, delivers, and redeems"(97).
2. Exalting grace: "This grace elevates a soul, transforms character, and increases capacity. It is the enabling strength that helps you become like Christ"(97).
3. Giving grace: "This is what allows us to extend deep kindness, to show mercy"(97).
Her exploration of grace is from her own perspective but she has thought so deeply about it, including searching the scriptures, that it seems a solid perspective. She shares,
-"Sometimes He refines us in ways we might not have wanted because He needs to use us in ways we might not have thought"(20).
-Sometimes the journey is too hard and we have to lean in to grace (23).
-"Grace leaves room for mistakes while giving space and invitation for someone to improve, to grow, to transform"(25).
-You must combine high expectations of others with offering them high amounts of love (27).
-"High trust [is] meeting someone where they are, as they are. Allowing room for mistakes. Trusting the eventual outcome. Offering grace to overcome"(28).
-"Building relationships requires sacrifice and love"(31).
-"Perhaps when you are content with where you are, you're able to love someone better where they are. Grace where you are . . .maybe this type of love can only come after your own private wrestle with the Lord"(41).
-"our job isn't just to take people under our watch care, but more importantly, to help them increase. . . .How can I help this person experience an increase under my care?"(60)
-"We must choose love, peace, hope, and mercy. Not just on Christmas, but everyday. We must choose charity"(68).
-"The increase of grace leads to an increase in charity, the ability to love that person in that situation just as Jesus would"(86).
-"That is charity. That is the ability to love pure, to enter the story because you have lived the story, to love like Christ"(102).
It struck me, Freeman exemplifies loving everyone, as our Savior does. She does not discuss being angry or frustrated at others, just seeing them, their situation, and how she can reach out to them. Her kindness and charity are inspiring, making me want to be less judgemental, less hard-hearted.
I especially like her points that we need to meet people wherever they are in life's journey and offer love and hope, as well as trust. We are Christ's hands. Her prose is well crafted and the book overall is well paced.
Freeman explains there are three kinds of grace:
1. Saving grace: "This grace heals wounds, saves, rescues, delivers, and redeems"(97).
2. Exalting grace: "This grace elevates a soul, transforms character, and increases capacity. It is the enabling strength that helps you become like Christ"(97).
3. Giving grace: "This is what allows us to extend deep kindness, to show mercy"(97).
Her exploration of grace is from her own perspective but she has thought so deeply about it, including searching the scriptures, that it seems a solid perspective. She shares,
-"Sometimes He refines us in ways we might not have wanted because He needs to use us in ways we might not have thought"(20).
-Sometimes the journey is too hard and we have to lean in to grace (23).
-"Grace leaves room for mistakes while giving space and invitation for someone to improve, to grow, to transform"(25).
-You must combine high expectations of others with offering them high amounts of love (27).
-"High trust [is] meeting someone where they are, as they are. Allowing room for mistakes. Trusting the eventual outcome. Offering grace to overcome"(28).
-"Building relationships requires sacrifice and love"(31).
-"Perhaps when you are content with where you are, you're able to love someone better where they are. Grace where you are . . .maybe this type of love can only come after your own private wrestle with the Lord"(41).
-"our job isn't just to take people under our watch care, but more importantly, to help them increase. . . .How can I help this person experience an increase under my care?"(60)
-"We must choose love, peace, hope, and mercy. Not just on Christmas, but everyday. We must choose charity"(68).
-"The increase of grace leads to an increase in charity, the ability to love that person in that situation just as Jesus would"(86).
-"That is charity. That is the ability to love pure, to enter the story because you have lived the story, to love like Christ"(102).
It struck me, Freeman exemplifies loving everyone, as our Savior does. She does not discuss being angry or frustrated at others, just seeing them, their situation, and how she can reach out to them. Her kindness and charity are inspiring, making me want to be less judgemental, less hard-hearted.
I especially like her points that we need to meet people wherever they are in life's journey and offer love and hope, as well as trust. We are Christ's hands. Her prose is well crafted and the book overall is well paced.
April 16, 2024
Lovely and insightful, as Emily Belle Freeman always is!
Quotes/Ideas:
This (the Good Samaritan) is a story that whispers of grace. Meeting someone where they are, as they are. The lifting up and carrying to refuge. The begging for favor in another’s behalf. But the story also whispers of charity, of greatest love. The binding up of wounds. The anointing and cleansing of painful things. The sitting through the darkest hours. The payment of a cost another is unable to pay on his own. From grace to charity.
Our trials allow us to experience the grace that heals and the grace that transforms. Grace that meets you where you are, as you are, along with the grace that enables you to become.
The experience of receiving grace in the dark moments had tutored me in how to give charity when someone else was experiencing a similar darkness. Outward grace. Sometimes he refines us in ways we might not have wanted because He needs to use us in ways we might not have thought.
Perhaps charity is an outward expression of our inward understanding of grace.
Grace is allowing room for mistakes and giving space for growth. Charity is loving people along the way.
In this account (Man waiting for healing by the pool of Bethesda, John 5) I see grace to heal wounds, but also grace to elevate a soul. Grace where you are and grace to become. Both are required to for one to be made whole.
Old Jewish tradition- world is sustained by the presence of at least thirty-six tzaddikim. These people do their good deeds quietly: Their neighbors do not know who they are. If, however, that minimum of truly saintly people does not exist, then the world itself will perish. … Their identity is unknown, even to themselves, so every Jew is taught to act as if they might be one of them.
The man with many demons in Gadarene (Luke 8). Jesus began by asking the man’s name. Second, He offered him a change of clothes. We can remind someone who they are. At their core. Second, begin small, maybe by meeting a basic need. Recovery comes in stages. Sometimes healing does as well. Charity remembers this.
Meet people where they are. 1 Corinthians 9:19-22
What if the signs on the front of our church buildings read “REFUGE.” Would more people be inclined to walk through the doors? Would the community inside be kinder? Those who have experienced grace before—would they respond with greater charity?
He meets us in our dark places. He increases our capacity.
When we understand His grace, we walk the road as He does. Meeting people where they are, as they are. Lifting them. Loving them.
Quotes/Ideas:
This (the Good Samaritan) is a story that whispers of grace. Meeting someone where they are, as they are. The lifting up and carrying to refuge. The begging for favor in another’s behalf. But the story also whispers of charity, of greatest love. The binding up of wounds. The anointing and cleansing of painful things. The sitting through the darkest hours. The payment of a cost another is unable to pay on his own. From grace to charity.
Our trials allow us to experience the grace that heals and the grace that transforms. Grace that meets you where you are, as you are, along with the grace that enables you to become.
The experience of receiving grace in the dark moments had tutored me in how to give charity when someone else was experiencing a similar darkness. Outward grace. Sometimes he refines us in ways we might not have wanted because He needs to use us in ways we might not have thought.
Perhaps charity is an outward expression of our inward understanding of grace.
Grace is allowing room for mistakes and giving space for growth. Charity is loving people along the way.
In this account (Man waiting for healing by the pool of Bethesda, John 5) I see grace to heal wounds, but also grace to elevate a soul. Grace where you are and grace to become. Both are required to for one to be made whole.
Old Jewish tradition- world is sustained by the presence of at least thirty-six tzaddikim. These people do their good deeds quietly: Their neighbors do not know who they are. If, however, that minimum of truly saintly people does not exist, then the world itself will perish. … Their identity is unknown, even to themselves, so every Jew is taught to act as if they might be one of them.
The man with many demons in Gadarene (Luke 8). Jesus began by asking the man’s name. Second, He offered him a change of clothes. We can remind someone who they are. At their core. Second, begin small, maybe by meeting a basic need. Recovery comes in stages. Sometimes healing does as well. Charity remembers this.
Meet people where they are. 1 Corinthians 9:19-22
What if the signs on the front of our church buildings read “REFUGE.” Would more people be inclined to walk through the doors? Would the community inside be kinder? Those who have experienced grace before—would they respond with greater charity?
He meets us in our dark places. He increases our capacity.
When we understand His grace, we walk the road as He does. Meeting people where they are, as they are. Lifting them. Loving them.
Read
September 12, 2024One day Abu Bakr--the Truthful--had a conflict with someone who didn’t believe in charity. He said, “God is needy. If He weren’t needy, He wouldn’t have asked us to pay tax in charity to the poor.” Abu Bakr got angry and struck that man at the face.
I feel like I need to explain it my way.
You know, 1400 years ago, when people knew no math, when people didn’t have a virtual world erected like a stage, visible from your own head—in those times, such words coming out of people was normal. But now, after you have seen everything, how can you say charity is ‘to’ God? While I see that giving in charity cleans us. You don’t give a certain amount, you will have to burn it which will become blackened and go to the devil—which is why in Islam we don’t burn stuff during any kind of worship or prayer. Charity isn’t for God. It’s for you. You don’t give, you stay unclean. Even in the real world. The little life we have is for test. And you expect God will pay on behalf of your while you stay in luxury? Make no mistake in hearing me out—God ‘can’ pay even the charity you need to pay, or those fights you need to do ‘on behalf of you’ and ‘without any reckoning.’ But honestly, ask yourself—do you deserve it? Even if you deserve it, God may not want to do it for you. God did things for only those who sacrificed everything that was placed before them as an option. Look at Mary who left everyone and went to the desert. Look at Abraham who accepted fire and left to live in the desert. Don’t expect God to pay for you during your test time. Whether you will do it or not, it’s totally up to you. No one is forcing anyone, except that if someone wants to stay with us—that is, if ‘we’ want to stay together, we just need to have similar footsteps to a certain level so that we can stay in the same world, on the same page, or maybe even just on the same mindset even if we are in different worlds.
I feel like I need to explain it my way.
You know, 1400 years ago, when people knew no math, when people didn’t have a virtual world erected like a stage, visible from your own head—in those times, such words coming out of people was normal. But now, after you have seen everything, how can you say charity is ‘to’ God? While I see that giving in charity cleans us. You don’t give a certain amount, you will have to burn it which will become blackened and go to the devil—which is why in Islam we don’t burn stuff during any kind of worship or prayer. Charity isn’t for God. It’s for you. You don’t give, you stay unclean. Even in the real world. The little life we have is for test. And you expect God will pay on behalf of your while you stay in luxury? Make no mistake in hearing me out—God ‘can’ pay even the charity you need to pay, or those fights you need to do ‘on behalf of you’ and ‘without any reckoning.’ But honestly, ask yourself—do you deserve it? Even if you deserve it, God may not want to do it for you. God did things for only those who sacrificed everything that was placed before them as an option. Look at Mary who left everyone and went to the desert. Look at Abraham who accepted fire and left to live in the desert. Don’t expect God to pay for you during your test time. Whether you will do it or not, it’s totally up to you. No one is forcing anyone, except that if someone wants to stay with us—that is, if ‘we’ want to stay together, we just need to have similar footsteps to a certain level so that we can stay in the same world, on the same page, or maybe even just on the same mindset even if we are in different worlds.
April 5, 2025
Emily Belle Freeman's "From Grace to Charity" offers a gentle exploration of the transition from receiving divine grace to embodying Christlike charity. The book certainly carries a well-intentioned message, focusing on the transformative power of grace and its potential to inspire selfless love and service.
The core ideas presented are undeniably positive and spiritually uplifting. Freeman's emphasis on recognizing and internalizing grace as a foundation for extending charity is a valuable concept. She uses personal anecdotes and scriptural references to illustrate how this process can unfold in everyday life. Some readers may find these examples relatable and inspiring.
However, the execution of these ideas feels somewhat uneven. The writing, while sincere, occasionally lacks depth and nuance. Some passages feel repetitive, and the exploration of complex theological concepts sometimes comes across as simplistic. The book could have benefited from a more rigorous analysis of the nuances between grace and charity and a deeper dive into the practical challenges of implementing these principles.
Furthermore, the pacing feels slow at times, and the narrative flow could have been more engaging. While the book aims to be reflective and meditative, it occasionally veers into territory that feels overly sentimental. A more balanced approach, incorporating more robust theological discussion and varied storytelling, would have strengthened the overall impact.
In summary, "From Grace to Charity" contains valuable spiritual insights, but its potential is somewhat diminished by its writing style and pacing. While the book's message is commendable, its execution feels like it could have been elevated with more focused prose and deeper theological exploration. It's a book that may resonate with readers seeking a gentle reminder of the importance of grace and charity, but those looking for a more intellectually stimulating read may find it lacking.
The core ideas presented are undeniably positive and spiritually uplifting. Freeman's emphasis on recognizing and internalizing grace as a foundation for extending charity is a valuable concept. She uses personal anecdotes and scriptural references to illustrate how this process can unfold in everyday life. Some readers may find these examples relatable and inspiring.
However, the execution of these ideas feels somewhat uneven. The writing, while sincere, occasionally lacks depth and nuance. Some passages feel repetitive, and the exploration of complex theological concepts sometimes comes across as simplistic. The book could have benefited from a more rigorous analysis of the nuances between grace and charity and a deeper dive into the practical challenges of implementing these principles.
Furthermore, the pacing feels slow at times, and the narrative flow could have been more engaging. While the book aims to be reflective and meditative, it occasionally veers into territory that feels overly sentimental. A more balanced approach, incorporating more robust theological discussion and varied storytelling, would have strengthened the overall impact.
In summary, "From Grace to Charity" contains valuable spiritual insights, but its potential is somewhat diminished by its writing style and pacing. While the book's message is commendable, its execution feels like it could have been elevated with more focused prose and deeper theological exploration. It's a book that may resonate with readers seeking a gentle reminder of the importance of grace and charity, but those looking for a more intellectually stimulating read may find it lacking.
January 4, 2025
Book #2 of 2025 (It's a short one, but a good one.)
My favorite quote from the book: "The expression of true charity comes when the touch of divine grace on our heart is actually reflected in our life."
This book is short, but extremely insightful. I've listened to the first two books of this series about grace on audiobook, so I wanted to read the third one. Emily Belle Freeman's writing has a sort of poetic quality. It's clear that these ideas about grace, charity, and Jesus have become personally significant to her—and her enthusiasm bleeds through the pages. Reading this book almost felt like reading a personal scripture study journal or having a conversation with friends. Because of that, From Grace to Charity does not have a streamlined structure—it feels a little more messy and patched-together. However, I didn't mind that, since the book is meant to reflect Emily's spiritual journey of understanding grace and charity.
My favorite quote from the book: "The expression of true charity comes when the touch of divine grace on our heart is actually reflected in our life."
This book is short, but extremely insightful. I've listened to the first two books of this series about grace on audiobook, so I wanted to read the third one. Emily Belle Freeman's writing has a sort of poetic quality. It's clear that these ideas about grace, charity, and Jesus have become personally significant to her—and her enthusiasm bleeds through the pages. Reading this book almost felt like reading a personal scripture study journal or having a conversation with friends. Because of that, From Grace to Charity does not have a streamlined structure—it feels a little more messy and patched-together. However, I didn't mind that, since the book is meant to reflect Emily's spiritual journey of understanding grace and charity.
January 31, 2025
This was a sweet little book by Emily Freeman, whom I just love. It was perfect to just read a little chapter or two before bed each night. I loved the personal stories she shared - but wanted more! I felt like she’d say something about something that had happened, but then not get into the details. It was more scripture stories about grace and charity, I felt like. Which is good too. I just liked the personal stories better because they seem more relatable to me. But I love that she points out how love is always the answer. Whenever I have prayed about how to forgive someone or how to help one of my children or something, the answer I’m always given is LOVE. Just show love. Meet people where they are and show them love, consideration, empathy. That’s what Jesus would do. And that’s the whole point right? Be like Jesus. Love like Him.
June 13, 2023
Such a truly excellent book! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with more beautiful expression of language. It’s like being taken along for a most scenic drive! And that’s just the style of writing! The subject matter represents some of the most edifying, soul soaring moments of my life! I will read this book over and over! The Young Women of the Church are in very very good hands!
The entire book was about me and my relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ. While the examples were about others, Sister Freeman had such a way of carefully, lovingly including me in that journey. It became an intensely personal book. About an intensely personal Savior. It was about how very much he loves me and you and wishes for us all the Grace and Charity that will transform both of us.
The entire book was about me and my relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ. While the examples were about others, Sister Freeman had such a way of carefully, lovingly including me in that journey. It became an intensely personal book. About an intensely personal Savior. It was about how very much he loves me and you and wishes for us all the Grace and Charity that will transform both of us.
November 6, 2023
I have read the author's first two books and absolutely loved them. This one was good, but not as good as the others in my opinion. I did learn a lot from reading it, though. It seemed a little choppy in the writing and presentation. The author did give a good explanation about the Savior's grace and how as we accept that and try to emulate it, we want to become like the Savior in giving and caring for others. She did share some good examples of the principles of grace and charity. I am keeping this and most likely will reread it again sometime in the future. As with her other 2 books she gives the reader a lot to think about and with rereading it, more understanding comes to light.
I'd really give the book a 3.5.
I'd really give the book a 3.5.
April 9, 2023
In this book, author Emily Belle Freeman uses scripture and her own life experiences to show the connection between grace and charity. When we truly show grace, as the Savior did, it leads us to be loving and charitable and meet others in their needs. This is a good book, with lots of good scriptural examples, but for some reason, it just did not make much of an impact on me. It is probably just where I am in my life, but some of the stories actually made me a little depressed. Maybe they hit too close to home. I admit that I may listen to or read this book again next year and it would affect me differently. I listened to the audiobook on Deseret Bookshelf Plus.
June 20, 2023
I couldn't finish the book. I really love the beginning. She had some amazing insights and thoughts. But the book just got mundane the more and more I read. I don't know what it was, but it felt like most of the book she was talking about things without really having a lot of scriptures and stories. It's like she was talking like a politician. Speaking without actually answering any questions near the end. I don't know what it was, I've liked her other books. But this one I felt just kept going around and around without really getting to anything. I got over halfway and finally stopped. But the beginning was really good
September 9, 2025
An excellent book! I am really impressed with how knowledgeable Emily Belle Freeman is about the scriptures. She studies them intently, and asks questions and finds insights that are inspiring. She shares personal experiences that have led her closer to Jesus Christ, and that have taught her more about loving others. I feel from her words that she is a really loving and service oriented person, without seeming at all pretentious. She is the General Young Women President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, but I have read some of her books before she received this calling a couple of years ago.
May 3, 2023
I love all three books on Grace that Emily Belle Freeman has written. I read the first one " Grace Where You Are" and thought it was so amazing in helping me understand Grace better that I was almost afraid to read the second one, because I thought it couldn't get any better and I would be disappointed. I was wrong! "Grace to Become" and "From Grace to Charity" did not disappoint. I love the personal stories that help me to understand what she is trying to share with me. Thank you for these books they are going to my treasured books section of my personal library.
January 2, 2025
In my opinion, there is no one who talks of Jesus Christ better than Emily Belle Freeman. The way she connects and speaks of things really clicks for me. For that reason, I obviously loved this book that was very focused on letting the Savior’s grace work through us in the form of charity.
The reason I only gave this four stars was because I think some of her examples and personal experiences could have been explained better. It almost felt like some of them were “you had to be there” moments that I didn’t follow.
The reason I only gave this four stars was because I think some of her examples and personal experiences could have been explained better. It almost felt like some of them were “you had to be there” moments that I didn’t follow.
March 21, 2023
Easy 2 hour read! I have been waiting for this book to come out. I love EBF and this little trilogy of hers on Grace. This little gem is about how grace is the foundation of charity, or the pure love of Christ. She frequently says "charity is an outward expression of our inward understanding of grace." EBF has a beautiful mind and spirit. Her words and inspiration always reach the deepest parts of me and are truly healing.
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