Mosiah 4:21

Why it is important for us to help those in need?

A doctrinal dissection of Mosiah 4:21

Takeaway:
Mosiah 4:21 teaches that helping those in need is not optional for disciples — it is the natural response of a people who recognize that everything we have is a gift from God, and therefore we impart because God first imparted to us.

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What Mosiah 4:21 teaches us about why we help

“And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another.”

This verse answers the question “Why is it important to help those in need?” by grounding the answer in three realities:

1. We are dependent on God

Mosiah emphasizes that our lives, our breath, our opportunities, and our substance are not self-produced.
We live in a continual state of receiving.

• We receive life from God.
• We receive forgiveness from God.
• We receive daily sustenance from God.
• We receive answers to our prayers “whatsoever we ask that is right.”

If we live by divine generosity, we cannot live ungenerously toward others.

2. We help because God’s generosity toward us becomes our pattern

The verse uses a powerful “if–then” structure:

• If God gives freely to us,
• then we ought to give freely to one another.

Helping those in need is not merely charity — it is imitation.
We mirror the God who sustains us.

This transforms giving from obligation into identity.
We help because we belong to a God who helps.

3. We impart because imparting is covenant behavior

The cross‑reference word is impart, and Daniel 4:27 reinforces the principle:

“Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.”

Daniel teaches that imparting is not just kindness — it is righteousness, a sign that our hearts are aligned with God.

To impart means:

• We share what God has placed in our hands.
• We relieve burdens where we can.
• We recognize that substance is stewardship, not ownership.
• We treat the needs of others as sacred signals calling us to act.

Helping those in need is important because it is the outward evidence of an inward conversion.

4. We help because we are one family under God

Mosiah 4 repeatedly reminds us that we are all beggars before God.
If we all stand in need of mercy, then we stand together — not above one another.

Helping those in need:

• Protects us from pride.
• Keeps us aware of our shared humanity.
• Builds a community where no one is left to perish.
• Reflects the kingdom God is trying to build among us.

We help because we are responsible for one another.

5. We help because God expects our gratitude to become action

King Benjamin’s logic is simple and piercing:

If God gives to us,
and we claim to be grateful,
then our gratitude must show up in how we treat others.

Gratitude that does not become generosity is incomplete.

Helping those in need is important because it is how we express our thanks to God.

Principle

Because God continually imparts life, mercy, and substance to us, we must impart to others.
Our generosity is the living proof that we understand our dependence on God and our covenant responsibility to one another.

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IMPART — Principle 1:

Generosity

Most Poignant Scriptures on Generosity

• Deut. 15:11 — “Open thine hand wide unto thy poor.”
• Prov. 19:17 — “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord.”
• Matt. 10:8 — “Freely ye have received, freely give.”
• Luke 6:38 — “Give, and it shall be given unto you.”
• Mosiah 4:16 — “Administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need.”
• Alma 1:30 — “They were liberal to all, both old and young.”
• 2 Cor. 9:7 — “God loveth a cheerful giver.”

These seven form the minimum essential spine of the doctrine of generosity.

Why These Scriptures

1. They reveal God’s posture toward the poor.

Deut. 15:11 and Prov. 19:17 show that generosity is not merely kindness — it is participation in God’s own work.
When we open our hands, we join God in His care for His children.

2. They show that generosity is rooted in what we have received.

Matt. 10:8 reminds us that we give because God gave first.
Generosity is not loss — it is overflow.

3. They show that generosity is reciprocal in the kingdom.

Luke 6:38 teaches that God responds to our giving with divine abundance.
We cannot outgive Him.

4. They show that generosity is covenant behavior.

Mosiah 4:16 and Alma 1:30 anchor generosity in discipleship.
We are not generous because people deserve it —
we are generous because we are disciples.

5. They show that generosity must be joyful, not reluctant.

2 Cor. 9:7 exposes the heart:
God is not looking for forced giving —
He is shaping cheerful, willing, covenantal generosity.

Principle: Generosity

Generosity is the covenant reflex of a disciple who recognizes that everything we have has been freely given by God.
Because God opens His hand to us without hesitation, we open our hands to others without calculation, boundary, or reluctance.
Generosity is not measured by the size of the gift but by the freedom of the heart that gives it.

This principle flows directly from Mosiah 4:21:
God imparts to us → therefore we impart to others.

Application to Our Lives

1. We give because we live in continual receipt.

Every breath, every opportunity, every answered prayer is God imparting to us.
We cannot receive freely and give sparingly.

2. We give widely, not selectively.

Alma 1:30 teaches that generosity is liberal to all —
old and young, insider and outsider, familiar and stranger.
We do not ration mercy.

3. We give with joy, not reluctance.

2 Cor. 9:7 calls us to cheerful giving.
We do not give to be seen, to be praised, or to feel superior.
We give because God’s generosity has changed us.

4. We give because generosity builds Zion.

Generosity is how we ensure that no one among us suffers alone.
It is how we create a community where burdens are shared,
needs are met,
and the love of God becomes visible.

5. We give because generosity is worship.

Every act of generosity is a declaration:
“God has been good to us, and we will be good to others.”

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IMPART — Principle 2:

Welfare

Most Poignant Scriptures on Welfare

• Lev. 19:10 — “Leave them for the poor and stranger.”
• Isa. 58:7 — “Bring the poor that are cast out to thy house.”
• Matt. 25:40 — “Ye have done it unto me.”
• Acts 2:45 — “Parted them to all men, as every man had need.”
• Mosiah 18:29 — “Imparting to one another both temporally and spiritually.”
• Alma 34:28 — “Impart of your substance… and visit the sick and afflicted.”
• D&C 38:35 — “They shall… administer to their relief.”
• Moses 7:18 — “Zion… there were no poor among them.”

These eight passages form the minimum essential spine of the doctrine of welfare.

Why These Scriptures

1. They show that welfare is built into God’s law.

Lev. 19:10 reveals that God structured Israel’s economy so the poor were never forgotten.
Welfare is not an afterthought — it is a commanded margin of mercy.

2. They show that welfare is the heart of true religion.

Isa. 58:7 and Matt. 25:40 teach that caring for the poor is not optional —
it is the evidence of discipleship.
When we care for the vulnerable, we minister directly to Christ.

3. They show that welfare is communal, not individualistic.

Acts 2:45 shows the early Saints living in a way where needs determined distribution, not status or wealth.
Welfare is a shared stewardship.

4. They show that welfare is both temporal and spiritual.

Mosiah 18:29 teaches that covenant communities care for the whole person —
body and soul.
Welfare is not just food and shelter; it is belonging, teaching, and spiritual strengthening.

5. They show that welfare is inseparable from charity.

Alma 34:28 warns that prayer without welfare is hollow.
If we do not lift the burdens of others, our worship is incomplete.

6. They show that welfare is organized discipleship.

D&C 38:35 reveals that welfare is not random generosity —
it is administered, intentional, and structured.

7. They show that welfare is the mark of Zion.

Moses 7:18 gives us the end goal:
a people so unified, so consecrated, so compassionate, that poverty disappears.

Principle: Welfare

Welfare is the covenant responsibility to sustain the physical, emotional, and spiritual well‑being of God’s children.
It is the organized expression of our discipleship, ensuring that no one among us suffers alone, goes hungry, remains unseen, or is left without support.
Welfare is not merely giving — it is belonging, lifting, and preserving dignity.

Welfare answers the question:
“How do we care for one another the way God cares for us?”

Application to Our Lives

1. We create margin for the needs of others.

Just as Israel left the corners of their fields,
we leave space in our time, resources, and attention for those who need help.

2. We see welfare as worship.

Isa. 58 teaches that God rejects fasting without welfare.
Our care for the poor is part of our devotion.

3. We meet needs both temporal and spiritual.

We feed, clothe, visit, listen, teach, encourage, and strengthen.
Welfare is holistic.

4. We build systems, not just moments.

D&C 38:35 shows that welfare is organized.
We create patterns, habits, and structures that ensure no one is forgotten.

5. We treat every act of welfare as ministry to Christ Himself.

Matt. 25:40 reframes every interaction:
When we lift another, we lift Him.

6. We labor for a Zion community.

Moses 7:18 is not a fantasy — it is a blueprint.
Welfare is how we move from scarcity to sufficiency,
from isolation to unity,
from need to abundance.

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Summary:

Why the Principles of “Impart” Matter

Takeaway:
The principles of Generosity and Welfare are not just moral expectations — they are transforming disciplines that shape us into the likeness of Jesus Christ and draw us into the holiness of the Father. When we impart, we participate in God’s own way of being.

Why These Principles Matter for Our Spiritual Growth

1. Imparting aligns us with the character of God.

Generosity and welfare are not human inventions — they are attributes of God Himself.
He opens His hand, sustains His children, lifts the poor, heals the broken, and provides for the needy.

When we impart:

• We reflect His nature.
• We learn His rhythms.
• We begin to love as He loves.

In imparting, we grow into His holiness.

2. Imparting is how we follow Jesus Christ.

Christ’s entire ministry was an imparting ministry:

• He imparted healing.
• He imparted forgiveness.
• He imparted truth.
• He imparted compassion.
• He imparted His very life.

When we practice generosity and welfare, we are not merely doing good —
we are walking in the footsteps of the Son, learning His heart, and becoming His disciples in deed, not only in word.

This is why the scriptures repeatedly tie imparting to discipleship.

3. Imparting breaks the power of pride and self‑reliance.

Both principles confront the natural man:

• Generosity breaks the instinct to hoard.
• Welfare breaks the instinct to ignore.

When we impart, we confess with our actions:
“All that we have comes from God, and all that we give returns to Him.”

This humility is the soil where holiness grows.

4. Imparting binds us to one another in covenant community.

Holiness is not isolation — it is belonging.

Generosity creates connection.
Welfare creates unity.
Both create Zion.

When we impart:

• We see others as God sees them.
• We carry one another’s burdens.
• We become one body in Christ.

This is why Zion had “no poor among them” —
because imparting is the architecture of holy community.

5. Imparting opens us to the sanctifying power of Christ.

Holiness is not achieved by effort alone — it is received through yielding.

When we impart:

• We yield our resources.
• We yield our time.
• We yield our comfort.
• We yield our will.

And in that yielding, Christ reshapes us.

Generosity softens us.
Welfare enlarges us.
Both make room for the Spirit to sanctify us.

6. Imparting is how we participate in God’s holiness.

Holiness is not merely purity — it is other‑ness, the divine way of being.

God’s holiness is expressed in:

• mercy,
• compassion,
• abundance,
• justice,
• and covenant care.

When we impart, we step into that divine pattern.
We become partners in His work.
We become vessels of His love.
We become witnesses of His holiness.

Through the Son, we learn the Father’s heart.
Through imparting, we live it.

Summary Principle

Imparting is essential to our spiritual growth because it forms Christlike character within us, binds us to one another in covenant unity, and draws us into the holiness of the Father.
Generosity shapes our hearts; welfare shapes our community; together they shape us into a people who reflect the life and love of Jesus Christ.