I am so glad you spoke again on this subject. I feel you are right We can't live in a society where everyone is poisoned by cynicisim. From the responses of the commentary the other day, I feel there are a lot of cynics out there and I hope and pray they keep reading and listening to your commentaries and learn from them. I enjoy the commentaries and hope you keep it up.

You are so right!! I work very hard on not allowing the actions of others to dictate my own actions. No one wants to be taken advantage of -- but I would rather be the person taken advantage of than the person who takes advantage of others. I am grateful that I don't have to make poor choices.

What it comes down to is the integrity of our givers' "intention" that matters--not the validity of the end event. If the gift comes thru the heart with the right intention, there is no expectation of response or preconceived "correct" usage for the gift--that depends on the receiver's journey and the Universe's guidance. What a wonderful, reaffirming example of the power of intention.

As usual, you are on target. Given the pure logic & simplicity of your message, I am always amazed that there are people who are so lost in themselves that don't get your messages. By the way, my Sunday School class (17- to 18-yr olds) love you & your words, which I read to them every week. You exemplify all the LDS standards of which we hold as truth.

When I was a teenager visiting my cousins in Florida for the first time, I met a man on the street who asked for 25 cents to buy a cup of coffee. I gave him the money, and one of my cousins rebuked me as we walked on down the street. Her argument was that the man was only going to buy alcohol. I told her I gave him what he asked for because I had it to give. It's between him and God what he does with it.

These days, many misunderstand what a gift is; it is something you release with no strings attached. If the receiver has wrong motives, it catches up with them after awhile and the giver (with pure motives) is blessed.

I just want to say that if I give to someone who asks for help and that person turns out to be a liar and a fraud, that is his or her responsibility. Mine is to give as my heart and conscience dictates. What is done with a gift after it leaves my hand is not my concern.

I think there needs to be a balance between not allowing the actions of others to dictate your own actions and protecting yourself from unscrupulous people. Here in Los Angeles we are advised by charitable organizations that when we are approached for money to instead offer assistance in other forms. For instance, if approached for money for food, offer to buy something for the person. If asked for money to help a sick child, offer to make a donation to the hospital to be used for that specific treatment. I have done this and you'd be surprised how many people not only refuse, but get upset with any offer other than cold, hard cash. There can be fine lines between cynicism, naivete, and plain stupidity.

Ultimately, you can't be responsible for anyone's actions but your own. God calls us to do the right thing but also gives us discernment to help judge the situation.
Someone once said, "I would rather be the guy that bought the Brooklyn Bridge than the guy that sold it." I am inclined to agree. I would rather take a chance on being conned than miss an opportunity to give to someone who truly is in need.

When I read this quote, I thought of last week's broadcast:

It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust.
Samuel Johnson
English author, critic, & lexicographer (1709 - 1784)

I do not agree with this practice.

Your argument was based on your ability to give. Mine is based on the needs and credibility of the recipient.

In the nineties, a project in downtown Seattle sought to combat excessive, aggressive and annoying panhandling. Instead of giving money, downtown workers were able to give a small booklet describing where and how to receive constructive help.

I decided to try this on my own here in L.A.

The response of individuals was anger and rage.

Come with me at daybreak and I'll show you the homeless in Fullerton. Later on you can see the panhandlers - not the same people.

When we give to those whose objective is just to take we enable them to continue being irresponsible and unproductive. It's like cutting the cocoon away from the butterfly prematurely - all you have left is butter.

The situation is not as simple as you've characterized - should we give or not! The question is how can we better respond. The answer (and character) requires more effort than most of us are prepared to make. It's easier to hand off $1 - $5 and tell ourselves we made a difference. We didn't.

The next to last sentence in David's post is a most astute statement and says much about our society today.

We must be aware that there are indeed those in our society whose primary goal is "just to take". But we must not lose sight of the reality of those who truly need.

We must never lose sight of our interdependence as a society and the need to demonstrate compassion for one another individually and collectively. However, we also must remain in touch with and listen to our intuition regarding the "users and abusers" in our society. When we enable the "users and abusers", we invariably harm ourselves and society as a whole.

Thank you David... you are right on the mark! I couldn't agree with you more. I despise those who expect something when contributing nothing. A far cry from a homeless family, homeless due to an unforeseen situation or irresponsible provider. Thanks again for putting it clearly!

I became a huge fan when of yours when I moved to Los Angeles and heard your commentaries on the radio. I was always skeptical about panhandlers, but after listening to your commentaries, I decided I can afford to be more more charitable, although I was still skeptical of the motives of those asking for a handout.

A young man asked me for change outside a grocery store one night. He looked like he may have been a teenager, so I thought he was just trying to hustle money like the panhandlers everywhere. Remembering your commentaries, I gave him five or ten dollars. His face lit up and said, "All right! Now I can eat! Thanks!" I was still skeptical, but I watched as he RAN across the street to a McDonalds and got in line.

This made up my mind that even though I may be giving money to people who just want to get alcohol or drugs, it is worth it so I don't miss the one that is truly in need.