Charity

1 Corinthians 13:8-10
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

The entirety of 1 Corinthians 13 is centered on Charity.  From this chapter we learn that Charity is the love of Christ, without it we are nothing, and it is the greatest of the three traits often listed in the scriptures- faith, hope, and charity.  From the verses quoted above, I have come to understand a little more the permanence of charity.

The Bible and Book of Mormon are both filled with prophecies of the time when all shall be made perfect.  All human beings will be resurrected, brought back to life with a perfect and immortal body.  Pain and sickness shall be done away.  This will be a time of great change, as every individual will need to be perfected.  Human knowledge will change, we shall see the faults in our discoveries and theories and have the opportunity to perfect our knowledge.

The prophesies of ancient prophets, which we learn through scripture, and modern prophets, which we can learn by listening to them and reading their words, will change.  This one surprised me a little, since prophecy comes from God, so I figured it was perfect.  The words that we receive are perfect, however; they are merely a part of all that God desires to give us.  In our imperfect and still child-like state, we are not able to learn all, so the prophecies we receive are part of the whole truth.  The prophecies will change because they will become complete.  In other words, like human or physical knowledge, or spiritual knowledge will become perfected.

Charity is the only perfect thing that we, as imperfect beings, are able to access.  As the pure love of Christ, charity cannot be imperfect.  Christ loves each of us perfectly and completely.  This is why He suffered and died, so that each of us might overcome our sins and imperfections.  As we exercise charity, as we strive to love all, despite their imperfections, as Christ loves us despite ours, and as we avoid judging those who sin and instead seek to help them overcome sin, we grow a little more into the perfect beings we someday shall be.  We cannot do it without Christ.  Our love isn't yet perfect enough to overcome judgement and fear.  For this reason, Christ gives us His love, He gives us Charity.  It is already perfect, it will not change, but it will change us if we give it the chance.