Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Latter-day Saint
History and Religion
As easy a way to do good as can be imagined

As easy a way to do good as can be imagined

Last updated on: November 22, 2025 at 11:28 am by Dan Peterson

0 Comments

As easy a way to do good as can be imagined 2025-11-22T11:28:41-07:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

At Thanksgiving and throughout the Christmas season, many of us enjoy — even over-indulge in — the abundance of yet another year’s bountiful harvest. But many, and especially many worldwide, don’t. They can’t. Can we help? Yes. Easily. (As will be shown below.) In ways both large and small. Even something small is better than nothing.

At Christmastime, which can sometimes become a mere orgy of consumerism and materialism, many of us know and understand that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

An interesting phrase, that. It comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. No surprise there. But it may surprise some to realize that it doesn’t appear in any of the four New Testament gospels. Rather, it is cited by the Apostle Paul at Acts 20:35. He is speaking to the elders of the Church at Ephesus, who had gathered to Miletus, to the south of Ephesus, to join with him for what we today might call a priesthood leadership meeting. Clearly, Paul is quoting from a source — from someone’s memory, perhaps, or from a lost written account — that doesn’t appear anywhere in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. (It isn’t likely to have come from Paul’s memory, since there is no indication that he ever met or personally saw or heard the mortal Jesus.). Obviously, the gospels as we have them don’t contain everything that Jesus taught. (See, on this, my recent article in Meridian Magazine, “The Case Against Sola Scriptura: From the Bible Itself.”) Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have more such teachings from the Savior? Anyway, here is what Paul tells the Ephesians at Miletus:

“I have shown you all things, how that by so laboring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35)

And most of us know from personal experience that this teaching is true. That we find great joy, perhaps our greatest joy, in giving to others. So I’m delighted at what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is doing during this season. Here’s an example: “Church Makes First Food Deliveries in America250 Initiative: Food banks in five cities receive donations”

An infographic for the Giving Machines (from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

But the big news for this Christmas season, yet again, is the Giving Machines. (See this 2:38-minute video, “Light the World Launch 2025.”). Some, I think, are already in place. Others will open on or shortly after Thanksgiving Day — which falls this year, in America, on 27 November. That’s this coming Thursday.

In my opinion, the Giving Machines represent an absolutely brilliant idea: For the ninth year in a row, charitable giving will be as simple as buying a soda or a candy bar. In less than a minute, people imbued with the spirit of the season can use the vending-machine-like Giving Machines to purchase items that range from chickens and goats to blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps, a hot meal for someone in need, polio vaccines, school desks, and even a community water well. Each city’s Giving Machines will contain items for “purchase” not only from international charity partners (such as UNICEF, American Red Cross, Care, WaterAid, etc.) but also from hometown charity partners that will benefit the local community. This will allow participants to choose to help either their neighbor around the corner or a stranger around the world or some combination of the two.

This year, Giving Machines are or soon will be located in 125 cities in thirteen countries on six continents. For the first time, they will be in South America. Check out this map and see where your local Giving Machine is and the local charities that will benefit from it.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organizes the effort each year to provide an easy way for people to make donations to vetted local and global charities during the holidays. All transactions benefit charities that are not associated with the Church — so non-Latter-day Saints should feel no hesitation about giving through the Giving Machines — but the Church covers all operational costs (including credit card fees). This ensures that 100% of every donation goes to the giver’s desired charitable cause.

Shown at the end of July 2023, these women are celebrating the delivery to their village, in eastern Kenya, of beehives that were provided by donors to the Giving Machines.

Please consider visiting your local Giving Machine and calling it to the attention of others that you know, whether in your neighborhood or at work or in the PTA or at your yoga class or at the barber’s shop or the hair dresser’s. I’m hoping that this year’s expansion of the number of locations will be so successful there will be even more Giving Machines for the 2026 Christmas season. Here is a list of cities where Giving Machines will be located in 2025 for the first time.

Adelaide, Australia
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Arlington, Texas
Atlixco, Mexico
Bacolod, Philippines
Bakersfield, California
Bangkok, Thailand
Barcelona, Spain
Bloomington, Indiana
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cleveland, Ohio
El Paso, Texas
Fresno, California
Guadalajara, Mexico
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Hobart, Australia
Huntsville, Alabama
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Iowa City, Iowa
Kennewick (Richland), Washington
Kona, Hawaii
Los Angeles, California
McAllen, Texas
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pocatello, Idaho
Portland, Maine
Queen Creek, Arizona
Rexburg, Idaho
Riverside, California
Rome, Italy
San Clemente, California
Santiago, Chile
São Paulo, Brazil
Scottsdale, Arizona
Show Low, Arizona
Spokane, Washington
Tampa, Florida
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Tokyo, Japan
Torreón, Mexico
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Vienna, Austria
Waco, Texas

Making a donation through a Giving Machine in Atlanta, Georgia, in December 2022

If you live in one of these new areas (or, of course, if you live in a place where Giving Machines are back this year for a return engagement), please pay a visit to your local Giving Machine.

In the meantime, I think that you’ll enjoy this two-minute video: “How Thousands Helped Light the World in 2024”

Take your children or your grandchildren. Make it fun. This is an opportunity to teach something of the real meaning — and the real joy — of Christmas to members of your family. Invite your neighbors to visit the Giving Machines. Invite them to accompany you. And, if you’re so inclined, you can even share this blog post with others. I’m hoping that we can make this the most bountiful harvest ever for the Giving Machines initiative, so that it will come back again next year even bigger and even more productive.

You can locate the nearest Giving Machine to you by means of this site: “Share Your Light at a Light the World Giving Machine: Provide clothing, shelter, health care, education, and more through a unique giving experience this Christmas at the Giving Machine kiosks. Every donation makes a positive impact on someone’s life”

Many local areas have specific local Giving Machine websites. There are probably others, but here are five of which I’m personally aware:

Southern California
Orem, Utah
Houston
Denver
And Kansas City, from my casual observation, has been especially active on the Giving Machines front.

Have a happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas! Give!

History and Religion

Travel and Religion

Previous Post

November 21, 2025

Of Giants and Stereotypes

Next Post

November 23, 2025 Bigots in the Bleachers

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"DP: “But Mr. Sutherland worries about the fact that our time, when we can communicate ..."

Theodore Brandley

Learning more about a region of ..."

"Another class of memories are of individuals who previously lived. Some of these remembered individuals ..."

PlasmaMiasma

Accounts of Premortality?

"Sutherland's lecture sounds interesting. He seems to restate the Washington consensus that trade brings peace ..."

B. Wilson

Learning more about a region of ..."

"In a meeting today, I learned another important reason why accurate (or at least as ..."

the PROBLEM

From Serbia’s “White City,” Belgrade

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What disaster did Joseph predict would happen to Egypt?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Flood Plague of locusts Seven-year famine Great fire