Japan earthquake and Pacific tsunami relief efforts

"When baked potatoes and pudding and milk are needed, prayer will not supply their place."
—Brigham Young

Please donate what you can to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts in Japan.
American Red Cross donation page
(Sorry I don't have a fancy-pants image to display.)

I took a personal finance class at BYU from Brother Bryan Sudweeks, and I can't remember his exact words but in his class he emphasized the importance of giving, even when we feel we don't have much to give.  If we don't give now when we have little (as students) it won't really be much easier to give when we have more money.  As you earn more money, your lifestyle tends to change to match your affluence level.  We can always find room to give; there are always those out there who are less fortunate than we are.

As an added bonus, charitable donations are tax-deductible.  It's supposedly the government's way of trying to encourage us to help others out more without directly giving the population a "charity tax".

(Wouldn't it be cool if instead of medicare, medicaid, and social security, that money went to local charities that would then provide the medicare, medicaid, and social security benefits to the people?  I wonder if that would be more efficient than the government's current system ... then instead of taxing us and giving the money to charity, they could lower our taxes, offer generous charitable donation tax deductions, and then we wouldn't all feel compelled and Robin Hooded into giving money to the poor via taxes.  I wonder if it would work?  And if it doesn't, we should be allowed to scrap that idea and vote it out and vote in a new system.  WHAT IS DEMOCRACY FOR WITH THIS CRAZY HUGE BLOATED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF OURS.)

Uhm, anyway, guess what's been on my mind lately!  Darn this finance brain that loves analyzing economics and the government tax system!!!

Again.  Please donate.  (it's our duty to provide relief to those in need - not the government's! DO IT.)

Because I have been given much, I too must give
Because of Thy great bounty, Lord, each day I live
I shall divide my gifts from Thee with every brother that I see
Who has the need of help from me
Because I have been blessed by Thy great love, dear Lord,
I'll share Thy love again according to thy word
I shall give love to those in need; I'll show that love by word AND DEED
Thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.-Grace Noll Crowell

And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.
-Mosiah 4:16