Thoughts at the year’s end

The 2016 United States tax year is coming to a close, and many Americans are thinking about charitable gifts, as well as about Christmas.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of worthwhile charities that do a host of good things.  They nourish children, fight diseases, support museums, furnish scholarships, underwrite schools and colleges, sponsor missionaries, fund research, combat human trafficking, sustain symphony orchestras, provide medical care, dig freshwater wells, and many other things that I can’t even begin to list here.

From time to time, I’ve mentioned two such charities here on this blog:

Liahona Children’s Foundation

and

Operation Underground Railroad

Not that they’re the only good ones around.  Far from it.  But they’re really good, and my wife and I have given to each of them.  (Both, by the way, have LDS connections.  Not that such connections are required for a worthwhile charity!)

For believing Latter-day Saints, of course, there is also the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which — on the basis of donations even beyond the basic tithes and offerings — does a very great deal of solid humanitarian work and other useful deeds.  (See here, for example.  And here.)

But, once again, it’s my duty and my pleasure to mention the Interpreter Foundation.

Very nearly four years ago a very confident pseudonymous critic on a small, extraordinarily nasty, and mostly atheist ex-Mormon message board presumed to prophesy:

“By Jan. 1, 2014 Interpreter will be dead. . . .  Either totally dead or down to token ‘blog’ style postings.” (Bond James Bond, 25 January 2013)

I hope he kept his day job.

The Interpreter Foundation was launched almost precisely 231 weeks ago.  This Friday will mark the 230th consecutive week that it has published at least one article — which is not to mention its books, its blog, its nearly two hundred posted scripture roundtables, and so forth.

That poor “Mr. Bond’s” prediction was proved wrong is entirely due to generous donations of time and labor and, yes, money from a great many people, to all of whom I’m deeply grateful.  Our operation is almost entirely volunteer.  Although our bylaws allow the Foundation’s top leadership to draw up to $500 annually for their services, none has ever taken anything.  Nor are our authors paid. This is a labor of love, passion, and commitment.

If you need guidance on how to donate to the Interpreter Foundation, you can find such information here.  And please don’t overlook the brief discussion of AmazonSmile, which can painlessly permit you to enlist Amazon to support the Interpreter Foundation (or some other charity) with each book or other item that you purchase there.  In those cases, it’s Amazon.com that gives the money.  There is absolutely no cost to you.