As easy a way to do good as can be imagined

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”

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.

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.

1. Adelaide, Australia
2. Albuquerque, New Mexico
3. Arlington, Texas
4. Atlixco, Mexico
5. Bacolod, Philippines
6. Bakersfield, California
7. Bangkok, Thailand
8. Barcelona, Spain
9. Bloomington, Indiana
10. Buenos Aires, Argentina
11. Cleveland, Ohio
12. El Paso, Texas
13. Fresno, California
14. Guadalajara, Mexico
15. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
16. Hobart, Australia
17. Huntsville, Alabama
18. Idaho Falls, Idaho
19. Iowa City, Iowa
20. Kennewick (Richland), Washington
21. Kona, Hawaii
22. Los Angeles, California
23. McAllen, Texas
24. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
25. Pocatello, Idaho
26. Portland, Maine
27. Queen Creek, Arizona
28. Rexburg, Idaho
29. Riverside, California
30. Rome, Italy
31. San Clemente, California
32. Santiago, Chile
33. São Paulo, Brazil
34. Scottsdale, Arizona
35. Show Low, Arizona
36. Spokane, Washington
37. Tampa, Florida
38. Tegucigalpa, Honduras
39. Tokyo, Japan
40. Torreón, Mexico
41. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
42. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
43. Vienna, Austria
44. Waco, Texas

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!