ONE OF THE SINS OF SODOM - LACK OF CHARITY

I was in a FB conversation with someone about the sins of grinding on the face of the poor - and how that relates to Sodom - and this was the gist of it:

This is from the LDS Institute Manual, Old Testament

"Genesis 19:13. What Was the Wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah?

In the Genesis account it is clear that the people of these two cities had become extremely immoral, engaging in homosexuality and other abuses. But the prophet Ezekiel gave greater insight when he said, “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.” (Ezekiel 16:49–50.) James said that pure religion was to “visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep [oneself] unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). Sodom and Gomorrah not only had partaken of the filthiness of sexual immorality but had rejected their fellow men in need."

https://www.lds.org/.../genesis-18-23abraham-a-model-of...

Old Testament Student Manual Genesis-2Samuel Genesis 18–23:Abraham—A Model of Faith and...

www.lds.org

One last thing - I am not sure which is first to rear its ugly head, the promiscuity or the rejection of the fellow man in need. I would assume it is the rejection of the poor - and then the promiscuity. The lesser thing leads to the greater act of selfishness - which is the stealing of another's virtue, even if by their consent; but WITHOUT God's. This, and murder to get gain, is the ultimate act of selfishness in this world. The final act against God, is to then raise the fist to heaven and defy and then deny the Holy Ghost. When the angels that were passing thru the valley on the way to Sodom stopped in, they were given a meal. Selfish people would have turned them away. I am sure that one of the tests of the people of Sodom was to see if they would open the door to two beggars asking for a morsel, or something to drink. I am positive that they would have been turned away because the people were already at the "promiscuity" level - which they later proved when the angels had to blind them for their efforts. Today, we are at the "promiscuity" level and will reap the rewards of that. It will be better for the people of Sodom than it will be for us.  Many have entertained angels unawares - and some have rejected them and turned them away.  They have failed the standard "angel" test we all are given.

This concern for others is embodied in charity.  That is why some of the last words from Moroni were about this topic.  After seeing his people lose it all, they did not care for the lives of others, the chastity of others, etc and it led to their downfall.