Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf on the measure of discipleship

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (b November 6, 1940) served as a Seventy from 1994-2004, when he was called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve. He served as second counselor in the First Presidency from 2008 until 2018.

"Just days before He gave His life for us, Jesus Christ was at the temple in Jerusalem, watching people make donations to the temple treasury. 'Many that were rich cast in much,' but then, along came a poor widow, 'and she threw in two mites.' It was such a small amount, it would hardly be worth recording.

"And yet this seemingly inconsequential donation caught the Savior’s attention. In fact, it impressed Him so deeply that 'he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

"'For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.' (Mark 12:41–44.)

"With this simple observation, the Savior taught us how offerings are measured in His kingdom—and it’s quite different from the way we usually measure things. To the Lord, the value of the donation was measured not by the effect it had on the treasury but by the effect it had on the heart of the donor.

"In praising this faithful widow, the Savior gave us a standard to measure our discipleship in all of its many expressions. Jesus taught that our offering may be large or it may be small, but either way, it must be our heartfelt all."

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Our Heartfelt All," General Conference April 2022, Sunday afternoon

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The New Testament story of the widow's mite is a powerful and fascinating one. In the midst of a temple where prominent and powerful leaders are making their significant donations to the temple, an aged woman quietly slips in and makes a tiny, paltry donation. But to the Savior it is neither tiny nor paltry! He immediately discerns her heart, and points out to his disciples the significant difference in the motivation between the prominent, wealthy donors and this woman.

Elder Uchtdorf draws from this beautiful story to remind us that there is more to the story than an ancient example of the old woman and her coins. There is a direct application to each of us:

Our contributions never are equal to those around us. We all come from such different backgrounds and capacities. But the bottom line is not the effect on the treasury, but on the donor. And all the Lord asks of us is that we give our "heartfelt all." A faithful disciple will frequently review his motivation to ensure that he is not holding anything back from the Lord.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)