A bright spot in the clouds

Sometimes, amid the gathering clouds, it's nice to spot a shaft of sunshine. And a little sunlight peeked through recently in a story about the LDS Perpetual Education Fund. According to current figures, by the end of the year the fund will have made 24,000 loans to help members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in three dozen nations pay for schooling. Church members in Africa, Eastern Europe, Russia and other countries will soon be participating. Those who have taken advantage of the program have raised their income by as much as 500 percent.

Yet the true shaft of sunlight isn't the fund itself; it's the way so many people have responded to the call to contribute. The optimism comes from seeing the difference people can make when they are willing to sacrifice, pull together and follow through. Brigham Young built a civilization in the desert on such principles. But they have also been seen recently in the outpouring of help for victims of the hurricanes from people of many cultures and creeds. Once called "Christian charity," the impulse to share and help has universal roots. "Loving kindness," says the Talmud, "is greater than laws." And, according to Mohammad, "Every good act is charity." Brigham Young called it "pure religion."

In short, charity may begin at home, but it spreads quickly by contact.

And the Perpetual Education Fund is also showing that when done properly, good will elevates all involved. Speak to a person's heart, said Emerson, and you ennoble him. And noble souls who have been receiving education loans have been paying them back. Some 62 percent of all loans are now fully repaid. The goal, according to officials, is 90 percent. In fact, the fund has become a poster child for the international "micro loan" movement — a fresh approach to poverty that allows people to maintain their dignity and commitment by borrowing small amounts at low interest rates. Such programs have proven to have a motivating effect. In Africa, for instance, those who trade in micro loans report startling success. And though it all sounds revolutionary, it really comes down to that ancient, spiritual notion of "bread on the waters."

In fact, one could say the Perpetual Education Fund and other "micro loan" programs have added a third line to the old saw that says if you give a man a fish, he's good for one day, but if you teach him to fish he's good for life.

That third line might read: Lend him money for fishing tackle, and watch how quickly he gets it back to you.