Caring for Those in Need was One of Christ's Callings

   Of all the interesting things Elder Jeffery R. Holland brought up in his talk in last weekend's General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this is one:
   That the Savior's first public announcement of His Messianic ministry spoke of the charge given Him to care for the poor. Elder Holland referred to some of the first words of Christ recorded in Luke, Luke 4:18. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and . . . set at liberty them that are bruised."
   I have thought of Christ's mission as being to provide the atonement. I have thought of His mission as being to preach the gospel. But, I don't believe I ever reflected on His charge to care for the poor. Oh, I noticed He did care for the needy. One cannot read the Gospels without noticing how much healing of the afflicted that He did. But, that He was called to do this, to serve the poor? No, I never noticed that, yet the scripture says he was anointed to preach to the poor, he was sent to heal the brokenhearted, and to preach deliverance to the captives and to set at liberty the bruised.