Joseph Smith Helps Needy with $5
Recorded in Church History is the story of the Prophet Joseph Smith's reaction to the need of a Church member:
Evidently, Joseph was working in his garden in Nauvoo, and several of the brethren were sitting on the rail fence surrounding the garden asking questions and listening to the Prophet teach them.
Another person approached them and commented to Joseph that a certain member who lived some distance from Nauvoo had his house burn down the night before. Nearly all of the men expressed their sympathy for the man's loss.
Joseph put his hand in his pocket, took out five dollars and exclaimed, "I feel sorry for this brother to the amount of five dollars: how much do you feel sorry?" (Journal of Andrew Workman, Virgin City, Washington County, Utah)
The other brethren present immediately began to search their own pockets for spare money, as the Prophet had shown them by example that "action speaks louder than words."
"TZEDAKAH" - Brigham Young University-Idaho Devotional February 19, 2002 - M. McClain Bybee