Latter-day Saints Unselfishly Help Their Brothers and Sisters in Need
"Caring for those in need is both a duty and a joyful privilege for followers of Jesus Christ. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we commit to living the two great commandments: to love God and to love our neighbor (see Matthew 22:37–39). As a Church, we are blessed to have the ability, global connections, and resources to follow His admonition. . . . We invite all to join in being 'anxiously engaged in a good cause' as we continue to strengthen one another through service (Doctrine and Covenants 58:27). - First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
We Love God and We Love Our Neighbors
Caring for those in need has been the core mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the beginning. In 1842, the Relief Society was organized with a charge to care for the poor and minister to their needs. In 1936, the Church created the welfare program to help care for members in need and strengthen their ability to become self-reliant. And in 1985, the Church’s global humanitarian outreach was formally initiated.
President Russell M. Nelson has taught us that "they who are willing to be called the Lord's people are willing to bear one another’s burdens, . . . to mourn with those that mourn; . . . and [to] comfort those that stand in need of comfort."[8]
Members of the Church have a covenant commitment to live the two great commandments: to love God and to love our neighbor. The Lord has commanded us to "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees" (Doctrine & Covenants 81:5). As followers of Jesus Christ, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints heed the Savior's call to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and afflicted.
“As His followers, we seek to love God and our neighbors throughout the world,” the First Presidency said. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is eager to bless others and to help those in need. We are blessed to have the ability, resources, and trusted global connections to carry out this sacred responsibility, which we consider a joyful privilege.”[9]
Church members seek out those in need and render aid to all of God’s children without regard to religious affiliation, race, or nationality. As they do so, they are reminded of the Lord's admonition when he taught, "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me" (Matthew 25:45). King Benjamin in his timely treatise as recorded in the The Book of Mormon also reminds us, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17). King Benjamin also exhorted, "And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another" (Mosiah 4:21).
In 2023, 4,119 humanitarian projects took place in 191 countries and territories — with 6.2 million hours of volunteer work, and $1.36 billion in expenditures.[10]
A total of $1.36 billion was expended to help those in need through:
- Fast Offering Assistance, which provides temporary financial help to those in need.
- Bishops' Orders for Goods, including giving food and commodities from bishops’ storehouses and Deseret Industries stores to those in need.
- Church Operations, including Family Services counseling, employment centers, farms, food-processing and facilities, and Deseret Industries.
- Humanitarian Projects, including charitable relief in communities across the world.
- Donated Commodities, including Church-produced goods provided to communities through food banks and other agencies.
- Donated Clothing, including discounted or free apparel given to Deseret Industries.
To help as many people as possible, the Church has established various humanitarian projects which operate throughout the world. These programs include Latter-day Saint Charities, Helping Hands, and Philanthropies. The Church also maintains the Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, which was established in 1991 to "prepare humanitarian supplies for use worldwide and train those desiring to develop employable skills to become self-reliant."
Improving Maternal and Child Health Worldwide
Expanding its global initiative to improve maternal and child health worldwide, the Relief Society general presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced in June 2024 a new combined donation of $55.8 million to help in this work.
Through this funding, the Church will collaborate with eight international nonprofit organizations to strengthen health and nutrition programs in 12 high-need countries. The organizations are CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Helen Keller Intl, iDE, Map International, Save the Children, The Hunger Project and Vitamin Angels.
These efforts aim to reach 12 million children under age 5 and 2.7 million expectant and new mothers in Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Zambia.[11]
Uniting to Nourish Children and Mothers
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced in August 2024 that it is giving US$5 million to Edesia Nutrition, a nonprofit organization that makes lifesaving ready-to-use foods (RUFs), such as Plumpy’Nut, that prevent and treat acute malnutrition in children and mothers.
The realities on the ground in many countries paint a grim picture. Three million children die every year from malnutrition. That is one death every 11 seconds. “The fact is that 100 percent of those deaths are preventable,” says Navyn Salem, founder and CEO of Edesia Nutrition. “With the incredible generosity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we can channel vital resources directly to our PlumpyField partners on the ground. This donation will empower local producers to deliver lifesaving nutrition where it’s needed most, giving children and mothers the chance to not only survive but thrive.”
Edesia is a member of PlumpyField, a network of independent producers of RUFs across the globe. The money from this grant will be used to support these partners, who manufacture locally, in countries and regions where Plumpy’Nut, a lifesaving fortified peanut butter made from milk powder, peanuts, soy, oil, sugar, and vitamins and minerals, and other products are needed most. These locales include Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan.[12]
Helping Those Affected by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organizing disaster relief command centers in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas to assist thousands after Hurricane Helene brought widespread damage and flooding across the southeastern United States. The hurricane made landfall late evening on September 26, 2024. It was the strongest hurricane ever to hit the Florida panhandle region and the deadliest to strike the United States since Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana in 2005.
Trucks of water, food, hygiene kits, and other essential supplies are being sent as quickly as possible to the locations of greatest need. The disaster relief crews will be deployed to Alabama eastward across Central Florida, and northward through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
“The task before us is great,” said Elder Quinn Millington, an Area Seventy in the Church’s North America Southeast Area and head of the Area Disaster Response Committee. “We are accustomed to storms in the South, but never have we faced damage this widespread. Yet we have seen the resilience of these communities time and time again as they eagerly come to the aid of their neighbors in need, lifting the hand which hangs down, and comforting those that stand in need of comfort.”
In the coming weeks, thousands of volunteers from the Church will bring hope to these communities as they spend their weekends mucking out flooded homes, clearing debris, removing downed trees, and tarping roofs.
Those outside the disaster area who desire to help are encouraged to visit JustServe.org for local service opportunities or consider donating to the Church’s Humanitarian efforts.[13]
As volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints tirelessly aided victims of Hurricane Helene, they received alarming news: another storm, Hurricane Milton, was barreling towards their homes in Tampa, Florida.
Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, near Sarasota, Florida, as a Category 3 storm. With it came flooding from Jacksonville to the Everglades. Widespread power outages affected more than 3 million people. Preliminary reports indicate more than 40 tornadoes throughout central and south Florida.
Relief work for these two storms continues throughout Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina. To date, more than 12,000 volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ have donated 170,000 hours to assist with relief efforts at 5,700 homes.[14]
The Church Donates to Support School Meals Program in Haiti
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has contributed $8 million to support the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) home-grown school meals program in Haiti, where half of the population struggles to find enough to eat.
WFP stated Tuesday, September 24, 2024, that the grant from the Church will support its ongoing work with local governments and partners in Haiti’s Artibonite and Centre departments to scale up school meals that use food from local smallholder farmers.
In the 2024–25 school year, it plans to provide school meals to nearly 500,000 students, 70 percent of which will be made entirely with Haitian-grown ingredients purchased from local farmers. “As followers of Jesus Christ, we strive to care for those in need as He would,” said Blaine R. Maxfield, Managing Director of the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services. “These efforts in Haiti will help ensure that children have access to the nutrition they need to focus on their education, while at the same time strengthening communities by sourcing meals locally.”
The organizations have collaborated for more than a decade, said Barron Segar, World Food Program USA President and CEO. “The Church continues to serve as an essential collaborator, supporting WFP’s global operations during emergencies, while simultaneously stepping up to build community resilience.”[15]
Light The World
In 2023, the Church completed the seventh year of its holiday initiative, Light The World. From November through December, approximately 600,000 individuals visited Giving Machines in Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines and the United States, contributing US$10.4 million in donations. Light The World Giving Machines were placed in 61 cities in seven countries for 2023—that's up from 28 locations in 2022. Because the Church covered the operational expenses of the machines, charitable organizations were able to receive every penny donated toward their humanitarian efforts. The donations of Church members and friends to Light the World provided meals, clothing for children, polio vaccines, chickens to help struggling families, feminine hygiene kits, and more. People from around the world contributed, with total donations exceeding millions.
Caring for Those in Need in the Middle East
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released the following statement on Monday, November 6, 2023: "In line with its stated aim to provide humanitarian assistance around the world, including areas of conflict, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is collaborating with multiple international relief agencies in Gaza and Israel. The Church is devoting significant financial resources for critical medical and mental health care, among other needs, to help alleviate suffering wherever it is found."[16]
In addition, the Church worked to address the variety of needs throughout the Middle East, including healthcare, employment, and aid for vulnerable populations.
Seventy-eight emergency relief projects took place in 2023. In addition, 53 projects aiding women and children and 25 healthcare projects were implemented in the Middle East.
In the Kurdistan region of Iraq, the Church continued to support the Nursing Midwifery and Development Center. This ambitious joint initiative with local government and community organizations aims to enhance newborn and maternal healthcare in the region by providing training and support for nurses and midwives. This project highlights the crucial role that women play in strengthening their communities.
For more information on the Church's efforts in the Middle East, see the 2023 summary.
The Church’s Self-Reliance and Humanitarian Initiatives
The Church also facilitates self-reliance programs and resources to help individuals find employment, become financially secure, gain educational opportunities, and build emotional strength. These efforts are aided by missionaries and other volunteers, who facilitate self-reliance groups and employment coaching in 144 countries worldwide.
For those who struggle with barriers to employment, development counseling is available through Deseret Industries. This program helps individuals to make goals and to determine a plan to get the education and experience necessary to achieve those goals. As part of the program, participants receive training and real-life work experience in Church-owned thrift stores.
The Church's Family Services organization helps leaders care for individuals with social and emotional challenges by providing resources and consultation. One important focus for Family Services is the Church’s Addiction Recovery Program (ARP), which provides support and a safe place for anyone working to overcome compulsive behavior. The free program is made up of support groups that follow a 12-step approach. The program is built within a gospel-centered framework that connects with the Savior Jesus Christ and recognizes Him as the source of healing. The Addiction Recovery Program is facilitated by ARP volunteers around the world, and anyone—regardless of their religious belief—is welcome to participate. In addition to ARP services, Family Services offers counseling to people in a variety of circumstances. They also conduct family, group, and marriage counseling sessions.
Emergency Response is the part of the Church's humanitarian efforts of which most people are aware. Funds and supplies in this area are used to help victims of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, tornadoes, and hurricanes, as well as other disasters such as wars or political unrest. Supplies in this area are gathered and stored before a crisis so supplies can be sent within hours of an emergency. Volunteers are also on call so they can be reached and organized within a few hours if needed. The Church of Jesus Christ is renowned for its ability to organize its members in various regions of the world to respond to emergencies and facilitate distributing goods immediately after a crisis, often before aid programs such as the Red Cross or the Salvation Army come to assist.
President Russell M. Nelson has said, "It would be impossible to calculate the amount of service that Latter-day Saints render around the globe every day of every year." President M. Russell Ballard, past acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles added, "When we serve together, we realize that our similarities are stronger than our differences." And Sister Sharon Eubank, Director of Latter-day Saint Charities, has said, "Our individual efforts don’t necessarily require money or faraway locations; they do require the guidance of the Holy Spirit and a willing heart to say to the Lord, 'Here am I; send me.'"
You can read the full "Caring for Those in Need 2023 Summary" online.
In September 2022, after hunger increased in the world due to the pandemic, weather catastrophes, disasters, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine disrupting food supplies, the Church donated $32 million to the World Food Programme. [17] The aid will provide food for the following suffering countries: Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen.
In 2023, the World Food Programme reached 1.6 million people across nine countries with life-saving food. This is thanks in part to the US$32 million gift they received last year from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[18]
BYU-I Pathway to Education
Through BYU-Idaho, the Church has initiated its Pathway program to offer higher education to people all over the world. The unique structure of this program not only holds costs way down, but it also offers certificates on the way so that the earning power of the students increases as courses are completed.
Beginning in April 2024, BYU–Idaho and Ensign College, with the support of BYU–Pathway Worldwide, will offer 90–96 credit degrees that will allow students to complete an online bachelor’s degree in three years.
Senior missionary opportunities in the Church include mentoring students all over the world, thus holding educational costs down.
Church Educational System Commissioner Elder Clark G. Gilbert said there are currently more than 1 million students in CES. That includes BYU–Pathway Worldwide’s 70,000 students in over 180 countries. At BYU–Idaho enrollment has more than tripled since 2000. And enrollment in Seminaries and Institutes is higher than demographic growth.
“No matter where you are in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” Elder Gilbert said, “you now have access to an affordable, high-quality, spiritually based education.”
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