The Know

When the Lord first revealed the law of consecration to the Church, He commanded, “Thou wilt remember the poor, and consecrate of thy properties for their support that which thou hast to impart unto them” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:30). The Lord also commanded the Saints, “Ye must visit the poor and the needy and administer to their relief, that they may be kept until all things may be done according to my law which ye have received” (Doctrine and Covenants 44:6).

The Lord continually stressed this important doctrine, repeating the command to care for the poor and less fortunate multiple times in subsequent years.1 For example, just a year after these initial revelations, the Lord again expressed His will that a bishop’s storehouse be kept by “every man seeking the interest of his neighbor” (Doctrine and Covenants 82:19). Furthermore, “the storehouse shall be kept by the consecrations of the church; and widows and orphans shall be provided for, as also the poor” (Doctrine and Covenants 83:6).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always strived to obey these commandments and help all who need temporal and spiritual aid. This help takes many forms. Local bishops’ storehouses were established throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and in the aftermath of World War II, the Church began to be a recognized source of global aid.2

President George Albert Smith and other leaders of the Church recognized how much sorrow and suffering the war had caused. When President Smith met with the president of the United States, Harry S. Truman, in late 1945, he informed Truman that the Church had been “building elevators and filling them with grain, and increasing our flocks and our herds” over the years and needed only the means to transport these goods to “the people of Europe who are in distress.” The Relief Society had also made over two thousand quilts during the war to aid in the postwar recovery.3

Truman was surprised that the Church wanted no money from the European countries the supplies would go to. President Smith simply responded, “Of course, we would give it to them. They are our brothers and sisters and are in distress. God has blessed us with a surplus, and we will be glad to send it if we can have the co-operation of the government.” Truman agreed, and soon the Church was able to send these items to Europe.4

Since that time, global efforts to provide and distribute much needed aid have only increased. In addition to providing food, bedding, and clothing to those adversely affected by natural disasters and other crises, the Church of Jesus Christ has become a well-known staple of humanitarian aid.5 Indeed, as Craig James Ostler and Brady Burns have observed, “The development of the Saints’ efforts to care for those in need has grown from a bishop’s storehouse in one small room of the Newel K. Whitney store in Kirtland, Ohio, to large storehouses and accumulations of funds to meet welfare and humanitarian needs in many parts of the earth.”6

Partnering with other charities and organizations, the Church of Jesus Christ has been able to provide clean water, vision aids, wheelchairs, and food production services to many parts of the world.7 Church volunteers also spend time educating people in efforts to help them become self-sufficient. This includes sending health care workers to conduct trainings on various life-saving medical procedures. One example is neonatal resuscitation training, which is done in partnership with the World Health Organization and has helped lower child mortality rates in developing countries.8

The Church has also worked to supply immunizations against various diseases to people around the world, part of which involves Church volunteers providing education on the importance of vaccines. This effort has contributed to millions of people being able to receive critical vaccinations over the past two decades.9 This was most especially critical during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, beginning in 2020. During the pandemic, the Church partnered with multiple charities and health organizations to help distribute vaccinations and other critical supplies. This included substantial donations to the organization UNICEF, which worked to distribute “2 billion COVID-19 vaccines” to approximately 196 countries by the end of 2021.10 The Church has also “supported 1,050 COVID-19 relief projects . . . in 152 countries” by the beginning of 2021.11

In recent years, the Church’s efforts have grown even further, and the Church has invited others to join the work. In 2017 the Church started a new Christmastime initiative called Light the World. As a part of this initiative, giving machines are placed in cities around the world, allowing others to donate money that will be used to provide food or other needed supplies to people around the world. As of November 2024, “millions of items have been donated through Giving Machines . . . valued at more than US$32 million. The Church of Jesus Christ covers all program operational expenses. This ensures that 100% of every donation is used to provide those in need with the item a generous donor has purchased for them.”12

Referring to all of these efforts, Ann M. Hansen observed that the Church has “provided supplies, equipment, materials, services and training to nearly every country in the world, regardless of a country’s financial status and political or religious leanings.”13 In 2024 alone, the Church spent $1.45 billion in humanitarian aid.14 Because of all of its work, the Church has also “become a recognized authority in humanitarian work, and a sought-after partner by many international relief organizations, including various UN organizations, the International Red Cross, Catholic Charities and Islamic Relief.”15

The Why

In 1842, Joseph Smith taught that Latter-day Saints are “to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this church, or in any other, or in no church at all, wherever he finds them.” This spirit of service was of such vital importance that Joseph listed this alongside other requirements in order “to be a member in good standing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.”16

Hansen further observed, “The Church’s involvement in humanitarian work is a direct result of its religious doctrine. . . . Humanitarian work done by [Latter-day Saints], either through Church-sponsored programs or as private individuals, is a direct result of belief in and adherence to the religious doctrine taught by the Church.”17 And as the former Presiding Bishop Gérald J. Caussé described, “Caring for the poor and needy is not optional, nor is it merely an accessory in the Church of Jesus Christ. . . . It is an indispensable element of the mission of the Church. Church members throughout the world, whether they live in developed or developing countries, all have a need to participate in this great welfare work in ways appropriate to their circumstances.”18

“The goal of the Church,” Caussé taught, “goes well beyond simply making monetary and physical resources available. It contemplates the spiritual progress and eternal salvation of individuals and families.”19 Indeed, in all its efforts, both The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members take seriously the Savior’s words that “inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). This doctrine has been emphasized in all dispensations of the earth as God has continually invited His children to emulate Him in selfless love and service. As Elder Patrick Kearon said, “We have found refuge. Let us come out from our safe places and share with [others], from our abundance, hope for a brighter future, faith in God and in our fellowman, and love that sees beyond cultural and ideological differences to the glorious truth that we are all children of our Heavenly Father.”20