Ethiopia and Somalia are in crisis. The people are facing the worst drought they’ve had in sixty years and at the same time, they are struggling with violence from a militant terrorist group called Al Shabab, which is trying to use extreme violence and cruelty to impose Islamic law—a version not practiced by mainstream Islamics.

One Muslim man, Abdulahi Muse,  born and raised in the Horn of Africa, but sent away to be educated, has returned to try to help his homeland. He is aware of the 150,000 desperate people who, just in the last year, have fled Somalia, taking a painful week-long journey on foot to find food, water, and escape from the violence. When they arrive in Ethiopia, they inadvertently create new problems, as they compete for fresh water, firewood, and land already in short supply.

Many organizations have stepped in to help, but they tend to focus on the camps. The border cities—the intersection of Somalia and Ethiopia—are largely neglected. Today they are being helped by Abdulahi Muse. He has traveled from the capital city, far from his children, to find a way to help his people. He works for International Relief and Development, an organization most haven’t heard of because, unlike most humanitarian groups, they don’t spend money on banners, signs, or bumper stickers. They just quietly do the work that needs doing. They work with a smaller group of people, which gets them less attention.

IRD has worked with the government to identify the twenty-two villages in most danger and that is where they are focusing their efforts. They are partnering with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons. The Mormons are providing the funding for the project and have been a partner to this agency for many years.

IRD hopes to avoid the humanitarian programs of the past, in which organizations dug a well and then left the people with something they didn’t know how to care for. Instead, IRD follows the pattern the Mormons have long used in their humanitarian work. They use the local people to help with the building, which provides both employment and training.

The water is needed immediately, however. There is no time to build first, so the Mormons assure him they will begin to truck in water. Abdulahi doesn’t really believe them—charities often fail to follow through on promises, but 20,000 liters of water start arriving within a few days and more will be delivered over the next ten months. The Mormons funded the trucks used for delivery.

Abdulahi notes the plastic containers the villagers are using to store water won’t hold up to the harsh weather, so he decides to create cement-lined storage tanks. He asks the Mormons to pay for the building materials and they do. The villagers build the tanks so they will understand how to fix them when IRC is gone. They will have a sense of ownership. Most programs leave the villagers feeling the tanks belong to the charity and when they break down, they remain broken and unused. With the system used by IRC and the Mormons, the villagers own the tanks and care for them themselves. The organization also helps the people start an irrigation project for farming to provide food.

In addition to these projects, another organization, International Medical Corp.,  requested funding for three programs: additional latrines so women don’t have to leave the safety of the camp, nutrition and health centers, and a women’s center to assist victims of domestic violence and mothers could receive job training and counseling. These projects will cost two million dollars. Three Mormon congregations in the capital are also assembling and donating hygiene kits for refugees. Every month, fewer children are dying in these camps due to the improvements being made.

The Mormon involvement in the Horn of Africa is not about taking care of Mormons or about missionary work. There are no Mormons at all where the Mormons are working there and the people they serve have never heard of Mormons and don’t know the Mormons funded the projects they are carrying out. There are no missionaries in the camp and the project is done only to carry out the command of Jesus Christ to care for the poor. It is pure Christ-like humanitarianism. This project is one of 111 projects that were carried out last year.

Learn more about this project and life in the Horn of Africa:

Praying for rain: Sustainable strategies deliver water, hope to East Africa

How one man’s faith is helping end famine with help from LDS Church, By Jesse Hyde, Deseret News

Learn more about LDS Charities

Watch a video of the reporter’s experiences in reporting on these projects:

Of all the numbers in the Pew Research Center’s recently released survey of “Mormons in America,” the highest, most overwhelming numbers are these: 98 percent of respondents said they believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and 97 percent say their church is a Christian religion.

This comes on the heels of earlier surveys indicating that 32 percent of non-LDS U.S. adults say the LDS Church is not a Christian religion, and an additional 17 percent are unsure of LDS Christianity. The theological and semantic reasons for this can be complex, but for the 1,019 self-identified Mormons who participated in the Pew survey, their theological position is clear: Mormons believe in Jesus Christ, and they consider themselves to be Christian.

“Certainly in Latter-day Saint theology is this idea that if you understand who you are, you understand that there’s a purpose in life, you understand your connection to God, that certainly has an impact on how you live your life and what you do, but also how you feel about your life and what you are doing,” said Michael Purdy of the LDS Church Public Affairs office.

For the vast majority of Latter-day Saints surveyed, those life choices have much to do with their religious beliefs. Eighty-two percent of survey respondents indicate that religion is “very important” to them, 83 percent say they pray every day and 77 percent say they attend church at least once a week. Beyond that, a stunning 69 percent of respondents fit all three descriptions, saying that religion is very important to them, that they pray every day and that they go to church every week.

“By this measure,” the report says, “Mormons exhibit higher levels of religious commitment than many other religious groups, including white evangelical Christians.”

Part of the explanation for these high numbers may be that the survey focused only on those who self-identified as Latter-day Saints.

“The method they used tended to identify people who are strongly committed,” said BYU sociologist Marie Cornwall, who advised the Pew Forum on the new survey. “They don’t have the people who are kind of marginal. But that’s okay; we just have to be careful with the way we interpret the findings.”

One such finding is the relationship between religious commitment and education among Mormons.

David Campbell, a University of Notre Dame associate professor and another adviser on the survey, noted that the more educated respondents were, the higher their levels of religious commitment.

“I was a little surprised by that,” said Campbell, who is LDS and who has extensively studied on the role of religion in the public square. “The more educated a Mormon is, the more likely they are to be wholehearted in their commitment to the church and its teachings.”

That is different from other churches, he said, where more education tends to lead to more religious skepticism.

Pew Research Center officials also noted “a significant gender gap in religious commitment, with more Mormon women than men exhibiting a high level of religious commitment (73 percent vs. 65 percent).”

According to the Pew report, a similar “gender gap” is seen among the general public. A 2007 survey found 36 percent of U.S. women exhibited a high level of religious commitment, compared with 24 percent of men.

One series of questions asked about what it means to be a good Mormon. According to the respondents, in order to be a good Mormon it is “essential” to believe Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ (80 percent), work to help the poor (73 percent), hold regular family home evenings (51 percent), not drink coffee and tea (49 percent) and not watch R-rated movies (32 percent).

Combining those who said “essential” with those who said “important but not essential,” the order changes a little bit: working to help the poor (97 percent), holding regular family home evenings (96 percent), believing Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ (93 percent), not drinking coffee and tea (81 percent) and not watching R-rated movies (79 percent).

“I think that result is rather interesting,” said Cornwall. “Mormons are known for not drinking coffee or tea and not watching R-rated movies. But compared to believing that Joseph Smith saw God and working for the poor, Mormons don’t seem to focus on the coffee and tea as much as people probably think.”

Other manifestations of religious commitment in the survey included:

The number of respondents (65 percent) who say they hold a current temple recommend (a certificate from local ecclesiastical leaders, issued every other year, indicating that an individual has permission from the church to enter LDS temples and participate in temple rites and sacraments)

The number (79 percent) who say they pay tithing (donating 10 percent of their income to the church)

The number (27 percent) who have served full-time missions for the church (this number includes 43 percent of men and 11 percent of women and varies significantly according to the age and education of the respondent, as well as whether or not the respondent was raised Mormon)

The number (82 percent) who keep food in storage for emergencies or disasters, as they have been counseled to do by LDS Church leaders (This number includes 23 percent who say they have three months’ worth, 35 percent who say they have more than three months’ worth and 23 percent who say they have less than three months’ worth)

The percentage who pay tithing is especially interesting to break down. According to the survey tabulations, “tithing is most common among Mormons with the highest levels of religious commitment (96 percent) … fully 91 percent of college graduates say they pay tithing … compared with 66 percent of those with a high school diploma or less education. And among those whose family income exceeds $30,000, 83 percent say they pay tithing, compared with 69 percent of those with incomes of less than $30,000.”

While previous surveys have clearly established LDS agreement with certain key Christian doctrines — 90 percent of Mormons believe in God, 91 percent believe the Bible is the word of God and 98 percent believe in life after death — the new survey explores Mormon confidence in points of doctrine that are unique to LDS theology. And in these points of doctrine, Mormons proved to be unified and believing. They believe overwhelmingly that God and Jesus Christ are separate physical beings (94 percent), that the president of the LDS Church is a prophet of God (94 percent), that families can be bound together eternally in temple ceremonies (95 percent) and that the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets and translated by Joseph Smith (91 percent).

Overall, 77 percent say they believe “wholeheartedly” in all of the teachings of the LDS Church. That number increases to 82 percent among Mormons ages 18-49, and to 85 percent among Mormons who are college graduates.

“Ultimately, I suppose other Americans will judge our church — and perhaps all churches — by their relevance in how they touch and improve human lives right here on Earth as well as what they offer in the life to come,” wrote Michael Otterson, Public Affairs director for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in his “On Faith” blog in the Washington Post. “Meanwhile, we welcome the friendship and regard of all groups, even as we retain our commitment to a unique identity. In the end … Latter-day Saints will strive to be good Mormons, true believers, kind neighbors and faithful friends.”

Pew Study Reflects Mormons’ Religious Commitment to Christ, Mormon Beliefs in Tithes and Temples

Mormons in America

By Amy Choate-Nielsen

Deseret News
Published: Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012 7:00 p.m. MST

David Letterman knows how to get a laugh.Like most comics, he riffs on the day’s news, deadpans the camera and revels in audacity.”Oh, did you hear about this?” the host of CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman asked his audience recently. “A campaign staffer on the Newt Gingrich campaign was fired because he was making negative comments about Mormons. I thought, now, wait a minute — isn’t Newt in favor of multiple wives?”
Laughter rumbled from the audience followed by applause. The polygamy punch line is a familiar one when it comes to poking fun at Mormons — as though Mormons and polygamy are synonymous in mainstream media. Ironically, the practice that’s most linked to Mormons is a practice most Mormons oppose, according to a groundbreaking new study of Mormons in America released Thursday by the Pew Research Center‘s Forum on Religion and Public Life.

According to the study, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unequivocally reject polygamy — only 2 percent said the practice is morally acceptable — evidence of a yawning gap in what Mormons believe and how they are perceived. Mormons’ opinions are overwhelmingly conservative, the study shows, but in many ways, their views are also surprising — especially when it comes to opinions on moral issues, divorce, homosexuality and polygamy.

Morality

Mormons also take a significant stance on moral issues in other areas, such as divorce, sex outside of marriage and consumption of alcohol.

Although teachings from the LDS Church emphasize the importance and eternal nature of the family, only 25 percent of Mormons surveyed said divorce is morally wrong, according to the study. That means Mormons are slightly less morally opposed to divorce than the general public.

“For Catholics, divorce does not exist. They think it is not only wrong but it is impossible,” said Matthew Bowman, member of a board of expert advisers to the Pew Research Center for the study and author of “The Mormon People,” a book on the history of the LDS Church. “That has not been true for Mormons. There is theological space for divorce within Mormonism. It is undesirable, but Mormons recognize it is sometimes necessary and sometimes the right thing to do.”

Other moral views revealed in the survey — 54 percent said drinking alcohol was morally wrong, compared with 15 percent of the general public — set Mormons apart, Bowman says. The assumption on the part of non-Mormons is that if Mormons think drinking alcohol is wrong, then they must think everyone who imbibes is morally flawed. That apprehension can make people suspicious of Mormons, and wary of an elitist attitude, he says.

Differences in moral viewpoints can create a stumbling block for Mormon acceptance — not only in high-profile arenas, such as a presidential election, but also in communities.
“What you find throughout the report is a tension,” said David Campbell, assistant professor at Notre Dame and an adviser on the study. “Mormons like to use the phrase, ‘Be in the world but not of the world.’ They are certainly living their lives in the world. They are active and involved in their communities, but they have these beliefs and practices that set them apart a little bit, and sometimes there is conflict.”

Homosexuality

Mormons have some of the most conservative opinions when it comes to homosexuality. The survey asked Mormons if homosexuality should be accepted by society or discouraged by society, with an option for neither, both or “don’t know.” The response — 26 percent said homosexuality should be accepted, 65 percent said it should be discouraged — puts Mormons as the least likely to say homosexuality should be accepted by society. But a 26 percent acceptance rate, with roughly 1 in 4 Mormons saying homosexuality should be accepted, might be surprisingly high to some.

Of particular interest is the fact that only 8 percent of Mormons surveyed identified themselves as liberal, and 66 percent said they were conservative. That means some of those who said homosexuality should be accepted also identify themselves as politically conservative, Bowman says. That distinction illustrates the complexity of Mormons’ opinion on sexuality — that it is rooted more in religious precepts than politics.
Still, it’s difficult to draw a conclusion about Mormons‘ views on homosexuality based on the study, says Pew Research Center adviser Terryl Givens, professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond.

“Results need to be viewed cautiously,” Givens says. “Official LDS pronouncements insist there is a distinction between (sexual) orientation and behavior, but the survey blurs that difference, probably leaving many Mormons unsure how to answer that question. What is clear, however, is that Mormons are trending toward greater acceptance of same-sex relationships, just as society as a whole is, although by a much smaller percentage.”

Polygamy

At one point 120 years ago, some Mormons practiced plural marriage, hence the association between Mormons and polygamy. The practice was discontinued in 1890, but the cultural association persists, perhaps in part because Mormons are sometimes confused with members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church, a polygamist group not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In the October-November 2011 study of a national sample of 1,019 Mormons, 86 percent said polygamy is morally wrong. That’s a number that surprises Bowman.

Were it not for the confusion surrounding Mormons and the FLDS Church practice of plural marriage, Bowman says that statistic might not be as high.

“It’s my experience that Mormons have a fraught relationship with polygamy,” Bowman said of the study results. “There is a sense that rejecting polygamy identifies a member of the LDS Church and distinguishes us from the fundamentalists. That is a cultural signifier as much as a theological statement.”

Some who responded to the survey, 11 percent, said polygamy is not a moral issue.
Email: achoate@desnews.com

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths, the “Mormon Church”) holds women in the highest respect. The Lord has given worthy male members of the Church, the specific responsibility to administer the priesthood of the Church. Women in the Church are given different responsibilities and callings to serve, teach, and help other members. Below, D. Lauritsen, a Mormon professor, shares an answer as to why Mormon women don’t hold the priesthood:

Why Don’t Mormon Women Hold the Priesthood?

Brief Answer: Though Jesus Christ was the earliest, kindest, and most outspoken proponent and defender of womanhood of whom we have written record (Matthew 15:21–28; John 7:37–50; John 4:6–30; John 8:3–11), he nevertheless did not confer the ecclesiastical responsibilities of the Aaronic or Melchizedek Priesthood on women. He has continued to follow that pattern in his restored Church.

Detailed Answer: Why the Lord established and continues to follow the pattern mentioned above has not been revealed. But if the Lord chooses to change this pattern, his Saints are assured that he will first reveal it through the living prophet, for “surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

Nevertheless, the Lord has revealed major changes in the role of women in his restored Church, beginning with his establishment of the relief Society on March 17, 1842. With the exception of the grueling years of Church persecution, flight, and relocation, the relief Society has steadily grown in numbers, influence, and accomplishments. Its humble rebirth began in the Utah Territory in 1854 when sixteen women responded to President Brigham young’s exhortation to form a women’s organization to make clothing for Native American women and children. By 1866, the local “Indian relief Society” had become known throughout the Church as relief Society, and by 1880, the organization had units in each of three hundred wards.

The Society’s visiting teachers provided care for the needy within ward boundaries, and collected and distributed donations. Many ward relief Societies built their own meeting halls. In the 1880s, relief Society cooperative enterprises included making and marketing homemade goods, storing grain, raising silk worms, and financing the medical training of midwives and female doctors. The relief Society not only promoted women’s right to vote, but helped form and nurture the forerunners of the young Woman and Primary organizations.

Beginning in 1921, concerns over high maternal and infant mortality led to the establishment of health clinics and two stake relief Society maternity hospitals, one operated in the Snowflake (Arizona) Stake and another in the Cottonwood (Utah) Stake. . . . In 1956, the relief Society Building in Salt Lake City, built from contributions from LDS women and funds from the Church, was dedicated. . . . The relief Society promoted scholarly study of women’s concerns by helping establish the Women’s research Center at BYU, rallied members to contribute to the Monument to Women at Nauvoo, Illinois in 1978, and celebrated its sesquicentennial in 1992.1

In 1993, the relief Society inaugurated a Churchwide project to improve gospel-oriented literacy, especially among Latter-day Saint women in devel- oping nations. In recent years, the relief Society’s monthly weeknight meeting has been redesigned to incorporate increased flexibility in scheduling, content, and activities in order to meet the changing needs of LDS women, whether they reside in Samoa or Siberia, Malawi or Manhattan. on March 17, 2009, the world’s largest religious organization for women, the relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, celebrated the 167th anniversary of its founding. More than four million women in 163 nations gathered in more than 24,000 congregations around the globe to give thanks and to remember their faithful and courageous leaders, past and present: Emma Smith (1842–1844), Eliza r. Snow (1866–1887), Zina D. Huntington (1888–1901), Bathsheba W. Wilson (1901–1910), Emmeline B. Wells (1910–1921), Clarissa S. Williams (1921–1928), Louise y. robison (1928–1939), Amy B. Lyman (1940–1945), Belle S. Spafford (1945–1974), Barbara B. Smith (1974–1984), Barbara W. Winder (1984–1990), Elaine L. Jack (1990–1997), Mary Ellen Smoot (1997–2002), Bonnie B. Parkin (2002–2007), Julie B. Beck (2007–present).

Additional Resources:

Learn more about the Mormon Priesthood at the official site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Request a free copy of the Book of Mormon.

Attend a local meetinghouse.

Note:

1. Deseret Morning News 2007 Church Almanac, 113–14.

Source:

D. Lauritsen, Mormons Under a Microscope, (Springville, Utah: Cedar Fort, Inc., 2010), 19-20.

Giff and Wendy Nielsen have been married for 33 years. They have six children and nine grandchildren. They have lived in Houston for thirty years starting when the Houston Oilers drafted Giff in May 1978. He played quarterback for the team for six years before retiring in May 1984 to join the Channel 11 News anchor team.

The WON Heart Foundation, founded by the Nielsen family has served the Houston community and the world. The mission of this family foundation is to find ways to make the world a stronger, safer, more peaceful place…one heart at a time. The Nielsen family firmly believes that there has never been a greater need for traditional family values and open- hearted generosity to help in healing a troubled world. Some of The Won Heart Foundation successes include raising money to help bridge the gap of the latch-key kid revolution, and hosting a charity golf tournament, which has raised nearly five million dollars for the past 21 years funding the building of Houston area parks and a YMCA after-school program.

Giff is on the executive board of the Boy Scouts of America, Sam Houston Area Council. He has been inducted into the BYU Hall of Fame, the Utah Hall of Fame and into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The most important career accomplishment either of them has is their family. The world needs strong families with loving connections and a desire to reach out and share with communities.

For official Mormon news and information about current Church humanitarian projects visit the newsroom for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Inadvertently called by friends of other faiths as the “Mormon Church”)

Medical shipments are in high demand and include a number of different items. Instructions for hospital gowns and scrub tops and pants are available at the official Church Humanitarian Site.

All medical supplies with an expiration date must have at least 13 months of
good date left when the items are donated. The following first-aid items in original packaging are needed:
· Ace bandages
· Adhesive bandages, 1″ wide
· Adhesive tape, 1″ wide
· Cotton balls, sterile and non-sterile
· Tongue depressors
· Cotton swabs, sterile and non-sterile
· Gauze pads, all sizes
· Gauze rolls, all sizes
· Paper tape, 1″ wide

Your donations will be checked for quality and compliance with standards. All items should be appropriate to send to any country. Please be sensitive to not send items with prints of religious symbols, flags or military themes.

Place the following items in a durable cloth bag (see photo & instructions)
· 4 unsharpened pencils
· 1 rubber pencil eraser – approximately 1×2 inches
· 1 pair blunt nosed scissors with metal blades
· 1 pencil sharpener
· 1 straight edge ruler – 12 inches, with metric
· Glued or spiral bound notebooks with lined sheets, 8 x 10 ½,
or 8 ½ x 11 inches
Notebooks should total approximately 450 sheets
Do not include more than 6 notebooks
· 1 set assorted colored pencils
at least 12 per set, approximately 7 inches long

Making cloth bags for school kits (more detailed instructions available online)
Bag
· Cut one piece heavy, durable fabric 14×36 inches or two pieces 14×18 inches
· With right sides together, sew side seams and across the bottom, ½ inch seam
· Serge or zig-zag all seams
· Serge or zig-zag around the top opening of the bag
· Turn top hem down 1 ½ “ and sew
Handles
· Cut two handles 24×3 ½ inches (1 inch webbing may be substituted )
· Fold long sides in ½” then fold in half, lengthwise and sew down both long sides
· Attach and reinforce handles 2” from side seam along hem. Repeat on opposite side.
Handles should be able to hang comfortably over a shoulder like a purse, length
about 21” long

· Sew a 3” strip of Velcro on inside of bag between handle straps

These can be dropped off at the LDS Humanitarian Center. Ship or deliver completed items to:
Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center
1665 South Bennett Road
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Telephone (801) 240-5954
Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
Completed items may also be taken to the nearest Deseret Industries store or bishops’ storehouse. Seal boxes and mark them Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center-SLC. They will then be shipped to the Latter-day Saint
Humanitarian Center.

Locations of Deseret Industries stores and bishops’ storehouses may be found by calling (801) 240-5954.

In addition to kits, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) distributes other needed items that volunteers may provide. Your donation will represent the Church. Please ensure that quality and
appearance reflect appropriate high standards.

Orphanage Modules
A special module with quilts, various supplies, toys and children’s clothing is distributed to orphanages throughout the world. Instructions for most of the items listed below may be found at www.humanitarianservices.org
All items must be un-used.

· Flat twin sheets (66” x 96”, cotton or flannel fabrics)
· Soft toys, puppets, dolls, wooden toys and blocks
· Fabric activity books and file folder games (See website)
· Sidewalk chalk (up to 24 per package)
· Jump ropes – store bought
· Wall hangings
· Crayons (up to 24 per package)
· Pencil boxes/pouches
· Pic combs
Children’s clothing Guidelines:
· Sizes: Newborn 0- youth 16
· Fabrics: durable and washable
· Use simple patterns. Double-stitch crotch seams, armholes and pockets.
· Please ensure that zippers, buttons, ties and Velcro are firmly secured
· Stretch of the fabric should always go across the body, not up and down
· No prints of religious symbols, flags or military themes
· Clothing items may include:
· Pants – please include pockets
· Sweat pants
· Dresses – casual, simple play-dresses
· Shirts
· Underpants and socks – store bought
· Onesies
· Bibs
· Coats and jackets
· Baby booties
· Mittens and gloves
· Layette gown (see page 2 or website for guidelines)
· Hair items for girls (not for infants)
· Flip-flops
7
Quilts

Many of us  see suffering in our own communities and throughout the world. We want to do something to help, but don’t know what to do.

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught:

A true Latter-day Saint is 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.
(Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, 732)

The Saints in ancient America–in the prophet Alma’s day–did not send away any who were naked or that were hungry or that were athirst or that were sick…therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need (The Book of Mormon, Alma 1:30).

If you desire to serve the needy throughout the world, including those in your own community, you might consider the following practical opportunities:

• Pay a generous fast offering, as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).
• Give generously to the Church’s Humanitarian Aid Fund. All money donated to this fund goes to serve the poor and needy of the world without regard to race, religion or nationality.
• Donate usable items, including clean clothing, to Deseret Industries. Not only will this benefit the needy within your community, but surplus items are sent to the Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center for future relief efforts.
• Volunteer to work at Humanitarian Service Rooms or other Church welfare facilities.
• Commodities produced at these facilities are used to provide humanitarian aid.
• Volunteer at an agency that assists people in your community.

Established community organizations offer many opportunities to serve, including providing meals to the homeless, teaching adults to read, and mentoring at-risk youth. Such service not only blesses those in need, but also fosters unity between Church members and the community.

• Contact your bishop about serving a mission. Opportunities for full-time service are listed in a bulletin sent to him each month.
• Part-time/service mission opportunities can be found online at www.lds.org