Ministering means learning of and attending to someone’s needs. In addition to ministering to people in our local congregations, we prayerfully seek opportunities to serve those outside our faith through community service and other projects.
We try to follow the example of Jesus Christ in caring for those in need—regardless of location, race, nationality, gender, religious belief, or political affiliation—without expectation of return.
Service Within The Church
As part of our covenant to love God and love our neighbors, Church members fast for one day each month and generously donate the value of the meals missed to benefit other members in need.
In addition, Church members offer their time, talents, compassion, materials, and financial resources. These contributions are part of the “Lord’s storehouse” of resources to help His children.
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, showing love to others through sharing resources and giving service is a fundamental part of our beliefs—and has been since the early days of the Church.
The Relief Society is a women’s organization charged with caring for individuals and families experiencing need. Established in 1842, the organization has guided generations of Church members as they have worked to minister to anyone in need of help. In 2022, this dedication to charity was honored through a day of service projects completed around the world, celebrating the Relief Society’s 180th anniversary.
For members of the Church, this service is natural and done without expectation of recognition or reward. Kym, a Church member in Germany, summed up the willingness of members to serve, saying, “The Lord’s storehouse is people who willingly devote their time, talents, skills, or material means to help others ... regardless of race, religion, or situation. It is humbling to be part of the Lord’s storehouse.”
Service to All
Last year, Church congregations in Colombia organized and collected donations for the Casa Hermana Helena Foundation. These donations allowed young girls who had been abandoned to feel safe and loved as they adjusted to their new lives.
In the Pacific Area, Latter-day Saints came together to support their neighbors after Tonga was impacted by an earthquake, a nearby volcanic eruption, and a tsunami. Congregations throughout the area worked together with their community to donate and collect food, clothing, water, hygiene products, and equipment to help the people in Tonga. This included 300 tons of supplies from Tahiti alone.
When a severe snowstorm stranded dozens of adults and children in Idaho in the United States, the local Church congregation opened their meetinghouse. Together with their community, they provided hot meals to the travelers and collected donations of toys, infant formula, and other necessities to help until the storm passed and the roads reopened.
In 2022, Church members’ donations of blood to the American Red Cross surpassed one million units, reaching an estimated three million people. Similar blood drives are organized by congregations in areas all over the world.
“The humanitarian work of the Church is such a gift. It is the product of the collective, consecrated offerings of the Saints, a manifestation of our love for God and His children.”