Mormon Church

In the 2010 General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (whose members are often informally called Mormons), Mormons were called on to provide a day of service. These will happen at the ward (congregational) level or at the stake (similar to a diocese) level at various times over the coming year. The events are to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of the start of the Mormon welfare program.

Days of Service have become a popular activity for Mormons around the world. Through the Helping Hands program, Mormons in signature yellow shirts show up during catastrophes to help with repairs and cleanup. They also plan days to serve a community when there is no emergency need. During these times, they might paint community centers, clean up historic but neglected cemeteries, gather food for a food bank, or improve a local school.

The Day of Service concept, while often done informally by individual congregations, became a more formal program in the late 1980s. At that time, the Church announced a Day of Service for several different countries, including Argentina and Chile. Mormon leaders in these countries went to their government leaders to find out what work needed to be done. Then Mormons drew on their enthusiastic membership to accomplish the projects. Over time the idea caught on and more areas began holding their own days of service. With every area in the world doing one over the course of one year, it is expected the Mormons will make significant impacts on their communities.

Following are some examples of service days from the past:

On April 25 in 2009, Mormons in the southeast—96 stakes in all—were challenged by Elder Walter F. Gonzalez of the Presidency of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to do a day of service all on the same day. Each group chose their own projects for the day. One group held a fishing day for special needs children and their families. Another painted an historic house the historical society was renovating. A group weatherized low-income homes and another painted low-income homes. A group installed smoke detectors in homes of people who could not afford them. In Charlotte North Carolina, Mormons worked with the minister of another church to build a habitat for humanity home.

In January of 2009, 450 Mormon teenagers gathered in Philadelphia to participate in a Martin Luther King Day of Service. They assembled craft kits to be given to homeless children and shelters. Prior to beginning their work, they watched a videotaped message from King’s son, thanking them for their participation.

West Africa has held an annual day of service for a number of years. Over time, other churches and agencies have decided to join them, increasing the amount of service that can be completed in the course of the day. In 2010, more than 11,000 people participated in the All Africa Day of Service. When Ashanti region in Ghana asked the community to help an orphanage, the Mormons sent in their day of service teams to clean up the compound. The regional director of social welfare himself showed up to help them.

A Southern California group built an entire park during their day of service while another group nearby stocked a food bank.

Many LDS groups held service days on an anniversary of September 11 in the United States. One group held a back to school project. They gathered school clothes and school supplies for low-income families, and in a unique touch, also provided hair cuts and back to school photographs for the children.

Serving others is a long-standing Mormon tradition, based directly on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught us to love and serve our neighbors and specified that everyone is our neighbor. Early in church history, Joseph Smith organized the Relief Society, a woman’s organization designed to serve others. Seventy-five years ago, in the heart of the depression, the church organized a unique welfare program, one that was praised by Ronald Reagan and many others as being the ideal way to help those in need. Rather than being critical of the poor and the needy, the church welfare program offers people help as needed.

There are two types of programs. The first is for church members. Although Mormons are counseled to prepare as best they can for emergencies by remaining out of debt, building savings, and putting aside food for hard times, even the most careful planner can unexpectedly find himself in trouble. Extended unemployment, illness, or catastrophe can undo all the careful planning. In times such as this, Mormons are advised to turn to family for help. When that is not possible, or when there is more need than the family can provide, the church steps in.

To fund this effort, Mormons forego all food and drink for twenty-four hours one day a month. They then donate at least the amount of money saved by doing so to a fast offering fund. This fund is used exclusively to care for those in need. The person who finds himself in financial trouble goes to his bishop (similar to a lay pastor), who evaluates the needs and makes sure the person has done all he can to help himself first. The church’s goal is not to sustain the current lifestyle, but to help the person survive until things improve.

This program is only for Mormons in good standing, who have paid tithes and offerings. In other words, they’ve assisted others in the past and are now receiving help for themselves. In exchange for this assistance, which never includes cash, they take on additional church service, such as helping in the church welfare program or cleaning buildings. The work may not be equal to what they receive, depending on their circumstances, but it allows them to retain their dignity but providing something of value for what they are receiving.

Next the person meets with the Relief Society president, a woman, to decide what food might be needed. Members are given a list of items in the storehouse—items are grown, manufactured or purchased by the church, unlike most food banks—and they use this list to plan menus. They order only what they will need for two weeks. The list includes items needed to care for the home or sanitary requirements.

The items are picked up at a storehouse, which resembles a small grocery store. Most people come a little early and volunteer their time for an hour or two before filling their own order.

In addition to immediate help, members are also given training as needed to help them become more self-sufficient. The Mormons teach many classes on practical skills such as job hunting, parenting, money management, self-reliance, food storage, and literacy.

Another aspect of the humanitarian program is non-sectarian. The humanitarian branch of the Mormon church is often found during crises, when the church sends in many thousands of dollars in supplies and equipment to help, often remaining long after the location is out of the news and the first volunteers have gone home. They go into countries in need to provide other services as well, including wheelchairs, vaccinations, neonatal medical training, dental care, eyeglasses and other services. They help farmers in developing nations learn to farm more efficiently. They bring clean water to places that have none.

The call for a year of service has sparked enthusiasm among Mormons, but it is nothing new. It is simply a more focused approach to a tradition of compassionate service called for by the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Watch a video of a Mormon Day of Service that involved planting a community garden with Habitat for Humanity.

Recently, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, spoke to Mormon teachers and leaders at the Church Educational System fireside about teaching as a Christ-like activity. President Uchtdorf is the second counselor to the Mormon prophet.

President Uchtdorf said, “The call to teach is an opportunity to follow Jesus Christ, the Master Teacher.” He offered five suggestions to help teachers educate students spiritually in a manner that is pleasing to our Savior, Jesus Christ:

1. Center our teachings on Jesus Christ in order to help our students center their lives on Jesus Christ and grow in their love for Him.
2. Teach truth. He instructed teachers to not be afraid of the truth. Teach it with courage and teach it so clearly it won’t be misunderstood. Focus on the core doctrine.
3. Teach by the Spirit. The Holy Ghost has the power to testify to listeners of the truthfulness of what is being taught. He also knows what the students need to hear. When a teacher is guided by the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) he will have a better chance of reaching a student’s heart and mind.
4. Teach from the heart. Students are influenced best when the teacher is sincere and has a testimony of what she is teaching.
5. Testify. Mormons sometimes say that if we fail to share our testimony of the truthfulness of what we are teaching, we leave the students without the main thing they came for. It is important, after offering information, to be certain students know the doctrine is true and that you believe it. (more…)

This year, Mormon Sunday School classes for adults and teens and the Senior Primary children who are ages eight to twelve are studying the New Testament. All Primary children—those ages 3 to 11, will have a sharing time (a time when a number of classes meet together to be taught by their leaders) focusing on the truthfulness of scripture.

The Sunday School classes and senior Primary are on a four year rotation system. Each year they study one book of scripture—Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon and Church History/Doctrine and Covenants (a book of modern revelation). The Senior Primary, the teens, and the adults study the same book of scripture at the same pace but at their own level. This allows families to come together after church and during the week to discuss what they’ve learned and lets parents reinforce those teachings.

Younger children, ages four to seven, are on a two year rotation, covering two books of scripture in one year, with an emphasis on the life of Christ as taught in the four gospels of the New Testament, and on the Book of Mormon. They repeat the manuals one time, but at a more grown up level. Nursery toddlers and three year olds have just one lesson manual which covers stories from all scriptures.

The Mormons are offering a solid collection of materials to help both Mormons and non-Mormons study the New Testament this year. The actual lesson manuals are available online, both the student and teacher’s editions. This allows curious non-Mormons to find out what Mormons actually teach their own members about Jesus Christ.

Read or listen to the Adult Sunday School (Gospel Doctrine) teacher’s manual for the New Testament.

Read or listen to the student study guide for adults on the New Testament.

Read the teacher’s manual for the children’s New Testament class. (The children don’t receive a manual.)

Many Mormons like a more in-depth study of the scriptures each year. Teenagers study a book of scripture each year in Seminary that does not match the Sunday School rotation. Seminary is held most weekdays, usually before the school day begins. It is a much more in-depth study of the New Testament and includes scripture memorization. The lesson manual for this class is also online for anyone who wants to use it.

Read the Seminary New Testament Manual online. You’ll note this page also has additional study materials, including music, a list of scriptures to memorize, a reading chart and a timeline.

For even more in-depth study, you might want to explore the Institute of Religion Manual. This manual is a college-level course and has a great deal of interpretation, inspiration, historic and cultural background information and more to help you really dig into your study of the New Testament.

Read the Institute of Religion New Testament manual.

While the Mormons have had the Bible free on the Internet for a long time, the new scripture site has some exciting additions to help people study the scriptures. For many of these features, you will need to sign up for an account. While reading the New Testament, which doesn’t require an account, you can also use account-based tools to write notes, keep a scripture-reading journal, highlight scriptures and even print out your work. You can even, without an account, download MP-3s of an audio New Testament. Mormons use the King James translation of the Bible.

This year the Mormons will be studying the life, ministry, and divinity of Jesus Christ. Why not take a peek and see what they will be learning?

Joining with other religious voices in recent weeks, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are informally called Mormons, issued a statement on civility. Titled “The Mormon Ethic of Civility,” it called for an increase in moderation, respect, and reason in our lives, particularly in the political arena.

The political world is astir. Economies are faltering. Public trust is waning. Individuals feel vulnerable. And social cohesion wears thin. Meanwhile, stories of rage and agitation fill our airwaves, streets and town halls. Where are the voices of balance and moderation in these extreme times? (more…)