Welfare Principles

                    Families grow stronger when they practice basic principles of welfare - self-reliance and industry.  Parents can teach these principles to their children by precept and example.  Children are blessed when they learn the importance of being self-reliant.

                    Our world today is much like that of 1929 when the stock market crashed and caused huge financial losses.  My parents married just a few weeks before the crash and spent the rest of their lives being prepared in case such a thing were to happen again.

                    The unemployment rate in Utah climbed to 35.8 percent by 1932.  Even though The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a system of storehouses and programs set up to help members find work, many members of the Church were turning to the United States government for relief.

                    Church leaders did not like the idea of members going to the government for help.  President Heber J. Grant (1856-1945) stated during that difficult time, "I believe that there is a growing disposition among the people to try to get something from the government of the United States with little hope of ever paying it back."

                    Leaders knew that members were struggling, and they were determined to find a way to help the members become independent and avoid promoting idleness and a sense of entitlement.  The Church encouraged able-bodied men to render some sort of service in exchange for any aid received.  Thus the Church Welfare System was put in place.

                    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its welfare program.  When the program was inaugurated in 1936, President David O. McKay, a counselor to President Heber J. Grant, confirmed the divinely inspired foundation of the welfare plan:  "[The welfare program] is established by divine revelation, and there is nothing else in all the world that can so effectively take care of its members."

                    During the past 75 years, our nation has gone through many economic cycles, and many changes have occurred in both the size of the Church and the morals of society.  The soundness of the welfare plan has been proven again and again.  Using welfare principles and operating on faith in God, wards and stakes emphasize righteous, thrifty and independent living, organize classes to teach sewing, food production, canning, etc. and coordinate work projects to help the members to help themselves.  The welfare plan teaches members to help others by giving a "hand up" rather than taking a "hand out" from other sources.

                    President Grant stated, "Our primary purpose was to set up … a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift and self-respect be once more established amongst our people."  He also said, "Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership."

                    Even though the Great Depression ended and World War II was over, Church leaders felt the need to continue the welfare program.  In October 1945, United States President Harry S. Truman asked President George Albert Smith (1870-1951) how and when the Church could deliver supplies to the war-torn nations of Europe.  President Truman was astonished when Church leaders told him that the food, clothing and other supplies were already collected and ready to ship.

                    The welfare facilities and programs of the Church have been expanded since 1945 and cover more needs and larger areas.  Over time, the welfare program expanded to Mexico, South America, England, and the Pacific Islands.  Today the Church is experiencing new challenging in adapting the welfare program to meet the needs of the developing nations.

                    The basic welfare principles of self-reliance and industry are the same today as they were in 1936.  In fact, the Lord commanded Adam, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread" (Genesis 3:19).

                    The storehouse of the Church is in place to help widows and orphans as well as the poor (Doctrine and Covenants 83:6).  Welfare principles are helping members throughout the world as they practice them in their individual homes.  "The strength of the Church and the Lord's real storehouse is in the homes and hearts of his people" (Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles).

                    The welfare program's long-term objective continues to be fulfilled as members exercise their faith in Jesus Christ and develop their own self-reliance.  President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., counselor to President McKay, defined this objective as "the building of character in the members of the Church, givers and receivers, rescuing all that is finest down deep inside of them, and bringing to flower and fruitage the latent richness of the spirit, which after all is the mission and purpose and reason for being of this Church."

                    President Thomas S. Monson stated, "I declare that the welfare program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is inspired of Almighty God."

                    His counselor, President Henry B. Eyring noted the difficult times we are living in when he stated, "Great temporal needs of the children of Heavenly Father have come again in our time as they have and as they will in all times.  The principles at the foundation of the Church welfare program are not for only one time or one place.  They are for all times and all places."

                    When we participate in the welfare program of the Church, we are given the opportunity to lift others in need as we covenanted in the waters of baptism.  Silvia H. Allred stated, "Men and women of the Church participate jointly today in bringing relief to those in need….  When love becomes the guiding principle in our care for others, our service to them becomes the gospel in action.  It is the gospel in its finest moment.  It is pure religion."

                    There is a great difference between the welfare program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the entitlement programs of the state and federal governments.  The Church's program strives to help people to help themselves to become self-reliant whereas the government's programs simply invite more greed and feelings of entitlement.

                    Ideas and quotes are from an article by Heather Wrigley entitled "Celebrating 75 Years of Welfare," Ensign, May 2011, pp. 139-141.

Small Problems

Families are strengthened when members help each other in taking care of small matters. It has been my experience that problems never go away if we ignore them, but, if not taken care of properly, they can become gigantic problems.

My husband and I recently spent a few weeks away from our home and left our property under the care of our son, daughter and their spouses. I must say that I am very pleased with the overall care they give our home while I am away. While we were gone this time, a small matter was taken care of before it became a major problem. The water line leading from our water supply to the ice maker in the refrigerator began to leak. We have no idea when the leak began. All we know is that Jon checked the house on Thursday, and Rick checked the house on Friday. Neither of them noticed anything out of order. Jennifer and Rick came on Saturday evening, and she discovered the rug in front of the kitchen sink to be soaked with water. Rick stopped the leak, and then they cleaned up the water and washed and dried all the towels. Because someone was checking the house on a regular basis, the leak was discovered before it did any damage. A small problem stayed small because it was not ignored.

The same principle applies to the relationships within a family. Families are made up of individuals, none of whom are exactly the same and none of whom are perfect. All families experience problems of one kind or another as they travel through life together, but a willingness to talk about concerns and work together can bring solutions before problems grow larger.

I remember a time when I discovered that my middle school age daughter was piercing her own ears numerous times. I had already taken her to have her ears pierced once, but she apparently thought that she needed more holes. The problem seemed to be that she was feeling unaccepted in her peer group and wanted to fit in better. We had a long discussion about the problem and came up with a solution: I would take her shopping for new clothes, and she would take the extra earrings out of her ears. The problem was apparently solved because we had no more struggles over it. I must say that my daughter grew up into a beautiful young woman who is an example for good to all who know her and an exceptional mother to my grandchildren.

My mother-in-law was known as the peace maker among her siblings because her relationship with each brother and sister was good. Each of her siblings knew that she would listen to their problem and help them to the extent that she could, and she became like a second mother to her younger sister and brothers. There were problems among some of the other siblings, and these problems caused much tenseness in the family. Most of the problems had to do with someone saying something that somebody else didn't like. Instead of discussing the problem and finding a solution, both parties would carry a grudge toward the other person for months and sometimes years. I don't remember hearing of any serious problems, but I certainly heard about a lot of people taking offense by something someone else said. As a result of all these petty problems, siblings that dearly loved each other ceased to have good relationships with each other.

I feel frustrated and sometimes even upset because my children often make comments about one child or another being more favored or less loved than the others. I love all of my children dearly and have always tried to treat them as nearly equal as possible. None of my children are exactly alike, and all have required individual treatment. I tried the best I could to meet the needs of each child, but there were times when they didn't tell me their concerns or I didn't understand how something was affecting them. Better communication with each other might have brought more solutions before the problems grew. I am pleased that my children love me, want me to be a part of their lives, and trust me with their children. I am very pleased that they dearly love each other, enjoy being together and get along well. I am also pleased with the way they also love and care for each other's children as they do their own.

I remember an experience that happened when I was about four or five years old. I packed a few belongings and told my mother that I was going to run away from home because I was adopted and not loved. I was too young to understand that a family with twelve children had no need to adopt any of them. My mother couldn't help laughing a little before saying something similar to: "Isn't it amazing that my children who most feel adopted are the ones who look most alike?" We then discussed whatever it was that was troubling me, and I began to feel better. I thought past the point of leaving home: Where would I sleep? What would I eat? How would I stay warm? I decided that I was in a pretty good place and better stay home. My parents have both passed away long years ago, but my siblings are some of my best friends. We love to be together and help each other out whenever we can.

Some concerns are bigger and more serious than others, but family members build stronger relationships when they work together to find solutions for their problems before they become impossible to solve.