Seventy-Five Years of Living Providently

June 2011

“Seventy-Five Years of Living Providently,” Ensign, June 2011, 84

Seventy-Five Years of Living Providently

Although the Church welfare plan was not yet formalized, the early Saints recognized the importance of living a self-reliant life, caring for the poor and needy, and serving others. The Prophet Joseph Smith stated, “A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.”¹

Not long after the Church was established, small bishops’ storehouses and tithing offices were erected to help the needy. Joseph Smith instituted the gathering of fast offerings in Kirtland, Ohio, during the 1830s.² The principle of tithing was also introduced during this period (see D&C 119). Tithing and fast offerings were paid in the form of labor, produce, and other commodities. Bishops and branch presidents oversaw the distribution of these resources as they do today.³

Many of the early Saints struggled to support themselves. To combat idleness, Church leaders and members united to find ways to create sustainable livelihoods. Some found work constructing Church buildings and completing public works projects. Others farmed and sold goods to provide for themselves and their families. As they labored together, the Saints were blessed with enough to meet their needs.

While the challenges of our time are different, Latter-day Saints continue to provide for themselves and care for the poor and needy by following the teachings of the Savior and the example set by previous generations.

Information in this time line comes from the following sources, unless otherwise noted: Susan Clayton Rather, Supporting the Rescue of All That Is Finest (2005); Glen L. Rudd, Key Moments in Church Welfare Services (2008); Glen L. Rudd, Important Events for Historical Church Welfare (1999); Glen L. Rudd, A Brief History of the Church Employment Program (1998); Glen L. Rudd, Pure Religion (1995).

1936

April 6: President Heber J. Grant and his counselors announce the Church security plan in general conference.
October: The Church forms the General Welfare Committee.

1937

The Church establishes the first Bishops’ Central Storehouse, in Salt Lake City.

1938

Welfare Square property is purchased in Salt Lake City, and construction begins.
April: Church security plan is renamed Church welfare plan.
August 12: The Church opens its first Deseret Industries thrift store, in Salt Lake City.

1939

The first storehouse and cannery at Welfare Square begin operation.

1940

August 27: President David O. McKay dedicates the Welfare Square grain elevator. Church members donated over 70,000 hours of labor to build it.

1941

April 20: Original Welfare Square milk-processing plant begins operation.

1948

March 1: The Church opens a regional employment office in Salt Lake City.

1960

March: New Welfare Square milk-processing plant is completed.

1963

Pasta manufacturing plant and new Welfare Square cannery begin operation.

1973

The Church creates LDS Social Services to help families.

1976

Welfare facilities are expanded throughout the United States and Canada.
March 29: New Welfare Square bishops’ storehouse is completed.

1978

The Church forms the Emergency Response Committee to help millions of people around the world affected by disasters.

1980s

First employment centers outside the United States are established, in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

1981

The Church builds a Deseret Industries thrift store at Welfare Square.

1982

September 10: U.S. president Ronald Reagan visits welfare facilities in Ogden, Utah.

1983

The Presiding Bishopric is designated to direct the welfare program.

1985

Church Humanitarian Services program begins.

1990s

The Church uses its Humanitarian Service Center to sort surplus clothing and other goods for shipment throughout the world in response to poverty and disasters.

1996

The Church establishes Latter-day Saint Charities as a nongovernmental organization to facilitate humanitarian activities in select countries.¹
Welfare Services builds its first bishops’ storehouses and home storage centers outside the United States, in Mexico.
Renovation of Welfare Square begins.

1997

LDS Social Services makes a record number of adoption placements in one year with 629—the highest number the agency achieved in the 20th century.²

1999

March: Welfare Services begins a major employment initiative to establish up to 50 new employment resource centers throughout the world.
LDS Social Services is renamed LDS Family Services, and programs are expanded.

2001

A new career workshop is introduced at employment resource centers. Self-employment workshop materials are introduced a year later.
September 5: Following the completion of the renovation of Welfare Square, a rededication ceremony is held.

2003

January 25: The Provident Living website is launched, providentliving.org.
A major proposal is approved to increase the number of bishops’ storehouses throughout the world.
The Church begins four major humanitarian initiatives: neonatal resuscitation training, clean water, wheelchair distribution, and vision treatment.

2009

June: A new adoption website is launched, ItsAboutLove.org.³

2010

April: A new employment website is launched, LDSjobs.org, currently available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Food production is added to humanitarian initiatives.

Left, top: Dutch Saints harvest and load potatoes for German Saints in 1947. Above: Food-production training in Ecuador has helped members grow more productive gardens.

The Saints in California’s Central Valley provide the labor for a Church-owned vineyard in Madera, California, USA. The vineyard produces hundreds of tons of raisins to be used by the poor throughout the world.

Above, from left: photographs by Cornelius Zappey, courtesy of Church History Archives; Howard Collett; and Peter Evans