Gospel Basics

Caring for Those in Need

He Healed Many of Diverse Diseases, by J. Kirk Richards, may not be copied

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we follow the Lord’s teaching to care for those in need. We care for others by serving them, helping them become self-reliant, and sharing what we have.

Jesus Christ’s Example

Jesus Christ loved, comforted, and prayed for those around Him. He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). We can follow His example by loving, comforting, serving, and praying for those around us. We can always be looking for ways to help others.

Ministering

The word ministering is used in the scriptures and in the Lord’s Church to describe how we care for each other. Priesthood holders are assigned as ministering brothers to each individual or family in the ward or branch. Ministering sisters are assigned to each adult woman. Ministering brothers and sisters ensure that all Church members are remembered and cared for.

Helping Others Become Self-Reliant

We can help family members and friends become self-reliant by encouraging them to find long-term solutions to their problems. We can then support them as they work on their goals. Find more information about self-reliance in the August 2023 Liahona Gospel Basics article.

Serving Others

There are many ways we can serve those around us and help meet their temporal, spiritual, and emotional needs. Learning about others can help us know how we can serve them better. We can also pray for guidance to know what we can do to help.

Sharing What We Have

We can serve others by sharing what God has blessed us with. For example, we can give generous fast offerings or donate to the Church’s Humanitarian Aid fund. We can also serve in our community and our Church callings.

Church Leaders’ Duties

The bishop oversees caring for those in need in his ward. He can use money from fast offerings to help members with needs. Other leaders, including his counselors and the Relief Society and elders quorum presidencies, help members find resources they can use to meet their needs.

Church Humanitarian Efforts

The Church helps people all over the world with emergency response, community projects, and other programs such as clean water and immunizations. To learn more, see Dallin H. Oaks, “Helping the Poor and Distressed,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 6–8.

From the Scriptures

“God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

We teach our children to serve those in need (see Mosiah 4:15–16).

We comfort others and help them bear their burdens (see Mosiah 18:8–9).

Words to Remember

Calling: a specific responsibility to serve in the Church. Church leaders seek inspiration to know whom the Lord would have them call.

Fast offerings: money we give to the Church when we fast, at least equal to the amount we would have spent on meals during the fast.

Self-reliant: being able to care for the needs of ourselves and our families.

Find Out More

If you have questions about caring for those in need, you can talk to your ministering brothers or sisters, your ward or branch leaders, or the missionaries. You can also find general conference talks on this topic and other resources in the Gospel Library (at ChurchofJesusChrist.org or in the mobile app).