Liahona
Handbook Highlight
September 2024

Handbook Highlight

Principles for Providing Church Assistance

  • Encourage personal and family responsibility.

  • Provide temporary assistance for essential needs.

  • Provide resources or services rather than cash.

  • Offer work or service opportunities.

  • Keep information about Church assistance confidential.

22.4.1 Encourage Personal and Family Responsibility

Leaders teach that individuals and families have the primary responsibility for their own temporal, emotional, and spiritual well-being. By living principles of self-reliance, members will be better able to solve future needs on their own (see 22.1).

Before providing Church assistance, the bishop (or another leader or member he assigns) reviews with members what resources they are using to meet their own needs. This person may suggest other resources for the members to consider, including resources in the government or community (see 22.12).

See General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 22.4, Gospel Library

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