“Caring for Those in Need and Building Self-Reliance,” General Conference Leadership Meeting—October 2024 (2024)
General Conference Leadership Meeting—October 2024
Caring for Those in Need and Building Self-Reliance
Instruction from Bishop W. Christopher Waddell and Sister J. Anette Dennis
We can learn from Jesus’s example about the importance of caring for those in need.
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When the disciples of John asked Jesus for a confirmation that He was the Messiah, rather than answer directly, the Savior responded: “Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear … and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”
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Of all the evidence Christ could have cited to manifest His divinity, it is noteworthy that He chose to point out His many instances of ministering to those with temporal needs.
We have a responsibility as members of the Church and as an institution to care for those in need.
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President Russell M. Nelson has taught: “Few, if any, of the Lord’s instructions are stated more often, or given greater emphasis, than the commandment to care for the poor and the needy.”
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Bishops, Relief Society presidents, and elders quorum presidents work together to ensure that no member of their ward lacks the necessities of life.
New teaching materials are being developed to help us care for others so we can follow the Savior’s example.
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In the Lord’s Way: Caring for Members Who Have Temporal or Emotional Needs will provide examples of how to effectively carry out welfare and self-reliance efforts and help leaders fulfill the Savior’s charge to do “the works which ye have seen me do” (see 3 Nephi 27:21). This should supplement chapter 22 in the General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.