As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), we believe in reaching out to others in adversity. It is what we stand for, because we believe Christ in His admonishments to serve and love others as He did. And we join in joy with all those throughout the world who live in the same way, regardless of whether they are of our same faith or not.

Mormon HelpSay the word “disaster” and most anyone could name at least one huge one, just from the past three years alone! In many ways the disasters seem to be increasing. Some will say that increase is strictly due to increased awareness through internet and media; others will point to scriptures that prophecy of difficulties in the times leading up to Christ’s return upon this earth.

Ever seen the Mormon Helping Hands t-shirts that so many of these Mormon volunteers wear while helping in different ways? I have. In fact, my husband owns two of these shirts. He’s been called up many times to help hurricane victims in the southeast (it’s a common occurrence, since we live in the southeastern portion of the U.S.).

My husband has been on many trips to help hurricane survivors. It’s hard work, sawing at felled trees for hours to clear roads, etc. All for strangers! The hard-work is sweaty and the experience is never pretty, but he always comes back so full of emotion that it is hard for him to describe what he saw, felt, or even thought while working in the devastated areas.

What a gift it is to offer service during these times! Did you know that, for example, in the year 2005 the Mormon church responded to disasters in 67 countries! From the tsunami-struck regions on one side of the earth to Pakistanian earthquake victims, the Church was there in many ways. And yet it does so quietly, without media-seeking attention … for that is not the reason the Mormon church and its members serve as they do.

In fact, the Mormon church was in many of the Hurricane Katrina areas, helping with water, food, clothing, etc., within six hours of the hurricane passing! This wasn’t seen on the news, but for those who were helped, it felt heaven sent.

What a joy it has been for the Church to link up with many international agencies to provide this kind of aid. For example, according to the Deseret News, the Church in 2005 alone distributed 7.6 million pounds of food, 1.3 million pounds of medical supplies, and 2 million pounds of clothing (see this link for the information the Deseret News reported).

Why do we do this as Mormons? Because we believe in Jesus Christ and we desire to be like Him. He served. And so we do too.

About Cindy B

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