Idaho faith: Serving and helping others is always in need, and it is service to God

At the October conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Dallin H. Oaks spoke on the role of service in the church, and the importance of cooperating with others in reaching out to the poor and distressed.

He began by summarizing a recent report on the humanitarian expenditures and service worldwide by the church in 2021. The dollar amount was significant, as were the more than 6 million hours of volunteer labor in service projects.

That report, he noted, did not include individual service to other church members, or the volunteer efforts of members engaged with other charitable organizations around the world.

Despite the service given, President Oaks pointed out, there is far greater need than can be provided by any one organization. “Most humanitarian service to the children of God worldwide is carried out by persons and organizations having no formal connection with our church” or to one another. They are united by a desire to serve.

Giving to those in need is a principle in all Abrahamic religions, and in others as well. A commitment to serving those in need also requires a commitment to cooperating with others.

Historically the church’s key collaborators have been the Red Cross and Red Crescent agencies, as well as Catholic Relief Services. The church has also partnered with numerous other agencies, such as Muslim Aid, Water for People and IsraAID, each with their own areas of expertise and a shared goal of relieving suffering.

Working together takes advantage of different strengths and knowledge to achieve better, and often quicker, results.

Quoting King Benjamin, President Oaks reminded, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” (Mosiah 2:17)

He then recounted numerous examples of humanitarian service throughout the world initiated by individuals: Ten years ago, the Kandharis, a Sikh couple in the United Arab Emirates, launched an effort to feed the hungry. Through a local Sikh temple they serve over 30,000 vegetarian meals each weekend to anyone who walks through the door.

A Syrian-American physician in Chicago organized MedGlobal, which organizes medical professionals to volunteer to assist people in crises — in areas of conflict, for example. There are similar organizations, some of which arrange short-term opportunities for medical professionals to travel to other countries to provide care to the poor.

Others have established schools for children displaced by conflict or others whose circumstances make obtaining education very difficult. Among those is Vincent Kituku, one of my fellow Statesman religion columnists, and a native of Kenya. Concerned by their lack of access to education, he founded the Caring Hearts High School for underprivileged girls in Kenya.

In each case, a need was identified and someone acted. We can’t all do that, but we can look around us for opportunities to serve.

Last Tuesday was Giving Tuesday — it follows Thanksgiving every year to provide an opportunity to support local and statewide charities. Nationwide, charities receive more than one-third of their funding between Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you missed the opportunity to contribute, do it now — it is always welcome.

Whether it is a one-time service, or a weekly or monthly commitment, opportunities abound. Local churches have outreach programs, and the media often identify agencies or events needing volunteers. You can download JustServe onto your phone and find hundreds of opportunities to serve in your community — scroll through the listings and there will be one that is just right for you.