The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(5/21/99)
"No, the Lord doesn't really need us to take care of the poor, but we
need this experience; for it is only through our learning how to take
care of each other that we develop within us the Christlike love and
disposition necessary to qualify us to return to his presence." —
Marion G. Romney, "Living Welfare Principles", General Conference,
October 1981
(5/22/99)
"Good Samaritanism is contagious. Providing in the Lord's way humbles
the rich, it exalts the poor, and sanctifies both (see D&C
104:15-18). The giver helps those in need by sharing what he has
received. The receiver accepts the offering with gratitude. As the
receiver rises to his full potential, he then is able to reach out to
help others." — H. David Burton, "Go, and Do Thou Likewise", General
Conference, April 1997
(5/23/99)
"I commend most warmly those who with a compelling spirit of kindness
reach out to those in distress, regardless of whom they might be, to
help and assist, to feed and provide for, to nurture and to bless. As
these extend mercy, I am confident that the God of heaven will bless
them, and their posterity after them, with His Own mercy. I am
satisfied that these who impart so generously will not lack in their
own store, but that there will be food on their tables and a roof over
their heads. One cannot be merciful to others without receiving a
harvest of mercy in return." — Gordon B. Hinckley, "Blessed Are The
Merciful", General Conference, April 1990
(5/24/99)
"Always be willing, even anxious, to help others. Nothing else you do
will give you the same genuine satisfaction and joy within because,
and I quote, 'when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are
only in the service of your God' (Mosiah 2:17). Ignoring the needs of
others is a serious sin." — Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Running Your
Marathon", General Conference, October 1989
(5/25/99)
"Without self-reliance one cannot exercise these innate desires to
serve. How can we give if there is nothing there? Food for the hungry
cannot come from empty shelves. Money to assist the needy cannot come
from an empty purse." — Marion G. Romney, "The Celestial Nature Of
Self-Reliance", General Conference, October 1982
11/24/09
“More
than ever before, we need to learn and apply the principles of
economic self-reliance. We do not know when the crisis involving
sickness or unemployment may affect our own circumstances. We do
know that the Lord has decreed global calamities for the future
and has warned and forewarned us to be prepared. For this reason
the Brethren have repeatedly stressed a ‘back to basics’ program
for temporal and spiritual welfare.” - Ezra
Taft Benson, “Prepare for the Days of Tribulation,” Ensign (CR),
November 1980, p. 32
1/31/12
Therefore, at
this time of economic difficulty, let us rejoice in the fact that we
have the restored gospel which gives perspective to the ups and downs in
life. Let troubled times serve as a catalyst for introspection and soul
searching—followed by increased spirituality. We need to be more
sensitive to those around us who may be affected more than ourselves and
help each other through this valley. As a people, we should rise to the
challenge and grow from it. We need to proceed with optimism and not
fall victim to the debilitating effects of negative, doomsday attitudes.
- J. Thomas Fyans, "Employment
Challenges in the 1980s," Ensign (CR) April 1982
11/18/14
In what would be the most
startling moment of His early ministry, Jesus stood up in His home
synagogue in Nazareth and read these words prophesied by Isaiah and
recorded in the Gospel of Luke: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he
hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the
captives, and … set at liberty them that are bruised.”
Thus the Savior made the first public announcement of His messianic
ministry. But this verse also made clear that on the way to His
ultimate atoning sacrifice and Resurrection, Jesus’s first and
foremost messianic duty would be to bless the poor, including the
poor in spirit. - Jeffrey R.
Holland, “Are
We Not All Beggars?” Ensign (CR) October 2014