LDS Church Responding to the Needs of the Homeless

LDS statement outlines efforts to help the homeless.

Utah’s present crisis involving homelessness has been the topic of discussion among civic groups, business entities, and governments. These entities and groups have been discussing and debating over the issue for quite some time.

LDS Church Responding to the Needs of the Homeless[/tweetthis]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the state’s most significant organization, had avoided speaking about the problem. However, that changed last Thursday, after they released an official statement.

The statement, released by the First Presidency, discusses various factors that lead to homelessness, from poverty to substance abuse. The Church says it is the responsibility of state members and residents to respond to the situation, and that “our response to those in need defines us as individuals and communities.”

The latest efforts to locate new sites for the construction of homeless centers has been the topic of a heated debate, as many neighborhoods seem to be reluctant to offer up any room. This has led to several conflict-ridden meetings.

In many cases, the government officials have had to face scathing insults. In fact, there had also been an incident where a homeless man had been booed by angered members of a certain neighborhood.

The church has now joined the cause to help the homeless and has also spoken of its planned strategies.

In the statement, the church referred to homelessness as a problem that affects families and individuals all over the world, not just in Utah. The church made it clear that it felt a Christ-like responsibility towards solving the problem and that it had made several efforts in this regard for years.

The church included details about its efforts towards serving the homeless such as donating $42 million worth of commodities and money to eight community religious organizations in Salt Lake City that help the homeless.

Other than that, the church also spoke of the food reserves it provided on a monthly basis and the services it offered such as job placements, employment training, and counseling.

There has even been a mention of the church selling one of its old stores to the state as a prospective homeless resource center.

The church used the statement to thank the various members for assisting them in these efforts.

The First Presidency, which authorized the statement includes Herny B. Eyring, Dieter F. Uchtdort, and President Thomas S. Monson.

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