Welfare: The power of cooperation
By Michael De Groote
Mormon Times
Published: 2009-06-08 00:22:27
Last in a four-part series on church welfare.
On the west wall of Dennis R. Lifferth's office is a large black-and-white photograph of a horse pulling a load. Copies of the photograph are in many offices at the welfare department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Because it underscores the principle of work so clearly: Focused. Straining. Effort," Lifferth said.
In the lower right corner of Lifferth's copy there is another photograph stuck in the frame. It is a small photo of two horses pulling a load together. They symbolize another principle for him: cooperation.
Two horses pulling together can pull more than two single horses pulling separately, Lifferth said. "This principle of cooperation, working together in families or working together in communities or nations is critical to the success of caring for the poor and the needy," he said.
This famous photograph, "Hard Labour," by Nelson Stedman is popular in the LDS Church's welfare department to illustrate the importance of work.
Lifferth is managing director of welfare services for the LDS Church. For him, self-reliance is a goal, but not one that stands in the way of people in immediate need.
"Some people are not able to help themselves. After a hurricane, people just need support and help ... a large part of our work is to help relieve suffering by simply providing charitable support," Lifferth said. "I think work is very, very important, but it will take more than work to accomplish what needs to be done."
In the Salt Lake area, Lifferth said, the church extends a helping hand to everybody. It works with other faith-based organizations, churches and agencies in providing thousands of dollars worth of assistance. The same thing happens internationally as the church works with Islamic Relief, Catholic Relief, World Vision and a number of other agencies.
For example, Lifferth spoke about the LDS Church's relationship with Catholic Community Services, "We work with them hand-in-hand. We are just so grateful for their outreach to those that are struggling -- refugees, the homeless. And so a lot of the work that is done by those in charitable institutions is to relieve suffering."
The LDS Church's ability to work broadly in relieving suffering wasn't always at the level it is today, according to Lifferth.
"Years ago there was a time when we barely had enough resources, barely enough productive capacity, to care for our own," Lifferth said, "but over the years this productive capacity has been expanded and increased."
The growth of the church's welfare program has been a process, according to Lifferth. The foundation was built during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Now the LDS Church has the strength to not only care for its own, but for many others.
There are two major ways Mormons contribute funds for helping others. One is the fast-offering fund and the other is the humanitarian fund.
People are often amazed, according to Lifferth, at the church's principle of fasting and the fast offering. "When we explain that every month members will go without two meals and take that amount of money plus more and donate that for the poor and the needy -- the world is surprised and they think it is such a wonderful principle. And the fact is that if the world would do this, we would be able to take care of the poor and needy of the world."
Members may also contribute to the humanitarian fund, according to Lifferth. The fast-offering fund is used for members of the LDS Church. The humanitarian fund is used for those who aren't members of the church.
"As the economy has turned down, it has been rewarding to watch these two funds and the fact that they continue to increase because of the empathy and the compassion and the kindness of those who want to care for those in need," Lifferth said.
The majority of the humanitarian fund comes from small contributions, according to Lifferth. "It's not the huge donations, which are always welcome, but it's the many people, each paying a small amount that adds up to a wonderful blessing to so many."
Lifferth said both funds, fast offering and humanitarian, have increased to the point where "there is sufficient to take care of many people."
"And, honestly ... where the demand is increasing so rapidly for assistance, I am grateful for two things: First of all, that the welfare system has the productive capacity to meet this increase in need -- not only for members of the church, but for others who are also struggling. And second of all, I'm grateful for the willingness of members to contribute so freely, both of their time and their means to make this possible."
All it takes is cooperation.
________________________________________
E-mail: mdegroote@desnews.com
MormonTimes.com is produced by the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Copyright © 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company
Monday, June 8, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Welfare: Finding employment (3 of 4)
Welfare: Finding employment
By Michael De Groote
Mormon Times
Published: 2009-06-01 00:22:00
Third in a four-part series on church welfare.
�We all want to be able to take care of ourselves and our families,� Dennis R. Lifferth, managing director of welfare services for the LDS Church, said in a recent interview. �Unemployment strikes at the very heart of our self-confidence. The longer we are unemployed, the harder it hits.�
Lifferth said it was fortunate that the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have encouraged members to have food storage to help weather financial storms. He told about what he called �four supporting pillars� to help those who are unemployed:
1. Faith
We need to have faith to find new employment. �Faith in ourselves that we can overcome, and that through hard work that we will soon find a job. Faith in others. And faith in the Lord, that he will sustain us and bless us,� Lifferth said. �Of all, he wants his children to be happy.�
2. Families and Friends
We need to rely upon our family and friends, Lifferth said, �to help us and sustain us and give us the support we need during these difficult times.�
3. Quorums and Ward Leaders and Relief Society
�I�m pleased as I watch the quorums of our wards go the extra mile. They are proactive and are helping by first, identifying those who are out of work and second, finding jobs for them,� Lifferth said. �(They) give them the encouragement and the support they need to get back on their feet.�
4. LDS Employment Centers
�The volunteers and staff of these centers, when they are not in the offices, they are out looking for jobs -- knocking on doors, trying to find ways to help,� Lifferth said.
Lifferth also recommends that an unemployed person thinks about the task of looking for work as if it is a full time job. �You have to work very, very hard,� he said. �And too often they�ll get discouraged and just stay home.�
When the interviews come, Lifferth recommends remembering the good things about former employers and being positive.
Reflecting on strengths and thinking about just who they are is another important element in finding a new job, Lifferth said. An unemployed person needs to decide what it is they want to accomplish, develop a plan and decide the kind of work they want to find.
�It is important that they remain positive and hopeful � knowing that they will find employment,� Lifferth said.
Lifferth told about how his grandfather found a job during the Depression. His grandfather had just immigrated to Salt Lake City. He was unemployed and knew nobody. �The support he received from both members of the church and the community was just incredible. He writes in his journal of all the people who helped him. It would have been impossible for him to start on his own. It required some kind of supporting help from those around him.�
And it still does.
Next week: The power of cooperation
E-MAIL: mdegroote@desnews.com
MormonTimes.com is produced by the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Copyright © 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company
By Michael De Groote
Mormon Times
Published: 2009-06-01 00:22:00
Third in a four-part series on church welfare.
�We all want to be able to take care of ourselves and our families,� Dennis R. Lifferth, managing director of welfare services for the LDS Church, said in a recent interview. �Unemployment strikes at the very heart of our self-confidence. The longer we are unemployed, the harder it hits.�
Lifferth said it was fortunate that the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have encouraged members to have food storage to help weather financial storms. He told about what he called �four supporting pillars� to help those who are unemployed:
1. Faith
We need to have faith to find new employment. �Faith in ourselves that we can overcome, and that through hard work that we will soon find a job. Faith in others. And faith in the Lord, that he will sustain us and bless us,� Lifferth said. �Of all, he wants his children to be happy.�
2. Families and Friends
We need to rely upon our family and friends, Lifferth said, �to help us and sustain us and give us the support we need during these difficult times.�
3. Quorums and Ward Leaders and Relief Society
�I�m pleased as I watch the quorums of our wards go the extra mile. They are proactive and are helping by first, identifying those who are out of work and second, finding jobs for them,� Lifferth said. �(They) give them the encouragement and the support they need to get back on their feet.�
4. LDS Employment Centers
�The volunteers and staff of these centers, when they are not in the offices, they are out looking for jobs -- knocking on doors, trying to find ways to help,� Lifferth said.
Lifferth also recommends that an unemployed person thinks about the task of looking for work as if it is a full time job. �You have to work very, very hard,� he said. �And too often they�ll get discouraged and just stay home.�
When the interviews come, Lifferth recommends remembering the good things about former employers and being positive.
Reflecting on strengths and thinking about just who they are is another important element in finding a new job, Lifferth said. An unemployed person needs to decide what it is they want to accomplish, develop a plan and decide the kind of work they want to find.
�It is important that they remain positive and hopeful � knowing that they will find employment,� Lifferth said.
Lifferth told about how his grandfather found a job during the Depression. His grandfather had just immigrated to Salt Lake City. He was unemployed and knew nobody. �The support he received from both members of the church and the community was just incredible. He writes in his journal of all the people who helped him. It would have been impossible for him to start on his own. It required some kind of supporting help from those around him.�
And it still does.
Next week: The power of cooperation
E-MAIL: mdegroote@desnews.com
MormonTimes.com is produced by the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Copyright © 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap-
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- THANKS KAREN M!
Front or top load machine-
4 Cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax
- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
(about .03 cents per load)
Powdered Laundry Detergent- Top load machine
(this is the same amount of ingredients as the recipe above but only makes enough for 40 loads - it is easier to store but not as cost effective as the liquid)
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax
-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)
(about .10 cents per load)
Front or top load machine-
4 Cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax
- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
(about .03 cents per load)
Powdered Laundry Detergent- Top load machine
(this is the same amount of ingredients as the recipe above but only makes enough for 40 loads - it is easier to store but not as cost effective as the liquid)
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax
-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)
(about .10 cents per load)
'Hard times' can forge faith
Pictures can be seen at the Church's web site, follow the link in the title of this article
Church News
'Hard times' can forge faith
By Jason Swensen
Church News staff writer
Published: Saturday, May 30, 2009
Stanley Steadman remembers a day decades ago when he knelt in family prayer with his parents and brothers. Such entreaties doubled as daily lifesavers for the Steadmans, who — likes tens of thousands of other families — were enduring the frigid days of the Great Depression.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Daniel and Enid Faust of Taylorsville, Utah, were children during the Great Depression. Despite the economic hardships of the time, members such as the Fausts found spiritual support through faith, prayer and looking out for one another. Such support can be found amid today's economic struggles.
Jeffrey D. Allred
Elder Glen L. Rudd stands outside the Welfare Square silo in Salt Lake City. Elder Rudd is a lifelong witness of the blessings found in the Church's welfare program.
Midway through that prayer, a plaster light fixture broke loose from the living room ceiling, fell to the ground and shattered. Shaken by the unnerving crash, Stanley's brother looked up from his prayer and asked his parents if he should continue.
Yes, they said. Keep praying.
That event seems an apt symbol of the faithful members of that time. Despite the terrible economic crash that occurred as suddenly as that falling light fixture, devout LDS families kept focused on God and endured, day-to-day.
Deseret News Archives
President George Albert Smith, right, Elder Marion G. Romney, left, Elder Harold B. Lee, back left, and Stewart B. Eccles inspect bishops' storehouse in 1946.
For more than a year, a severe global 21st century economic recession has left many shaken and troubled. Comparisons to the U.S. Great Depression that began in 1929 and stretched through an entire decade have become common fodder for news stories. So as financial analysts eye the volatile markets and uncertain job outlooks, Church members once again look for divine comfort and spiritual supplication.
For most, the Great Depression is an unsettling chapter from the history books. But for a small percentage of "veteran" members such as Brother Steadman, those tough times exist in easily conjured memories. Many say the spiritual support that sustained members during the Depression remains available to rank-and-file members today. The lessons they learned then can help others today.
Elder Glen L. Rudd, an emeritus Seventy, knows the story of the Church and the Great Depression perhaps as well as anyone alive. As a young man, he watched desperate workers in his father's poultry business sit down to a lunchpail meal of potato peels. As a priesthood and Church welfare leader, he remembers a time in the Salt Lake Valley in the early 1930s when more than half of the wage earners in the Church were unemployed, including many local priesthood leaders.
"Unemployment destroys a man," Elder Rudd told the Church News. "It tears your guts out if you can't buy food for your own family."
During the Great Depression, the Church inoculated unemployed members from the "curse of idleness" by developing a welfare system anchored in priesthood solutions. Working under the direction of general Church leadership, stake presidents and bishops dispatched unemployed men to work in nearby fields to harvest crops. The produce from those harvests was then shipped to local Church storehouses and canneries to be distributed to hungry members. By staying busy and eschewing idleness, unemployed workers re-discovered their dignity, he said. They felt ownership in providing for their families.
Deseret News Archives
Welfare workers enlisted horse-drawn wagons and plenty of muscle to harvest sugar beets.
The curse of idleness exists today — and members who find themselves without a job may be especially vulnerable. Elder Rudd said men and women overcame the burdens of the Great Depression and remained spiritually strong by staying busy, following the counsel of their priesthood leaders and by never, never giving up.
"All great [men and women] have the ability to keep fighting, to keep plugging away," said Elder Rudd, who will soon mark his 91st birthday and is, yes, still working.
Daniel and Enid Faust are self-described "Depression Babies" who said today's members can realize the caring spirit that defined LDS families and units during the Great Depression.
"Hard times will prove us as a faith," said Brother Faust, who was raised in a Depression-era family that included his late brother, President James E. Faust of the First Presidency.
Deseret News Archives
A team of priesthood holders cuts wood at a work project in the Salt Lake Granite Stake wood yard in 1931.
The Fausts said diligent members remained focused on the dependable force of family and the gospel during the Depression years of frightening instability. Neighbors and fellow ward members looked out for one another. Folks often didn't have the money to be out and about, so they passed their time at home with family. It sounds restrictive, but many were offered a moment of Zion as they found strength through a unified gospel community.
"People were happy," Brother Faust said. "We didn't have much for Christmas, but you had your family. We had family home evening and made music together. One person would play the piano and another would play the violin."
Brother Steadman said his Taylorsville, Utah, community endured tough times by finding joy in simple, spiritual endeavors. "The Church was the key that held it together. It provided spiritual and temporal activities."
The Steadmans were also a musical family. So the brothers were often called upon to perform at ward reunions and parties. Sometimes someone would pass around a hat to reward the boys for their efforts. Brother Steadman's cut was once 40 cents. "That was real money," he said with a smile.
Still, those community activities provided rich respite from the frigid circumstances found outside the warmth of the Taylorsville Ward chapel.
Elder Rudd said the need to care for one another continues today. Some economists may not be labeling the current financial crisis a "depression" — but the sting is felt just the same when an individual is out of work or facing money woes.
"If there are 10 people in a ward out of work, that is just as real as 1,000 out of work people in a community," he added.
Ultimately, Brother Faust said, Church members survived the Great Depression by involving the Lord in their lives. It's a tactic that still works.
"If you have a testimony and you believe in God, you will find out He will help you."
© 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company
Church News
'Hard times' can forge faith
By Jason Swensen
Church News staff writer
Published: Saturday, May 30, 2009
Stanley Steadman remembers a day decades ago when he knelt in family prayer with his parents and brothers. Such entreaties doubled as daily lifesavers for the Steadmans, who — likes tens of thousands of other families — were enduring the frigid days of the Great Depression.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Daniel and Enid Faust of Taylorsville, Utah, were children during the Great Depression. Despite the economic hardships of the time, members such as the Fausts found spiritual support through faith, prayer and looking out for one another. Such support can be found amid today's economic struggles.
Jeffrey D. Allred
Elder Glen L. Rudd stands outside the Welfare Square silo in Salt Lake City. Elder Rudd is a lifelong witness of the blessings found in the Church's welfare program.
Midway through that prayer, a plaster light fixture broke loose from the living room ceiling, fell to the ground and shattered. Shaken by the unnerving crash, Stanley's brother looked up from his prayer and asked his parents if he should continue.
Yes, they said. Keep praying.
That event seems an apt symbol of the faithful members of that time. Despite the terrible economic crash that occurred as suddenly as that falling light fixture, devout LDS families kept focused on God and endured, day-to-day.
Deseret News Archives
President George Albert Smith, right, Elder Marion G. Romney, left, Elder Harold B. Lee, back left, and Stewart B. Eccles inspect bishops' storehouse in 1946.
For more than a year, a severe global 21st century economic recession has left many shaken and troubled. Comparisons to the U.S. Great Depression that began in 1929 and stretched through an entire decade have become common fodder for news stories. So as financial analysts eye the volatile markets and uncertain job outlooks, Church members once again look for divine comfort and spiritual supplication.
For most, the Great Depression is an unsettling chapter from the history books. But for a small percentage of "veteran" members such as Brother Steadman, those tough times exist in easily conjured memories. Many say the spiritual support that sustained members during the Depression remains available to rank-and-file members today. The lessons they learned then can help others today.
Elder Glen L. Rudd, an emeritus Seventy, knows the story of the Church and the Great Depression perhaps as well as anyone alive. As a young man, he watched desperate workers in his father's poultry business sit down to a lunchpail meal of potato peels. As a priesthood and Church welfare leader, he remembers a time in the Salt Lake Valley in the early 1930s when more than half of the wage earners in the Church were unemployed, including many local priesthood leaders.
"Unemployment destroys a man," Elder Rudd told the Church News. "It tears your guts out if you can't buy food for your own family."
During the Great Depression, the Church inoculated unemployed members from the "curse of idleness" by developing a welfare system anchored in priesthood solutions. Working under the direction of general Church leadership, stake presidents and bishops dispatched unemployed men to work in nearby fields to harvest crops. The produce from those harvests was then shipped to local Church storehouses and canneries to be distributed to hungry members. By staying busy and eschewing idleness, unemployed workers re-discovered their dignity, he said. They felt ownership in providing for their families.
Deseret News Archives
Welfare workers enlisted horse-drawn wagons and plenty of muscle to harvest sugar beets.
The curse of idleness exists today — and members who find themselves without a job may be especially vulnerable. Elder Rudd said men and women overcame the burdens of the Great Depression and remained spiritually strong by staying busy, following the counsel of their priesthood leaders and by never, never giving up.
"All great [men and women] have the ability to keep fighting, to keep plugging away," said Elder Rudd, who will soon mark his 91st birthday and is, yes, still working.
Daniel and Enid Faust are self-described "Depression Babies" who said today's members can realize the caring spirit that defined LDS families and units during the Great Depression.
"Hard times will prove us as a faith," said Brother Faust, who was raised in a Depression-era family that included his late brother, President James E. Faust of the First Presidency.
Deseret News Archives
A team of priesthood holders cuts wood at a work project in the Salt Lake Granite Stake wood yard in 1931.
The Fausts said diligent members remained focused on the dependable force of family and the gospel during the Depression years of frightening instability. Neighbors and fellow ward members looked out for one another. Folks often didn't have the money to be out and about, so they passed their time at home with family. It sounds restrictive, but many were offered a moment of Zion as they found strength through a unified gospel community.
"People were happy," Brother Faust said. "We didn't have much for Christmas, but you had your family. We had family home evening and made music together. One person would play the piano and another would play the violin."
Brother Steadman said his Taylorsville, Utah, community endured tough times by finding joy in simple, spiritual endeavors. "The Church was the key that held it together. It provided spiritual and temporal activities."
The Steadmans were also a musical family. So the brothers were often called upon to perform at ward reunions and parties. Sometimes someone would pass around a hat to reward the boys for their efforts. Brother Steadman's cut was once 40 cents. "That was real money," he said with a smile.
Still, those community activities provided rich respite from the frigid circumstances found outside the warmth of the Taylorsville Ward chapel.
Elder Rudd said the need to care for one another continues today. Some economists may not be labeling the current financial crisis a "depression" — but the sting is felt just the same when an individual is out of work or facing money woes.
"If there are 10 people in a ward out of work, that is just as real as 1,000 out of work people in a community," he added.
Ultimately, Brother Faust said, Church members survived the Great Depression by involving the Lord in their lives. It's a tactic that still works.
"If you have a testimony and you believe in God, you will find out He will help you."
© 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company
Monday, May 25, 2009
Welfare: Self-reliance isn't selfish (2 of 4)
Welfare: Self-reliance isn't selfish
By Michael De Groote
Mormon Times
Published: 2009-05-25 00:22:03
Second in a four-part series on church welfare.
Being self-reliant isn't just about taking care of yourself. According to Dennis R. Lifferth, managing director of welfare services for the LDS Church, it's the first step to helping others.
"The last thing we want to convey is that this is a self-serving principle," Lifferth said. "It's not. It is an outward serving principle. We become self-reliant so we can take care of ourselves, our family and others. That is the purpose and the reason.
"We want people to have the ability and the willingness to set their own course and solve their own problems. And once they are self-reliant, they are more able, better able, to care for others -- those who are in need. And this is all done under the inspiration of the Lord, helping them, guiding them."
Self-reliance is not exclusively Mormon. Lifferth has seen this principle -- helping people help themselves -- at the center of almost every institution and humanitarian organization.
"Most agencies will have two or three objectives," he said. "And the first will be to relieve suffering for those that simply need support to sustain life. But the more lasting purpose is to help people help themselves."
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has an organization that makes it easier to become self-reliant, according to Lifferth. It includes families, quorums, bishops and other entities that help not just in the short term, but for the long run.
Being self-reliant means that people set their own course and solve their own problems. Once they do this, they can help others get on their feet.
"The first thing we should remember," Lifferth said, "in addition to following the words of the prophet, is to pay our tithing and our offerings with the faith that Heavenly Father will inspire us and bless us in our efforts to care for our families and to care for others."
To truly be a servant to others, Lifferth said we must have some discretionary time and the ability to serve others. This means we have a responsibility to be educated, have our own food storage, put our financial affairs in order and be employed.
Self-reliance consists of many dimensions, according to Lifferth. They include education, health, spiritual strength, finances and home storage.
"But the one that is the most striking is unemployment -- which is facing a lot of wards throughout the world, especially here in the United States," he said. "And so, of all of our needs, we are placing a great focus on this question of employment."
By Michael De Groote
Mormon Times
Published: 2009-05-25 00:22:03
Second in a four-part series on church welfare.
Being self-reliant isn't just about taking care of yourself. According to Dennis R. Lifferth, managing director of welfare services for the LDS Church, it's the first step to helping others.
"The last thing we want to convey is that this is a self-serving principle," Lifferth said. "It's not. It is an outward serving principle. We become self-reliant so we can take care of ourselves, our family and others. That is the purpose and the reason.
"We want people to have the ability and the willingness to set their own course and solve their own problems. And once they are self-reliant, they are more able, better able, to care for others -- those who are in need. And this is all done under the inspiration of the Lord, helping them, guiding them."
Self-reliance is not exclusively Mormon. Lifferth has seen this principle -- helping people help themselves -- at the center of almost every institution and humanitarian organization.
"Most agencies will have two or three objectives," he said. "And the first will be to relieve suffering for those that simply need support to sustain life. But the more lasting purpose is to help people help themselves."
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has an organization that makes it easier to become self-reliant, according to Lifferth. It includes families, quorums, bishops and other entities that help not just in the short term, but for the long run.
Being self-reliant means that people set their own course and solve their own problems. Once they do this, they can help others get on their feet.
"The first thing we should remember," Lifferth said, "in addition to following the words of the prophet, is to pay our tithing and our offerings with the faith that Heavenly Father will inspire us and bless us in our efforts to care for our families and to care for others."
To truly be a servant to others, Lifferth said we must have some discretionary time and the ability to serve others. This means we have a responsibility to be educated, have our own food storage, put our financial affairs in order and be employed.
Self-reliance consists of many dimensions, according to Lifferth. They include education, health, spiritual strength, finances and home storage.
"But the one that is the most striking is unemployment -- which is facing a lot of wards throughout the world, especially here in the United States," he said. "And so, of all of our needs, we are placing a great focus on this question of employment."
Welfare: helping the bishops (1 of 4)
Welfare: helping the bishops
By Michael De Groote
Mormon Times
Published: 2009-05-18 00:21:46
First in a four-part weekly series on church welfare.
The economic downturn weighed heavily on the minds of members of the General Welfare Committee of the LDS Church at a meeting about a year ago. Dennis R. Lifferth, managing director of Welfare Services for the church, remembered the meeting that included the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, seven presidents of the Seventy, Presiding Bishopric and Relief Society general presidency.
The brethren were particularly concerned about the bishops of the church, said Lifferth in a recent interview. They discussed how bishops have the divine responsibility to care for the poor -- but because they are called and released every few years there is a large turnover. How could the church make sure the Mormon bishops knew the foundation principles of welfare so they could make good decisions?
The welfare department began working on "Providing in the Lord’s Way: A Leader's Guide to Welfare." According to Lifferth, the guide and its summary booklet were meant to summarize the basic principles of welfare in such a clear, straightforward way that there would be no misunderstanding. The hope was that the guide’s principles would be "a real blessing for these bishops as they face the increasing problems that we are facing in the world."
About six months later, work began on a presentation pamphlet and video titled "Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-reliance." The presentation featured several welfare topics using talks by Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve; Sister Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president; Presiding Bishop H. David Burton; and President Thomas S. Monson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The English versions of the "Leader’s Guide" and the "Basic Principles" presentation were sent out worldwide on Feb. 22. "Basic Principles" was translated into 16 languages, while the "Leader’s Guide" was translated into 28 languages. More translations are planned.
"This is going to go around the world," Lifferth said.
The reach of the video presentation and booklet was about the same as a worldwide leadership training meeting -- except the welfare presentation was mailed instead of broadcast.
The "Leader’s Guide" summary booklet is available online. The "Basic Principles" DVD presentation and the "Leader’s Guide" summary booklet are also available at no cost from Church Distribution, but must be ordered by a Mormon stake, ward, mission or branch.
Lifferth said both the guide and the presentation focus on the most important welfare principle: "That is self-reliance and the principles that guide and help people to become self-reliant."
By Michael De Groote
Mormon Times
Published: 2009-05-18 00:21:46
First in a four-part weekly series on church welfare.
The economic downturn weighed heavily on the minds of members of the General Welfare Committee of the LDS Church at a meeting about a year ago. Dennis R. Lifferth, managing director of Welfare Services for the church, remembered the meeting that included the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, seven presidents of the Seventy, Presiding Bishopric and Relief Society general presidency.
The brethren were particularly concerned about the bishops of the church, said Lifferth in a recent interview. They discussed how bishops have the divine responsibility to care for the poor -- but because they are called and released every few years there is a large turnover. How could the church make sure the Mormon bishops knew the foundation principles of welfare so they could make good decisions?
The welfare department began working on "Providing in the Lord’s Way: A Leader's Guide to Welfare." According to Lifferth, the guide and its summary booklet were meant to summarize the basic principles of welfare in such a clear, straightforward way that there would be no misunderstanding. The hope was that the guide’s principles would be "a real blessing for these bishops as they face the increasing problems that we are facing in the world."
About six months later, work began on a presentation pamphlet and video titled "Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-reliance." The presentation featured several welfare topics using talks by Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve; Sister Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president; Presiding Bishop H. David Burton; and President Thomas S. Monson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The English versions of the "Leader’s Guide" and the "Basic Principles" presentation were sent out worldwide on Feb. 22. "Basic Principles" was translated into 16 languages, while the "Leader’s Guide" was translated into 28 languages. More translations are planned.
"This is going to go around the world," Lifferth said.
The reach of the video presentation and booklet was about the same as a worldwide leadership training meeting -- except the welfare presentation was mailed instead of broadcast.
The "Leader’s Guide" summary booklet is available online. The "Basic Principles" DVD presentation and the "Leader’s Guide" summary booklet are also available at no cost from Church Distribution, but must be ordered by a Mormon stake, ward, mission or branch.
Lifferth said both the guide and the presentation focus on the most important welfare principle: "That is self-reliance and the principles that guide and help people to become self-reliant."
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Check those Canning Supplies! - - Bottling butter note
Hello All My Readers,
Well my advice for this month is to check your canning supplies. Take an inventory of what you have and what you need so you are not running to the store all the time. Also if you know what you have you can make list and save time and money looking for the sales.
**Note of Interest**
I tried the bottling of the butter. It turned out great. One batch I was too tired to give it the final shaking. The taste was not bad. And the consistency was not too bad either. (PS- the opened jar that I had I gave to my MIL and it survived the accident in WY - (http://outinthecountryandlovinit.blogspot.com/2009/04/utah-trip-accident.html)) Canning is great!
Well my advice for this month is to check your canning supplies. Take an inventory of what you have and what you need so you are not running to the store all the time. Also if you know what you have you can make list and save time and money looking for the sales.
**Note of Interest**
I tried the bottling of the butter. It turned out great. One batch I was too tired to give it the final shaking. The taste was not bad. And the consistency was not too bad either. (PS- the opened jar that I had I gave to my MIL and it survived the accident in WY - (http://outinthecountryandlovinit.blogspot.com/2009/04/utah-trip-accident.html)) Canning is great!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
How to spell relief from recession: G-A-R-D-E-N
I Love this article that I just found! It is truly a good one to read. Happy planting!
How to spell relief from recession: G-A-R-D-E-N
By Larry A. Sagers
Deseret News
Published: Monday, Mar. 23, 2009
Like everyone else, I am seeing and feeling the economic downturn, slowdown, recession or whatever term you choose to apply to the current situation in the country.
The dollars do not stretch as far, and visits to the produce section seem to cost more while yielding less.
How do you spell relief? If you are old enough to remember the old anti-acid commercial, it was R-O-L-A-I-D-S.
My take is G-A-R-D-E-N-S!
Growing your own vegetables is an excellent way to stretch the limited dollars available in the family food budget. While some argue that a garden can never pay, I think that done correctly, you can produce a fabulous return on your investment.
Examine some of the variables: If you try to figure in the cost of land, the garden economics never work. With lots selling for thousands and thousands of dollars, you will never pay for urban real estate by growing anything legal.
That said, most of us bought our property for a place to live, not to grow vegetables. The garden is a bonus.
Other variables are more controllable, so we can get a great return on dollars spent if we plan and plant wisely.
If your garden space is limited, double your harvest by growing two crops. Start by planting the early -- or cool season -- crops right now. By planting many of these crops now, you can reap the harvest soon enough that you can follow them with another crop later in the season.
By definition, cool-season vegetables will grow when temperatures are cool in the spring or fall. They can withstand light frosts and will germinate even when soil temperatures are only 40 degrees.
Fortunately for Utah gardeners, there are many crops to plant right now.
The planting time for the hardiest of these crops is as soon as you can prepare the soil. Roll up your sleeves and prepare a sunny spot in your garden and get planting.
Many these crops are open pollinated, so the seed is relatively inexpensive. None of them take lots of space, so they lend themselves well to container production.
While seed is usually less expensive, transplants can help you produce a crop in less time. Onions, cabbage, broccoli and kohlrabi are often grown from transplants.
As added bonuses, these crops need less water because of frequent spring rains and cooler temperatures. Also, many serious insect pests, such as grasshoppers, are not active in the cool spring weather.
Starting from the soil up, we have several root crops that fall into this cool season category. Radishes are the fastest maturing crop in the garden, and under ideal situations they are ready to harvest in four weeks.
Spend a few cents on radish seeds and you will be amply rewarded. Just be careful how many you plant. It is easy to get carried away, so only plant a couple of feet of row in the garden every two weeks for a continuous supply.
Green onions also produce a crop in a very short time. Plant them from transplants or seeds if you want big storage onions to harvest late in the season.
If speed is critical, plant the small onions sets and pull them as green onions. Regardless of the way you choose to plant them, thin them but use the smaller plants as you would use chives as a seasoning or garnish.
Turnips and kohlrabi are closely related, but the parts you eat grow in a different spot. The turnip root grows below ground, making it more susceptible to root maggots. The kohlrabi bulb grows above ground so the maggots don't infest the part you eat.
The last broccoli I bought was pretty spendy. Produce your own green with this tasty, nutritious green vegetable. Get it planted right away so that it matures before it gets too hot and dry. It will taste better and not be as tough.
Do the same with your cabbage. It grows well and produces a good yield.
Try some of the red cabbage varieties or some of the Savoy types for a different look and taste to your vegetables.
Spinach is one of the earliest crops you can grow. It is ready to harvest in as little as five to six weeks and makes a tasty, tender dish either fresh or cooked.
Take advantage of the warm spring days and start growing green.
Hopefully your garden will be the opposite of the financial world -- that is, it will come up, not go down.
MormonTimes.com is produced by the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Copyright © 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company
How to spell relief from recession: G-A-R-D-E-N
By Larry A. Sagers
Deseret News
Published: Monday, Mar. 23, 2009
Like everyone else, I am seeing and feeling the economic downturn, slowdown, recession or whatever term you choose to apply to the current situation in the country.
The dollars do not stretch as far, and visits to the produce section seem to cost more while yielding less.
How do you spell relief? If you are old enough to remember the old anti-acid commercial, it was R-O-L-A-I-D-S.
My take is G-A-R-D-E-N-S!
Growing your own vegetables is an excellent way to stretch the limited dollars available in the family food budget. While some argue that a garden can never pay, I think that done correctly, you can produce a fabulous return on your investment.
Examine some of the variables: If you try to figure in the cost of land, the garden economics never work. With lots selling for thousands and thousands of dollars, you will never pay for urban real estate by growing anything legal.
That said, most of us bought our property for a place to live, not to grow vegetables. The garden is a bonus.
Other variables are more controllable, so we can get a great return on dollars spent if we plan and plant wisely.
If your garden space is limited, double your harvest by growing two crops. Start by planting the early -- or cool season -- crops right now. By planting many of these crops now, you can reap the harvest soon enough that you can follow them with another crop later in the season.
By definition, cool-season vegetables will grow when temperatures are cool in the spring or fall. They can withstand light frosts and will germinate even when soil temperatures are only 40 degrees.
Fortunately for Utah gardeners, there are many crops to plant right now.
The planting time for the hardiest of these crops is as soon as you can prepare the soil. Roll up your sleeves and prepare a sunny spot in your garden and get planting.
Many these crops are open pollinated, so the seed is relatively inexpensive. None of them take lots of space, so they lend themselves well to container production.
While seed is usually less expensive, transplants can help you produce a crop in less time. Onions, cabbage, broccoli and kohlrabi are often grown from transplants.
As added bonuses, these crops need less water because of frequent spring rains and cooler temperatures. Also, many serious insect pests, such as grasshoppers, are not active in the cool spring weather.
Starting from the soil up, we have several root crops that fall into this cool season category. Radishes are the fastest maturing crop in the garden, and under ideal situations they are ready to harvest in four weeks.
Spend a few cents on radish seeds and you will be amply rewarded. Just be careful how many you plant. It is easy to get carried away, so only plant a couple of feet of row in the garden every two weeks for a continuous supply.
Green onions also produce a crop in a very short time. Plant them from transplants or seeds if you want big storage onions to harvest late in the season.
If speed is critical, plant the small onions sets and pull them as green onions. Regardless of the way you choose to plant them, thin them but use the smaller plants as you would use chives as a seasoning or garnish.
Turnips and kohlrabi are closely related, but the parts you eat grow in a different spot. The turnip root grows below ground, making it more susceptible to root maggots. The kohlrabi bulb grows above ground so the maggots don't infest the part you eat.
The last broccoli I bought was pretty spendy. Produce your own green with this tasty, nutritious green vegetable. Get it planted right away so that it matures before it gets too hot and dry. It will taste better and not be as tough.
Do the same with your cabbage. It grows well and produces a good yield.
Try some of the red cabbage varieties or some of the Savoy types for a different look and taste to your vegetables.
Spinach is one of the earliest crops you can grow. It is ready to harvest in as little as five to six weeks and makes a tasty, tender dish either fresh or cooked.
Take advantage of the warm spring days and start growing green.
Hopefully your garden will be the opposite of the financial world -- that is, it will come up, not go down.
MormonTimes.com is produced by the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Copyright © 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Outdoor Cooking site
I found the most interesting web site this morning. I just have to share it with you.
http://www.outdoorcooking.com/
They have an awesome cooking stove for outdoor cooking. The prices seem quite reasonable too. Have some fun looking or "window shopping".
http://www.outdoorcooking.com/
They have an awesome cooking stove for outdoor cooking. The prices seem quite reasonable too. Have some fun looking or "window shopping".
Monday, March 9, 2009
Planning a Garden!
Wow! What a start to the spring year. Now is the time to plan a garden for this year.
When February and March rolled around we would sit down and create a footprint of what we wanted in our garden, what we wanted in our food storage and where we were going to plant it. And we calculated how much money it would take for plants and black plastic, but now living here in this house with no yard to speak of and the free ability for all the neighbors to walk across my yard, as they do. I now have to rely on the generosity and kindness of some of our neighbors to allow me to plant on their land. I can’t wait until we can buy our own land!
Plan Garden has some interesting information on planning your garden if you are not sure what to do (http://www.plangarden.com/?pgref=9036). It does cost to use this service.
The next thing to do is to replenish your seeds supply. Purchase new seeds for planting or pull seeds that you saved from last year. Look at the times when you need to plant or start them indoors.
If you want more information, call Melanie Fisher for information about gardening. She teaches the class on gardening in the Branch.
When February and March rolled around we would sit down and create a footprint of what we wanted in our garden, what we wanted in our food storage and where we were going to plant it. And we calculated how much money it would take for plants and black plastic, but now living here in this house with no yard to speak of and the free ability for all the neighbors to walk across my yard, as they do. I now have to rely on the generosity and kindness of some of our neighbors to allow me to plant on their land. I can’t wait until we can buy our own land!
Plan Garden has some interesting information on planning your garden if you are not sure what to do (http://www.plangarden.com/?pgref=9036). It does cost to use this service.
The next thing to do is to replenish your seeds supply. Purchase new seeds for planting or pull seeds that you saved from last year. Look at the times when you need to plant or start them indoors.
If you want more information, call Melanie Fisher for information about gardening. She teaches the class on gardening in the Branch.
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