One talk that I particularly enjoyed this conference was by Bishop H. David Burton. He spoke about the humanitarian effort of the church. It was so nice to hear about all the good that the church is doing to help those around us who are in need. I know that the church responds quietly with much needed support to aid our fellow men in time of need.
Currently living in the South, the impact of Hurricane Katrina hit close to my heart. It still saddens me to think of the devastation that faces that region. I know that the church gave supplies to help, but members have given of their time as well. Our stake sent down men one weekend, and they worked the whole weekend straight through. The amazing thing about this was that the church coordinated the efforts of those able to help. Several stakes would send men down one weekend, and then other stakes on other weekends. This went on for more than a month, and they were able to help those in need.
Another program that is really effective is the Perpetual Education Fund. This is a fund that was started with donations specifically for the fund. The fund helps members of the church gain an education by lending them the money for them to go to school in their own country. This is used in countries that are a lot poorer than the U.S. I think this is great because it gives people a chance to greatly improve their quality of life and they in turn can help those around them.
I am grateful that the church does so much to help those in need. To read more about what they have done or ways that you can help you can visit their website. Do you have any programs that you appreciate or that you’ve helped with?