Canned vegetables, donated books and chocolate milk had one thing in common: They were products gathered through self-reliance efforts to bless brothers and sisters in a worldwide family.
On Friday, July 12, eight members of the United States House of Representatives serving in the Committee on Ways and Means got a behind-the-scenes look at these self-reliance efforts as they toured Welfare Square in Salt Lake City.
The tour taught beyond what members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe, focusing instead on what motivates their service — a fond endeavor to serve the Savior.
“I hope that they learn that we are followers of Jesus Christ, we’re trying to serve our Father in Heaven and serve our fellow beings, and especially here at Welfare Square,” said Elder Carl B. Cook, senior president of the Presidency of the Seventy. “I hope that they understand that we take our mandate seriously to care for the poor and needy and to provide relief.”
Elder Cook, who accompanied the congresspeople, told the Church News that keeping the two great commandments — loving God and loving others (see Matthew 22:36-40) — requires understanding others and seeking to address their needs.
“The Savior is all about lifting and serving and helping and inspiring. And sometimes we do that in our callings and in service, but sometimes we do it in temporal ways. And I think Welfare Square is a way that we not only talk about service, but we help provide ways for them to be more self-reliant.”
Self-reliance efforts
Before the representatives toured the bishops’ storehouse, Deseret Industries and Deseret Dairy Products on Welfare Square, Elder Cook thanked the members of congress for their civil service.
The eight participating members of the U.S. House of Representatives were: Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah; Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri; Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y; Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.V.; Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa; Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kansas; and Rep. Michelle Steel, R-California.
They listened to the Seventy’s remarks beside a wall that displayed a Book of Mormon scripture, emphatically declaring to visitors that “when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17).
David Wells and his wife, Annette Wells, assistant directors of VIP hosting for the Church, led the tour. David Wells started by explaining the four-fold mission of the Church: live, care, invite and unite. This includes living Jesus Christ’s teachings, caring for those in need, inviting others to become involved, and uniting on earth and beyond the grave.
“I hope you’ll see in a small way some of the ministering that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints tries to do, combined with the government ministry that you’re involved in.”
The congresspeople saw the Church’s self-reliance efforts from the canned goods to the donated items to the cheese made from scratch. They witnessed the cheerful and Christlike service in the bishops’ storehouse’s diligent workers, 95% of whom are volunteers.
Hope for humanity by joining to serve
Annette Wells later said to the Church News of the tour: “I’m excited that they were very interested in how the program worked. I hope they take it back to their states and try to figure out ways that can really make a difference from the ground level to create self-reliant people.”
Having hosted many VIPs from various faiths, Annette Wells has noticed when they see the programs of the Church firsthand, they develop a stronger desire to be part of something bigger than themselves.
She said, “It gives me hope for humanity when I see all the good people around the world that are really working so hard to make a difference in their community. We can’t do it on our own. We have to partner with all of these wonderful, incredible people to make a difference.”
In addition to better understanding the Church of Jesus Christ, Annette Wells hopes the congresspeople will take what they saw from Welfare Square to make a difference in their communities.
“I know I’m better by being with them, and I hope they’re a little bit better by what they’ve learned today being at Welfare Square.”
‘There’s so much good that we do here’
Rep. Blake Moore, a Latter-day Saint, was eager for his committee to see “well-run, well-operated support services” the Church offers at Welfare Square.
“There’s so much good that we do here,” he said, adding, “We have best practices that we’ve employed for many, many years within a Church welfare program that’s helped lift people out of poverty, helped them in a tough spot.”
Moore also serves on the Subcommittee on Work and Welfare, a subcommittee of the Committee on Ways and Means that leads bills and efforts in public assistance provisions like family services and welfare recipients. With this background, Moore admired the bishops’ storehouse option for those in need and the experience offered to workers at Deseret Industries.
“The employment that takes place within the Deseret Industries is great because it gives folks a job, but it also helps them get those soft skills needed for career advancement.”
Elder Cook said that regardless of religious affiliation, everyone can make a positive difference by serving others.
“I think everyone has an innate desire to help others and to bless others,” he said. “It’s part of our makeup as children of God, that we’re not isolated and alone in this world, but we’re all in this together.”
