LDS Philanthropies serves as the central coordinating agency for all donations to the Church or one of its institutions—beyond tithing and fast offerings—with the goal of helping members and friends of the Church meet the needs of people worldwide. This is accomplished by focusing on those priorities selected and approved by the leaders of the Church and its institutions.
In recognition of its welfare contributions in Madagascar, LDS Humanitarian Services received the Chevalier de L’Ordre Nationale Madagascar award in June 2008 from the country’s Ministry of Health.
MORE »For the children of the central African city of Luputa and nearby villages, an 18-mile-long pipe being laid near their homes means a lot more than access to clean water for their families.
It also means that they will be healthier and able to attend school more regularly, according to Marie Christensen, an Idaho woman who recently returned with her husband from D.R. Congo after 18 months of volunteer humanitarian service.
After recent severe storms in Ruidoso, New Mexico, Mormon missionaries joined with local Latter-day Saints to help residents deal with the damage.
After a day spent diverting and damming overflowing rivers, volunteers helped victims move out of flooded and damaged homes. They removed mud (up to three and a half feet deep) and water-logged goods and furniture from homes.
With continued growing interest and attendance, LDS Philanthropies’ National Planned Giving Council (NPGC) is pleased to announce the 3rd Annual NPGC Seminar to be held October 2-3, 2008, at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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To learn more about the National Planned Giving Council, click here.
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MORE »Sister Julie B. Beck, general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, addressed more than 1,000 Brigham Young University-Idaho graduates at summer commencement exercises held Friday, July 18, teaching them to stay true to the standards of the gospel.
"While you have been here, you have been recipients of one of the finest educations available in the world," Sister Beck said. "You have also been educated in an environment where the spirit of the Lord could flourish."
News reports on May 25, 2008, predicted the mile-wide tornado that had wiped out half of Parkersburg, Iowa, would head north. But as Wes Godfrey videotaped the tornado from his home to the east in New Hartford, Iowa, the rotating funnel started to slowly fill up his camcorder’s screen.
Brother Godfrey rushed his 8-months-pregnant wife, Erin, and two children into their tornado shelter and huddled his family together to pray. As Brother Godfrey asked Heavenly Father to spare their lives and the lives of their neighbors, the Spirit touched his heart, and he immediately knew two things: (1) they would be okay, and (2) they were going to get hit.
One of the Church’s major initiatives is the neonatal resuscitation program - an effort that sends volunteer doctors and nurses to developing areas of the world to train medical professionals on life-saving techniques. After receiving the training, local doctors and nurses return to their communities to train others. Tens of thousands of professionals have been trained through this mentoring process and thousands of infants saved as a result.
After only the second year competing, the Brigham Young University Ad Lab has won the international finals of the L'Oreal Brandstorm competition.
The team of Ad Lab students, Blake Hadley, Matt Miller and Monica McGhie, led by faculty adviser and Ad Lab director Jeff Sheets, swept the June 10 competition in Paris with their clever campaign for a sun care product, winning both the top prize and the "Best Communications Campaign."
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will dedicate new temples in Panama City, Panama, and Twin Falls, Idaho, this summer bringing the number of operating temples worldwide to 128.
A group of Brigham Young University students is one step closer to building self-sustainable schools in India after winning the 2008 Social Venture Competition, which includes a $10,000 award to fund their goal.
Established in 2004 by the BYU Center for Economic Self-Reliance, the Social Venture Competition is designed for students who, through a business venture, are combating social issues in areas such as healthcare, poverty and education.
It was a classic Laie event on June 25 when a small party of Polynesian Cultural Center board of director members, Presidents' Leadership Council donors and special guests, community kupuna and employees gathered for the private dedication of Halau Wa'a O Iosepa - the new 85-foot-long, 43-feet-wide and almost 40-feet-high home for BYU-Hawaii's iconic voyaging canoe, the 57-foot traditional twin-hulled Iosepa:
