Commanded of the Lord- Welfare Relief

Soon after the church came to be
The Saints were commanded of the Lord
To visit the sick and the needy
And give relief to the poor

How else could they be His people
With all their heart, soul, and mind
But by embracing the gospel
And acclaiming Him to all mankind

The purpose of the church welfare
Is to help the afflicted along
To be self reliant and fully share
In the blessings of the faithful strong

The sisters are to add their relief
By assisting the widow and orphan
Correcting morals, restoring belief,
While promoting the good works of man

The brethren of the priesthood
Are to lend their strength and support
While assisting families on the move
And offering blessings of comfort

The men and women are to consecrate
All they have and are to the Lord
Allowing the Bishop to deligate
Having charity as their reward

When we let love guide our actions
This is pure religion indeed
For only then is a Saint active
As through each other the Lord meets each need

To help one another, He calls
And the giver is made humble
While the one in need, He exalts
As we are equally God's people


The Essence of Discipleship Silvia H. Allred
First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency
Ensign, May 2011

When love becomes the guiding principle in our care for others, our service to them becomes the gospel in action.