Last year, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continued its efforts to live the two great commandments.
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God” and “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,” Jesus teaches in the Bible.
The Church’s new 2022 annual report on caring for those in need shows that this work included more than $1 billion in expenditures, 6.3 million hours volunteered and 3,692 humanitarian projects in 190 countries and territories.
The more than $1 billion expended to help care for those in need went toward fast-offering assistance, humanitarian aid, goods distributed from bishops’ storehouses and Deseret Industries stores, and operations such as Family Services counseling, employment centers, farms and food-processing facilities.
As Christ’s Church, the First Presidency said in the report, the faith is simply doing what the Savior of the world would do.
“As His followers, we seek to love God and our neighbors throughout the world,” the First Presidency said. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is eager to bless others and to help those in need. We are blessed to have the ability, resources, and trusted global connections to carry out this sacred responsibility, which we consider a joyful privilege.”
The 48-page report is available in 16 languages. View the English PDF.
The largest monetary donations the Church of Jesus Christ gave in 2022 include $32 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) and $5 million to UNICEF’s global nutrition program, which helps malnourished children.
“Jesus has a tender heart for children,” Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson said when the donation to WFP was announced. “He weeps to see them starve. And He rejoices at even the smallest effort to help them.”
Other significant donations were a $5.1 million to the American Red Cross (in addition to more than 1 million units of donated blood from Latter-day Saints) and another $5 million to Rotary International for polio and maternal and neonatal tetanus vaccinations.
The Church also made significant financial contributions to help the rising number of people impacted by natural disasters and armed conflict. This included relief to Ukrainian refugees; tsunami survivors in Tonga; storm victims in Kentucky, Florida and South Africa; and victims of civil conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“The love and desire to help is overwhelming to see,” said Julia, a member of the Church in Austria who helped refugees in several eastern European countries. “People’s hearts are drawn toward each other.”
The Church also helped bring electricity to a Navajo community in Utah, and members engaged with Sikhs in a service project in the United Arab Emirates. Latter-day Saints in Tennessee partnered with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on community service projects for mothers in Memphis and those who need healthy food in San Francisco. And Light the World Giving Machines collected funds to buy food and other items for those in need in 28 locations around the world.
The 6.3 million volunteer hours donated in 2022 included service at farms, orchards, canneries and Deseret Industries stores; missions to care for those in need; and cleanup after natural disasters.
In addition to the 3,692 humanitarian projects, 16,285 new service projects were facilitated by JustServe.org, the Church’s free online volunteer portal available in 14 countries. The tool connects people to service opportunities that match their interests and location.
The Church’s Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé has called JustServe “a movement and a way that we can live our covenants” and “bless and strengthen [our] community.”
The Church of Jesus Christ also continued its environmental stewardship initiatives. Since 2018, Church headquarters has reduced its yearly water consumption by 38 million gallons. More than 500 meetinghouses worldwide now have solar panels. Deseret Industries processed 73 million recycled goods. And the Church’s Print and Distribution Center recycled nearly 4,000 tons of paper, metal, cardboard and plastic.
“As God’s children, we have received the charge to be stewards, caretakers and guardians of His divine creations,” Bishop Caussé said at the October 2022 general conference. “The Lord said that He made ‘every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures.’”
The First Presidency expressed gratitude for the generous donations of time and money from Latter-day Saints and others who made this work of comfort and hope possible in 2022.
“We gratefully acknowledge the selfless service and donation of time, funds, and other resources by Church members and friends as we collectively care for others,” they wrote. “As we continue to love and strengthen one another through service, we invite all to join us in this important work.”